southwindsdecember2004

December 2004For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless

Sailing in aHurricane

Part II

JS9000Boat Review

Getting WeatherFAX on Demand

SOUTHWINDSNews & Views for Southern Sailors

Murray Yacht SalesNew Orleans, LAMobile, ALPensacola, FL(504) [email protected]

Carson Yacht BrokerageRegatta Pointe Marina1065 Riverside DrivePalmetto, FL 34221(941) 723-1825(941) 729-8254 Fax

Eastern YachtsWest Palm Beach &

Fort Lauderdale, FL(531) 844-1100(954) [email protected]

St. Barts YachtsCharleston, SC(843) 577-7377Jacksonville, FL(904) [email protected]

http://www.beneteauusa.com

2 December 2004 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindssailing.com

http://www.westmarine.com

http://www.masseyyacht.com


http://www.regatadelsolalsol.org

Local News For Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2004 5

http://www.strictlysail.com


Subscribe to

SOUTHWINDS$19.95/year $37/2 Years 3rd Class$24/year $45/2 Years 1st Class

(941) 795-8704 • www.southwindssailing.comP.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175

Subscribe on line on our secure Web site with credit card www.southwindssailing.com

Name ______________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City/St./ZIP _________________________________________

ENCLOSED $ ________ Check ___ Money Order ___

Visa/MC #_________________________________________

Name on Card ______________________________________

Ex. Date _________ Signature _________________________

ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY (SEE PAGE 68 FOR ALPHABETICAL LIST)

SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGEBeneteau Sailboats Back CoverBoaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats 38Carson Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverEastern Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverFlying Scot Sailboats 64Gulf Coast Yacht Sales 63,64Hanse Sailboats 65Hunter/Snug Harbor Yacht Brokerage 37JS9000 PHRF Racer 63Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina/Jeanneau/Hunter/Mainship

3,11,19,32,33,IBCMasthead Yacht Sales/Catalina 29,14,67Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverPerformance Sail and Sport 39Raider Sailboats 65Sailboats Florida, Inc. 65Sailor’s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage 52,57Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats 62Seafarers International Yacht Brokerage 51,64Snug Harbor Yacht Brokerage/Hunter 37St. Barts/Beneteau Back CoverSuncoast Inflatables/ West Florida 58Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 54Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program 59Windcraft, Trimarans and Catamarans, Sail or Power 35

GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHINGAir Duck Hatch Windscoop 67Bluewater Sailing Supply 8,57Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL 38BoatUS 17Bo’sun Supplies/Hrdwre/Rigging www.bosunsupplies.com 32Coral Reef Apparel Company 30Defender Industries, www.defender.com 67E-Marine 67Frigoboat 50Garhauer Hardware 22Gil 14Glacier Bay Refrigeration 15Hotwire/Fans & other products 66Island Marine Products/Davits,motorlocks,etc. 21JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 31Leather Wheel 34Masthead Enterprises 14,29,67Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign 59Ronstan 53Rparts Refrigeration, www.rparts.com 35SSMR 55Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 54West Marine IFCWinch Buddy 8

SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICESAltlantic Sails 46Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 56BoatUS 17Cruising Direct/sails online by North 36Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging 66Masthead/Used Sails and Service 14,29,67National Sail Supply, new&used online 41North Sails 16Nuclear Sails 8Porpoise Used Sails 67Quantum Sails and Services 15Sailing Services, rigging supplies, etc. 45Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL 49SSMR 55Sunrise Sails 56Ullman Sails 28US Spars 13West Marine IFC

CANVASBanks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 56Quantum Sails and Services 15

USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIESDon’s Salvage, Clearwater FL 55Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida 59Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL 48

SAILING SCHOOLSSea School/Captain’s License 24St. Augustine Sailing School 67Ocean-Pro Bluewater Instruction 9

MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIESAmerica’s Generators 66Beta Marine 31Fleetside Marine Service 66RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke 9Yanmar 66

RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT YARDSBob and Annie’s Boatyard 20Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina 60El Cid Caribe Marina, Mexico 12Sailor’s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage 52,57

CHARTER COMPANIESSailtime, Shared ownership 26

MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, INSURANCE, TOWING, BOAT LETTERING, ETC.

Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online 56Beachmaster Photography 64Coast Weather Services 67Manton Marine Surveying 56Mike Shea Maritime Legal Services 23Ocean-Pro Weather Routing Services 67

MARINE ELECTRONICSDockside Radio 21JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 31Memory Map 67Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication 67Weather Wave 27

BOOKSBubba Stories Book 37Memory Map Pocket Navigator 67West Marine Books and Charts 13

REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWSCharleston to Bermuda Race 10Regata Del Sol Al Sol 4

Sailing Services Directory West Florida 56Regional Sailing Services Directory 34Subscription Information This Page Alphabetical Advertisers’ List 68

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

http://www.southwindssailing.com


SOUTHWINDSNEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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

The bow roller that broke off while sailing in a hurricane.Sailing in a hurricane, Part II. Photo by Capt. KevinHughes. Page 20.

The Racer’s racer. Photo courtesy John Burgess. Page 28.

9 From the Helm

10 Letters

14 Short Tacks

18 Cuba: Sail at Your Own PerilBy Morgan Stinemetz

20 Surviving the Hurricanes: But Then Along Came Charley Part II

By Capt. Kevin Hughes

24 The Sailboat Damaged by the Storm vs The Insurance Company. Part II

By Capt. J. Michael Shea, JD

27 Bubba Misses the VoteBy Morgan Stinemetz

28 Boat Review: JS9000. The Racer’s Racer.By Ron Mitchellete

30 Weather on Demand: Getting Your Weather FAX Weather When You Want It

By Gary Jensen

35 Southeast Coast Sailing: Carolinas and Georgia:December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

38 East Florida Sailing: December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

43 Southeast Florida Sailing: December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

46 Northern Gulf Coast Sailing: December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

50 Florida Keys Sailing: December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

52 West Florida Sailing: December Sailing, Events and Race Calendar, Race Report, News

63 Classifieds

70 Is it a bird, a plane or?

34 Regional Sailing Services Directory 56 West Florida Sailing Services Directory68 Alphabetical Index of Advertisers6 Advertisers’ List by Category6 Subscription Form

COVER: Columbus Day Regatta 2004. Photo courtesy Boatpix. Photos from a helicopter. www.boatpix.com.

http://www.boatpix.com


SOUTHWINDSNews & Views For Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS Media, Inc.P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218-1175

(941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Faxwww.southwindssailing.com

e-mail: [email protected] 12 Number 12 December 2004

Copyright 2004, Southwinds Media, Inc.

Publisher/EditorSteve Morrell [email protected]

FounderDoran Cushing

Advertising & Editors

Production ProofreadingHeather Nicoll Kathy Elliott

Contributing Writers Jody L. Alu Sherry Beckett Rebecca BurgRay Dupuis Dave Ellis Jabbo GordonCapt. Kevin Hughes Gary Jensen Kim KaminskiRoy Laughlin Walt McFarlane Ron MitchelletteArturo Perez Steve Romaine Capt. Michael J. Shea, JDMorgan Stinemetz

Contributing PhotographersJody L. Alu Sherry Beckett BoatpixGeorge Crook Bill Cullen Philip Francoeur, Jr.Capt. Kevin Hughes Kim Kaminski Roy LaughlinWalt McFarlane Art Perez Susanne Walsh

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY:SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists,

jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, includingsailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world andgenerally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or theCaribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some far-off and far-out place.

SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, sto-ries about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical arti-cles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronical-ly by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if pos-sible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruisingand just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution ifdigital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning.Contact the editor with questions.

Subscriptions to SOUTHWINDS are available at $19.95/year, or $37/2years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card num-bers may be mailed with name and address to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions,PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704.Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server onour Web site, www.southwindssailing.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed toover 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to dis-tribute SOUTHWINDS at your location, please contact the editor.

Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web site, www.southwindssailing.com.

Steve MorrellNational/West Florida AdvertisingWest Florida Regional [email protected](941) 795-8704

Florida KeysRebecca BurgRegional Editor/[email protected](305) 304-5118

Southeast FloridaJody L. Alu(954) 816-0130Regional Editor/[email protected]

Art PerezSE Florida Racing [email protected](305) 380-0106

Gary HuffordNational/West Florida [email protected](727) 585-2814

East FloridaRoy LaughlinRegional Editor/[email protected](321) 690-0137

The Southeast Coast: Carolinas and GeorgiaSteve MorrellRegional Editor/[email protected](941) 795-8704

The Northern Gulf Coast: Florida Panhandle, Alabama,Mississippi, Louisiana, TexasKim KaminskiRegional Editor/[email protected](850) 384-8941


mailto:[email protected]






mailo:[email protected]



http://www.winchbuddy.com

http://www.nuclearsailmakers.com




FROM THE HELM

Charges Dropped Against Organizers of Race to Cuba

On October 29, four days before the November election,and 10 days before a scheduled trial date, the federal

government dropped charges brought against MicheleGeslin and Peter Goldsmith for their actions in organizingthe 2003 race from Key West to Cuba. (For more informationsee the article by Morgan Stinemetz on page 18.)

Is the timing here just a coincidence? I don’t believe it is,but perhaps it is. One thing for sure is that this last electionwill have an effect on this whole situation of traveling toCuba, as we all know. How about the fact that charges weredropped just before everyone was set to go to trial? Was thata coincidence, too?

If this case had gone to trial and the federal governmenthad won, then it would have been the first time that theTrading with the Enemy Act had been successfully prose-cuted since it was introduced to try to enforce the embargo.I strongly believe that the federal government knows itwould never pass the legal test and that they knew chargeswould be dropped. Many non-government legal expertshave voiced their opinions that the law would never pass ahigh court test, and I am sure that the governments’ legalexperts are no less knowledgeable.

In the meantime, Michele Geslin and Peter Goldsmithhave been put through a long period of harassment andintimidation, which we could also label as punishmentwithout conviction—clearly unconstitutional, immoral,unethical, and unprincipled. I propose that those who

administer this form of punishment be indicted and taken totrial for their actions and hopefully convicted and punished.All these people and the race participants wanted to do wasexercise their right to travel freely as free citizens of theUnited States—a right that all Americans of all political per-suasions should protect.

As for those who would still like to sail to Cuba, I don’tthink you will be doing so for at least the next four years.

As for Michele and Peter, I am glad for you both andhope you can get on with your lives and that they have notbeen disrupted too much.

Strictly Sail St. Petersburg Boat Showa Real Success for SOUTHWINDS

We thank all the people who came by our booth at theshow and expressed their positive thoughts and ideas

about the magazine. We hope to continue to live up to yourexpectations in becoming even better in the coming years.Thank you also for filling out our survey, results of whichwill be published in a future issue. For those of you who didfill out the survey, you were entered in our raffle in whichwe gave away a West Marine handheld VHF radio. The win-ner was Gregory Conrad of St. Petersburg. Hope you enjoythe new radio, Greg.

Steve Morrell, Editor

http://www.ocean-pro.com

http://www.rbgrove.com


See LETTERS continued on page 13

MORE ON THE ANCHORAGE ISSUE; A VOICE FROM CALIFORNIAIn response to your editorial on page 8 of the March, 2004,issue of SOUTHWINDS , I offer my story to your readers byyour invitation.

We anchor out in San Diego Bay, CA, and have learnedover the past 15 years of litigation with our Port District thatfederal law, state law and the Constitution mean nothing tothem. Even the courts and the Coast Guard believe that thePort District is the higher power, and that is because the leg-islature has empowered the district to make and enforce itsown laws, without limitation.

Most recently, the San Diego Unified Port District hasenacted five new ordinances that prohibit anchoring ormooring in any part of the bay, except in its eight designat-ed/regulated areas. The federal designated anchorageshave been transferred to the Port District by the CoastGuard even though it does not have such powers. The CoastGuard not only approves of a state takeover of the entirebay, but applauds it. The five new referenced ordinanceshave empowered the port’s harbor police with the authori-ty to board and inspect any vessel, at any time, withoutwarrant or probable cause, to search for violations of federal,state, or port district law. If a violation is found, the officercan immediately seize, tow and impound the vessel withoutdue process of law (no court hearing) and no right of appealin court. The mandatory penalty is a misdemeanor. If the ves-sel owner does not pay the usual $1,500 to $6,000 fine andtowing fee within 30 days, the vessel will be sold ordestroyed, usually the latter, and at the owner’s expense.

Just before the final vote on these new laws, we made itperfectly clear to the port commissions that the U. S.Supreme Court held that San Diego Bay is not withinCalifornia’s geographical boundaries. This allegation wassupported by quotes from United States v. California (1977),431 US 2915, and United States v. California (1981), 449 US408, as well as the court’s reference to the Submerged LandsAct, (1953) 43 USC 1301-1315, and “The Law of The SeaTreaty,” (1958) 15 UST 1607, or TIAS 5639. A threat of possi-ble lawsuit was made for the trespassing on federal lands inviolation of the Submerged Lands Act, as provided in 43USC 1350, but that fell on deaf ears, as well.

Subsequent to the enactment of these laws, we expect-ed big trouble from the district, but to our surprise theport’s harbor police have become very friendly, courteous,and respectful of our civil rights, at least for the present.

It could be that your anchorage is not owned by the stateas well. To find out, you need to research the following laws:

The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 (43 USC 1301-1315, asamended at the request of Congress, by the U.S. SupremeCourt (United States v. California (1966) 382 US 448). The pur-pose of the act was to define and confirm federal and stateownership of this nation’s submerged lands. As for jurisdic-tion, no state can assume jurisdiction beyond its boundaries(Amend 4, sect. 4). The act grants the lands under the terri-torial seas to each coastal state, but retains U.S. navigation-al servitude. This land grant does not extend into the bays,

[email protected] Web site: southwindssailing.comPO Box 1175,Holmes Beach FL 34218 Fax: (941) 795-8705

LETTERS Continued from page 9



http://www.charlestontobermuda.org

http://www.marinas.elcid.com

http://www.elcid.com


[email protected] Web site: southwindssailing.comPO Box 1175,Holmes Beach FL 34218 Fax: (941) 795-8705

LETTERS Continued from page 10

harbors and ports, as the states would like to believe,because the act established a “line separating the seawardlimit of inland waters” (43 USC 1301). The act left the defi-nition of these “inland waters” to the courts. (See UnitedStates v. California (1966) 382 US 450). This is not a new con-cept, because it has always been thus (see 1965 case above).You will also find that even if your bay is not a port, it canstill be excluded from state ownership if it meets certainrequirements. (See 1966 case Id, at p. 450 ¶ 4(c), (d)).Another aid to understanding all of this is a Yale Law Review,Vol 90: 1651 (1981).

If you have found that your anchorage is not withinstate boundaries and the state is managing the area for prof-it, it is: (1) fraud; (2) trespassing on federal lands; (3) a crimeagainst the provisions of the Submerged Lands Act (Id) asprovided in 43 USC 1350. The U.S. Supreme Court retainsoriginal jurisdiction on this kind of case, but requires acourt-certified attorney to plead it, so plan any action withgreat care and much research. The ownership question hasbeen raised many times in court, following the SubmergedLands Act, and when pled as an original action in the U.S.Supreme Court, the state always lost, but when pled onappeal in the 9th Circuit Court, the state always prevailed:However, the 9th Circuit is also known to have most of theirrulings overturned on appeal.

The coastal states have been allowed to steal federalwaters for too long now, and it is up to the citizens who aremost affected to stop these transgressions and see that itdoes not happen again. We need legal representation certi-fied by the U.S. Supreme Court and willing and able to chal-lenge big money attorneys for the long haul. Boat/US maybe of some help here, but more is needed.

Lawrence S. GrafChula Vista, CA

Lawrence,Having been brought up in Southern California, and, later on,having a sailboat in San Diego, I remember in the ’90s all of thetension and anger that existed between the Coast Guard, the SanDiego Port District, and the sailing public—particularly thecruisers. Much of this was publicized in letters to the editor in theCalifornia free sailing rags, Latitude 38 (out of San Francisco)and Santana (out of San Diego). I was hoping that tension wouldslowly disappear, but apparently, it is still alive with these newregulations.

If what you say is true and the harbor police in San Diego canboard a vessel so easily without warrant or probable cause, then itis another sad day in the erosion of our rights. Let’s hope not.

Editor

Subscribe to

SOUTHWINDS$19.95/year $37/2 Years 3rd Class

$24/year $45/2 Years 1st Class

See page 6 for more information.



http://www.usspars.com


Southbound Snowbirds Have New Post-Hurricane Message Board —Marina and Waterway Updates at www.BoatUS.ComFrom BoatUSFollowing a record hurricane season, Boat OwnersAssociation of the United States (BoatUS) can help south-bound snowbirds find their winter havens with a newHurricane Aftermath: Marina and ICW Reports messageboard at BoatUS.com. This new service offers a place forICW cruisers to share advice, ask questions, and spreadthe word about local conditions. Included are waterwayupdates by noted cruisers Tom and Mel Neale and updatesof hurricane-affected marinas by Skipper Bob. The new“Hurricane Aftermath” information can be found underthe message board area in the Boater to Boater section atwww.BoatUS.com

The Neales’ reports include waterway cruising infor-mation from boaters currently transiting the ICW, informa-tion from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. CoastGuard, and their own experiences. They write for majorboating publications and a bi-weekly column on cruising,Tom Neale’s “Cruising for You,” also at BoatUS.com, whichincludes regularly updated East Coast alerts and tips.

The Skipper Bob marina reports pass along informationfrom boaters transiting the waterway and include marinaICW mile markers, operating status, phone number, anddiesel, gas and transient dockage availability at dozens ofmarinas affected by hurricanes.

With information changing daily, BoatU.S. advisessnowbirds to check the Hurricane Aftermath message boardoften - and phone ahead.

Currently posted on the message board, BoatU.S. mem-ber and commercial ship captain Duane Lang reports thatlimited transient facilities and shoaling is leading someboaters to anchor dangerously close to busy waterways,potentially putting them in harm’s way. “Commercial traf-fic seems to have increased as barges are bringing in a lot ofsupplies to rebuild,” said Lang, who reports of some closecalls at night as boaters have anchored in busy channels or

not displayed an anchor light. “Boaters should also takeextra care near 24-hour dredging operations, which may notbe fully lit, and always be on the lookout for floating debris.”

Strong Sales, Higher Attendance andSunny Skies at 2004 Strictly Sail St.Petersburg, Nov. 4-7Strictly Sail St. Petersburg attracted higher attendance overlast year, and major exhibitors reported enjoying a showthat generated strong sales.

With sunny skies and sailing-perfect winds, close to10,000 show-goers attended the largest all-sail in-watershow on the Gulf Coast at the Vinoy Basin from Nov. 4-7,cramming tents, taking Discover Sailing rides and fillingsome seminars to standing-room-only capacity. The TallShip Unicorn, a 118-foot-tall schooner appearing at theshow, succeeded in helping spur record levels of print andbroadcast media coverage in the Tampa Bay market.

About 2,000 show-goers, nearly 20 percent of the show’sattendance, filled tents to listen to seminar speakers. About750 show-goers took their first steps into sailing through theshow’s Discover Sailing program, the highest number toenjoy the program in a single Discover Sailing event.

Give SOUTHWINDS

This Holiday season give the gift ofsailing! To your loved one, your

friends and your family. Their first issuecomes with a card that says,

"Seasons Greetings. Enjoy your one-(or two)-year gift subscription to SOUTHWINDS Magazine given to you by (your name.)”

3rd class: 1 year $19.95, 2 years $37 1st class: 1 year $24; 2 years $45

Go to our Web site & pay with Paypal or e-mail the details to [email protected]

You may also call us at (941) 795-8704CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

http://www.boatus.com



http://www.mastheadsailinggear.com


Overall, reports from major exhibitors indicated saleswould significantly exceed last year’s levels.

Palm Beach County Passes Referendumto Purchase Water Access PropertyFrom the Boating Industry E-News DailyIn the November election, Palm Beach County votersapproved a referendum question that allows the governmentto borrow $50-million to buy development rights to private-ly-owned marinas, build new boat ramps and create morepublic parking, according to several newspaper reports.

The intention of the proposal is to preserve and growpublic access to the waterfront by preventing real estatedevelopers from buying up marinas and replacing themwith condos, reported the Palm Beach Post.

Currently, while there are 40,000 registered boats in thecounty, 26,500 of which are on trailers, there are only ninepublic marinas and 550 parking spaces at public launches,according to the Sun-Sentinel.

If the County Commission gives it final approval, the$50-million bond will be paid for through property taxincreases. However, estimates suggest that the owner of a$200,000 property with the homestead exemption wouldpay less than $6 more per year.

Before soliciting this final approval, administrators willhave to create a more concrete plan for using the money.

Initial speculation is that, in addition to purchasing pri-vate marinas’ development rights, building boat ramps andcreating parking, the money might be used to buy water-front land or to buy development rights from condo devel-opers, helping to reduce the size of their projects and thuspreserve current marinas, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Don’t TeachYour Trashto Swim Mini-PostersNowAvailableReef Reliefannounces therelease of a neweducational mini-poster thatshows why youshouldn’t “TeachYour Trash ToSwim.” Therecently pub-lished posterfeatures a beau-tiful, full-colorphotograph ofa coral reef.Falling on the reef areall too familiar items that end up on coral reefs;cigarette butts, plastic jugs, and Styrofoam. Under eachitem is information on how long it takes it to biodegrade.

“The information is eye-opening,” says Joel Biddle,Reef Relief’s educational director. “For instance, did youknow a latex balloon takes 6 months to biodegrade and thatballoons and candy bar wrappers made from Mylar neverbiodegrade? An aluminum can takes 400 to 500 years to be

http://www.glacierbay.com

http://www.quantumsails.com


absorbed back into the environment. Plastic bags, six-pack rings and bottles—anything made from plastic orglass, as far as is known—never completely biode-grade.”

So where does all this non-biodegradable trashgo? Many plastic items are ingested by seabirds orturtles. Corals and other marine-life are stran-gled by six-pack rings, plastic bags and monofil-ament line. But the problem does not end there.Over time, the items break up into smaller andsmaller particles. Much of it enters the planktonchain, the basic food source that fuels the ocean.This is a grave concern. A study from theSouthern California Coastal Water ResearchProject recently found that in the north PacificOcean over 60 percent of all the plankton is, infact, microscopic particles of plastic. Certainspecies of jellyfish and animals in the planktonchain ingest these plastics and can’t rid themfrom their systems. So it really doesn’t pay to“teach your trash to swim!”

The posters will be provided to school

students and other special groups as part of Reef Relief’sDiscover Coral Reefs School program. This Reef Relief proj-ect was made possible by Dorothy Lee Witwer and GeorgeWitwer, designed by Joel Biddle, with a reef image byCraig Quirolo. To obtain a poster or for further informa-

tion on marine debris, go online to www.reefrelief.org,or e-mail [email protected] or phone Reef Relief at

(305) 294-3100.

Club Beneteau of Florida FormedAll Beneteau owners who live in Florida or sur-rounding states and sail their Beneteau sailboatsin and around Florida are invited to participate

and join this owners club. Club Beneteau of Florida is currently seek-

ing Beneteau owners from various areasaround Florida to head up local chapters

of the state-wide Club. Meetings areheld at the Coconut Grove SailingClub and are currently scheduled forthe first Thursday of each month. The

first annual Club Beneteau of FloridaRendezvous is now being planned for early March

2005. For information and membership applications call

Jeffrey J. Schwartz, the club’s commodore, at: (305) 495-2300 or e-mail [email protected].

Recreational Boat Losses FromHurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne Total $680-MillionFrom BoatUSIn one of most active hurricane seasons on record,Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne have left anindelible mark on recreational boaters from Louisiana toFlorida’s Atlantic coast — and even as far north as someGreat Lakes states. According to the Boat OwnersAssociation of the United States (BoatU.S.), the damage toall recreational vessels for these four storms totals $680-million.

The individual storm dollar damage breakdown is:Hurricane Charley: $130-million; Hurricane Frances: $300-million; Hurricane Ivan: $150-million; and HurricaneJeanne: $100-million. (These figures do not include damageto commercial vessels, marinas or other infrastructure.)Forecasters said a stagnant weather pattern—a big highpressure system over the East Coast—prevented stormsfrom heading safely out into the Atlantic and instead forcedthem into the Gulf and inland.

In a historical perspective, the total recreational boatdamages of these four storms surpasses the $500-millionmark attributed to 1992’s Hurricane Andrew. TheAssociation also reports that on average, those vessels thathad hurricane plans in place prior to a storm’s arrival faredmuch better than those whose owners waited until the lastminute or neglected to take precautions

For more information on the effect of the individualstorms go to www.BoatUS.com.

http://www.reefrelief.org




http://www.northsails.com


Prices good 12/03/04–12/31/04

62 locations–Coast to Coast!CALL 877-267-7875 OR VISIT BoatUS-store.com FOR THE STORE NEAREST YOU!

OR ORDER THROUGH 800-937-2628 24 HOURS A DAY.

62 locations–Coast to Coast!CALL 877-267-7875 OR VISIT BoatUS-store.com FOR THE STORE NEAREST YOU!

OR ORDER THROUGH 800-937-2628 24 HOURS A DAY.

*While supplies last. Offer valid with coupon through 12/31/04. Limited to stock on hand. Not valid with any other offer.

*While supplies last. Offer valid with coupon through 12/31/04.Limited to stock on hand. Not valid with any other offer.




SAVE $20

4999

Saltwater Tool Kit• Includes stainless-steel 10” channel lock pliers, 8” adjustable

wrench, 6” needlenose pliers, durascissors, two phillips andtwo slotted drivers, rigging knife and wire brush and more!

Model 6344584 Reg. 69.99

SAVE 20%

1279

Great Neck

Great Crate®

• Handy rolling “egg crate” totefolds flat for easy storage

• Made of durable high impactplastic with a retractable handle

Model 4552808 Reg. 15.99

SAVE $60

9999

PremiumRolling Rod Rack• Showcase and organize your rods

and reels in this furniture-quality rack• Holds up to 24 items—multiple rod

sizes, nets or gaffs; 27" x 32" x 13"

Model 6141477 Reg. 159.99

SAVE $15

2995

Chapman Piloting &Seamanship, 64th Edition• Elbert S. Maloney. 688pp.• The boating world’s most respected

reference completely updated andrevised for the first time in a decade—with newcharts, photographs and illustrations

Model 5247564 Reg. 44.95

SAVE $100

14999

MXCP50 AM/FM/CD MarineReceiver & 6.5" Speakers• Complete marine-grade stereo package has a

rust resistant chassis and corrosion resistantspeakers; Receiver: 180W (45 x 4)

Model 6346126 Reg. 249.99

SAVE $20

5999

Marine Jumpstart Elite• Handy portable marine power

supply instantly starts boats,personal watercraft and more

• 450 peak amps; 11"W x 13"H x 6"D

Model 5406475 Reg. 79.99

24999

GPSMAP 76• Full mapping capability• Database includes worldwide cities,

coastlines, lakes and riversModel 2193985 Reg. 299.99

SAVE $5

3999

Fuse Multi-Tool• Includes needlenose pliers, regular

pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters,clip-point knife, scissors, large, smalland phillips screwdrivers, ruler, wirestripper and lanyard

Model 6329775 Reg. 44.99

SAVE $10

1999

Propeller Alarm Clock• This piece from expert clock maker Howard Miller can hang

from a bulkhead wall or stand on a desk• Quartz movement includes battery; 8 1/4"H x 9"W x 1 3/4"D

Model 4543427 Reg. 29.99

SAVE 20% ON ALLSOSPENDERS LIFE VESTS!

Limited to stock on hand. While supplies last.

$50MAIL-INREBATE

AFTER REBATE

FREE

SAVE 50%

4999

Powergraph One-Piece Combo• One-piece combo features a Hurricane Calico Rod• 7'L

Model 6848709 Reg. 99.99

SPECIAL

BUY!

STAINLESS-STEELFASTENER KITA $1499 VALUE!Model 5420302With purchase of a Saltwater Tool Kit.

While supplies last.







In our mind’s eye, we sailors usually conceptualize our liq-uid avocation as smooth seas, following winds, quiet

anchorages wherein we are the only boat present and relax-ing times under sail. It is not always quite like that, ofcourse. Nasty things like squalls, headwinds, dragginganchors and boorish neighbors are part of the mix, too.

We just don’t like to think about those things in ourmoments of reverie, and who can blame us?

If we envision sailing and cruising as the quintessentialget-away-from-it-all sport, it may be possible that we haveour collective heads in the clouds and are not consideringwhat is happening back on dry land.

Let me tell you of a couple of chilling incidents thatinvolve citizens/sailors and the long and, sometimes,unfeeling arm of the law.

The IndictmentLast June, under the direction of the U.S. Department ofJustice, Key West residents Michele Geslin, a sailmaker, andPeter Goldsmith were indicted by a federal grand jury sit-ting in Key West. The grand jury returned a two-countindictment charging Geslin and Goldsmith with conspiringto violate the Trading with the Enemy Act. The defendantswere charged with providing travel services to Cuba in con-nection with the Third Annual Conch Republic Cup in 2003.The two counts were practically identical in wording, butJustice cited two different U.S. Codes (USC) [Title 18,Section 371 and Title 50, USC Appendix, Section 16(a)] inbringing the charges.

The press release from the Department of Justice,Southern District of Florida, stated that, if convicted on thefirst count, each defendant faced a maximum term ofimprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum fine of$250,000. If convicted on the second count, they each faceda maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years and amaximum fine of $100,000.

The Department of Justice stated in a press release thatGeslin and Goldsmith needed an Office of Foreign AssetsControl (OFAC) license in order to provide travel services toother persons traveling to Cuba.

The Third Annual Conch Republic Cup involved a racefrom Key West to Varadero, Cuba, with another stop inMarina Hemingway, west of Havana.

When the sailors returned to Key West, they were metby government officials, who confiscated cameras, trophies,portable computers, boat logs and GPS receivers. To the bestof this writer’s knowledge, none of the confiscated materialhas been returned to its owners.

Charges Dismissed Oct. 29Geslin and Goldsmith were scheduled to go to trial onMonday, November 8, but on October 29, a federal judgedismissed the charges against the two. U.S. District JudgeJames King ruled that the indictment was insufficient tolabel Geslin and Goldsmith as “travel service providers.”The core issue of the dismissal was that the prosecutorsfailed to allege that the defendants personally profited inany way or that Cuba benefited financially from the race.

From Cuba, upon hearing the news regarding the

Geslin/Goldsmith case, Commodore Jose Miguel DiazEscrich, commodore of Club Nautico at MarinaHemingway, responded thusly: “Allow me to convey to youour friendly and warm greetings on behalf of theHemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, and on myown, as well as to express to you that I am very happy forthe decision of the Honourable Judge James Lawrence Kingfor rejecting or disallowing the charges against MicheleGeslin and Peter Goldsmith.

“Once again, it was proved…that any cause needs reason,courtesy and moderation. The truth is the virtue. This is whatthe Honourable Judge King has taught us with his decision.”

Public affairs specialists at the U.S. Attorney’s office inMiami did not return phone calls seeking comment. Thiswriter talked with Peter Goldsmith via phone.

He would not talk on the record about the case, at hisattorney’s suggestion, he said, but one could tell thatGoldsmith was feeling much heartened by recent events.

American Cruiser in Mexico JailedLet us shift our gaze now down Mexico way. In April of2003, a cruiser by the name of Dawn Wilson was jailed inEnsenada and charged with possession of prescriptiondrugs without proper (Mexican) authorization. Wilson,according to printed stories, suffers from seizures due to ahorseback riding accident when she was younger. She had alarge supply of Dilantin with her when she was stopped bypolice while walking along a Mexican highway.

Dilantin’s active ingredient is phenytoin sodium, ananti-epileptic drug. An American doctor had prescribed thedrug for her, and he had prescribed a large amount becauseshe was going to be cruising on a sailboat for extended peri-ods of time. She didn’t have the prescription with her whenMexican police, possibly attracted by her good looks,“investigated” her.

Wilson got tossed in jail, and her credit cards weretaken from her and maxed out by crooked cops. She wasassigned an inept Mexican attorney. She also was sentencedto five years in prison. She did about a year in a Mexicanprison, suffered a broken hand while playing baseball andreceived no medical treatment for it in Mexico. Her anti-seizure medication was withheld.

On a prisoner swap, Wilson was transferred fromMexico to a United States prison in Oklahoma and then, lastmonth, to another prison in Dublin, CA. Dublin is east ofOakland, and there is a military facility there, so it is possi-ble that Wilson is in federal custody.

Reportedly, the equivalent crime in the United States,carrying prescription medication without a prescription, car-ries a maximum sentence of three months. By the middle ofthis month, Wilson will have been locked up for 19 months.

The question of why this country continues to imprisonan American citizen/sailor on charges levied by anothercountry far in excess of what she might have received in theUnited States is unanswered.

Sometimes, sometimes, trying to relax on the open seais as fraught with peril as a nursery school finished offinside with lead-based paint.

Y’all be careful out there, hear?

CUBA SAILING

Sail at your own risk: Charges dropped against Cuba race organizersBy Morgan Stinemetz

Last month, you read how a one-week cruise to the Dry Tortugas was cut short to 24 hours, and how the attempt of the crew of Windigo to seek safe harbor near home was thwarted by the denial of passage through the ICW. After an engine fireand sailing in a gale at midnight, they felt pretty lucky to find a hurricane hole inCharlotte Harbor near Punta Gorda. The storm was predicted to stay well away from shore until farther north. That luck changed when the full force of Charley, now a Category 4 hurricane, bore down on their exact position. We left the crewadrift in a wide, shallow river – and heading for a low bridge . . .


Surviving the HurricanesBut Then Along Came Charley: Sailing in a HurricanePart II of II

By Capt. Kevin Hughes

With the ground tackle nolonger attached to the boat, Iwent forward to attempt to

raise the trys’l. Already rigged on itsown track on the mast, deploying itwould be a simple matter of snappingthe shackle of the halyard to thegrommet on the head, and hoisting itinto position. Closing a snap shacklein normal conditions takes a fractionof a second. But I was unable to per-form this easy task on the deck of

Windigo in those conditions.After three distinct attempts last-

ing a period of maybe ten or twelveseconds, the halyard flew free – hori-zontal to the top of the mast.Abandoning that option, I returnedto the helm (that action alone wasextremely difficult) to try to controlthe path of the boat. With no sails andthe deck stripped of gear, there wasenough windage to move my 24,000-pound vessel along at 8 to 10 knots. IAt the dock in Punta Gorda.

http://www.bobandannies.com


aimed at the main section ofthe fast-approaching bridge,now downwind of our posi-tion. But I knew Windigo’s mastwas four feet taller than thebridge deck.

As I sailed on a broadreach, I prepared to set anotheranchor to save Windigo from itsfate at the bridge. I joined three50-foot dock lines that werehandy and attached them tothe bit of chain on the 22-pound Danforth anchor I carryon the stern rail. But I wasunable to deploy the anchorbefore reaching the bridgebecause of our unprecedented speed.

I was able, however, to maintain a course through themain section of the bridge. The angle of heel was sufficientto clear the top of the mast as we passed under the bridge.The VHF antenna just barely scraped the underside of thebridge deck. As we emerged from under the bridge, I sensedan opportunity to stop Windigo’s ill-fated journey up theriver. After steering the boat close to the end of the woodcrib lining the sides of the main bridge span, I went forwardto the bow with a 50-foot dock line in hand. I considered try-ing to secure a line to this wood fender wall to keep Windigofrom getting to the second span of the twin bridges acrossthe river. But standing there with the line for only a secondor two made me realize I did not know what part of the cribI could connect with, and that I also lacked the ability tosecure the other end to the boat in time.

More Passionate Attempts To StopSo I just stood there as the bow roller contacted the wall, wassheared from the boat, and disappeared into the river.Returning to the helm with the dock line, I turned the bowtoward the main span of the second bridge and deployedthe stern anchor. I was surprised at how rapidly the anchorrode paid out and was just barely able to get the end secureon one of the stern Sampson posts. But the line no more thangot taut, then went limp, and I hauled in only two of thethree dock lines I had attached – the third one had partedwithout hesitation. Anchor number three was gone.

Guiding the boat through the main section of the second

bridge became more and moredifficult. The apparent windmoved forward as I turned theboat from a broad reach to abeam reach, and finally, to aclose haul. Windigo began tostall and drift sideways, so toregain some control, I turneddownwind and aimed for thenearest bridge section straightdownwind. But this sectionwas considerably lower thanthe main section.

She may have evencleared this at the extremeangle of heel (difficult to imag-ine sailing on bare poles). But

as Windigo passed under the bridge, the boat gybed, and themasthead struck the underside of the bridge deck, foldingover the top 14 feet of mast.

But this may have been a blessing in our current situa-tion since numerous high-tension electrical lines werestrung over the river just past the second bridge.

Lucky (?) DismastingSandy came to the companionway thinking it was safe as weemerged from the bridge. I sent him back into the cabin tocheck the bilge, just to be sure he was clear of any rigging onthe deck that might become energized if we contacted theelectrical wires. Even though we did not pass under thewires at their highest point, I was able to guide Windigothrough, clear of the hazardous lines. There is no doubt wewould have been fouled in the power lines had our mastremained intact.

So now we were in a fairly wide, very shallow riverwith another low bridge two nautical miles downwind. Iwas able to sail the boat in a fairly controlled fashion asSandy dug our last anchor, a 25-pound CQR, from the bot-tom of the water-filled sail locker. I attached it to the end ofthe remaining 200 feet of parted one-inch anchor rode atthe bow, and deployed it from the bow as Sandy keptWindigo facing the wind. At last, we were secure on anoth-er anchor approximately one half hour after the snubberlines parted. The wind speed had tapered off at a muchfaster rate than we had experienced on the other side of theeye. By the time we were anchored, the wind had dropped

The bow roller with the 70-pound main anchor and the 35-pound CQR. The bow roller was broken off when it hit the bridgeduring the storm.

http://www.islandmarineproducts.com



http://www.garhauermarine.com


below 100 knots and thenslowly diminished over thenext three hours.

There was little stormsurge, but the high windshad still driven us a goodway onto a shallow mud flatin the middle of the river.During the beginning of thestorm, we had cell phonecontact with my wife inClearwater. But the cell tow-ers were damaged and serv-ice was becoming veryscanty.

911 calls were beinganswered in an “emergencyshelter with no communica-tions resources”(!?). With nomast for the HAM radioantenna and e-mail and thehandheld VHF having beenmostly ignored for the pastday, we were out of contactwith anyone for all practicalpurposes. We attempted to make one last call to the U.S.Coast Guard with our position as the wind dropped below90 knots. But it took over 20 minutes to receive an acknowl-edgment to our Pan-Pan calls.

The next morning, my wife and a good friend mademany phone calls and were able to have a towboat come toget us out of the middle of the river. But the closest towboathad to come down from Englewood (a three-hour trip) totow us off the mud flat.

A Tough TowWhen it came time to steer our towed vessel, a stowawayseagull would not allow us access to the helm. It was on thesole under a bit of debris and scared to death. It would notlet us near the wheel. But Sandy was not about to allow fur-ther delays and hoisted the bird over the side (the bird man-aged to draw a bit of Sandy’s blood before leaving).

The towboat tried for a couple hours to free us. It wasunsuccessful and called for a second larger towboat.

The two boats together were able to pull us 150 feetafter 50 minutes of hard pulling and finally freeing Windigo.They deposited us at the Fisherman’s Village Dock in PuntaGorda. The manager there allowed Windigo to stay until Iwas able to get the engine running, but I did not expect it totake almost a week to rewire the engine and replace thestarter.

I spent four days driving 120 miles one way to work inthe 115-degree heat on the engine. Normally, an okay job fora boat guy. But there was no electricity within a 10-mileradius of the boat, and no hardware or marine part storeswere in operation even if they were still standing.

Every tiny thing I needed for the repair I had to havewith me on the boat or return to the Tampa Bay area to getit to bring on the next trip. The day we got the engine run-ning, we also had a friend with SCUBA gear search for ourground tackle. I had exact GPS coordinates, but the muck atthe bottom of the river was so stirred up and so thick that he

was unable to locate any part of it.Another friend accompanied me on the 15-hour ICW

journey back to Tampa Bay on the seawater -soaked boatwith the crippled mast. Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Ihad the mast unstepped and cut out the damaged section.After two more days of cleaning and purging, Windigo washome in her slip in Clearwater Beach, nine days after thestorm. The cleanup continues . . .

Postscripts:We had about four minutes of reduced winds (40 knots) asthe eye of Charley passed directly over us. Three weeks

Capt. Kevin Hughes at the top of Windigo’s mast—when it was still one piece.

See SURVIVING continued on page 69



Last month we went into the back-ground of some of the major points ofmarine insurance. In this article wewill look at the preparation and sub-mitting of a claim to your insurancecarrier. Let’s start by pointing out thatinsurance companies do not makemoney by paying out for every claimsubmitted. The responsibility of get-ting the appropriate amount is on youthe boat owner. The carrier is going towant to pay the lesser of (1) the policylimit, (2) the cost of replacement, (3) orthe cost of repair. In any of these sce-narios you will want to be involved toget the maximum amount.

Protect your boat until it can be repairedAs was pointed out in the last article,proving the value of the vessel orrepairs is your responsibility. You mustalso mitigate the damages. This meansto do whatever is necessary to protectthe vessel until it can be repaired. That may mean re-float-ing the vessel, and if the engines were underwater, havingthem “pickled” or flushed out and light oil pumped into theengine until it can be repaired. Also, if the vessel has beenunderwater, all of the wiring that has been submergedshould be washed as soon as possible. I personally am of theopinion that any wiring that was under saltwater should bereplaced as it is only a matter of time before the salt sets upcorrosion in the wiring system. However, the insurancecompany will ask what measure you took to protect the ves-sel, and you need to be able to say that the engine was pick-

led and the wiring washeddown. Some carriers want tohear from you before you doanything to the boat, so try tocall them.

We have been told by onecarrier that there are someyards out there that are charg-ing very large fees to just haulthe boat out of the water, insome cases 50 percent of thevalue of the vessel. I suggestyou check with your insurancecompany and use the yardthey suggest. They are dealingwith a lot of claims and mostlikely have a feel for who canbe relied on to give you andthem a reasonable rate.

One suggestion I got fromthe carriers as to the next timewe have a hurricane, is toleave the canvas cover off. Inmost storms they are ripped

up and damaged and were of limited protection. Theirvalue is usually under the value of the deductible, afterdepreciation, so you the boat owner are going to pay for thenew canvas in most of the cases.

Establish the value of your boatAs to your claim, the insurance company is going to take thelowest figure they can find and go with it. You can andshould present evidence that supports a higher value. Let’sstart by hoping you got a (1) good survey on the boat whenyou purchased it. That will be an important benchmark as to

Photo by Boyd Edwards

The Sailboat Damaged by the Storm vsthe Insurance CompanyPart II of IIBy Capt. J. Michael Shea, JD

http://www.seaschool.com

http://www.defendcubasailors.com


the value. Next we have toprove that you have properlytaken care of the vessel sinceyou bought it. This can bedone by your (2) mainte-nance records. Most of ususually have the receipts in abox in the drawer somewhere. A few of you might have afile folder, but the point is get them organized. Put togethera log showing what and when you preformed maintenanceon the vessel. The (3) care of the vessel is important as it canaffect the value. If you have let it set in the sun with no care,chances are it does not look as nice as the day you pur-chased the boat. Hopefully you have (4) some pictures of thevessel, and they show that you are taking good care of it. Inmost cases you will need (5) a survey as to the boat’s valueafter the damage. The value of a vessel is very much like set-ting the value of your used car when you go to trade it in.There are a number of things to look at in setting that value.The insurance company is going with the low figure. Youhave to have the argument as to why the figure needs to behigher. These five items will help you. You can also refer tothe used boat wholesale/retail book values. Ask your sur-veyor or banker to help you with this. There are a numberof good books on the market that will give you an idea ofthe market value of your vessel. You can refer to the boattrader magazines; they are good evidence as to replacementvalue of your boat. Remember, it is the value of the vessel atthe time of the loss that we are trying to establish.

If the insurance company agrees to have your boatrepaired and there is any significant damage to repair, youneed a surveyor in your corner. The insurance company isgoing to have one, and chances are they will be lowballingthe job. You want your person in there to make sure all thedamage attributed to the incident is repaired, and repairedin a suitable way.

As we discussed in Part I of this article, salvage costs arerecoverable and are in addition to the loss or repair paymentmade by the carrier (in most cases). But those payments areusually limited to the total property damage limits of the pol-icy. This usually includes wreck removal. In a storm your boatmay damage other nearby property. Those damages are cov-ered also, as well as pollution damage. The pollution can beexpensive. We have seen cases of pollution where a small ves-sel sinks and it costs thousands of dollars to clean up after it.

Put a booklet together to establish your caseYou should report the loss assoon as possible to the insur-ance company. They willrequire you to file a “Proof ofLoss” usually on their form

stating everything you know about the damage. This is justthe start. If everything goes well, and the damage is not toogreat, you may be able to recover. But in those other caseswhere the insurance company is being difficult, it is the timeto get your team together and build a package to submit.Remember there is a time limit to file a lawsuit. Most requirethe suit to be filed within one year.

When you are ready to submit all the evidence youhave gathered on your claim, (1) put together a booklet.Start with why you think your damage is covered, (2) quotethe section of your policy you think covers your damage.Next, put in (3) the price you paid for the vessel, followedby the (4) maintenance records, or log, on the vessel. Placein the book (5) the value you have for the vessel and the evi-dence. Now we are ready for (6) the damages, and hopeful-ly, it is backed up with a surveyor’s report. And last, (7) theremedy you want, total loss, partial loss or repair. This book-let is important as it shows the insurance company you areready to go toe to toe with them on the issue of damage, andyou are ready to prove your point. Of course, each bookletwill vary as to its contents as each case is different.

As a recap for filing a claim remember:A. The carrier is going to want to pay the lesser of;

(1) the policy limit, (2) the cost of replacement, (3) or the cost of repair.

B. As to the value of your vessel, present evidence that sup-ports the highest value.

(1) Get a good survey on the boat when you purchase it. (2) Present evidence that you have properly taken care

of the vessel since it was purchased. Have maintenance records and a log showing what and when you performed maintenance on the vessel.

(3) Present evidence of the care you took of the vessel.(4) Have some pictures of the vessel that show that you

See SOUTHEAST COAST SAILING continued on page 84

http://www.sea-tech.com

http://www.scully-fin.com

http://www.sailtime.com


Southwinds Sailing

Southwinds does not have the electronic rights to the Bubba articles.

http://www.weathervane.com


BOAT REVIEW

The JS9000: A Racer’s Racer!By R. J. Mitchellette

This boat is the quintessential solution to a racer’s “Dreamboat!” It gives a whole new meaning to the expression “harnessing the wind.”

The crowd began to gather even before the boat was offthe trailer. The location for the sea trial, or better yet, the

lake trial was Lake Sydney Lanier in Georgia. The dateswere October 9-11. The occasion was the 30th Annual SeaDog Barefoot Regatta where more than 60 boats were regis-tered to compete in two classes, the time and distance classand the one-design (or near as possible) class, where theJS9000 took overall third place against two Melges 24s.Because the JS9000 is so new to the United States, the esti-mated PHRF of 75 is temporary, as most PHRF committeeshave no benchmark to rate the boat, as of yet. Thus the JS9000 was placed in the one-design class, although it couldhave and possibly should have raced in the PHRF low non-spinnaker fleet.

Eventually, the JS9000 will most probably race in a trueone-design competition as there are already six boatsowned and operated here in the United States since itsintroduction last year. There may be a seventh boat pur-chased by a couple in North Carolina as they are intendingto take delivery in late December. Somebody is going tohave a great Christmas!

America’s Cup DesignerThe roots of the JS9000 began with naval architect John

Swarbrick, the boat’s designer. In fact, the boat’s companyname, JS YACHTS, and model designation of the boat arethe first letters of his name, JS. The company is known forbuilding seaworthy sailing craft designed for “short-hand-ed” sailors and twice set records for single-handed around-the-world endeavors. John’s design experience in theAmerica’s Cup and Whitbread races, including Taskforceand Kookabura I, II & III, respectively, with the Kookaburra IIIwinning the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1987, provided the impe-tus to design the JS9000. Therefore, it is no surprise that theJS9000 looks like a mini America’s Cup racer.

The JS9000 is extremely light at only 2028 pounds, con-sisting of a hull, which weighs a mere 485 pounds, and aretractable keel that weighs 1543 pounds, making this boatvirtually unbroachable (I may have coined a new word).The boat is very responsive and points incredibly well. Its29’11” length and 5’8” beam combined with a LWL of27’11” trims down to an even leaner water plane with awaterline beam of only 3 feet. The high aspect ratios cou-pled with a simple rig (fractional), simple sail plan, taperedcarbon mast and graphite sails combine to give the boatexceptional speed and explosive acceleration. The tackingability of this boat is executed easily with a self-tacking(traveler) furling jib, along with all lines leading to a singlecontrol station located in the cockpit, all of which adds to itssingle-handed capabilities.

Easy TraileringThe optional lifting keel and removable rudder adds to

the ease of trailering this boat without any appendagesexposed and/or susceptibility to damage, although drop-ping and raising the 1543-pound keel, with a chain hoistmounted on an aluminum post and removable, takes somegetting-used-to.

The hull speed calculation of 6.5 knots (the SQ.RT. ofthe LWL x 1.25) is totally out of synch with the outstandingperformance this writer experienced on the day he sailedwith the skipper. In fact, on the day we sailed with moder-ate winds of five knots, the boat was racing downwindwith an asymmetrical spinnaker at 7.5 knots, and it sailedclose hauled at 6.8 knots. The next day, I was told the boatdid 11 to 12 knots downwind in heavier air of 8 to 10 knots.

No Need to Hike-Out on this RacerI was also very surprised to find that none of the four

bodies aboard needed to “hike-out” to balance the boat, asthe windward/leeward crew-positioning, if the skippereven needs a crew, makes little difference in the boat’s per-formance.

Our test boat was extremely well-balanced, apparentlydue to its slender hull shape with a destroyer bow and highprismatic design resulting in lateral resistance moving aft

JS9000 SPECIFICATIONSLOA 29’11”LWL 27’11”Beam 5’8”Draft (keel down) 6’9”Draft (keel up) 2’2”Displacement 2,028 lbs.Ballast 1,543 lbs.Main Sail Area 205 sq.ft.Jib Area 108 sq.ft.Asym. Spinnaker 568 sq.ft.



as the boat heels, reducing dragto a minimum and renderingthe helm completely neutral.

The high quality glasswork appeared to be well con-ceived with the deck bolted tothe hull and glassed in a seam-less application. The glass itselfconsists of a GRP compositeinfusion, Herex™, H8O foamcore in prisms, sandwiched byan inner and outer layer ofglass.

I was impressed with therelative ease with which theJS9000 could be rigged andtubbed from a trailer (optional),although we encountered some problems with raising thecarbon mast, which was more of a function of experience orlack thereof, than execution.

In conclusion: The JS9000 incorporates many uniquedesign features, which makes it ideal for any racer, profes-sional or amateur. The boat is fast, easy to sail and veryaffordable. Depending on options, the price ranges from$45K to $55K. I do, however, think the boat is going throughsome growing pains, needing minor modifications, as moreowners report back to the manufacturer with suggestions,

such as an idiosyncrasy weexperienced with the rudder.Its sphere of operation wasconfined to 45 degrees fromcenter to port and from centerto starboard. We determinedthat this can be easily reme-died with a minor modifica-tion involving the reduction orremoval of a metal stopscrewed to the stainless steelrudder assembly. This metalstop appeared to be designedto prevent the tiller from mov-ing through a 360-degree arc,and it only needs to be modi-fied so the tiller could be

moved 90 degrees from center on both sides.I would be remiss if I did not add at this juncture that

the boat, to its credit, is definitely designed to be single-handed or at best with one crew member, and to me this isa major/real advantage as searching for crew is not onlytime consuming, but also an exercise in frustration thatrarely results in consistency!

For more information, log onto www.jsyachtsusa.com, orcall (228) 863-2939.

The JS9000. Courtesy John Burgess

http://www.jsyachtsusa.com



WEATHER ARTICLE

Weather on Demand: Getting Your Weather FAX Weather When You Want ItBy Gary Jensen

One of the lessons learned from this summer’s hurricaneexperience is the need to be able to download, or other-

wise access, weather information when you need it. Duringhurricane season, tropical depressions (TD) form unexpect-edly; known TDs can spin up into hurricanes, and both tendto erratically change their direction of movement. Stayingout of the way of these storms and severe weather phenom-ena requires skippers to have the most current and up-to-date weather information available.

Offshore sailors traditionally get their weather mapsand forecasts by receiving regularly scheduled Weather FAX(WEFAX) transmissions1. WEFAX systems used to copythese weather data usually consist of a marine SSB or Hamtransceiver, a WEFAX decoding device (usually the soundcard or inexpensive demodulator), and a laptop computerrunning some type of WEFAX software. A skipper withinlistening range of a broadcasting WEFAX station using thistype of system can copy weather maps, satellite images, andforecasts when they’re broadcast. While relatively inexpen-

sive, this system exhibits several limitations, the most signif-icant being:

The fixed broadcast schedule governs when WEFAXinformation is available, not the skipper’s need.

The readability (print quality) of received WEFAX doc-uments will vary from excellent to unreadable, dependingon signal strength, noise, and other propagation conditions.

Boaters Aren’t Always Available to Receive aScheduled FaxRunning a boat places many demands upon a skipper andcrew. Stuff happens on board boats, and when it happens,skipper and crew must deal with it in real time. When theskipper and crew are busy tending to the boat’s needs, theyare not free to copy a scheduled WEFAX broadcast. Theydon’t have time to stop what they are doing, go below, turnon a SSB, tune in a WEFAX station, set the computer toreceive/decode a received WEFAX transmission, and moni-tor the process. Skippers need the ability to retrieve the most

http://www.coralreefsailing.net


recent WEFAX data when they want it, not just when abroadcaster sends it.

Airmail2, the network client software that works withthe Sailmail3 and Winlink2000 (WL2K)4 networks, includestechnology that makes it possible to indirectly requestWEFAX documents from the Internet. The ability to proac-tively request WEFAX documents over the Sailmail andWinlink e-mail networks solves the above mentioned prob-lems: it permits skippers to request the most recent WEFAXdocuments when they need them; and because the Sailmailand Winlink networks are digital, it guarantees that thereceived WEFAX documents will be clean, distortion-freereplicas of the originals.

Receiving Weather When You Want ItThere are three ways to request and receive weather docu-ments thru the Sailmail or Winlink networks. These are:

1. Catalog Sheets (Available to WL2K Users)Using Airmail with the WL2K network, skippers can easilyaccess several hundred weather-related documents throughthe built-in catalog sheets. Weather documents are request-ed by placing a check mark in the square associated with thedesired weather document. When Airmail next connects tothe WL2K network, it will request the checked documentsfrom the WL2K server. Requested documents stored on theserver will be sent during the connect session. The serverwill “fetch” from the Internet documents not stored on theserver and send them to the requesting station during thenext session. Figure 1 shows a partial listing ofweather–related and other documents available throughAirmail’s catalog sheets

Figure-1Airmail Catalog Sheet

2. National Weather Service (NWS) FAX-BackSkippers with Pactor-III capable radio modems can use theNWS FAX-back service to retrieve weather documents. TheFAX-back system works by sending a command script to theNWS at [email protected]. The NWS FTP serverexecutes the script, fetches the requested documents, andsends them to your e-mail address. Table 1shows an example ofa script instructingthe NWS WEFAXFTP server to fetchfive different docu-ments and send themto [email protected]. The To: linecontains the addressof the NWS FTP FAX-Back server, and theFrom: line containsthe return address where the requested documents will besent. The Subject: line can contain anything you like, or canbe left blank, and the body of the message contains the exe-cutable script.

If the above scripting looks a bit stilted and non-userfriendly to you, you’re right, it is. The script in Table-1 isactually a short computer program that follows a definedprotocol with specific command and format guidelines.

The key to making the NWS Fax-back system work is tohave an accurate listing of the file names for the NWS prod-ucts. The NWS produces an extensive list of weather prod-ucts, with more than 130 documents covering the Atlantic,Gulf and Caribbean regions. To request a copy of the latestproduct listings, follow the format shown in Table-1 andsend an e-mail to [email protected].

After the cd fax line, type the weather products listingyou need; get rfaxatl.txt for the Atlantic area, and getrfaxmex.txt for WEFAX products covering the Gulf. TheseWEFAX listings are also available on the Internet fromhttp://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax.

3. SaildocsSaildocs is an Internet-based service similar in nature to theNWS FAX-back service, but much easier to use. You canretrieve the same NWS WEFAX forecasts, maps, and satel-lite pictures that you get through the NWS FAX-back serv-

Table 1NWS FAX-back Script

To: [email protected]: [email protected]: Anything or leave blankopencd faxget rfaxmex.txtget rfaxatl.txtget rfaxpac.txtget PPAE11.TIFget PYEB86.TIF




http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax

http://www.jroverseas.com

ice without the cumbersome scripting. Requesting WEFAXdocuments through saildocs.com is both faster and easierthan using the NWS FAX-Back service.

A request toSaildocs for the samedocuments request-ed in the NWSexample is shown inTable 2. The requestformat is simple andeasy to understand -the command sendfollowed by a space

and then the document file name. The retrieved documentsare the identical NWS documents returned by the NWSFAX-Back system.

The best way to get started with Saildocs is to e-mail arequest and put send help and/or send info in the text por-tion of the message

GRIB FilesBoth the Sailmail and WL2K networks handle Girded Binary(GRIB) wind prediction files. GRIB forecasts are based uponthe NOAA GFS/AVN global computer model, not actualreported conditions. The GRIB wind prediction data predictsgeneral wind flow, and is a useful tool when used in conjunc-tion with other weather forecasting and analysis tools, but itshould not be used as a stand-alone predictor. It’s importantto bear in mind that these GRIB data are not reviewed bymeteorologists, and they do not allow for frontal, tropical,near-shore, geographical, or other local effects.

GRIB files are requested through the Catalog Treescreen in Airmail. Skippers using Airmail for Sailmail willfind the Catalog Tree on the Message Index Screen by click-ing on WINDOW, CATALOGS.

A word about file size Limitations.Sailmail network users must be running Pactor-III if theyare to keep within the ten-minute on-air connection timelimitation when receiving GRIB and other weather files.Weather files are relatively large, averaging about 35KB insize, and Pactor-II isn’t fast enough to transfer some of thelarger files and stay within the ten-minute connect time lim-itation. Running in Pactor-III mode, a file that would takearound 12 minutes to download running Pactor-II can be

downloaded in about three minutes, four times faster thanwith Pactor-II. WL2K users can use either Pactor-II orPactor-III, since they may remain connected up to thirtyminutes per session per server station. If you need moreinformation about the Pactor-III speed upgrade, send an e-mail to [email protected].

Footnotes1 WEFAX broadcast station listings and schedules are avail-able from the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA). The publication Worldwide MarineRadiofacsimile Broadcast Schedules can be downloaded athttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf. 2Airmail is a client program that runs on the shipboard com-puter and communicates with Sailmail and/or WL2K net-work server stations. 3Sailmail is a network of private coast radio stations thattransfer e-mail messages between cruising boats and theInternet. 4Winlink2000 is a network of amateur radio stations thattransfer e-mail messages between amateur radio stationsand the Internet. About the Author: Gary Jensen owns and operates DockSideRadio (www.docksideradio.com) and specializes in Sailmail &Winlink e-mail systems. Gary and his wife Peggy lived aboardtheir Hans Christian 38T for three years, cruising the West Coastof the U.S, Mexico, and the Sea of Cortez. They now live in PuntaGorda, FL, and Gary can be reached at (941) 661-4498 or by e-mail at [email protected].


WEATHER ARTICLE

Table 2Saildocs Request

To: [email protected]: [email protected]: Anything or leave blank send ppae11.tifsend pyeb86.tifsend pyfa96.tif

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf


http://www.bosunsupplies.com



Regional SailingServices DirectorySailing Services Directory starts as low as $8 a month.Call (941) 795-8704 or e-mail [email protected]

APPLIANCE REPAIR

Boat Appliance RepairServing the Gulf Coast

Specializing in Marine Appliances90-day Warranty

Ken Dunlap, Owner Cell: (228) 697-0991

CAPTAIN SERVICES

CAPT. JIMMY HENDON (727) 459-0801ASA Cert./BBC Instruction * USCG Lic. Master

Deliveries • Gulf • Atlantic • Caribbean(866) 221-2841 [email protected]

CHARTERS

Florida Keys. 42-foot Catamaran.Captain and Cook.

Three double cabins for guests. All inclusive from $2500 per week.

(815) 519-4007. (2/05)

ARRIVE JAX ALLTEL STADIUM IN STYLEIn a 40-ft cruising Catamaran w/licensed Capt.Pick-up/return at your/my dock. Also availablefor concerts.............................(352) 475-1033

COMMUNICATIONS

DockSide Radio www.docksideradio.comPactor II/III Modem Sales & Support; FCC

Marine Radio License filing; SailMail & WinLinkInstallation & Training.............(941) 661-4498

CUSTOM BOAT SERVICE

FISHING GUIDES

FL KEYS BACKCOUNTRY TRIPSWith Pro Guide Capt. “BR”

Exploring, Sportfishing, Birding(305) 304-2258 www.keywest-sportfish.com

MARINE DIESEL SERVICE

INLAND MARINE DIESEL....................AtlantaService/Parts for all makes of diesel auxiliaryNew Engine Sales–Universal, Beta, Yanmar,and Westerbeke.......................(404) 513-4414

MARINE SURVEYORS

John Kelly Serving the CarolinasNAMS Certified Marine Surveyor. 100-tonocean master & offshore catamaran ownerwww.yachtsurveyor.com.........(910) 392-5054

OUTBOARD MOTOR REPAIR

Boaters Exchange East FloridaAll brands, specializing in Honda,

Suzuki, Tohatsu, and Nissan.“The friendlist outboard repair

on the East Coast!”Rockledge...........................(321) 638-0090

RIGGING SERVICES

Beach St.Canvas/Rigging East Florida Rigging, Canvas, Sails, Sail RepairDaytona Beach, Florida............(386) 253-6322

SAILING INSTRUCTION/SCHOOLS

Floridaze Sailing School PensacolaASA * Basic Instructon through charteringwww.floridazesailing.com .......(850) 934-7924

Windward Sailling School NE FloridaASA Instructor of the year 2002-2003

Certifications from basic sailing throughBareboat Chartering, Keelboat, etc.

www.windwardsailing.comFernandina Beach, FL............(904) 261-9125

SAILMAKING, REPAIRING & CLEANING

Masthead Used Sails………..(800) 783-6953www.mastheadsailinggear.com

Largest Inventory in the South (727) 327-5361

GESLIN SAILMAKERS (305) 294-5854New Sails, Service & Repairs201 William St. – Key West

SUNRISE SAILS PLUS WEST FLORIDAComplete Yacht Outfitting Service

Sails – New, Repair, CleaningComplete rigging service, masts, cushions,

canvas & more(941) 721-4471 [email protected]

SUPER SAILMAKERS FORT LAUDERDALEQuality custom sails, repairs since 1973 (800) 541-7601................supersailmakers.com

Wind Dancer Sailmakers NE Florida Sailmaking and repairsJacksonville, FL........................(904) 384-3102

ADVERTISE YOUR SAILING SERVICES IN OUR NEW DIRECTORY. CONTACT:Steve Morrell [email protected] (941) 795-8704

See the sample ads in the directory above for prices. See page 79 for cost of 2" boxed-in ads and larger (display classifieds)

ADVERTISE FOR $8-$10/MONTHRent a three-line ad for $8/month

a four-line ad for $10/monthOR GET A DISPLAY AD

1" Tall AD - $20 a month2" Tall Ad - $34 a month

Call (941) 795-8704


http://www.keywest-sportfish.com

http://www.yachtsurveyor.com


http://www.docksideradio.com


http://www.supersailmakers.com

http://www.windwardsailing.com

http://www.floridazesailing.com

http://[email protected]



SOUTHEAST COAST SAILINGCarolinas & Georgia

Racing News & CalendarNews for Sailors

SE Coast December Weather

WATER TEMPERATURECape Hatteras, NC - 55°Savannah, GA - 54°AVERAGE TEMPERATURESCape Hatteras, NC 44° lo - 57° hiSavannah, GA 60° lo - 63° hiFor Real Time Southeast Coast Weather go to:www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtml

1

SOUTHEASTCOAST

GEORGIA

SOUTHCAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

Beaufort

Charleston

Savannah

Wilmington

Lake Lanier

December Prevailing WindsSee page 69 for Windrose legend

Upcoming Events4 Holiday Boat Parade. Beaufort, SC.

Holiday Boat Parade along the Beaufort River. [email protected], (843) 525-6644 or www.downtownbeaufort.com.

4 - 24th Annual Charleston Parade of Boats. Begins along Mt. Pleasant at 5 p.m. Viewing from the peninsula at 6:30. Fireworks. (843) 724-7305

December Racing4 Joint fall/winter series #4. AISC, BFSC, LLSC & UYC5 Bill Sears Makeup Race. SSC.

www.strictlysailing.com/ssc11 Joint fall/winter series #5. AISC, BFSC, LLSC & UYC

Race Report

34th Calibogue Cup 2004,Yacht Club of Hilton Head,Hilton Head, SC, Oct. 16-17By Walt McFarlane

Dead on Arrival (#433) and Puffin (#472) fighting it out in theJ/105 class. Photo by Susanne Walsh of the Yacht Club of HiltonHead Island

The 34th Anniversary of the oldest continuing sailboatrace held at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina’s

Calibogue Sound, was held October 16-17 and was hostedby the Yacht Club of Hilton Head.


http://www.downtownbeaufort.com

http://www.strictlysailing.com/ssc

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtml

http://www.corsairtri.com

http://www.rparts.com


SOUTHEAST COAST SAILING

There were four classes; Class A (Spinnaker), Class B(Non-Spinnaker), Class C (Cruising), and J/105.

The first day found the winds blowing between 14 and 15knots, and seas running between 2 to 3 feet, with the air tem-perature in the 70s. All in all, it was not a bad day for racing.

In Class A (Spinnaker), Sally O’Rourke of Hilton HeadIsland, SC, and her borrowed craft Vehavala were havingsome growing pains, but she and her new crew managed athird-place finish in the first race. During the second race,she filed and won a protest that gave her and the crew afirst-place finish. It was the third and final race of the daythat would clinch the results for the day’s leader. Sally andher crew were in last place. The lead boats were fighting itout when all of a sudden she saw them take a wrong turn.“All the other boats followed them,” Sally explained. “Oneminute we were in dead last place, the next in first.” Theother skippers did not notice their mistake until it was toolate to recover and catch up. Sally and her crew won therace, thereby becoming the leaders. Second place went toSea Plane skippered by Randy Tilly. Dickinson/Moore sail-ing Dr. Feelgood finished third.

The Class B (Non-Spinnaker) leader for the day wasHilton Head Island’s own Bob Walrath sailing the Sarah KToo. He was able to edge out Trigamist, skippered by PaulCapron, who finished second and Chris Weaver sailingRapacious, who came in third.

Retired Vice Admiral (USCG) John Shkor, also fromHilton Head Island, was at the helm of his Island PacketLoligo. He and his crew won the day in the Class C(Cruising) category. Skipper Hans Lobel of Opaztoy came ina close second.

Lew Gunn, from Daufuskie Island, SC, and his crew ofDead on Arrival, outsailed their competition at each turn tofinish first in every race of the J/105 class. Coming in sec-ond was Fred Stone sailing Puffin, and Cal Huge sailingJubilee 2 came in third.

The day ended with few problems. The only negativeswere one boat breaking a spinnaker and another craft hav-ing one of its crewmembers go overboard. The crewmemberwas recovered in short order and all turned out well.

On the second day of racing there was little to no wind.After a wait of over two hours, the race committee called offthe day’s events, thereby making the first day’s leaders thewinners of the regatta.

The Calibogue Cup Island Packet Trophy also went toskipper Lew Gunn of Dead on Arrival.

Lew Gunn started sailing in 1965 at the age of 45, andas you can see, even now at his age (you can do the math)he is still quite a competitor. While sitting with my wife Janand me after the award ceremony, he told me his formulafor winning a sailboat race. With a grin on his face and aspark in his eye, he said, “It’s simple; get out in front andstay there.”

The event was sponsored by SunTrust Bank.

ResultsClass A (Spinnaker): Vehavala, crewed by Sally O’Rourke (skipper), Debbie Baldridge, EdieSullivan, Thayer Jennings, and Amy Ironmonger; Class B (Non-Spinnaker): Sarah K Too,crewed by Bob Walrath (skipper), Ken Kerr, Terry Keane, Gary Gleason, and Gay Wulfe;Class C (Cruising): Loligo, crewed by John Shkor (skipper), Dave Sloan, Dan Robbins, BillLaurenson, and Matt Shkor; J-105: Dead on Arrival, crewed by Lew Gunn (skipper), PeterGamble, J.T. Hughes, Latimer Tohekareu, and Jonathan Page.

Carolina Ocean Challenge,J/105 SoutheastChampionship, SouthCarolina Yacht Club, HiltonHead Island, SC, Oct. 23-24By Walt McFarlane

The thirteenth annual South Carolina Yacht Club CarolinaOcean Challenge Regatta was held at Hilton Head

Island, SC, on October 23-24. This year’s event was also des-ignated as the J/105 Class Association’s Fall SoutheasternChampionship.

The day was almost cloudless, and the wind wasaround 12 knots with the seas less than a foot. It was coolwith the temperature somewhere in the low to mid 70s.

Class A (Spinnaker) and Class B (Non-Spinnaker) eachtook their places at the line and with just as much exhilara-tion, started their respective races.

It was an exciting day, even though the wind started tobecome flatter with each race. At the end of the day, RandyTilly and his crew of Sea Plane had a commanding lead inthe Class A (Spinnaker) category. In the Class B (Non-Spinnaker) category, the crew of Attack, sailed by Mark Freyand John Rumsey, also enjoyed a closer but comfortablelead over their contenders. It was the J/105s that made theday’s finish very exciting. The weather report for the secondday was calling for calm winds, not good when you havenot two, but three boats tied for first place. The J/105 Fall

http://www.cruisingdirect.com


SOUTHEAST COAST SAILING

Southeast Championship was up for grabs. The race com-mittee went to bed that night hoping they could have atleast one race instead of having to revert to the rulebook todetermine a winner. The boats tied were Dead on Arrival,Rum at Six, and Puffin.

That evening the club put on a low country oyster roast,which was held on the veranda, as well as a wonderful din-ner followed by a blueberry bread pudding desert. Whatcan one say except it was excellent!

On arriving at the club the next morning, I could seewhy the race committee had worried. The sky was overcast,the seas were smooth as glass, and zero wind. Not a leafwas moving, not a ripple on the water. Dead calm.

No matter, the boats went out, and luck came to them.A light wind came up over the Calibogue Sound. The finalrace was on. The skippers and crews worked the light wind,squeezing every bit of power possible from the breeze andin the end, the reward was victory.

Among the J/105s, it was a hard-fought fight, butSkipper Joe Highsmith and crew brought Dead on Arrivalacross the finish line first to break the three-way tie and towin the J/105 Fall Southeast Championship. Second placewent to Rum at Six, with Worth Harris as skipper, whilethird went to Puffin, skippered by Fred Stone.

In the Class A (Spinnaker) category, Sea Plane, skip-pered by Randy Tilly, maintained her lead, winning all fourraces of the regatta. Skipper Bill Moore, sailing Dr. Feelgood,finished second, while skipper Michael Sullivan brought inChutebusters to place third.

Skipper Mark Frey and crewman John Rumsey sailedAttack to victory, thereby winning the Class B (Non-Spinnaker) category. Second place went to Sarah K Too, BobWalrath (skipper), while Sundance, skippered by SusanMcCann placed third.

The regatta was sponsored by Mount Gay RumBarbados and Quantum Sail Design Group.

For all of the results, and more information about the2004 Carolina Ocean Challenge, or about the South CarolinaYacht Club, please go to their Web site at: www.scyacht-club.com.

The crew of Rum at Six (Worth Harris - Skipper) from WrightsvilleBeach, NC, finished 2nd in the J105 catagory. Photo by WaltMcFarlane

http://www.scyachtclub.com


http://snugharborboats.com


EASTERN FLORIDA COASTRacing News & CalendarNews for Sailors

November Prevailing WindsSee page 69 for Windrose legend

1

Melbourne

Daytona

Jacksonville

Eastern Florida December Weather

WATER TEMPERATUREDaytona Beach - 65°Jacksonville Beach - 60°GULFSTREAM CURRENT 2.3 knotsAVERAGE TEMPERATURESDaytona Beach 50° lo - 71° hiJacksonville Beach 49° lo - 65° hiFor Real Time East Florida Coast Weather go to:www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

Sailing in December: Cruisers Return AmidHoliday PreparationsBy Roy Laughlin

They come like a summer breeze, leaving hardly a markon the water’s surface. You might miss them if you don’t

watch for them. They are conspicuous only by theirabsence. They are “the cruisers,” Florida’s seasonal boatingvisitors. Not all come on sailboats, but sailors are the mostnumerous. They often arrive in October if hurricanes havemenaced the middle Atlantic coast, driving them to safer

harbor south of the storm’s path. This year, points northprovided refuge while Florida’s east coast was battered. AsI write this in mid-November, the cruisers are arriving enmasse, temporarily ending the solitude of sunrise walksalong the Indian River. There is always a sailboat or two,heading south silhouetted against the day’s first light.Many will stay for a few weeks, perhaps until Christmas, inthe Indian River area before heading to the Keys or even far-ther out. It is easy to imagine the adventure that lies aheadfor these vagabonds, many sailing with all they own on theboat. This life may not be for everyone, but as a vision oftemporary refuge in motion, it has more than a passingappeal, a contagious dream of carefree freedom. It’s goodto see them back again this year.

Department stores started playing Christmas musicduring the first week of November. I thought we were sup-posed to buy a turkey before that music started playing. DidI miss Thanksgiving? One way or the other, though, it willbe Christmas shortly after this issue of SOUTHWINDS hitsthe street. That means it is time again for Christmas boatparades. In the Indian River area, the Fort Pierce Yacht Clubhad one of the most impressive, including both power andsailboats. Let’s hope that this club will have the initiativeand good spirits to do it again this year. They need thediversion. In Brevard County, Cocoa Beach has always hada good parade. Recently, a boat parade has been held, start-ing in Cocoa and passing along the riverfront there and inRockledge. Watching boats and the reflection of lights onthe water are sufficient attractions of the parade for anyone.Additionally, the boat parades seem to attract sailingfriends to one spot. It may be the only time all year every-one who sails is in the same spot at the same time, a com-radery entirely in keeping with the spirit of the season. Ifyou have not been to a boat parade before, make plans towatch one this holiday season. Happy Holidays.

Racing3 – 5 Cruise to Fort Pierce. Corinthian Yacht Club,

Stuart. www.stucoryc.com. 4 – 5 Gator Bowl Regatta. Rudder Club, Jacksonville.

www.rudderclub.com5 Fall Women’s Race #2. East Coast Sailing

Association. www.ecsasail.com/racing.php12 Winter Rum Race. 2 p.m. Melbourne Yacht Club.

Melbourne

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

http://www.rockledgeboats.com

http://www.stucoryc.com

http://www.rudderclub.com

http://www.ecasail.com/racing.php


EASTERN FLORIDA COAST12 Women’s Racing #2. East Coast Racing

Association. Melbourne 17 – 19 Holiday Boat Parade Cruise. Eau Gallie Yacht

Club. Information: Captain Franck Kaiser [email protected].

19 Race of Champions. Indian River Yacht Club. Cocoa.

19 Melbourne Yacht Club Dinghy Races. Melbourne.

31-Jan 2 New Year’s Cruise. East Coast Sailing Association. www.ecsasail.com/cruise.php.

Alter Cup Area D RegattaBy Roy Laughlin

In the sailing world, only a few other names are as inextri-cably linked to the sport as Hobie Alter’s is to beach cata-

maran sailing. The inventor of the Hobie 14 and 16 andfounder of the Hobie Cat Company seduced an entire gen-eration to sail with the thrills of fast sailing on small catama-rans. The Alter Cup, named after this prolific inventor, aimsto enhance racing on beach cats through an annual regattaprogram whose winners will form the nucleus of the annu-al Alter Cup Regatta. Area D consists of Florida and otherSoutheastern states, the United States’ most active beach catsailing area. Area D’s qualifying regatta is notable becauseit is typically the largest elimination regatta feeding thenational Alter Cup Regatta, and has more than its propor-tional representation of celebrity and high profile sailors.On November 5-6, Performance Sail in Melbourne hostedthe Area Ds.

The Area D regatta is an open class regatta, with partic-ipants “racing what they brung.” Predictably, teams on theInter 20 dominated the entrants, but the boat list of about 25teams included at least two Hobie 18s and three Hobie 16s.It is a good representation of beach cat sailing, past andpresent.

If there were ever a model for the perfect regatta weath-er, it was the weekend of this regatta. Northeast windsabout 15 knots with warm temperatures and clear weathergifted the racers with ideal conditions for the weather. JohnE. Williams arrived from Pensacola to lead a race committeeof local and Pensacola cohorts in conducting a flawlesslyrun regatta. The race committee held four races on Saturdayand two on Sunday.

It was easy to tell who finished first across the line, butwith the diversity of craft in the regatta, more difficult toknow who won on corrected time. For first to finish, it wasa contest between skippers John Casey, Dave Ingram, BrianKarr, Harry Newkirk and Kirk Newkirk (on Inter20s) andAlex Shafer on a NACRA Formula 18 sloop. These Area Dsailing rock stars have won enough trophies among them toopen the world’s largest pawnshop for such items. Behindthem in the finishes, but just behind them, were consistent-ly Jennifer Lindsay/Kelly Gray on a Taipan 16HT andWoody Cope/Tina Pastoor on a Hobie 18 Tiger. In the finaltally, it was Jennifer Lindsay/Kelly Gray in first place, fol-lowed by John Casey and Ken Pierce, Alex and Patsy Shafer,Brian Karr and John Cruden and Woody Cope and TinaPastoor in second through fifth place, respectively. Jenniferand Kelly are guaranteed an invitation to sail a Hobie 18Tiger at the 2005 Alter Cup Regatta in Alamitos Bay Yacht

Club in April 2005.Florida’s beach cat scene is the most diverse and prolif-

ic of any in the United States. Even so, it is only occasional-ly that so much talent is present at one event. It was an awe-some weekend that gave a worthwhile sailing break fromseemingly endless hurricane recovery efforts. We all neededthat!

For more information on the Alter Cup, see www.ussail-ing.org/alter/. For more photos of the Area D regatta,please see www.floridamultihullsailor.org.

Boats meet in the Alter Cup. Photo by Roy Laughlin.


http://www.ecsasail.com/cruise.php

http://www.ussailing.org/alter/

http://www.floridamultihullsailor.org

http://www.perfsail.com


EASTERN FLORIDA COAST

Lake Eustis’ Wildcat RegattaBy Roy Laughlin

Lake regattas in Florida are far and few in between, so itis safe to say that Lake Eustis’ Wildcat Regatta is a pre-

mier lake regatta for beach cat sailors. This event, original-ly scheduled for the last weekend of September, wasrescheduled for the last weekend in October. It was worththe wait.

The regatta, in its sixth year, has enjoyed a consistentincrease in participation. This year, September’s stormshalved participation, but there were still more than 25teams, sailing in five classes: Hobie Waves, Hobie 16,Portsmouth Spinnaker, Open Low Portsmouth, and OpenHigh Portsmouth. While no class was larger than sevenboats, it was a lively day on Lake Eustis as both the racecommittee and the weather conspired to give a perfect dayof sailing.

Mike and sister Carol Burly dominated the Hobie 16class with four bullets for the day. Chuck Pickering andDave Harding took a convincing second place. A tiebreakergave Steve Caron and Glenda Libby a third-place standingin this class.

Older sailors dominated the Hobie Wave class, withperhaps a century of sailing experience and skills sharedamong them. Watching these men and women was theopportunity to observe the value of wisdom over force inexploiting the uncontrollable. Nelson Wright finished firstin the racing standings and first for the most on-waterrepairs, as well, due to a balky rudder. Rick White was aclose second, and Stan Woodruff finished third.

The Open High Portsmouth class consisted entirely ofHobie 14s in a couple of configurations, with all the sailorscoming from the St. Petersburg area. Competition amongthese sailors was as intense as it was competent. BobJohnson finished first, with Bill Brooks second and CherylJohnson third. No clear winner emerged until the final race.It was again a class to observe for examples of extremefinesse.

The Open Low Portsmouth class was the smallest withonly three entries. Rob Rabideau put in his usual dominat-ing performance to win three bullets, as well as at least twofinishes, riding the wire on one hull of his Prindle 15. JerryWolfe and son Sean finished second on a vintage Prindle 18,while Thomas D’Arcy and Cindy Muhlbauer finished aleisurely third.

The Spinnaker Portsmouth class, consisting of sailing

rock stars, real men and women, and their high tech craft,was the Wildcat’s remaining class. The competition wasswift and intense in this class. In the final tally, JenniferLindsay and Kelly Gray on a Taipan 16HP finished first, fol-lowed by Alex and Patsy Shafer on a Nacra F18 sloop in sec-ond place. Frank Rodricks finished third on a highly modi-fied NACRA 5.2.

Event organizers planned for Sunday races, but MotherNature was out of air after Saturday’s consistent 10-15 knotbreezes. No races were held on Sunday.

In its sixth year, the Wildcat Regatta did not completelyrecover from the influence of our stormy September. Despitepostponement and a decline in registration, the race wasstill a wonderful opportunity for lake sailing in a beautifulenclave of old Florida. It is not too much to expect a muchmore expansive Wildcat in 2005.

For additional photos, please see www.floridamultihull-sailor.com. The Lake Eustis Sailing Club will host threemonohull or open regattas in February, for those who enjoylake sailing. They are the National Wayfarer Regatta, FlyingScot Regatta and the 35th Annual George WashingtonBirthday Regatta. Additional class regattas are scheduledfor March. Please see www.lakeeustissailingclub.org foradditional information of the club’s regatta schedule.

Florida’s Central East CoastHolds Five Regattas to CatchUp after Two HurricanesBy Sherry Beckett

After the month of September was a total blowout, sailing-wise, because of three hurricanes in six weeks, the sailors inFlorida’s central east coast have been busy making up for losttime, holding five regattas in four weeks.

MYC Fall Regatta – Big Boats

The finale of MYC’s Fall Regatta Race Week was the “BigBoats” weekend: PHRF and One-Design racing in boats

over 20 feet.On the north course, twelve Melges 24s battled it out for

supremacy. One boat came from Chicago to race in this com-

Sailing in the Wildcat Regatta on Lake Eustis. Photo by RoyLaughlin.

http://www.floridamultihullsailor.com

http://www.lakeeustissailingclub.org

http://www.annesanchors.com


petitive crowd. After 7 races, only twopoints separated first and thirdplace—John Jennings on Barracuda infirst, with Ryan Hamm on When PigsFly in second and Jack Jennings onPied Piper in third.

The Spinnaker A fleet was domi-nated by Gary Smith and sons on FiveSpeed, a Lindenberg 28. However, thenew kid on the block, another L28named Rookey, was looking verystrong at times and will be continuingto challenge Smith in upcoming races.Sherry Beckett on Fast Lane took thirdin the Lindenberg sweep of the A fleet.

The Catalina 22, Lil Flash, skip-pered by Joe Fema and crewed byTommy Bremen, and featuring brand-new Bremen sails, blew away theSpinnaker B fleet, easily taking first infive races. Battling it out for secondand third were Gregg Kowalski on SlotMachine and Larry Etheridge on Purr-fect, an S2 7.9.

Due to high winds, and severalboats switching fleets at the lastminute, the Non-Spinnaker fleet had some very stiff com-petition, but in the end Paul Alexy on Pop’s Toy, an S2 7.9,easily won first place, with Hasty Miller on Skimmer, aNightwind 35, and Jerry Ross on Sleighride, a J/30, takingsecond and third, respectively.

The Sailor of the Week, an award given by RegattaChairman Dave Noble to the “best” (subjective) sailor ofthe week—went to Jacki Herbert, who competed in Lasersthe first weekend and on a J/30 the second weekend, anddonated much time during the regatta to help organize andsupport the regatta.

Melbourne Yacht Club FallRegatta – Small Boats

On October 16-17, Melbourne Yacht Club hosted itsannual Small Boats Fall Regatta. Classes that showed

up in numbers were Sunfish, Lasers, and Raiders, with ahandful of Portsmouth monohulls and multihulls. Theregatta was a little more low-key than past MYC regattas—with everyone including the participants and organizerssuffering from “hurricane stress.” However, the greatweather, the friendly MYC atmosphere, and plenty of beerde-stressed everyone by the end of the weekend.

The biggest surprise of the weekend was in the Laserclass. A new young sailor in the area, Will Watts, “whuppedup on” the old class sailors and handily beat them with fivefirsts in seven races. Will is a St. Pete sailor attendingFlorida Tech in Melbourne for the next few years. So the barhas been raised in the Laser class on the east coast! Comingin second and third were David Hartman and James Cook,followed closely by Mike Taylor for fourth place. ElevenFlorida Laser sailors raced in the event.

No such surprises in the 16-boat Sunfish fleet, withPaul Strauley, Danny Escobar, and Mindy Strauley takingfirst, second, and third in the event, with the top 10 filledout with other names familiar to the Florida Sunfish sailors.

The very light winds on the second day tended to favor thelight wind sailors.

A surprising turnout of six Raiders showed up for theregatta. There was a very close race for first and secondbetween John Drawe, the “father” of the Raider design, andJohn MacNeill, a local sailor who has literally sailed every-thing under 20 feet, but who prefers the Raider these days.These two sailors were in dead heats nearly the wholeregatta, and first place was not decided until the last race.John Drawe triumphed in the end, with MacNeill a closesecond, and young Ashley Saylor comfortably in thirdplace.

Due to a conflict with a South Florida regatta, turnoutin the Flying Scot fleet was very light. The one Scot thatshowed up sailed in the four-boat Portsmouth fleet. Thatfleet was dominated by Michael Barile and Richard Oliverin Barile’s 40-year-old O’Day daysailer. They won all butone race. Wallie Everest and son in a Laser II took second,and the Flying Scot with Bill Watts and wife took third.

The multi turnout was light but very competitive.Frank Rodricks in a Nacra 5.2 battled it out with MarkHerendeen in an International 20. Though the NI20 was thefaster boat, once corrections were applied, Rodricks tookevery race.

Paul Strauley makes an awesome roll tack. Photo by Sherry Beckett

http://www.nationalsail.com


l

The highlight of MYC’s Fall Regatta Race week, for some,is the mid-week activities held at the club. Past regattas

have featured speakers such as Gary Jobson, but in keepingwith the post-hurricane de-stress approach, no such inter-nationally famous names contributed. However, our ownJames Liebl volunteered to give a “Sunfish Racing 101”seminar. About 30 racers attended the free seminar. James setup a Sunfish in the grass and demonstrated tacking, gibing,reaching, and trimming techniques to Sunfish “wanna-bes.”

This seminar was followed up the next night by aSunfish race for non-racers. The boats were donated by themembers of Sunfish Fleet 669, and were race-ready Sunfish(rather than the old clunkers that newbies normally get tosail). The small fleet of 12 new Sunfish racers competed inonly one race before an approaching thunderstorm shutdown the races. However, at least two of the people attend-ing the class have since bought new Sunfish and are learn-ing to race.

On Thursday night, MYC held the traditional “AdultPram Races” inside the harbor. Though a few new condoshave been built on the harbor (severely restricting properwind flow), the wind was blowing pretty good, and theraces were very competitive. Four heats were sailed, andthen a final. The spectator crowd cheered as Stephen Yates,15, beat his dad, local sailor Jim Yates, across the finish lineto take first place. Yates senior finished second and HastyMiller (a past King of the Prams) took third.

Friday saw 20 boats out for the traditional Rebel RallyRum Race, a reverse handicap race on a six-mile course thatnormally ends in the dark. L’il Flash, a Catalina 22 sailed by

Joe Fema (and crewed by Tommy Bremen) took first, fol-lowed by Gregg Kowalski in the SR Max 21 Slot Machine,and Gary Smith in a Lindenberg 28, Five Speed.

MYC Mermaid Regatta

The Mermaid Regatta, traditionally a two-day affair inlate September, was rescheduled as a one-day regatta on

November 7. This is a women-only regatta. Only one maleobserver can be aboard (optional), and he is only allowed togive advice and fetch beer.

The women were delighted with a perfect sailing day;10-12 knots from the NE and a clear blue sky. Higher windshad been forecast, so every boat was loaded with competi-tive women.

In the Spinnaker fleet, Sherry Beckett on Fast Lane, aLindenberg 28, battled it out with Mary Anne Ward onAirborne, a Melges 24. Beckett narrowly won after threeraces, with Patti Massey on Sneaker, a Tartan 10, taking third.

The Non-Spinnaker fleet was dominated by TonyaMeister on Five Speed, a Lindenberg 28. Sleighride, a J/30with Rachele Ross at the helm, took second, and Sea Turtle, aBeneteau 38 skippered by Dolores Miller, took third.

In the Sunfish fleet, Nancy Fox narrowly beat CindyTaylor for first. The two traded first and second place allday. Third place was clinched by Alice Ahrens.

Detailed results for all the east coast sailing events can be foundonline at www.sail-race.com.

ECSA River Challenge Regatta

On Nov. 6, East Coast Sailing Association hosted theannual inter-club challenge regatta to compete for the

Cirripedia Cup. Three east coast clubs were represented:Melbourne Yacht Club, Indian River Yacht Club, and EastCoast Sailing Association. However, only IRYC and MYCcould field enough boats to compete.

November 6 was another BEAUTIFUL sailing day onthe east coast, and 16 boats turned out to support theirrespective clubs, including five Melges 24s, threeLindenberg 28s and 2 S2 7.9s.

After two races, the total corrected time was summedup for each boat, and ranked by club. Melbourne Yacht Clubtook the Cirripedia Cup back from Indian River Yacht Clubby about seven minutes.

Five Speed leads theSpinnaker A fleet to

the leeward mark.Photo by

Sherry Beckett.

Mid-Week Activities at Mebourne Yacht Club

A tight Melges fleet rounds the leeward mark. Photo by SherryBeckett

http://www.sail-race.com


SOUTHEAST FLORIDA SAILINGRacing News & CalendarNews for Sailors

DecemberPrevailing Winds

See page 69for Windrose legend

1

Miami

Fort Lauderdale

West Palm Beach

4

Southeastern Florida December Weather

WATER TEMPERATUREMiami - 73°GULFSTREAM CURRENT 2.4 knotsAVERAGE TEMPERATURESMiami Beach 65° lo - 75° hiFor Real Time East Florida Coast Weather goto: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/ Florida.shtml

Upcoming Events

2nd Annual Fedex OrangeBowl Trek for the Coast - Adventure Run and Dive, Hollywood Beach, Jan. 3. Ocean Watch Fundraiser.

January 3, 2005. The FedEx Orange Bowl Committee andClean Beaches Council is having their Trek for the Coast

in Hollywood Beach. It also involves a dive componentwith some local dive boat operators. This is Ocean Watch’sfirst fundraiser in a long time and hope that all can getinvolved and help out. For more information, go towww.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1175476 or goto www.oceanwatch.org.

Racing CalendarTo have your race, regatta, or club races listed, please contact [email protected] by the 10th of the month. Races list-ed should be open to anyone.

DECEMBER2 Fort Lauderdale. Wirth Monroe Palm Beach

Race. SCF/CCA (Cruising). The race is open to allcruising boats.

4 – 5 Miami. Piana Cup. BBYC. First Regatta of theJaguar Cup Series for the Etchell Class.

4 – 5 Miami. Commodore’s Cup Star. The 24th annualStar Class Championship to be held in BiscayneBay. Dates are tentative.

11 BBYRA One Design #11. KBYC. One-design classracing open to all registered fleets. Start - 11:30 a.m.

12 Miami. BBYRA PHRF#11. KBYC.PHRF/Cruising fleet racing open to registeredboats. Start time 11:30 a.m.

18 Miami. BBYRA Makeup Date for Second Series.PHRF/Cruising class makeup race. Start time11:30 a.m.

27 – 30 Miami. Orange Bowl Regatta. CRYC & CGSC.The 25th event. CGSC hosts the Lightning, AdultLasers and Radials. CRYC hosts the annual youthregatta (IODA) and International Youth Regatta(Laser, Laser Radial, Club 420 and 29ers.)

Rubbing Elbows with theSuperRich at the 45th FortLauderdale International Boat Show: There is something for all sailors to seeBy Jody L. Alu

There is only one place to go when you want to see themost spectacular boats afloat. This year was no excep-

tion. The 45th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show isunsurpassed in the quantity and quality of vessels toperuse. For those familiar with the Fort Lauderdale show,you know that it is truly an exercise in eccentricity, with thelargest grouping of multimillion dollar superyachts in theworld on display.

For years the Show has been home to exhibiters ofmainly power vessels. However, a new luxury catamaranarea at Las Olas Marina was included this year for the firsttime. Both sailing cats and power cats were on display, andthey drew just as large crowds as the rest of the event. Fromlengths of 40 feet to 86 feet, these cats proved the multihull’spopularity is increasing significantly, whether you’re look-ing to be draped in the lap of luxury or searching for a long-distance cruiser.

Three super sailing yachts were also on display. Theyincluded the debut of the 156-foot MitSeaAh motorsailingyacht by Pendennis Shipyards, notable for its ability to con-

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. Whisper, the 116-foot yacht availablefor charter at $65,000 a week. Photo by Jody Alu.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1175476

http://www.oceanwatch.org



SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COASTvert from a conventional yacht capable of speeds up to 25knots to a sailing vessel with revolutionary swing-downkeel, retractable rudders, and a unique carbon mast with anextendable 30-foot topmast section; Perini Navi’s 172-footLiberty, with a 600 sq. ft. cockpit sunken into the main deck,surrounded by retractable glass walls and a huge canvastent awning; and the 116-foot Whisper from Churchill YachtPartners, like the other vessels in this area, a remarkablestudy in privilege. Just entering her second season, she offersluxury sailing one can only dream of. With accommodationsfor up to seven as well as crew quarters for five, Whisperserves strictly as a charter yacht, spending her summers inRhode Island and winters in the Caribbean. Available for amere $65,000 a week — no, that is not a misprint — you, toocan experience “a sailing vacation so remarkable it remainedunattainable until now,” as noted in her brochure.

Race Report

Columbus Day Regatta 2004,Miami, FL, Nov.7By Art Perez

The organizers of the 50th edition of the Columbus DayRegatta promised to bring back the luster of yesteryear.

The entire staff worked strenuously day in and day out,sweating every detail, to ensure the success of its 50thanniversary. Unfortunately, the registration’s downwardtrend continues with less than 150 participants signing onfor this year’s event. Could the Columbus Day Regatta berunning its course? Many questions abound with respect tothe continued indifference by the local sailing communitywith respect to this event. More important, how can theorganizers turn this trend around before the regattabecomes a victim of mediocrity? These are tough questionsthe organizers will have to find answers to.

To make matters worse, the arrival of two hurricaneson South Florida shores within weeks of the regatta didn’thelp either. Likely participants were left scrambling to puttheir boats back in sailing order, forcing the organizers topostpone the registration deadline.

Notwithstanding, those who did show up for theSaturday morning start were not disappointed. A total of 138boats in 15 different classes enjoyed a lovely jog down the baycourtesy of a steady 10-15 knot easterly breeze. The course forthe PHRF, ARC and multihulls consisted of government andinflatable marks that took the competitors zigzagging acrossthe bay, while the Family and Gunkhole fleets had an easy sailstraight down to the finish off Elliot Key. The first boat toreach the finish was Mike Rush’s 76-foot multihull namedPatriot, while leading the monohulls to the finish line wasTom Seghi’s Group Therapy of the PHRF 1 fleet.

Sunday’s race was a carbon copy of the day before withmost of the competitors showing up for the start after theall-night party. With the sound of the gun, the fleets wereoff, one by one until the last boat crossed the start line.Within three hours, the first boat to arrive was Patriot in themultihull class with a repeat performance of Saturday’srace. The steady breeze enabled almost everyone to finishthe race by early afternoon leaving sufficient time to cleanup and head back home for a well-deserved rest.

The award party was held the following Saturday atthe Coral Reef Yacht Club where trophies were awarded

five deep in each class. Valuable prizes were raffled in addi-tion to the 1.75-liter of Gosling rum that went to all the first-place finishers. The regatta may not have been the stellarevent the organizers had hoped for, but those that didattend, and there were plenty, will always cherish the fondmemory of participating in the Columbus Day regatta.

Results: PHRF1: Moving Party IV; PHRF2: Willowind; PHRF3: Mild to Wild; J24: Gotta Go;Multihull M1: Priorities; Multihull M2: Catnip; ARC A1: Wind Pirate; ARC A2: Karen; ARC A3:Les Cheneaux; ARC A4:Shellback; Family Cruiser F1: Wavedancer; Gunkhole G1: Jennie Rose;Gunkhole G2: Gone With the Wind; Gunkhole G3: Isle of View; Gunkhole G4: Zwerver II.

BBYRA Series 1 Awards,Miami, Oct. 30By Art Perez

The BBYRA Series 1 award ceremony took place at CGSCSaturday afternoon. Awards were presented to the top

three finishers in each class. The series consisted of sevenraces with two throw-outs. This year’s series presentedsome of the most hotly contested regattas with one pointseparating the winner from second-place finishers.

Results: PHRF1; 1st Pl – Mostly Harmless/Chris Woosley, 2nd Pl – Triptease/Rubin Shellow,3rd Pl – Sazerac/Gordon Ettie; PHRF2; 1st Pl – Blackbird/Pat Cacace, 2nd Pl – HotAir/David Berg, 3rd Pl – Tiburon/Art Perez; PHRF3; 1st Pl - Mild to Wild/Russ Horn, 2ndPl – Touchstone/Jaime Topp, 3rd Pl – Stoked/Steven Stallman; PHRF4; 1st Pl – ThreeGimps/Karen Mitchell, 2nd Pl – Hot Streak/ Jack King, 3rd Pl – St Clair/Richard Hall; ARF;1st Pl – Blew Ba You/Kerry Gruson, 2nd Pl – Minimum Balance/Allen Fishe, 3rd Pl –Freebird/Kenneth Ellis; J24; 1st Pl – I’ll Go/Gonzalo Diaz Sr, 2nd Pl – Gotta Go/PeterBenziger, 3rd Pl – Pick Up Sticks.

BBYRA #9, Miami, Oct. 30By Art Perez

The BBYRA Series 2 finally got under way after a longsummer break and race postponements due to

Hurricane Charley. All the PHRF racers were ready to getback to the business of racing and competing for the covet-ed first place finish. With a new earlier start program sched-uled for the Series 2, a two-race format was guaranteed,finally giving the competitors the venue they were after.

As the 11:30 a.m. start approached, the winds werepeaking at around 10 knots under a beautiful October sky.

Both PHRF 1 and 2 fleets were out in full force, picking

The BBYRA Series 1 Awards. Photo by Art Perez.


SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COASTup where they had left off at the end of the first series. Theincrease of boats in PHRF 1 has transformed the fleet into oneof the most exciting and competitive groups on the bay withcompetition between newcomer Mostly Harmless and peren-nial winner Triptease intensifying with every race. By the endof the day, Harmless came out on top with two first place fin-ishes. Third place finish ended in a tie between Sazerac andGroup Therapy in points, having to go to accumulative time tobreak the impasse. Sazerac won out by 11 seconds!

In PHRF 2, there was no holding back Blackbird with a1-2 finish. The C&C 99, owned and helmed by Pat Cacace,seems to get faster with every race, while last year’s winnerTiburon continues to have difficulty finding its old form, fin-ishing in third place. Most notable mention goes out to HotAir’s Dave Berg, the “old man” on the course, who showedthe rest of the fleet a thing or two with a second-place finish.

Another senior citizen who doesn’t understand themeaning of growing old is Gonzalo Diaz Sr. in the J/24 fleetwith two first place finishes. The J/24s are making a come-back on the bay with eleven boats showing up for the race.

Afterwards, trophies were handed out at CGSC for all thewinners along with a spectacular pig roast and plenty of coldbeer to go around for everyone. By the look on everyone’sface, there was no doubt that the wait was well worth it.

Results: PHRF1;1st Pl – Mostly Harmless/Chris Woosley, 2nd Pl – Triptease/Rubin Shellow,3rd Pl – Sazerac/Gordon Ettie; PHRF2; 1st Pl – Blackbird/Pat Cacace, 2nd Pl – HotAir/David Berg, 3rd Pl – Tiburon/Art Perez; PHRF3; 1st Pl - Mild to Wild/Russ Horn, 2ndPl – Touchstone/Jaime Topp, 3rd Pl – Stoked/Steven Stallman; PHRF4; 1st Pl – ThreeGimps/Karen Mitchell, 2nd Pl – Hot Streak/ Jack King, 3rd Pl – St Clair/Richard Hall; ARF;1st Pl – Blew Ba You/Kerry Gruson, 2nd Pl – Minimum Balance/Allen Fishe, 3rd Pl –Freebird/Kenneth Ellis; J24; 1st Pl – I’ll Go/Gonzalo Diaz Sr, 2nd Pl – Gotta Go/PeterBenziger, 3rd Pl – Pick Up Sticks.

Annual Rating Review – USPHRF of Southeast Florida,Miami, FL. Sept 29By Art Perez

The annual rating review of US PHRF of southeast Floridaheld court at CGSC on the night of September 29. Over

two dozen boats from southeast Florida were up for review.Also on the agenda was the introduction of ChristopherWoolsey as chief rater for SE PHRF. After the reviewingprocess, the PHRF ratings for the C & C 99s of Cai Svendsonand Pat Cacace were adjusted to reflect their speed potentialin accordance to the PHRF guidelines. Also mentioned wasthe proximate SE PHRF Championship Regatta that will beheld November 20-21 and sponsored by Gosling Rum Co.

BBYRA #10, Miami, FL, Nov. 7By Art Perez

The Coral Reef Yacht Club has made a name for itself notonly for its elegance and charm but also for hosting top

caliber regattas. This year’s annual regatta was no exceptioneven with a slight delay in the start time. The race commit-tee work was exceptional and back on shore the club livedup to its reputation of unrivaled hospitality.

The regatta’s two-day format allows for the One Designand PHRF racers to compete for the annual trophies, whichare always first class. The annual event always brings outSee SOUTHEAST FLORIDA continued on page 62

http://www.sailingservices.com


NORTHERN GULFCOAST SAILINGFlorida Panhandle,Alabama, Mississippi,Louisiana, Texas

Racing News & CalendarNews for Sailors



2 1

ALABAMA

FLORIDA

TEXAS

NORTHERN GULF

Pensacola

MobileGulfport

LOUSIANA

New Orleans

MISSISSIPPI

Northern Gulf December Weather

WATER TEMPERATURE - 58°AVERAGE TEMPERATURESPensacola, FL 45° lo - 63° hiGulfport, MS 45° lo - 63° hiFor Northern Gulf Weather go to:www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/

Sailing in DecemberBy Kim Kaminski

December is the time of year for unpredictable weatherhere along the Gulf Coast. It can be a month filled with

unseasonably warm temperatures, where sailors can enjoythe Christmas holidays experiencing balmy breezes andplenty of sunshine. Or it can be a month filled with the typ-ically cool winter weather of strong northeasterly windsand rainstorms that filter throughout the various northernGulf Coast regional locations. Temperatures usually aver-age around 54 degrees in December with the water temper-ature in the 70s (just warm enough for the invigoratingpolar bear dip into the Gulf!)

Things are slowly getting back to normal after theupheaval experienced from the 2004 hurricane season alongthe coastal areas of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisianaand Texas. Some communities felt the destructive effectsmore than others (which is evident in the local terrain andvarious marina facilities.) However, many of these coastalcommunities have experienced strong hurricane storms inthe past and have been able to rebound rather quickly whileother locations that have been more adversely affected willhave a more gradual return to daily operations.

Never fear, the Christmas boat parades will soon be lin-

ing up along the shorelines across the South as boaters pre-pare to take on the holidays. Numerous traditional festivi-ties celebrating the season will be held throughout theregion as well as some new opportunities. The FairhopeYacht Club in Fairhope, AL, will play host once again to theGMAC Bowl Regatta that coincides with the college footballbowl game held in Mobile on December 4. This kick-offevent will have trophies, T-shirts and even bowl game tick-ets supplied to the winners of this sailing event. Also inNew Orleans, LA, where the city’s Superdome comes alivewith the excitement of the Sugar Bowl football game play-offs, the Southern Yacht Club will also host the Sugar BowlRegatta that will take place during the excitement of theplayoffs on December 18-19.

Christmas parties, installation ceremonies and organiza-tional meetings will be some of the items on the variousyacht club calendars as everyone prepares for the upcoming2005 Sailing season. The Pensacola Yacht Club will be host-ing an important event for the new year. On January 7-8, theFlorida Council of Yacht Clubs’ (FCYC) general membershipmeeting will be held at its clubhouse facility in Pensacola,FL. Members of the various yacht clubs throughout the stateof Florida will be converging in Pensacola where prepara-tions for the new year of sailing and other boating interestswill be discussed, planned and implemented.

As the plans are being made to wrap up another year ofboating activities, the yachtsmen and women in our com-munities look forward to a new season filled with change.The northern Gulf Coast region is “survivin’ after Ivan” andlooking forward to a bright new year because as we allknow here along the Gulf Coast in 2005, the boating com-munities will come alive and thrive!

Racing Calendar 2004Because of the hurricanes, please check with the clubs to confirm allraces. Venues have changed on many, if not canceled or postponed.

DECEMBER4 GMAC Bowl Regatta. Fairhope Yacht Club,

Fairhope, AL5 Fall 2. Corinthian Sailing Association. New

Orleans, LA

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/

http://atlanticsailtraders.com


NORTHERN GULF COAST SAILING 11 Santa Claus Regatta. Pensacola Yacht Club,

Pensacola, FL. TBA12 Fall 3. Corinthian Sailing Association, New

Orleans, LA11-12 Sugar Bowl Boardboats. Southern Yacht Club,

New Orleans, LA18-19 Sugar Bowl Regatta. Southern Yacht Club, New

Orleans, LAFor additional race schedules check the Gulf YachtingAssociation Web site at: www.gya.org

Race Report

Paul Schreck Regatta,Fairhope Yacht Club, AL,October 23-24By Kim Kaminski

The Paul Schreck Regatta, a Capedevielle Flying Scotevent, was scheduled to be held by the Pensacola Yacht

Club in Pensacola in September of this year. However, dueto the damages caused by Hurricane Ivan, the PensacolaYacht Club marina facilities will not be available for theevent (the marina building did not even exist!). However,thanks to the Fairhope Yacht Club in Fairhope, AL, the sail-ing community’s participants were able to enjoy a day filledwith competition. After adjusting the sailing schedule, theFairhope Yacht Club was able to offer the participants of the

Paul Schreck Regatta one day with three races to be held onOctober 23, while their planned event, the WadewitzRegatta, was shifted to a one-day event on Sunday October24, also with three races scheduled to be sailed.

Warm temperatures and overcast skies greeted thesailors Saturday morning. The southeasterly breezes of 10 to12 knots filled the racecourse area. All three races went offwithout a problem; only the occasionally shifty breezecaused a stir of excitement out on the racecourse. Ten boatsmade the competition from across the region. The Bay

New Orleans Yacht Club (sail #104), St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club(sail #64) and the Pensacola Yacht Club (sail #14) have a closemark rounding during the Paul Schreck Regatta on Mobile Bay.Photo by John Matthews.

http://www.gya.org



NORTHERN GULF COAST SAILING Waveland Yacht Club has had a strong year in 2004 withnumerous wins at various events throughout the season.The Paul Schreck Regatta would be another feather in theircap followed closely by the Pontchartrain Yacht Club andthe New Orleans Yacht Club, which tied for second place.Defending champion, the Pensacola Yacht Club, ended upborrowing a boat to compete and finished in fifth place.

Results (place, club, race 1 points, race 2 points, race 3 points, total points):1, Bay Waveland YC, 3, 2, 1, 6; 2, Pontchartrain YC, 1, 5, 2, 8; 3, New Orleans YC, 2,1,5,8; 4, Gulfport YC, 6, 3, 4, 13; 5, Pensacola YC, 4, 4, 7, 15; 6, Fairhope YC, 9, 6, 3, 18; 7,Mobile YC, 5, 8, 8, 21; 8, St. Andrews Bay YC, 8, 7, 6, 21; 9, Navy YC, 7, 9, 9, 25; 10, Long Beach YC, DNF, WD, WD, 33.

Fish Class Championship,Buccaneer Yacht Club,Mobile, AL, Oct. 30-31By Kim Kaminski

d

The Buccaneer Yacht Club in Mobile, AL, held the FifthAnnual Fish Class Championships on October 30-31. The

Fish Class sailboat was first sailed in 1930 to 1968 by the Gulf

Yachting Association (GYA) member clubs as their officialinter-club competition boat. It was replaced in 1968 by theFlying Scot sailboat that is currently in use today. The FishClass Championship was established as a means of honoringthis sailboat racing class and to preserve a bit of its history.

Eight Fish Class boats were donated by their owners tobe used during this Championship event. Elisabeth andRoy Sellars organized the event and helped to set up theseclassic vessels for the races at the Buccaneer Yacht Club.Active GYA club members were given a special invite tocome and participate in the Championship event.

Three races were held over the two-day weekend. Clubrepresentatives drew numbers for the boats they were torace for each of the three races in the regatta. Trophies wereawarded to each of the winners of the three races.

Results: 1 - Bay Waveland Yacht Club; 2 - Pensacola Yacht Club; 3 - Buccaneer YachtClub; 4 - Fairhope Yacht Club; 5 - Mobile Yacht Club; 6 - Point Yacht Club; 7 - Navy YachtClub; 8 - Ocean Springs Yacht Club.

The End of a Sailing Era:Hurricane Ivan’s DestructionBy Kim Kaminski

Just like the changes that occurred in the early 1900s wherehorses were replaced by the steam engine, so too have the

sailing communities in the city of Pensacola, FL, experi-enced a change. Although this end of a sailing era was notcaused by modern technology, but by the simple whims ofMother Nature and Hurricane Ivan.

A graveyard of boats (far too numerous to count) lineup row after row in a vacant lot near the designated shore-line of Bayou Chico in Pensacola. Sailboats and powerboatsof all makes and sizes lie in wait for their final resting place,either in a shop somewhere to be stripped of their piecesand parts and eventually destroyed or perhaps by somemiracle placed in a repair area to be gingerly worked on inhopes of a possible re-launching. Either way, insurancecompanies (like BoatUS) have assisted victims of HurricaneIvan and have been helping boat owners in the area startanew.

This time of year is generally very active for the sailingenthusiast. Championship events were scheduled to wrapup the year’s activities. Most were cancelled or re-sched-uled at yacht clubs outside of the immediate area that mayhave experienced little or no damage from the storm.Several community yacht clubs have been digging out fromunder the debris and the mounds of sugar white sand try-ing to prepare for election of new officers, Christmas partiesand end-of-the-year functions. (It is kind of difficult todetermine a “Boat of the Year” when many in the area haveeither been destroyed, sunk, declared lost and missing ordamaged beyond repair.)

Chain worked while anchor lines failedThe boat I have been racing on for the past nine years (aHunter 36 named Applejack) was totaled in the storm. Justlike numerous other boat owners in the pre-storm prepara-tion phase, boat owner Dan Owczarczak secured his boatby attaching it to a mooring ball and throwing out two seaanchors. All three failed. No one in the area had expectedthe high storm surge that Ivan dished out. Even the pilings

The classic design of the Fish Class sailboat (a gaf-rigged boat) wasoriginally designed for inter-club competition racing along the GulfCoast and was replace in 1968 by the Flying Scot. Photo by KimKaminski.



NORTHERN GULF COAST SAILING

that boats were secured to came out of place with the 25- to38-foot storm surge (and the boats were still tied to the pil-ings!) The few boats that did survive the storm used links ofchain attached to their anchors with plenty of rode, whileboats such as Applejack used thick anchor lines, whichended up giving away in the surge.

Applejack ended up on the opposite shoreline in theback yard of a home that was destroyed by the storm. Theback wall of the house looked like a Barbie doll house, com-pletely open with clothes in a closet still hanging in place.Applejack was resting against a grove of cedar trees, her mastbroken in three pieces. Her rudder was mangled and tornfrom the boat. The prop of the boat looked like a giant metalpretzel...twisted back and forth and curved around again.Her hull looked to be in one piece, but after the salvagecompany dragged the vessel to a barge for removal, herdestruction was complete.

There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel...a newyear and new beginnings will be right around the corner.The year 2005 will see the boating community come alive.New boats will be purchased, boat crews will shift aroundand a new era of racing vessels will begin emerging onto thescene, making the 2005 season of racing an unpredictableone.

Of course, there still will be a few old and familiar com-petitors’ boats out on the race course. As a matter of fact,Bob Patroni, whose team earned a first-place trophy posi-tion in last year’s Key West race, is feverishly working onrepairing his boat Phaedra that was damaged in the storm sohe can defend his title. Community businesses are helpinghim get the supplies he needs to complete this enormous

task by January.Pensacola Beach was

heavily damaged duringHurricane Ivan, and thePensacola Beach YachtClub is slowly but surelygetting back on its feet.Members are attemptingto hold the first and hope-fully last “Float whatyou’ve got Left” Regattain an attempt to keep rac-ing enthusiasm high.Hurricane Ivan mighthave dealt the area acrushing blow, but thespirit of a sailor is hard topush down.

They say that changecan be good. Sometimeswe are dragged into thechange just like the cow-boy was with the steamengine, and sometimeswe are placed in the mid-dle of chaos, forced tochange for necessity.Right now, we are surviv-ing after Ivan and lookingforward to sailing off intothe sunsets once again.The sailboat Applejack ended up in the back yard of a home that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan after

being hit by a 25- to 38- foot storm surge that devastated the Pensacola area. Photo by Kim Kaminski

http://www.schurrsails.com


F LORIDA KEYS SAILINGThe Keys Saiing SceneWeatherCalendar of EventsHot Happenings



Key Largo

Marathon

Key West

Cape Sable

Dry Tortugas

42 30

Florida Keys December Weather

AVERAGE TEMPERATURESKey West 67° lo - 77° hiGULF WATER TEMPERATURES Key West 72°For Real Time eastern Gulf weather,winds and marine forecasts, go to:http://comps.marine.usf.edu

Sailing in DecemberBy Rebecca Burg

Ashimmering green shooting star lit up her rigging asshe emerged from the darkness. Hull festooned withlights and tinsel garland, the tall ship elegantly slid

through the seaport. A vibrant display of decorated vesselsfollowed from tiny dinghies, sailboats, fishing boats to avintage patrol-torpedo boat. Mariners can’t resist joiningthe festivities as the Florida Keys jumps into an active holi-day season. On America’s out-islands, the celebrations arealways infused with an exotic, tropical flavor. Palm trees areadorned with lights, fragrant tropical flowers bloom anddrop into the breeze, sailboats are bedecked with lights andwreaths in the rigging and people still wear shorts. Holiday

desserts involve delights such as mangoes, coconut, keylimes and papaya. A veritable variety of traditions and cus-toms are peacefully celebrated thanks to the island’s typical-ly open-minded nature.

Of course, local New Year’s traditions involve only-in-the-Keys funky flamboyance. At the countdown to mid-night, instead of watching a ball drop, islanders can watchconch shells, a sailor girl or even a drag queen’s high-heelshoe dropping to animate the party scene. The entertain-ment is endless and the joyful range of activity appeals topeople from all walks of life. Here, you’re on island time,and the holidays are yours to celebrate whether you enjoyquiet time with friends and family, a silent night’s sail or afestive and wild New Year’s party.

If your season’s customs involve an exchange of gifts,don’t forget a new toy for the sailboat. She’ll be seeing a lotof wind this month. Historically, December’s cold frontsblow in from the north every few days, bringing cool, dryair and stormy skies. Cruisers carefully watch weather win-dows, and daysailing can be wet, salty and exciting.Anchorages and marinas become busy as cruisers enjoy awinter in our warmer latitudes. Cruisers who prefer toanchor out rely on their wind generators this month sincethe wind is strong and solar panels see less daylight andskies dotted with clouds. Average wind speeds range from8.5 to 19.5 knots with stronger gusts during the passing of acold front. Prevailing winds are northeast to east and willclock around the compass as a cold front approaches. Bylocal standards, the 71.6º F average air temperature is a bitchilly. Air temps range from 66.2º F to 77.9º F. By everyone’sstandards, the average 73.4º F water temperature is too coolfor comfort without a generous wetsuit.

Events & Happenings CalendarEvery Saturday – Open House at the Key West Sailing Club.10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Dec. 11 Key Largo. Holiday boat parade in Blackwater Sound. A festive, beautiful display of decorated vessels. (305) 451-1592

Dec. 18 Key West. Colorful lighted boat parade in Key West harbor with everything from schooners to fishing vessels. (305) 292-3773

http://comps.marine.usf.edu

http://www.frigoboat.com


FLORIDA KEYS SAILING

Racing CalendarDec. 5 Key West Sailing Club Holiday Regatta near Key

West. Skipper’s meeting Friday eve. before the race. (305) 296-7939 Upcoming Events

Dec. 8 Annual Marathon Sailing Club Christmas Party.Dec. 16 Key West. Historic Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

begins its annual Art in the Park. Fine artists display their outdoor sculptures through March.

Jan. 17-21 Terra Nova Trading Key West week of racinglast year brought thousands of sailors and crowdsof boats from maxis to Melges 24s. A massiveparty tent entertains visitors and sailors whileeach day’s winners are celebrated in Key West’shistoric seaport. For more info. check outwww.premiere-racing.com.

Feb. 6 Key West Sailing Club Smith Shoal Race. Call(305) 292-5993 for more info (Key West Sailingclub’s Wednesday Night Series has ended)

Wrecker’s Cup Race Series to Start SoonBy Rebecca Burg

The three official rules of this race are simple,” saidCaptain Bill with a mischievous grin. Bill and his boat

Defiant are a regular fixture in the Wrecker’s race series.“The first rule is no protesting. Secondly, no whining orcomplaining.” He paused and waggled his finger in the air for emphasis. “Third, see rules number one andtwo.” It’s that simple. Sponsored by Schooner Wharf in KeyWest, the four races in the Wrecker’s Cup series are held atthe end of the month starting this January.

Years ago, the event was created in the spirit of theFlorida Key’s wrecking days. Way back when, cargo shipsoften foundered on the area’s numerous reefs and shallows.Wreckers, watching from towers onshore, would rush out tothe scene of the accident. The wrecker who reached the dis-tressed ship first would rescue the crew and gain lucrativesalvage rights.

Today, participants in the Wrecker’s Cup race sail out toSand Key Light in a seven-mile drag race for salvage rightsto a variety of prizes. Any size vessel can enter one of sev-eral categories, and even if you don’t place, you still get achance to win door prizes thanks to West Marine. The wildracing action is videotaped by the committee boat and canbe watched at the awards dinner and party at SchoonerWharf after the race. For many, the race is an excellentexcuse just to get out and sail in a highly social setting.Joining the fun is also a one-of-a-kind experience since youget to sail alongside an eclectic extravaganza of sails fromgorgeous and imposing schooners, huge charter cats, cruis-ers and tiny daysailers.

The winter winds are usually strong during the race,and the salty spray flies when a few dozen eager sailboatssqueeze through a chaotic start. It’s a can’t miss sailingevent, and I hope to see you there. Just look for the wet sin-gle-hander barely hanging on to Troika, the maniacal bluetrimaran. The first race in the series typically begins theSunday before the Terra Nova Trading Key West week ofracing in January. Visit www.schoonerwharf.com for moreinformation.

2004s Wednesday NightSeries, Key West Sailing Club By Rebecca Burg

Some say that small boats have more fun. One can’t arguewith that after watching a crowd of slick little boats such

as Lasers, Sunfish, 420s, JY15s and the occasional Snipe getit on in Key West’s seaplane basin every Wednesday nightthis past summer and fall. These little sails know how toparty, and the action is intense during the friendly competi-tion around the buoys. Afterward, sailors socialize in theclubhouse with a cookout and beverages.

Membership in the club is not necessary to participate.Even if you’re not the competitive type, these races are theperfect excuse to get out and sail. Savvy sailors thrive on thechance to fine-tune their skills in a range of weather condi-tions and learn new tactics and boat-handling skills.Handling a demanding and hyperactive small vessel in abrisk breeze isn’t easy.

With admirable skills, sailors like Cheryl Bradley in herLaser and Sam Chapin, a well-known Laser wizard, wouldtame the wind and plane along at warp speeds. DaveMcMullen, Curtis Craig, Dave Oatway, Mark Milnes andCommodore Tom Theisen and their Lasers were fast andfamiliar faces during the series. Jack Worth frequented thewaters in his Sunfish. John Dentinger and John McCoyoften joined the party in a Snipe, putting the pressure on theLasers. Allie Smith and Sam Nichols sailed a competitive420 and turned the heat up on 420 crews Ariel Jones andNeil Murphy and the team of Will Brown and John Bart.

Overall, these sailors just had too much fun.

“

http://www.premiere-racing.com

http://www.seafarersinternational.com

http://www.schoonerwharf.com


WEST FLORIDA COASTCedar Key to Cape SableRacing News & CalendarCruisingUpcoming Events CalendarWest Florida News for SailorsSailing Services Directory


See page69for Windrose

legend

Cedar Key

St. PetersburgTampa

Fort Myers

Key West

Naples

Cape Sable

2

2

30

West Florida December Weather

AVERAGE TEMPERATURESSt. Petersburg 56° lo - 71° hiNaples 56° lo - 77° hiGULF WATER TEMPERATURES St. Petersburg 64°Naples 68°For Real Time eastern Gulf weather,winds and marine forecasts, go to:http://comps.marine.usf.edu

Sailing in DecemberBy Dave Ellis

While most of the nation is hunkered down for the win-ter, west Florida is in the midst of the sailing and rac-

ing season.Sarasota Sailing Squadron’s Commodore’s Cup, Dec. 4,

is a Boat of the Year series race for PHRF boats. Some yearsprovide cool, windy days, and others are light and sunny.That’s December in west Florida. It depends on the timingof the fronts that come through about once a week.

The J/24 class has its Southeast Regionals at St. Pete,Dec. 4-5. It is a world’s qualifier, so expect great competi-tion.

The Sunfish race that weekend, too, with the course onthe river off Edison Sailing Center in Fort Myers.

St. Pete is the scene for the Laser’s District 13 Open onthe 11-12. Hopefully there will be wind this year. The cata-marans sailing off the Dunedin Causeway for theSteeplechase Distance Race hope so, too.

High-schoolers race out of Eckerd College in south St.Pete the 15– 19. This is college-style short races where teamsvie for position and points.

Finally the popular Couples Race is the 26th at DavisIsland. Yes, it has to be girl-boy.

The day after December, Sarasota Sailing Squadron andTampa Bay Catamarans each have a Hangover Race. Don’tget foggy-brained and take your PHRF boat to Dunedin oryour Formula 16 cat to Sarasota.

Events CalendarDECEMBER3 Bradenton Yacht Club Boat Parade. On the ManateeRiver to Regatta Pointe Marina.4 Bayfield Boat Rendezvous, Dec. 3-4, Cortez. ABayfield Rendezvous for all Bayfield boat owners and otherinterested people will be held Dec. 3-4, at the Seafood ShackMarina on 127th Street in Cortez. All Bayfield boat modelswill be on display with the Bayfield Classic Regatta on Sat.Dec. 4th. Everyone is invited to come out and look over allthe classic Bayfield boats. Call George Carter at (941) 792-9100 for more info.11 St. Petersburg Annual Lighted Boat Parade. StraubPark and The Pier. 5:30 p.m. Tuba Christmas, 6 p.m.Holiday Music. 7 p.m. Boat Parade. Entry and other infor-mation, call The Pier at (727) 821-6443, orwww.stpetepier.com, or contact [email protected]. 18 Cortez Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade. DepartsSeafood Shack at 6 p.m. Along the Intracoastal Waterwayfrom Cortez Bridge to Longboat Pass and back. Public van-tage points for spectator viewing include: Cortez Bridge,Bradenton Beach City Pier, Leffis Key Boardwalk, CoquinaBeach Bayside boat ramp. For more information, go towww.cortezyachtclub.com. Or call (941) 780-3547.

West Marine/BoatUS FreeSeminars Of Interest to Sailors (Call the store—reservations sometimes needed)

WEST MARINEHoliday, 3346 US Hwy 19 North, (727) 846-190312/11 TowboatUS “Get to know your tow boat captain,”

Capt. Red, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.12/16 GPS. Captain Ken, 6:30 p.m.

Holmes Beach, 3324 E. Bay Drive. (941) 778-4858, 7 p.m.12/8 Boat Safety and Seamanship. Frank Milio.Refreshments and door prize.

Largo, 10289 Ulmerton. (727) 586-7040, 7 p.m.12/9 Boat Maintenance. Jim Christiansen

http://comps.marine.usf.edu

http://www.stpetepier.com


http://www.cortezyachtclub.com

http://www.sailorswharf.com


Madeira Beach, 203 150th Ave, (727) 392-4939, 5 p.m.12/8 Vhf and DSC. Rich Galaso12/16 Trouble on the Water. Capt. Larry Tieman

St. Petersberg, 5001 34th St. South. (727) 867-5700, 7p.m.12/8 VHF/DSC for Emergencies. Rich Galaso

Tampa, 3905 West Cypress. (813) 348-0521. 5p.m.12/7 VHF Radios with DSC. Rick Gallso. Door prize12/13 12-volt Battery Basics. James Shade. Door Prize.

Racing CalendarFor the legend, addresses, and contacts for the sponsoring sailingassociation of the races listed below, go to the 2004-2005 WestFlorida Race Calendar and Yacht Club Directory at Southwinds’Web site, www.southwindssailing.com. Contact [email protected] to receive a hard copy.

Changes in 2004-5 Race Calendar & Yacht Club Directory(For changes contact [email protected]. Changeswill also be posted on the calendar on the Web site also.www.southwindssailing.com)

Race Calendar ChangesThe Suncoast PHRF Boat of the Year (BOTY) Series as print-ed has been confirmed to be correct.

Yacht Club Directory ChangesContact phone number for Cortez Yacht Club: (941) 322-4551

FLORIDA WEST COAST & LAKE EUSTIS

The races and regattas listed here are open to those who want to sail.

To have your race, regatta, or club races listed, please contact [email protected] by the 5th of the month (call if later).Races listed should be open to anyone. Since races are sometimescanceled, postponed or locations changed, it is advisable to contactthe organization beforehand.

DECEMBER 044 SSS Commodore’s Cup SBPHRF BOTY series4 CMCS Sunfish Challenge Cup4 – 5 SPYC J-24 SE Regional Championship. J/24

World’s qualifier4 – 5 ESC Sunfish Challenge Cup Regatta7 Cortez YC Single-handed race from Longboat

Pass to Key West (Smith Shoal) 11 CMCS Commodore’s Cup11 – 12 SPYC Laser District 13 Open Championship11 – 12 TBCS Steeplechase Catamaran Distance Race15 – 19 ECKERD COLLEGE/SAISA High School Team

Racing26 DIYC Couples Race, PHRF

JANUARY 051 SSS Hangover Race1 TBCS Hangover Race. Dunedin Causeway,

Catamarans6 – 9 SPYC Optimist Dinghy National Team Practice8 BYC Round the Bay. PHRF Bradenton, Egmont

and Skyway course 8 – 9 DIYC Commodore’s Cup. Suncoast WFPHRF

BOTY8 – 9 PPYC Golden Conch Regatta. CHPHRF BOTY

series15 SSS Snowbird Race. SBPHRF BOTY series15 – 19 SAISA Team Racing. Eckerd College campus15 – 16 SPYC Southeast Optimist Team Racing

Championship17 – 21 Terra Nova Trading Key West Race Week.

www.premiere-racing.com28 – 31 SPYC Multi-class Invitational, Windmill

Midwinters. Windmill, Snipe, Moth, Jet 14, F18HT,Flying Dutchman, Martin 16, 2.4 Meter, Ultimate20, SR Max and others with 6 boats registered inadvance.







http://www.premier-racing.com

http://www.saltwatersportsflorida.com

http://www.ronstan.com


WEST FLORIDA SAILING

Club RacingOpen to Everyone Wanting to Race The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. Pleasesend us your race schedule for publishing to [email protected]. Bradenton YC. Sunday afternoons. PHRF racing on Manatee

River. For info call Larry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of

each month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth ofVenice Inlet. www.venice-sailing-squadron.org

Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghyracing once a month, [email protected]

Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, [email protected]

Race Report

Appleton Rum Regatta,Tampa Sailing Squadron,October 2, Apollo Beach, FLBy Ray Dupuis

The winds were light and shifting, but the Tampa Baysailors were ready for a day of competition October 2 at

Tampa Sailing Squadron’s Appleton Rum Regatta inApollo Beach.

In addition to the sailors from St. Petersburg SailingAssociation and Davis Island Yacht Club who were on handfor the Tampa Bay Yacht Racing Association series event, afleet of true cruisers pushed the starting line for the MotherLode race.

The FOMA class started the racing off, and DoranCushing piloted his Triple Trouble, a Corsair F-27, to first place.

The crowded Mother Lode division started next. Therace course was long, and the lack of wind in the middle of

Iolani sails in the Appleton Rum Regatta. Photo by Bill Cullen.


http://www.venice-sailing-squadron.org


http://www.tshack.com


WEST FLORIDA SAILING the Bay made some sailors consider using their anchors as aracing tool. But Jay and Debbie Hicklooper pushed Gris Gristo the finish line first with Don Filicethi’s Sabre Dance andJack O’Connel’s Gale Force hot behind. Some big displace-ment sailboats, including Jim Lyons’ 38-foot Cabo Rico,Iolani, and Bill Lemmer’s Gulf Star 50, Falker, with a crew ofabout 20 people aboard, took part in the race.

The first PHRF race in the Rumgatta began in very lightair, but the winds were much better in the second race.

Howard Smith’s Melges 24, Blade Runner, blazed to firstplace in the Spin Light division.

In Spin A, Time Bandit, a J/35 piloted by George Hayniefrom DIYC, took top honors. “It was a great time,’’ Hayniesaid. “I was a little disappointed in the attendance, but theracing fleet captain, Bill Cullen, and the race committee didan excellent job.’’

“Our tactician spotted all the wind shifts, and thatmade all the difference,’’ Haynie said.

Matt Dalton’s Ka-Ching!, a Soverel 33 out of TSS, wassecond, and Ed and Scott Peter’s Tigress, an Abbott 33 alsoof TSS, was third.

Gene DeNisio of TSS took first in Spin B with Shrew, aCreekmore 23.

“We carry six sails and used five of them; below deckswas a mess of sails. The light air spinnaker did it for us inthe first race. Wind picked up in the second,’’ DeNisio said.“My crew has been sailing with me for five years, and theyare tops.’’

Frank Selph of DIYC was second in his J/27, Junior, andDarin O’Neal of TSS followed in Lagniappe, a Catalina 22.

Mac Towne of TSS captured first in Non-Spin with hisMorgan 24, True Blue.

“It was a great day. We were just lucky to be on the rightside of the race course in the first race, but we really had toearn it in the second.’’ Towne said. “We had some last-minute crew changes, but those two guys couldn’t havebeen better.’’

“That new main did the trick on that old boat. It wasbuilt in 1968,’’ Towne said.

Susan Bishop of TSS took her Ranger 23, Joyride, to sec-ond, and Woody Frasier’s Morgan 27, Thunder, took third.“It was one of the funnest regattas we ever did,’’ Bishopsaid.

The following day, Sunday, Oct. 3, the TBYRA Women’sRegatta attracted an active group of sailors.

“It was another light-air day,’’ Bishop said. “The racingwas good, but we had to wait between races for good air.’’

Bruiser, a J-24, with Susan Cintron at the helm, took firstin Spin. Bernice Siebrer took the Morgan 27, Thunder, to firstin Non-Spin, and Kodiak, a Clearwater 35 with Nan Major atthe helm, took first in the coached division.

Both events were followed by great parties that includ-ed plenty of food, music and cold beverages.

Naples Offshore Regatta DrawsNature’s Wrath and Beauty,Naples Yacht Club, Oct. 15By Steve Romaine

The Naples Yacht Club’s annual 90-mile race from Naplesto Boca Grande Pass and return was beset by gusty 25-

knot winds, steep 6–8 foot seas, and more than half theentered yachts withdrawing because of the conditions orrelated problems. The late afternoon start on October 15proved to be an experience for each crew member aboardevery vessel, beating to weather for the first 20 nautical


http://www.donssalvage.com


West Florida SailingServices DirectoryFrom Cedar Key to Cape SableSailing Services Directory starts as low as $8 a month.Call (941) 795-8704 or e-mail [email protected]

BOAT LETTERING – GRAPHICS

THE SIGN FACTORY FLORIDABOAT GRAPHICS

Screen Printing • T-shirts • Hats(941) [email protected]

CANVAS & CUSHION SERVICES

Banks Sails TampaSee ad in Sailmaking

Scuba Clean Yacht ServiceSee ad in Underwater Services

MARINE SURVEYING

Towne Yacht SurveysMember ABYC, SAMS

John M. Towne, AMS Jim Towne(813) 645-4896

[email protected]

RIGGING SERVICES

SSMR. Inc. 727-823-4800Complete Rigging ServicesOn-Site Swaging & Splicing

Commisssioning ServicesAt Harborage Hi & Dry Dock • Crane ServiceFax 727-823-3270 St. Petersburg

SAILBOAT SERVICES AND REPAIRS

ELLIE’S SAILING SHOP ClearwaterLifelines, rigging, hardware, repairs

Serving small boat sailors Since 1958Sunfish Boats and Parts...........(727) 442-3281

SAILMAKING, REPAIRING & CLEANING

ADVANCED SAILS (727) 896-7245Quality Cruising Sails & Service

Closest Sailmaker to St. Petersburg MarinasKeith Donaldson......................(727) 896-7245

Scuba Clean Yacht ServiceSee ad in Underwater Services

Masthead Used Sails………..(800) 783-6953www.mastheadsailinggear.com

Largest Inventory in the South(727) 327-5361

SARASOTAPORPOISE SAILING SERVICES

• New and Used Sails• Buy • Sell • Trade

• Furling Packages • DiscountSunbrella

(941) 758-2822 www.porpoisesailing.com

SAILING INSTRUCTION/SCHOOLS

Adventure Cruising & Sailing SchoolA sailing school for Women and Couples• ASA • West Florida and Chesapeakewww.acss.bz............................(727) 204-8850

FLAGSHIP SAILING/TAMPA BAY AREAASA Sailing Instruction –

Basic thru AdvancedInstructor Certification • Sailing Club

Bareboat & Captained Charterswww.flagshipsailing.com.......(727) 942-8958

YACHTING VACATIONS SW FLORIDALive-aboard/non-live-aboard

ASA instructionwww.yachtingvacations.com (800) 447-0080

UNDERWATER SERVICES

Scuba Clean Yacht Service• Underwater Services • Canvas Shop • Sail Cleaning & Repair • Detailing

• Mechanical • Electrical • Electronics Serving Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota,

Pasco & Manatee Counties.(727) 327-2628

C

http://www.boatnames.net


http://www.porpoisesailing.com



http://www.mantonmarine.com


http://www.acss.bz

http://www.flagshipsailing.com

http://www.yachtingvacations.com




miles to the turn mark–the San Carlos Light off Fort MyersBeach. The season’s first cold front, coming across south-west Florida, brought strong northwest winds. Foul weath-er gear, PFDs and the “layered approach” to racing attirewere the order of the day, as conditions went from wet tochilly, to cool, and then warm for the racers. Reefed mains,shortened gennies, blades or number threes were predomi-nant on the beat, helping to drive the racers through the“square waves,” commented crew member Kim Brown of

Fort Myers. Many boats experienced waves dousing theirhelm positions and lots of white water over the bow.Morgan Laimbeer of Marco Island commented, “The hard-est part was getting out of the passes to the starting line,kind of like the Abaco rage; current against strong wind andsea.”

After the long upwind beat, the racers turned west, pastSanibel. Sea conditions eased up, and with the wind abeam,each vessel seemed to be flying as it sailed close in aroundSanibel Island. Crews mustered together for more weatherwork to the port rounding of the R2 bell buoy at theentrance to Boca Grande Pass. Braving the wrath of heavyconditions earlier now all seemed worthwhile, in contrastwith the beauty of the night sky, shooting stars and theMilky Way. Crew member Cindy Carlino of Cape Coralcommented, “For the racers it was like being in your ownpersonal planetarium!”

The 43-nautical mile reach home was fast, and for thoseviewing Captiva and Sanibel Islands from the Gulf shortlyafter sunrise – a shock. Hurricane Charley, less than twomonths earlier had caused so much devastation. CrewmanScott Milligan of LaBelle commented, “Check out the viewof all the homes, resorts, roads that are now visible. The treecanopy, structure and roof damage is even worse than Ithought it would be.” The “sleigh ride” return was unevent-ful for most racers, as each boat’s crewmembers viewedhuge Gulf jellyfish and dodged crab traps until the finish,off the Naples Pier.

One of the great parts of any regatta is the social, din-ner and awards ceremony. The Naples Yacht Club reallyknows how to do things right. Not only does it give the out-of-town participating yachts complimentary dockage, but agreat meal is included as part of the entry fee. Confirmingthat fine food appeals to racers, each yacht entered (eventhose who were DNS or DNF) was represented at theevening festivities. Lodge McKee, race organizer for theNYC, thanked the participants. He noted that the timeswere slower than normal and thought that was becauseeveryone was being cautious. Lodge commented that theskippers used “good judgment” in racing, and that onlytwo minor injuries and several seasickness problems werereported. He presented beautiful sea-life sculptures to thewinners.

Results:Spinnaker: Phil Francoeur, NYC, Carioca, a J/105; Non-spinnaker: Steve Romaine,CMSC, Air Supply, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35;

Forrest Banks, skipper of Midnite Rider, the 2003 Spinnakerclass winner was also awarded a trophy for his second-place finish this year, only four minutes behind Carioca oncorrected time.

The Carioca crew, winners of the Spinnaker class. First Row: JeffreyMasters, Philip Francoeur, Ron Euler. Second Row: Jack Graefe,Chris Dingle, Dave Corban, Tom Masters. Photo courtesy PhilipFrancoeur, Jr.


http://www.sailorswharf.com


River Romp Regatta, EdisonSailing Center, Fort Myers,FL, October 16-17By Jabbo Gordon

Clearwater’s Cam Hall grabbed three firststo sail to first place in the overall Optimist

Dinghy competition at the Edison SailingCenter’s annual River Romp Regatta andJunior Olympic Sailing Festival in Fort Myerson Oct. 16-17.

Sailing for Team FOR (Florida OceanRacing), Hall also captured the Red Fleet divi-sion (for 13-15-year-olds). There were six raceswith a throw-out as 87 advanced Opti skip-pers raced on the Caloosahatchee River inlight to moderate breezes.

Brandon Long of the Coral Reef YachtClub won the Blue Fleet (11- and 12-year-olds), and Mac Agnese of Lauderdale YachtClub took the White Fleet (10 years old andyounger).

In the Green Fleet, which is for first-yearcompetitors, Shane Kelley of the Venice YouthBoating Association was the top skipper in the69-boat category.

Zeke Horowitz, also sailing for TeamFOR, skippered his Laser Radial to three firstsout of seven races and won top honors in a 30-boat fleet.

Travis Maier of the host Edison SailingCenter was first in the eight-boat Laser divi-sion, and Amanda Holm, also of the ESC, tookthe 4.7 group, which had five boats.

Conner Blouin of Tampa’s Davis Island Yacht Club fin-ished first in all six races to win the nine-boat Sunfish class.

Chris Vetter and Kira Devers-Jones of the St. PetersburgYacht Club combined efforts to take the 19-boat Club 420fleet with two firsts in six races.

Davis Island Classic, DavisIsland Yacht Club, Davis Island to Clearwater, October 23

The Davis IslandClassic starts in

northern Hillsboro Bayand runs out the bayunder the SkywayBridge, around markerSW #1 and north to-ward Clearwater. Boatsin Spinnaker B, SpinLight, Non-spinnaker,and Cruising class, fin-ish a 58-nm race atClearwater Pass.Spinnaker A, andFOMA boats continueon and complete a 95-nm race that goes tothe north end ofAnclote Key and thenheads back and finish-es at Clearwater Pass.

Boats began at 10a.m. Saturday morn-ing on October 23 in adownwind start off theDavis Island Yacht Clubin light winds, whichcontinued throughoutthe day as boats head-ed north from SW #1.

In late afternoon, the wind began to shift around from thenorth and increased to the 17-18-knot range, causing allboats to have to finish the day and sail into the night beat-ing to windward as they headed toward Clearwater.Beating to windward in choppy seas, the lead boats, in the

Heading out to the Gulf in the Davis Island Classic. Photoby Steve Morrell.


http://www.suncoastinflatables.com


WEST FLORIDA SAILING Spinnaker A class and the one FOMA boat, passedClearwater Pass in the early evening wishing they could allfinish right there with the other fleets, as they all knew itwas a wet ride to Anclote Key. The first boat to finish of thetwo fleets was the lone FOMA boat, Triple Trouble, captainedby owner Doran Cushing, finishing the race at 11:12 p.m.after 12 hours and 53 minutes of sailing. Next boat to finishin the Spinnaker A fleet was Velox at 11:16 p.m., but with arating of 0, placed eighth in corrected time. First in correct-ed time was Time Bandit, with corrected time of 12:15:24, fin-ishing at 23 minutes after midnight, followed by Fire & Iceand Dead Ahead.

First to reach the dock of all boats were those in theSpinnaker B fleet, with Desperado at 7:59 p.m., which alsotook second place on corrected time with 8:17:08. First incorrected time at 8:09:07 was Semper Fi, crossing the line fiveminutes after Desperado. Third was Tigress with correctedtime of 8:30:34.

Non-Spinnaker boats were Addiction first with correct-ed time of 8:42:05, followed by Escapade (8:50:39) and thenIntrepid (9:19:57).

Clearwater Challenge,Clearwater Yacht Club,October 30-31

The Clearwater Challenge coordinated with the DavisIsland Classic so that many of the boats that came all the

way to Clearwater from such distant locations as DavisIsland could stay in Clearwater after the Classic race theprevious weekend. Therefore, many of the same boats com-peted in the Challenge on the weekend of Oct. 30-31.

Light winds seemed to be the forecast for the weekend(along with some morning low tides, which made it difficultfor some boats to get out) so on Friday night, the race com-mittee postponed Saturday’s first race, originally scheduledfor 10 a.m. in the Gulf off Clearwater Pass, till further notice.Another postponement late Saturday morning wasannounced, and then finally around noon everyone headedout to the Gulf in hopes of some afternoon breezes. Thewind did manage to pick up, and racing began around 1p.m. for all fleets. The wind maintained a steady light windin the 10-12-knot range all afternoon, and all fleets managedto get two of the three planned Saturday races in. The dayturned out to be as beautiful as they get in the fall off theWest Florida coast, with clear skies, perfect temperaturesand a steady, light wind.

On Sunday, conditions were pretty much the same,except that, since daylight savings time ended the nightbefore, everyone slept an extra hour, probably importantafter Saturday’s party at the Clearwater Yacht Club. Thewinds seemed to be sleeping in, too, as more postpone-ments all morning kept everyone at the dock till aboutnoon, when all headed out to the Gulf in search of one morerace to cap the weekend off. Winds finally did show up, andall fleets got one more race in (although the Non-Spinnakerfleet had its first race canceled after winds died a couple ofminutes after the start—winds did maintain throughout therace after a second start a little later).

Awards were presented at the Clearwater Yacht Club inlate afternoon, ending a full weekend of great partying andracing for all.

Results (Class, place, boat name, skipper, club):Spinnaker A; 1, The Wall, Gordon Schiff, TYCC; 2, Time Bandit, George Haynie, DIYC; 3,Rocket, Jamie Myers, DIYC. Spinnaker B; 1, Semper Fi, Raymond Mannix, Windjammers;2, Desperado, Chris Papandreas, CYC; 3, Snatch, John House, SSS; Non-Spinnaker A; 1,Intrepid, Jeff Russo, DIYC; 2, Escapade, Mark Wesson, BYC; 3, Addiction, Richard Booth,WFPHRF. Non-Spinnaker B; 1, Blue Cloud, Kikr Buchak/Tim Horsman, TITYC;2, LuckyDuck, Hall Palmer, SPYC; 3, Tango III, Rafael Paris. Cruising; 1, Sonia-Cate, Donald Miller,Windjammers; 2, Polyphonic, Jeff Grossman, CYC; 3, Little Feat, John Hamm, SPYC

Suncoast Classic WindsurfingRegatta, Watersports West, St. Petersburg, Oct. 29-31Dave Ellis

Folks driving over the north end of the Skyway Bridgesaw a bay full of windsurfers the last weekend of

October. The final regatta of the US Windsurfing NationalSeries was held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in pro-tected, if tidal, waters.

This year the wind did not cooperate as well as in thepast. But the 58 craft had good competition for seven racesover the two days.

The largest class was the Prodigy one-design with 31boards. It was better suited for the lighter air, especially onthe upwind legs, with its longer dagger board. Some boardsdon’t even have dagger boards, making upwind work inlight air problematical.

Boardboat regattas are known for many and variousdivisions, spreading kudos around the fleet. In case you arecurious, the Clydesdale class is for those sailors weighingmore than 195 pounds.

http://www.nauticaltrader.net

http://www.tampasailingsquadron.org



Results:Prodigy Class; Men: Randy Rhodes, Gulfbreeze; Women: Susan Simmons, Connecticut;Masters: Ron Roberts, Brandon; Grand Masters: Marlin Meitzen, Wisconsin; Juniors: MarkBoersma, Michigan; Clydesdale: Scott Newman; Formula Class; Men: Vincent Barre,Texas; Women: Karen Marriotte; Masters: Peter Ifju, Newberry, FL; Grand Masters: RonEern, Ft. Lauderdale; Juniors: Ryan Hamilton, Louisiana; Open Class; Men: Steve Gottlieb,South Daytona; Grand Master: Greg Matthews, St. Petersburg; Seniors: Dieter Reichelt,Illinois; Sport (older boards with less than 7.5-meter sail); Masters: Robert Nelson,Tallahassee; Senior: Ron Troxel, Michigan; Clydesdale: Joe Quimby, Tallahassee

America’s Regatta, St.Petersburg Yacht Club,November 5-7By Dave Ellis

The America’s Regatta held off The St. Petersburg PierNovember 5 - 7 was a sailboat race that invites sailors

with physical impairments to compete directly with able-bodied sailors. Each year it is proved that the wind does notcare. The skill of the sailor comes to the fore.

There were four boats in each of the three classes. Eightraces were completed. Six were in ample, gusty northbreezes and two in a much lighter northeaster.

The smallest class was the 2.4-Meter. It looks like thevenerable 12-Meter of the America’s Cup of a few years ago,but it is only 12 feet long. The sailor sits in the boat facingforward. From a distance the boat looks like a big boat butwith a head sticking out of it. All of the sail controls thatwould be found on a big boat are centered in front of thesailor. Steering can be done by foot pedals or, if the sailor

has no legs, by a tiller in front of him or her. A weightedkeel, just like a big boat, keeps the boat from capsizing. The2.4 is one of the boats used at the Paralympic Games.

The winner of the 2.4-Meter class was able-bodiedsailor Colin Park of St. Petersburg, followed by double-legamputee Roger Cleworth and Rick Doerr, a paraplegic fromNew Jersey.

The Martin-16 class was designed specifically forsailors with disabilities. This time the regatta called for theboat to be sailed alone, but sailors could take a crew if theywanted. On these boats, too, the sailor sits in the hull, facingforward with various means of steering available. There iseven “sip and puff” technology available. If sailors have nouse of hands or feet, two stainless-steel straws are close infront of their face. One is for the steering and one for pullingin and letting out the mainsail. Sip like a straw and it goesone way; blow into it and it goes the other way.

The Martin-16 class was won by Dennis Peck of PortCharlotte, followed by Will White of Arcadia and para-plegic Chris Everson of California.

The 23-foot Sonar class is also a Paralympic class. Threepersons make up the team on these keelboats. The St.Petersburg Yacht Club chose the Sonar for its club boat inthe mid-1990s. It was serendipity when the boat was chosenfor the Paralympic Games. Teams from several countriesnow train on the club boats out of the Sailing Center.

This year, however, only Canada was represented out-side of the States. It was too soon after the Games to sendteams overseas.

The winner in Sonars was able-bodied sailor DianeFowler of St. Petersburg with crew Gloria Davis and EdSherman. Second was Ken Kelly, a paraplegic from Victoria,British Columbia, with crew Bob Jones of Seattle andChristy Day of Tampa. Third was Hugh Elliot of Virginia, adouble leg amputee, with crew Ali Sotiu and Jason Goscha.

Coach of the Year winner Serge Jorgensen and YachtingWoman of the Year Betsy Alison were coaches for the teams.Bob Johnson’s race committee, including the ubiquitousGeorge and Beth Pennington, kept things moving along well.

The Strictly Sail Boat show sailed numerous boats forrides out of the Vinoy north of The Pier. While the Notice ofRace for the America’s Regatta indicated the race was to besoutheast of The Pier, the competitors couldn’t resist slidingnorth to be viewed by show-goers. This made for somerather interesting encounters between lumbering yachtswith hoards of riders and diminutive 2.4 Meters. Sundaythe course was slid back south a bit.

Cortez Yacht Club LightedBoat Parade, Dec.18, Cortez,$500 Grand Prize

The Cortez Yacht Club invites all area boat owners to par-ticipate in a lighted boat parade on the Intracoastal

Waterway from Cortez Bridge to Longboat Pass and backon Saturday, December 18, starting at 6:00 p.m.. Entry fee is$25 with prizes awarded for the best-decorated boats in fourcategories: $100 each for first-place powerboat under 30feet, sailboat under 30 feet, powerboat over 30 feet and sail-boat over 30 feet. Grand prize of $500 awarded to the best-decorated boat overall.

Public vantage points for spectator viewing include:

http://www.crowsnest-venice.com


WEST FLORIDA SAILING Cortez Bridge, Bradenton Beach City Pier, Leffis KeyBoardwalk, Coquina Beach Bayside boat ramp.

All vessels must be USCG safety-approved.Registration due by December 11th.

Captain’s registration entry packets available at WestMarine Express Store, Holmes Beach, and Anna MariaIsland Sun Newspaper office, or go to www.cortezyacht-club.com. For information: (941) 780-3547

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Massey Yacht Sales & ServiceIs Appointed the EXCLUSIVEFlorida West Coast AlbinMarine Full Line Dealer

Massey Enterprises, Inc., doing business as MasseyYacht Sales & Service, has been named the full line

Albin dealer for Florida’s west coast. Massey is one of theoldest and most established full service yacht dealerships inthe Southeastern United States. Massey is currently a salesvolume and customer service award-winning dealer forCatalina, Morgan, Hunter and Caliber sailing yachts. Thecompany has been a major Catalina dealership for the past18 years. The Albin power yacht line ranges from 26 feet to45 feet and includes Tournament Express and Sedan mod-els. Most of the Albin models are available in both singleand twin diesel engines. There are several additional mod-els on the drawing board scheduled for introduction in thenear future.

Massey has been searching the lobster boat, cruisingboat and trawler market for several years in an effort to finda power line compatible with its large sailing customerbase. As sailors reach an age that prompts them to contem-plate power, or for those who simply desire to expand theiryachting horizons, a trusted dealership is required to takecare of their needs. “We are very excited about the opportu-nity to be able to offer our 30,000 plus customer base a yachtwith so much proven success and value,” states EdwardMassey, president and CEO of Massey Enterprises, Inc. Hewent on to state, “Some of our yacht owners have decidedto explore lobster boat-style power yachts for cruising andfishing. The Albin line can continue our long-term relation-ships.” Massey generates over $18-million in annual salesvolume and should continue to grow with the addition ofthe Albin line.

Albin is one of the largest American-made lobster-stylepowerboat manufacturers with emphasis on the cruisingfamily and fishing enthusiasts. The Albin line is a leader inmodern construction, downeaster good looks, and fuel-effi-cient cruising speeds. It offers the industry’s best value dol-

lar for dollar. Those searching for Albin yachts can inspect them at

Regatta Pointe, Palmetto, Centennial Harbour Marina,downtown Fort Myers and the Harborage Marina in St.Petersburg. The Massey service department is headquar-tered at its Palmetto location. The Massey Mobile Marineteam is available to extend warranty and after-sale servicesolutions at the yacht owner’s dock.

For more information, contact Edward Massey at [email protected] or visit the Web site atwww.masseyyacht.com or call (941) 723-1610.

Saltwater Sports in NaplesBecomes a New Dealer forHobie Cat

Saltwater Sports of Naples recently expanded its businessto include the Hobie Cat line of boats. It will be offering

the full line of cats from 13-21 feet., including the Bravo,Wave, Getaway, the 17 Special Edition, FX One, the Tiger,the Hobie 16, the Miracle 21, the 21SC and others.

Saltwater Sports has been offering other watercraft forsome time to the Naples area, including canoes, severallines of kayaks, rowing sculls, Virus Trimarans and lots ofother gear. They are at 4206 Enterprise Avenue in Naples.For more information call (239) 262-6149 or visit their Website, www.saltwatersportsflorida.com.



http://www.saltwatersportsflorida.com

http://www.eckerd.edu


those who do not participate in the regular BBYRA circuit,adding to the mix. As it turned out, the weather forecast forthe weekend was a breezy 10 – 15 knots, providing theentire fleet with two days of spectacular racing.

Saturday saw the One-Design fleet out on the coursewith nine Etchells showing up for the race. This time ofyear the fleet starts to come out of its summer sleep to startgearing up for the Jaguar Cup Series. Other one-designfleets included the Flying Scots, Lightnings and Snipes.With the Series 2 heating up in PHRF 1 and 2, all the con-tenders were eager to go at it. One new name and one oldname made their way into the leader board to shake up thestandings. In PHRF 1, Steven Alexander, driving his newJ/105, Concept vs. Reality, took a well-deserved second placefinish. And in PHRF 2, after a year off, Dave Kurtz sailinghis J/27 Goombay, showed that his program is back on trackmanaging a third place finish.

Saturday’s One-Design Results: Etchell;1st Pl - Pipe Line/Tom Piper, 2nd Pl – RhumbLine/Ken Batzer, 3rd Pl – Scott Piper; Flying Scot; 1st Pl – Slime/Nick Martens, 2nd Pl –Two Bear’s Boat/Charles Fowler, 3rd Pl – Being There/Vladimir Stroleny; Lightning; 1st Pl– 14684/Bill Johns, 2nd Pl – Free Beer Yesterday/Jon & Carol Ewing, 3rd Pl – Bullet/DavidKurtz; Snipe; 1st Pl – Augie Diaz, 2nd Pl – Ernesto Rodriguez, 3rd Pl – Gonzo Diaz Sr.; Sunday’s PHRF Results: PHRF1; 1st Pl – Triptease/Rubin Shellow, 2nd Pl – Concept vs.Reality/ Steven Alexander, 3rd Pl – Thin Ice/Stuart Hebb; PHRF2; 1st Pl – Hot Air/DavidBerg, 2nd Pl – Blackbird/Pat Cacace, 3rd Pl – Goombay/David Kurtz; PHRF3; 1st Pl - Mildto Wild/Russ Horn, 2nd Pl – Touchstone/Jaime Topp, 3rd Pl – Stoked/Steven Stallman;PHRF4; 1st Pl – Hot Streak/ Jack King, 2nd Pl – St Clair/Richard Hall, 3rd Pl – PaleRider/Richard Hall; ARF; 1st Pl – Blew Ba You/Kerry Gruson, 2nd Pl – Freebird/KennethEllis, 3rd Pl – Finesse/Bill Beavers; J24; 1st Pl – I’ll Go/Gonzalo Diaz Sr, 2nd Pl – GottaGo/Peter Benziger, 3rd Pl – Geronimo’s Cadillac.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA continued from page 45



BOATS & DINGHIES

Force 5, two sails, new rudder, asking $499obo. Please call (786) 208-2193 or e-mail [email protected]

Like new 2003 Club 420 w/Seitech dolly, 2sets sails, 2 spins, trailer w/mast crutch &spare, all the trimmings. $5700 Contact (813)286-0640 or [email protected].(12/04)

Ideal 18 (1996) keelboat in pristine condition;dry sailed winters, garaged summers.Spinnaker equipped. Fast, stable racer or daysailor. Trailer suitable for ramp or cranelaunching. $8,500. (941) 639-9672, [email protected] (2/05)

27’ Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, 1987. Bluewater boat. 3’10” draft. Yanmar diesel.Staysail. H/C pressure water. Cockpit shower.Propane stove w/oven. Much more. LyingMiami. $47,500. (954) 683-7372;[email protected] (2/05)

26.5' 1992 Beneteau First 265 Fully outfittedfor cruising with dinghy, lots of equipmentand spares. $32,000 John (941)518-9629. Info at www.braveheart.findu.com (12/04)

1990 Hunter 27' walk-through transom, wheel,10 hp diesel, autohelm, roller furling, drifter sail,new bimini & sail cover, solar generator, 3' 6"wing bulb keel, dinghy. $19,900 (352) 596-7192.l [email protected] (2/05)

(FI) ’80 28’ San Juan FWC Yanmar 700 hrs.,4’-6” draft, 4 sails. New full batten main w/150genoa, 3 ground tackle, windlass, electronics,tiller autopilot, inflatable w/OB, no hurricanedamage, sail away condition. $12,500. For faxinfo call (586) 468-7461.(1/05)

30’ Cherubini Hunter, 1976. Complete refit.New standing and running rigging, includingchainplates. 3 cyl Universal diesel. 250 hourson rebuild. Propane Hillerange and Force 10grill. Engel refrigeration and ice box. Hot andcold pressure water. Harken cabin top travelersystem. Custom built nav station. Completelyrewired with new AC and DC circuit panels.Horizon DSC VF with Ram mic at helm.Raytheon ST4000+ autopilot. Too much moreto list. Turn key cruising/liveaboard. (239)280-7434. [email protected] (12/04)

Local News For Southern SailorsSOUTHWINDS December 2004 63

“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 Franceas a 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

1. Classified ads for boats are $25 for a three-month ad for up to 30 words. Check or Creditcards accepted.2. Add $25 for a horizontal photo (vertical pho-tos $5 a month more), ($50 for a three-monthad for boat with photo).3. Free ads for boats under $500 (sail anddinghys only), all gear under $500, and wind-surfing equipment. Add $10 a month for a hor-izontal photo.4. Boats and gear must be for sale by the ownerto qualify for the above. No businesses.(see #10)5. E-mail ads to [email protected]

(including photos). Then mail a check or call withcredit card. Add $5 typing charge for ads mailedin or faxed in (including free ads).6. You can also go online and pay by Paypal andtype the ad into the message area or e-mail it sep-arately to editor. Photo must be sent separately.7. Photos not accompanied by S.A.S.E. will not bereturned. Photocopies of photos will not work. E-mail photos as an attachment or send actual photo.8. Ads (and renewing ads) must be received bythe 10th of the month.9. The last month your ad runs will be in parenthe-ses, e.g., (10/04) is October, 2004.

All ads go on the Internet, and your Web site or e-mail address in the ad will be linked by clicking on it.SOUTHWINDS will only be responsible financially for mistakes for a one issue period. Please check your ad. Let us know any mistakes by the 10th of the month.

CLASSIFIED ADS — 3 MONTHS FOR $2510. All other ads are $20 a month for up to 20words, add $5 a month for each additional 10words. $10 a month for a horizontal photo.Frequency discounts available. Contact editor.11. No refunds.

Now pay on-line at our Web sitewww.southwindssailing.com

[email protected]

SOUTHWINDSPO Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175

(941)795-8704 • (941) 795-8705 fax

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDSAdvertise your business in a display ad in the classifieds section. Sold by the

column inch. 2 inch minimum.(3 column inches is 1/8 page)

MONTHLY COST MINIMUM TOTALADS PER INCH INCHES COST

12 $19 2" $386 $22 2" $443 $25 2" $501 $29 2" $58

DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADSSTARTING AT $34/MONTH

ALL CLASSIFIEDADS DISPLAYED

ON WEB SITE




http://www.jsyachtsusa.com

[email protected]



http://www.braveheart.findu.com

http://www.gcyachts.com




1974 Northstar 1000, 30’, two mains, fourheadsails, spinnaker, bristol condition.Inboard engine. Topsides repainted 2003.Interior upgrades. Auto pilot, VHF, depthfind-er, GPS and more. Overall first place Daytonato Charleston Race. Good heavy weatherracer/cruiser. South Carolina. $18,900. (843)884-1729. (2/05)

1979 J/30 racer/cruiser, freshwater sincenew, 9 sails, Yanmar, feathering prop, Harkenroller furler, full interior, sleep 6, VHF, fullinstruments, more. BEST OFFER NOW! Bobph. (704) 895-5317, cell (630) 248-8096 [email protected] (2/05)

1978 Baba 30. Most sturdy and elegant of30’ blue-water cruisers. Superior qualitythroughout. Single-handers package, 27 hpYanmar, Schaefer roller furlings, Autohelm4000, much more. $48,000. (239)-560-6078or [email protected] (2/05)

1996 Cheetah 30 sport boat. 87 PHRF.Carbon lift keel and bow pole. 3 spinakers. 2mains, 2 jibs. 15+ knots on reach. KVH,Knotmeter, depthmeter. Trailer. $26,500.(904) 880-6503. (2/05)

1977 Erickson 31’ (Independence 31’)Refurbished 2001, new 22hp freshwatercooled diesel Kubota, Bimini, main & 2 furlingjibs, 2 danforths, 25lb plow, canvas covers.Much more. $32,000. (239) 652-5804.(2/05)

32’ Westsail (1977) Perkins 4-107 diesel,Aires vane, Harken rollerfurling, S-L windlass,35CQR, 33Bruce, coldplate refrigeration, airconditioning, Garmin chartplotter, dodger &Bimini. Exceptional condition, little used.$60,000. Call (954) 560-3919. (2/05)

1984 Aloha 32. Performance cruiser. 35 LOA,32 LOD, 4’9” draft, 11 ft. Beam, 6’4” head-room, Westerbeke 21, AC, Autopilot,Canadian-built, In South Florida. Photos onrequest. Consider trades. RV, etc. $ 39,400.(863) 612-4831. [email protected](239) 218-8680. (12/04)

1989 O’Day 322, 4’2" draft, AC, roller furling,Yanmar, cruise spinnaker, wind gen, H20maker, dinghy & OB, cruise ready, turn key,$48,900. (727) 514-5700. For complete info.www.captainbobdaly.com (2/05)

32.3’ Pearson 323 (1980), Coastal CruisingSloop, Bill Shaw Design, Volvo MD11 diesel,fully battened main, high cut jib, extra sailsand equipment, Navico autopilot, $27,000,[email protected] (12/04)

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

Peterson 34' Mark II Tall Version, ’82 by IslandYachts, One of the finest racer-cruiser designsever produced. Wheel, cushions, roller-furlingsystem, high/ low boom position and completesail inventory (>10 bags) for cruising and clubracing with this very fast, well-kept yacht.Electronics update ’03. Phone (504) 734-7331or e-mail [email protected],35K (2/05)

This could be your2" DISPLAY AD!

It will also appearon our web site!

Go on-line towww.southwindssailing.com


http://www.flyingscot.com




http://www.captainbobdaly.com



http://www.seafarersinternational.com



1993 HUNTER LEGEND 35.5 Cruiser/Racer.Well Equipped – Excellent Condition –MUST SELL St Petersburg Municipal Marinaw/slip, New Central AC/Hull paint, <800engine hrs, Dodger/Bimini, Zodiac w/Hondamotor, GPS, autopilot. $72,000 OBO (813)767-8177. (2/05)

1983 C & C 35 Mk III Great cruiser/racer,Yanmar, 11 sails, bunks for 7, stove with oven,A/C (’00), refrig (’00), feathering prop (’03),self-tailing winches, Harken roller furler, bimi-ni, covers for everything, autopilot, new bat-teries, etc., etc. This boat needs nothing.$59,500 [email protected] or (504) 392-0840 (1/05)

1980 Union Cutter 36 World Cruiser justcompleted 3 yr. documented keel-up renova-tion and 1000 mile sea trial. The best materi-al and craftsmanship throughout. All new

stainless standing rigging, electronics, plumb-ing and custom everything. 45' LOA, 12 ton,full keel, double-ended cruiser equipped withall new toys. Beautiful inside and out. Brokerswelcome. Laying Key West. Over $200Kinvested. Sacrifice at $129k. E-mail:[email protected] (702) 275-8752. (2/05)

1982 C&C 37 Loaded Cruiser Racer, Passion,asking 59K. Make offer. Located in PassChristian, MS. (504) [email protected] (12/04)

’84 RACER CRUIS-ER KIRIE’-ELITE37. RON HOL-LAND DESIGN.Also know as aFeeling 1100. Since 1995 vesselhas been totallyrefurbished andup-graded, bothas a cruiser andracer. Nothing toadd or buy, justadd food, clothes,and crew if youwant to race. Toomany upgrades,equipment, and sails to list. $70,000. CONTACT W.R. HARDEN (850) 897-3653 or [email protected] (12/04

1989 Irwin 38’, fabulous boat, incrediblevalue, 44hp turbo Yanmar, North Sail main,bottom ‘04, MaxProp, inflatable with OB,much more. $69,000. Will consider trades.Located SW Florida. Can deliver. (413) 281-2749 (12/04)

1988 Brewer 44’ shoal-draft w/board.Center-cockpit cutter, Perkins 85, sale by orig-inal owners, (941) 962-7100 or (813) 671-0862 or [email protected]. (1/05)

45’ 6” LOA Bayfield 40, Hull # 34 Full keel 5’draft, cutter ketch designed by H.T.Gozzardbuilt in 1984 Exceptional condition with lotsof new gear. Harken Roller furling on all sails.Marine Air, WS, WD, Depth,VHF w/remote,SSB, CD/Radio, Autopilot, Chartplotter,Radar, Dinghy, Life Raft $114,000 CallMajor Carter or visit www.Cortezyachts.com(1/05)

SEE CLASSIFIEDINFO ONPAGE 63

http://www.gulfcoastraider.com

http://www.sailboatsflorida.com

http://www.cortezyachts.com






http://www.cortezyachts.com

50’ Airex foam fiber trimaran. See at Boband Annies, Jan 10-14, Pine Island, FL, or call(530) 647-2757 prior to 12/28/2004 or e-mail [email protected]. Will return fromBahamas 4/18/05. For details log onto www.Sailnet.com, ID #12820, $62,000. (2/05)

Nautical 60'Ketch, 1982,Bristol conditionmaintained byprofessional skip-per (refit yearly),4 cabin layoutplus crew, largefamily or charter,125 hp desiel,A/C, Sat phone,$250,000 (1/04)www.yachtsouth-erncomfort.com [email protected] Capt Mike (2/05)

BOATS TO CHARTER

Florida Keys. 42-foot Catamaran. Captainand Cook. Three double cabins for guests. Allinclusive from $2500 per week. (815) 519-4007. (2/05)

BOOKS & CHARTS

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

BUSINESS/INVESTMENTOPPORTUNITIES

Construction/Real Estate investment Highly-experienced, honest, licensed, responsibleand reliable contractor seeks investor/partnerin new construction/remodeling in westFlorida. Perhaps a spec house or purchase toremodel. Contractor is experienced in customhomes of all sizes, including very high-endhomes. Only interested in doing interestingand enjoyable projects. (941) 795-8711

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

Sailtime.com is looking for base operators onthe Florida coast. This may suit existingmarine business owners who wish to add anadditional income stream. Sailtime is a uniquebusiness model that requires minimal capitaland no staff. Tel. (813) 817-0104 or [email protected]

CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED

Visit SOUTHWINDS “NEW” boat and crewlisting service at southwindssailing.com

HELP WANTED

Yacht Salesperson Wanted. Massey YachtSales has sales positions available for profes-sional, successful yacht salespersons for thenew Fort Myers dealership location. Massey isone of Florida’s largest dealers for the sale andoutfitting of Catalina, Hunter, Caliber andMainship yachts plus sells a wide range of pre-owned sail and power yachts. Sales candi-dates need to be computer literate, self-moti-vated with a good knowledge of the sail andpower industry. Massey offers the best mar-keting and sales support system with a largelead base for the right candidate. Call EdwardMassey for interview appointment. (941) 723-1610. (11/04)

Advertising Sales Reps wanted in the Southfor SOUTHWINDS magazine. Must be a goodcommunicator, have a computer, and someexperience in selling to call on national adver-tisers and advertisers in your area. All areasof the South. Part time by commission. Tocall on national advertisers, you can livealmost anywhere for this job. (941) 795-8704 or [email protected] .

MARINE ENGINES

MISCELLANEOUS BOAT GEARNEW & USED

Nissan 18 hp. outboard. 25” shaft, electricstart, remote, 6 amps charging, 100 lbs.Great kicker for a fast multihull. $450. (561)257-2570. (2/05)

Honda BF100-ELA, 1984, longshaft,Auxialliary, very low hours, alernator with out-put for charging batteries. $1000/OBO. 27’Bayliner Buccaneer hull/deck/rig. Excellentcondition/no blisters. No interior. Misc. Gearavailable. $1500.OBO. (850) 442-6510.(2/05)



DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDSSTARTING AT$34/MONTH



http://www.yachtsoutherncomfort.com


http://www.gopower.com


http://www.dwyermast.com

http://www.annesanchors.com

http://www.erols.com/gulfstrm

http://www.sailtime.com



C L A S S I F I E D A D SRigging Cable, New, 7 X 19, 7/16”, Stainlesssteel, non-magnetic, 600 feet. $2/foot. (904)461-1253 (12/04)

Tiralo floating deck chair - a beach chair thatfloats in water and rolls easily on the sand.Looks great. Folds and fits on your boat orinside your car. More info: www.tiralo-usa.com or [email protected]

AC/DC Reefer, 22# Bruce Anchor, AnchorBall, Sospenders, Magma Grills, Mariner 9.9Mercury Long Shaft 7.5 HP, Folding Bikes,Windsurfers, Metzeler Sailing Rig, Windscoop,Drogues, Lifesling, Type I Life Jacketsw/strobe. Nautical Trader. (941) 488-0766.www.nauticaltrader.net

LODGING FOR SAILORS

Ponce de Leon Hotel Historic downtown hotel at the bay, across from St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave.St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 FAX (727) 826-1774www.poncedeleonhotel.com

NAVIGATION SOFTWARE

SAILING INSTRUCTION

SEECLASSIFIED

INFO ONPAGE 63

http://www.poncedeleonhotel.com


http://www.sea-tech.com

http://www.defender.com

http://www.nauticaltrader.net

http://www.marine-map.com

http://www.sta-sail.com

http://www.emarineinc.com

http://www.emarineinc.com


INSURANCE continued from page 25

SAILS & CANVAS SERVICES FOR SAILORS

WINDSURFING GEAR

Wanted: Used Prodigy (standard or race),other boards, miscellaneous windsurfingequipment. Steve (941) 795-8704,[email protected]

CLASSIFIED ADS INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

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

AIR DUCK 67AMERICA’S GENERATORS 66ANNE’S ANCHORS 40,66AQUA GRAPHICS 56ATLANTIC SAILS 46BANKS SAILS 56BEACHMASTER PHOTOGRAPHY 64BENETEAU SAILBOATS BCBETA MARINE 31BLUEWATER SAILING SUPPLY 8,57BOATERS EXCHANGE 38BOATUS 17BOB AND ANNIE’S BOATYARD 20BO’SUN SUPPLIES 32BUBBA BOOK 37CARSON/BENETEAU BCCHARLESTON TO BERMUDA RACE 10COAST WEATHER ROUTING SERVICES 67CORAL REEF APPAREL COMPANY 30CORTEZ YACHT BROKERAGE 65CROW’S NEST RESTAURANT/MARINA REGATTA 60CRUISING DIRECT SAILS 36DEFEND CUBA SAILORS 24DEFENDER INDUSTRIES 67DOCKSIDE RADIO 21DON’S SALVAGE 55DWYER MAST 66EASTERN/BENETEAU BCECKERD COLLEGE WATERSPORTS 61EL CID CARIBE MARINA, MEXICO 12E-MARINE 67FLEETSIDE MARINE SERVICE 66FLYING SCOT SAILBOATS 64FRIGOBOAT 50GARHAUER HARDWARE 22GIL 14GLACIER BAY REFRIGERATION 15GULF COAST YACHT SALES 63,64HANSE SAILBOATS 65HOBIE CATS/SALTWATER SPORTS 53HOTWIRE/FANS AND OTHER PRODUCTS 66ISLAND MARINE PRODUCTS 21JR OVERSEAS/MOISTURE METER 31JS9000 PHRF RACER 63LEATHER WHEEL 34MANTON MARINE SURVEYING 56MASSEY YACHT SALES 3,11,19,32,33,IBCMASTHEAD ENTERPRISES 14,29,67MEMORY MAP 67MG MAYER YACHT BROKERAGE 47MIAMI STRICTLY SAIL/SAIL AMERICA 5MIKE SHEA MARITIME LEGAL SERVICES 23MURRAY YACHT SALES/BENETEAU BCNATIONAL SAIL SUPPLY 41NAUTICAL TRADER 59NORTH SAILS 16NUCLEAR SAILS 8OCEAN-PRO BLUEWATER INSTRUCTION 9OCEAN-PRO WEATHER ROUTING SERVICES 67PERFORMANCE SAIL AND SPORT 39PORPOISE USED SAILS 67QUANTUM SAILS 15RAIDER SAILBOATS 65RB GROVE/UNIVERSAL AND WESTERBEKE 9REGATA DEL SOL AL SOL 4RONSTAN 53RPARTS REFRIGERATION 35SAILBOATS FLORIDA, INC. 65SAILING SERVICES 45SAILOR’S WHARF BOATYARD AND BROKERAGE 52,57SAILTIME 26SALTWATER SPORTS/ HOBIE CATS 53SARASOTA YOUTH SAILING PROGRAM 62SCHURR SAILS 49SCULLY 25SCURVY DOG MARINE 48SEA SCHOOL 24SEA TECH 67SEA, AIR, LAND TECHNOLGIES 50SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL BROKERAGE 51,64SNUG HARBOR YACHT BROKERAGE/HUNTER 37SSMR 55ST. AUGUSTINE SAILING SCHOOL 67ST. BARTS/BENETEAU BCSUNCOAST INFLATABLES 58SUNRISE SAILS 56TACKLE SHACK 54TAMPA SAILING SQUADRON YOUTH PROGRAM 59ULLMAN SAILS 28US SPARS 13WEATHER WAVE 27WEST MARINE IFCWEST MARINE BOOKS AND CHARTS 13WINCH BUDDY 8WINDCRAFT CATAMARANS 35YANMAR DIESEL 66

SEECLASSIFIED

INFO ONPAGE 63

are taking good care of the boat.

(5) Have a surveyor value the vessel after the damage. Ask your surveyor and banker to help you with this. You can refer to the boat trader magazines. They are good evidence as to replacement value of your boat.

C. If you want the vessel repaired, have a surveyor oversee repairs.

If after all this, you and the insurance company are still at an impasse, see amarine attorney. The attorney’s fees are covered expenses if you win. Maritimeattorneys are listed with your local Bar association.

The opinions in this article are those of the author and not those of the U.S. CoastGuard or any other entity. If you have a boating legal (sailing) question pleasedrop me a note care of SOUTHWINDS or e-mail me at [email protected].

Capt. J. Michael Shea, is a maritime attorney in Tampa, and holds a Masters and HarborPilots license. He has co-authored law books in the maritime field, and writes articles onmaritime law from time to time. He has served as a marine investigator for the U.S. CoastGuard and teaches legal studies.


http://www.porpoise.com

http://www.ocean.pro.com

http://www.coastweather.com




BUBBA continued from page 27

SURVIVING continued from page 23

later, the eye of Frances passed north of our slip inClearwater Beach. The becalmed winds (less than 10 knots)lasted four hours!

It took two large towboats and over six man-hours todrag Windigo off the mud flat that she sailed onto in 100-knot winds. The first boat traveled three hours to get to ourlocation because there was nothing left floating any closerafter the storm. Towing bill: $1800.

A diving company was contracted to go retrieve myground tackle and was successful. But the 70-pound, cus-tom stainless steel anchor was stolen from my dock the firstnight after it was returned.

Also, FEMA offers grants to homes damaged in hurri-canes that are national disasters, so we applied and werevisited by an inspector. But they are only offering $4000 torepair Windigo.

At the end of the day, major projects caused by hurricanedamage:

Replacement of a four-foot section of damaged mast.Repair of the mast cap with an improved bolt-on unit,

which will allow greater access.Replacement of all mast top transducers, antennas

and signal devicesReplacement of electrical generation system – wind

generator and solar panels, which were completely lost.

Replacement of bow roller sheared from boat.Repair of bow pulpit damaged by fallen furling unit.Replacement of one five-foot section of furler foil.Replacement of lost Danforth anchor.Replacement of damaged lines.Repair of boot stripe.

In Retrospection:Sandy and I agree that we did all we could with the knowl-edge we had and the time and resources available. The twomost important things I learned were: (1) You cannot havetoo many lines joining your very secure ground tackle andyour boat. I thought five snubber lines were excessive.Now I believe 20 or 30 would be appropriate in the extremeconditions that exist in tropical storms. And (2) A wind gen-erator needs to be removed from its mast during a storm ofhigh magnitude. This was something I knew before thisincident, but did not give it enough attention as I was dis-tracted by many other things. I use pre-voyage checklists fordeliveries; a storm preparation checklist would be useful.

Kevin Hughes ([email protected]) is a liveaboard on a 37-foot Islander with his wife Karin. They subjected S/V WindigoIII to an intensive two-year refit, completed in 2001. He hassailed for over 20 years, holds a USCG Master’s Document andis a certified sailing instructor. Windigo will stay in the TampaBay area while repairs are made after reluctantly sailing throughthe eye of Charley. A journal of Windigo’s voyages is publishedon the Internet at www.ciekurzis.org.

Southwinds Sailing

Southwinds does not have the electronic rights to the Bubba articles

http://www.ciekurzis.org

Is it a bird, a plane or?

A Hurricane Remnant?Perhaps it’s a boat remnantleft over from one of themany hurricanes that crossedFlorida in 2004—a piece of aonce-complete boat thatwashed up on some shore,neatly cut into a section.

A Piece of Art or, Perhaps, Furniture?It does have a chair to sit on.Maybe it’s an artist-sailor’screation: the crescent moonwith the man in the moon sit-ting in the center—from thesailor’s point of view.

A New Marketing Plan?Or, maybe it’s a new boat-marketing technique. Yearsago, in the ’50s and ’60s, itwas generally known that asailboat cost about $1000 afoot. With this two-foot sec-tion, that would be two thou-sand dollars. Perhaps onecould still buy this much boattoday for that, but it’s likelythe section with the enginewould be substantially more,as would be a section with agood-sized winch on it. Buy apiece of the boat as you saveup your money.

Actually….It is Catalina Yachts’ hull section showing a cross section of the construction of one of their sailboats.It definitely drew a lot of attention at the recent Strictly Sail St. Petersburg Boat Show in November.


southwindsdecember2004

Documents

carson yacht salesbeneteau

murray yacht salesbeneteau

sailboats florida

gulf coast yacht sales

hanse sailboats

brokeragebeneteau sailboats

raider sailboats

southern sailors southwinds