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I SU AD RE
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HEAVENLY LAKE SAILING + APOSTLE ISLANDS
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C AT S
S O U T H A F R I C A’ S A R T I S A N B U I L D E R S PA G E 6 6
THE INDIAN OCEAN ON TWO HULLS PA G E 7 6
M U LT I P L E M U LT I S O N B I S C AY N E B AY PA G E 8 4
J U L Y
2 0 1 6
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C R U I S I N G W O R L D . C O M
PA G E 6 0
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Contents J u n e / J u l y
2 0 1 6
F E AT U R E S
46
46 SAND & SEA C O L U M N S
10 Editor’s Log
16 Underway
33
A television commentator and America’s Cup-winning tactician joins a six-man expedition to Sable Island to ﬁlm his latest documentary, The Magic and Mystery of Sable Island. By Ga r y Jo bso n
54 ON THE OUTGOING TIDE His latter years were not particularly kind to the ﬁrst man to sail the globe solo. His disappearance during his ﬁnal voyage on Spray is chronicled in an excerpt from Joshua Slocum: The Captain Who Sailed Around the World. By Que n t i n Ca s e y
On Watch
38 Waypoints
60 APOSTLES MEA CULPA Left with a poor impression of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands after their ﬁrst visit, a cruising couple return to ﬁnd the 21-island national lakeshore is nothing short of delightful.
APOSTLES MEA CULPA, PAGE 60
”
HANDS-ON SAILOR
101 Roger, Dodgers Cockpit protection options range from canvas to composites. By Tom Zydler
106 Splice It Up A couple rigs an inner forestay and running backstays with Dyneema, simple ﬁttings and some handy rope work. By Heather Francis
110 All Charged Up Proper monitoring will give your AGM batteries longer lives. By Steve D’Antonio
41 Green Wakes
112 Chartering News
146 Off Watch
ON THE COVER A Lagoon 42 ﬂies along toward Cat Cay in the Bahamas. Photo by Phototèque Lagoon – Nicolas Claris
BILL BARTON; BOB GRIESER (LEFT)
june/july 2016
6
As the wind pushed the fog to the east, we were surrounded in the cockpit by our own personal rainbow— a “fogbow,” if you like— that started on our bow and ended on our stern.
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Contents J u n e / J u l y
2 0 1 6
S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : M U LT I H U L L S 2 0 1 6
66
“ R E V I E W S
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In a Sweet Spot The Balance 526 is equal parts performance sailer and couple’s cruiser. By Tim Murphy
”
THE ARTISAN CAT BUILDERS OF SOUTH AFRICA, PAGE 66
Nearly a third of the world’s multihulls are built in small shops that employ a wide range of technologies. By Ti m Mu r p h y
76 RISKS & REWARDS A cruising family sails their Wood’s Meander catamaran across the Indian Ocean and finds serendipitous landfalls much to their liking. By Diane Selkirk
84 CATEGORICALLY COOL 97 Tall Order Bring on the party! The Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58 has plenty of room. By Herb McCormick
A pair of boat tests take place on the same day, on one body of water, and the result is two very different — but memorable— adventures.
98 Hassle-Free Sailing The Voyage 480’s design draws from its charter roots. By Mark Pillsbury
By He rb McCo r mi ck
92 MULTIPLE CHOICE Multihull design continues to evolve with open, airy layouts, lots of light below, and lounging space galore. By Alvah Simon
99 Bali High The Bali 4.3 Loft takes a whole new approach to the great outdoors. By Herb McCormick
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS; TIM MURPHY (TOP LEFT)
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66 THE ARTISAN CAT BUILDERS OF SOUTH AFRICA
Without exception, each of these momand-pop enterprises is run by very good sailors, many of whom started their company out of a desire to build a single cruising boat for themselves.
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E d i t o r ’s L o g With a whoosh we sur fed ahead, and by the time I thought it might be useful to hold my breath in anticipation, the depth sounder showed us back in delightfully deep water and we found ourselves sur rounded by a flat- calm bay.
june/july 2016
P I L L S B U R Y
IT’S SAILING. Period.
I
nstead of boarding our chartered 38-foot Robertson and Caine catamaran as planned, on the day we arrived in Tonga several years ago, my traveling mates and I hunkered down in a cottage ashore to wait for a late-season cyclone and its torrential rain and wind to pass. The upside to losing two full days at sea was that when we ﬁnally did set off toward Hunga, the westernmost island in the Vava‘u group, the sailing was spectacular. A sporty northerly kept the speedo at 7 knots and counting, and the Morrelli & Melvin-designed hulls of the Sunsail 384 cut through the leftover storm swell like knives through butter. Once we rounded Hunga’s northern tip and began to run down its west side, we eyed the craggy coast and pored over the chart, worried we might miss the narrow opening to the nearly landlocked basin in the center of the island, where we hoped to ﬁnd a peaceful night’s anchorage. If we missed it and had to head back north, it was going to be a gnarly beat. At last, we spotted it: A narrow gap in the rocks. Check. A boulder midchannel that should be left to port. Check. A stick farther in that marked the northern edge of the reef we really wanted to avoid. Hmm, now that was a problem. Said stick had gone missing, but by this point we were committed. We were literally between the rock and a hard place just to starboard — startlingly close to starboard, I’d say, given the cat’s beam. Behind us, breaking waves piled up as they met the shallow entrance, eliminating the possibility of retreat. Like it or not, we
Quick and nimble, the Sunsail 384, built by Robertson and Caine, can also carry a crowd and was a pleasure to sail.
were pushed swiftly forward through what we hoped was the channel. With a whoosh we surfed ahead, and by the time I thought it might be useful to hold my breath in anticipation, the depth sounder showed us back in delightfully deep water and we found ourselves surrounded by a ﬂat-calm bay. At that moment, I realized just how nimble and fast our little catamaran was, and how much I’d enjoyed the last few hours in conditions that, had we been sailing a monohull, would have laid us on our ear. For the remainder of the trip, and on several catamaran outings since, my appreciation of sailing on two hulls rather than one has grown considerably — and I’m not the lone monohull sailor to get bit by this particular bug. In the Caribbean (by far the most popular vacation destination of North Americans), northward of 40 percent of the charter ﬂeet is now comprised of catamarans, and that number increases annually. According
to The Sailing Market 2016, an annual survey conducted by Cruising World and Sailing World, 16 percent of the sailboats imported into North America last year were catamarans, and one in ﬁve U.S.-built sailboats in 2015 had more than one hull. Still, the world has its share of nautical Luddites. Walking the docks at Strictly Sail Paciﬁc, the boat show that made its debut in Richmond, California, this spring, I listened in on two salty types declaring they’d never even consider stepping aboard a catamaran. “When I go sailing, I want to go sailing,” one said to the other, who responded with a “you betcha” sort of nod. By “sailing,” I take it they meant “heeled over, rail buried, and spray pouring into the cockpit.” I like that too. But sitting atop a ﬂybridge on a comfortable bench seat, tweaking the traveler on a big squaretopped main, feeling the boat leap ahead in the gusts as the spray peels off twin bows and boisterous wakes stream astern — well, that’s what I’d call the cat’s meow.
MARK PILLSBURY
Clar!s, image builder - Photo Nicolas Claris
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EDITORIAL E D I TO R Mark Pillsbury mark.pillsbury@bonniercorp.com E X E C U T I V E E D I TO R Herb McCormick herb.mccormick@bonniercorp.com S E N I O R E D I TO R Jen Brett jen.brett@bonniercorp.com M A N AGI N G E D I TO R Eleanor Merrill eleanor.merrill@bonniercorp.com E L E C T R O N I C S E D I TO R David Schmidt D I G I TA L E D I TO R Benjamin Meyers C O P Y E D I TO R Savannah Vickers ART C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Dave Weaver D E S I G N E R Tanya Loranca E D I TO R S AT L A R GE Bernadette Bernon, Cap’n Fatty Goodlander, Gary Jobson, Elaine Lembo, Tim Murphy, Angus Phillips C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I TO R S Jim Carrier, Wendy Mitman Clarke, Barbara Marrett, Jeremy McGeary, Lynda Morris Childress, Michel Savage, Alvah Simon, Diana Simon C R U I S I N G WO R L D E D I TO R I A L O F F I C E 55 Hammarlund Way Middletown, RI 02842 401-845-5100; fax 401-845-5180 cruisingworld.com V P, D I R E C TO R O F B R A N D S T R AT E GI E S Matt Hickman E D I TO R I A L D I R E C TO R Shawn Bean C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Dave Weaver C O N S U M E R M A R K E T I N G D I R E C TO R Leigh Bingham G R O U P M A R K E T I N G D I R E C TO R Haley Bischof S E N I O R M A R K E T I N G M A N AGE R Kelly MacDonald B U S I N E S S M A N AGE R David Erne G R O U P P R O D U C T I O N D I R E C TO R Michelle Doster P R O D U C T I O N M A N AGE R Robin Baggett 407-571-4844 robin.baggett@bonniercorp.com GRAPHIC ARTISTS Julia Arana, Jennifer Remias H U M A N R E S O U R C E S D I R E C TO R Sheri Bass
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J U N E/J U LY 2 0 1 6
U N D E RWAY NEWS and NOTES from the CRUISING COMMUNITY Ed i te d by Je n B re t t
W
e probably should have used the rare calm August day to put miles under the keel. Instead we used it to get as close to the polar pack ice as we could. As keen photographers, my husband, Seth, and I hoped to ﬁnd the small herd of walruses that scientists in Barrow, Alaska, had told us were in the vicinity. Maybe even a polar bear resting on a ﬂoe. We ended up having to content ourselves with a few ringed seals and a distant gray whale, but both of us soon forgot our disappointment as the ice thickened. There was just enough breeze at ﬁrst to let us hold our course under sail and take in the silence and majesty that is so rightly part of the Arctic’s reputation. Here was a sense of being utterly alone in what are perhaps
the earth’s most remote reaches: the Arctic Ocean, at the edge of the summer pack ice. I thought I had sensed something like this before, on passages crossing the world’s other oceans, but this seemed to be of a greater — and lonelier — scale. The only human sound was the creak of our boom. The feeling that that was it, for many, many miles, was palpable. All around was a watery, icy horizon. I heard the crackling of melting growlers and a tinkling as our bow pushed icy ﬂakes aside. Clouds gathered overhead and cast the sea in a silver pallor. The ocean heaved in a long, steady swell, lifting and dropping the white ﬂoes. Atop the swell, I saw an unbroken line of chaotic ice, parts of it pushed up into strange looming forms after a winter of grinding pressure
SETH LEONARD
ALONE AT THE ICE EDGE
and wind. At ﬁrst glance it looked like landfall, but of course it wasn’t: It was the polar sea itself, stretching for miles across the top of the world and touching again on the shores of Siberia. Next to wildlife, Seth and I love to photograph our classic Celeste underway, so we launched our dinghy, Li’l Namba, for one of us to row away with camera and AIS-equipped VHF radio. I’m usually the one in the dinghy, so Seth went this time. Then I was truly alone, navigating the growlers. Seth grew smaller and smaller as he rowed through the ice. A few of the ﬂoes were bigger than the dinghy. Picking my own way forward, I suddenly realized I could hear surf — very distantly, but still surf. Depths all around me were about 300 feet, so it took me half a second to realize that the sound was the swell rolling into the ice. The
crackling growlers, the vast sea and sky, the strangeness of something other than water in the middle of the ocean — none of that rivaled the otherworldly quality of this new sound. Fifteen minutes later, Seth’s voice came over my VHF: He was all done with the photography and rowing back. It wasn’t quite relief that I felt as he brought the dinghy alongside — I hadn’t actually worried that anything would go wrong, given the calm and the preparations we always make — but I felt suddenly warmer with him back in the cockpit. — Ellen Massey Leonard Celeste, a 40-foot cold-molded classic cutter, navigates brash ice at the edge of the Arctic Ocean’s summer pack ice north of Barrow, Alaska.
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E
HEY, THAT’S RENEGADE!
cruisingworld.com
The islands of the Bahamas are a cruiser’s playground. Take a virtual cruise to the Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera and the Exumas at cruising world.com/1606 bahamas.
june/july 2016
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Ne w Tr i c k s f o r Sa l t y Da w g s The popular Salty Dawg rally will host three events this summer, including a new cruise from Virginia to Maine. Find the details at cruising world.com/1606dawg.
A SORE SIGHT IS A BLIGHT Regarding Robert Beringer’s excellent April 2016 article, “Florida Anchoring Angst,” I agree that it is unfortunate that anchoring restrictions are increasingly being imposed by lawmakers and regulators. However, as an avid
G a m D o w n Ea s t The 26th Annual Seven Seas Cruising Association’s Penobscot Bay Gam has been set for July 29-30 in Rockland, Maine. The event will include a dinghy raft-up, potluck and presentation. For information, visit cruisingworld .com/1606gam. Knot Guide Cruising World’s new knot-tying guide, featuring step-by-step videos, will have you whipping and tying like a pro. Check out all the videos at cruising world.com/1606knots.
Derelict boats are a problem on both coasts.
sailor in the San Francisco Bay Area, I can attest that a proliferation of squatters on derelict boats is a real problem and a major factor behind what drives these new restrictions. To take just one example, more than 200 such derelict craft sit across from Sausalito in environmentally sensitive Richardson Bay. Few if any of these boats are anchored in preparation for any sort of ocean cruise, and many regularly discharge effluent and trash directly into the tidal waters that ﬂow into the adjacent Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary.
Moreover, they often break free and drift into navigation channels or even other boats. When landlubbers in power from Florida to California look out from the shore and are outraged at what they see (just read the local newspaper editorials), they will eventually act by passing laws designed to deter a small minority of irresponsible individuals who unfortunately impact all boaters. John Henry San Francisco LET’S TALK SAFETY I applaud your excellent Editor’s Log entitled “Take It or Leave It?” in the April issue. Fellow Cruising Club of America member Chuck Hawley seems to have gotten his safety messages across. You nicely summarize in one page the major topics of a fullday safety seminar. I invite your readers to the extensive safety section on the CCA’s site at cruisingclub.org/safety-sea. Open to the public, these pages contain many articles by CCA members, including Chuck, on a range of safety and seamanship topics. You recommended attending a safety seminar (and CW is a generous sponsor of US Sailing SAS seminars). Newport Bermuda Race years (even-numbered
years, like 2016) present an excellent opportunity for learning, refreshing or practicing safety procedures. For example, the CCA recently hosted 275 racers and cruisers at its biennial Newport, Rhode Island, safety seminar, which included in-thepool life-raft training, hands-on ﬂooding control and “live ﬁre” aerial ﬂares. It will be held again in June (details at cruisingclub.org, or follow us @cca_sas). Support is also given to local yacht clubs uti-
Live ﬂare demos are part of the Safety at Sea seminars.
lizing our workbook, and extensive course materials are provided at no charge to host the CCA’s Safety for Cruising Couples seminars, which this spring are being held in various locations in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Ernie Godshalk, Chair CCA Safety & Seamanship Committee
DAVID GILLESPIE (FAR LEFT); DAVID COLLER (TOP); JOHN HENRY (CENTER); ERNIE GODSHALK
Pu re B a ha m a s
I got a voicemail a couple of weeks ago from Bill Clapp down at Dutch Wharf Boat Yard in Branford, Connecticut, saying, “You’re famous!” What he was talking about was the photo in the story “Heeding the Call” (March 2016). It’s a picture of my boat, the schooner Renegade, as we were headed south through Bras d’Or Lake on the way home from Newfoundland and the French islands. It was a fabulous trip, and by the time we were done we had logged 2,752 sea miles and been at sea three months and nine days. As for Renegade, she was built of wood in 1972 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. I purchased her 11 years ago in St. John, New Brunswick, and sailed her home with a motley crew of friends and relations, and have been working myself to death on her since. Such is the fate of all wooden-boat owners. This year’s plans are more modest: hopping around Long Island Sound, possibly Martha’s Vineyard, and then the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in October. Maybe. It all depends on how the wind blows. — David Coller, Branford, Connecticut
A new page in the
© Forest Johnson
Lucia
40
Elegant lines, generous living spaces included, an amazing owners’ cabin, wonderful amount of light thoughout the boat and a high level of quality, combined with performance, the DNA of the yard...
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Hélia 44 évolution NEW 2016
Saba 50 Ipanéma 58 NEW 2016
U N D E R W AY
OUR UNFORTUNATE ENCOUNTER WITH A BRIDGE
june/july 2016
20
Registration for the National Women’s Sailing Conference in Marblehead, Massachusetts, is open. The event takes place Saturday, June 4 and includes on-the-water and shoreside workshops in sail repair, racecourse strategies, diesel-engine maintenance and more. Find details and photos from last year’s event at cruising world.com/ 1606women.
We now had the unenviable choice of ramming the other boats or hitting the bridge.
S u m m e r Sa i l s t i c e Kick off the summer right by spreading your love of sailing! Summer Sailstice is the annual celebration of sail that takes place the weekend closest to the summer solstice. This year the event is held June 18 and 19. When you register (for free!) on the website (summersailstice.com) and declare your participation in the event, you will be registered to win one of hundreds of prizes, including a one-week charter from Sunsail. As a participant, you can create an event, join an event near you, or simply participate with your own individual sailing plans. Sailors worldwide are challenged to hoist their sails, making sure their slice of sailing is available for everyone to see. Learn more at summersailstice.com.
Traversay III (top) tied up just inside the inner harbor in Douglas, Isle of Man. A sill is raised to keep the water from ﬂowing out of the inner harbor during low tide (above).
T
he small but ﬁercely proud Isle of Man lies off the west coast of Britain in the Irish Sea. My partner, Larry, and I had made our way there after a brief stop in Dublin. A miserable weather forecast convinced us that it would be best if we tied up Traversay III, our Waterline 43, in the inner
harbor in the middle of Douglas, the island’s main town. The inner harbor can be accessed only at high tide, and a sill is raised up to keep the water from ﬂowing out during low tide. A traffic bridge over the sill is raised to allow boats to pass during high tide. We wedged ourselves into the only available spot, right next to
them. The bridge operator saw us moving and opened the bridge, perhaps thinking that we’d go through sideways. This didn’t help, as the length of our boat is longer than the bridge opening was wide. We now had the unenviable choice of ramming the other boats or hitting the bridge. Larry decided that making a controlled “ﬂight” into the bridge would do the least damage. So that is what he managed to do. As the port bow sat against the bridge abutment, the current pivoted the stern around to point to seaward. The damage amounted to a little missing paint and a permanent scratch on our metal toerail. With a full load of car passengers watching us, we made an inglorious exit — backward — under the bridge. As we turned around to depart, the harbor master had the temerity to radio us and ask, “Have you damaged my bridge?” — Mary Anne Unrau
MARY ANNE UNRAU
cruisingworld.com
Wo m e n Un d e r w a y
the bridge abutment. A few days went by very pleasantly, with some nice meals ashore and stops to see the castle, the Morgan car rally and other local sights. When the time came to leave, Larry planned to spring the bow out and use the inﬂow of water just before the high tide to turn our bow off the bridge and send us farther into the harbor. We could then circle inside the harbor while the bridge opened and approach it at 90 degrees. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that there had been a lot of rainfall previous to our arrival. The ﬂow of the overburdened river into the harbor more than offset the inﬂow of the high tide. Instead of turning out, the bow resisted all efforts to maneuver away from the bridge. Our steel boat proceeded toward the stationary boats on the other side, and we were in danger of ramming
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THE SHADOW TEST The modern sailing jacket for a regatta or cruising – lightweight waterprooﬁng, ﬂeece lined collar with a fully integrated hi-vis adjustable hood, handwarmer and utility pockets.
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re you sure your solar panels are pointed at the sun?” asked my friend Christian. I turned and looked back at my two 100-watt panels mounted atop the davits, both tilted to starboard, where they appeared to be catching the sun’s rays nicely. “Yeah, they look ﬁne. Why?” I asked. Christian was up to something. He ﬁshed around in the pockets of his cargo shorts and pulled out a 6-inch dowel with a small suction cup at the end. “You can use this to check,” he said. He headed back to the panels. “You’d be surprised how difficult it is to judge and what a difference it makes when you get it right.” Christian stuck the suction cup to the ﬁrst panel. I understood right away; it was sort of like a sundial. Any shadow cast by the dowel was an indication that the panel was not oriented to maximize power generation. But by moving the panel to eliminate any shadow
Check the shadow to make sure your panels are pointed directly at the sun.
turing the sun’s rays dead on. I played around a bit with the panel orientation. I could come close by eyeballing it, but invariably, by using the suction cup and dowel and gimbaling the panel just a few degrees to optimize its position, I would see a satisfying jump in the number of amps it was producing. Every bit helps when cruising off the grid. — Michael Robertson
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by Michael Rudolph (2016; Ballantine Books; $26 hardcover, $12.99 e-book) Sailors who are fans of legal thrillers (think John Grisham) may enjoy this fast-paced adventure, centered around corporate law offices in New York City and sailboats in the Caribbean. The author is both an avid sailor and an attorney; his passion for
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Islands in a Circle Sea (Voyager, Volume 5) by Sandra Clayton (2015; Malvern Partnership; $14.95 paperback, $4.99 e-book). This latest compelling volume focuses on the ﬁnal leg of Sandra and David Clayton’s cruising adventures on Voyager, their Solaris 40 catamaran. With her usual humor and observant, evocative prose, the author brings the reader aboard as the couple sails the Atlantic from the Baha-
mas up and down the east coast of North America to Canada, then home to the U.K. via the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Azores. Few authors have the skill to so fully involve the reader; if it’s possible, this is even better than previous volumes. As always, it inspires; while you’re reading it, you will want to sell up and set sail yourself. Although this book closes the circle on this adventure, we can only hope there will be more voyages and books to
MICHAEL ROBERTSON (TOP); COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHERS
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If you’re looking for an affordable way to stay connected while away from the dock, check out the WebWhip long-range Wi-Fi receiver. It can increase the coverage of local hotspots (say, your marina) for up to 7 miles. WebWhip is compatible with all computers and devices, draws less than 1 amp at 12 volts DC, and can be mounted on rails, masts or even ﬂat vertical surfaces.
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2. BAK seal 8 • $575 • bakusa .com
3. GARMIN nautix • $400 • garmin.com
Tablets have been pressed into heavyduty use aboard many cruising boats. Problem is, they’re fragile and don’t like water. Enter the Seal 8 — a fully ruggedized marine tablet. It is shockproof and submersible to 1 meter, has built-in GPS, and the touchscreen can even be used wet.
The Garmin Nautix deﬁnitely has the cool factor. It’s a hands-free, in-view display that puts important info in your line of sight. The small device clips on to most sunglasses and displays speed, heading, depth, wind direction, engine rpm and more from a compatible onboard device.
4. ROLLORS $50 • rollors.com Bring the entertainment to the next beachside potluck! Rollors is a fun lawn (or beach) game that’s easy to learn and is something like bowling and horseshoes combined. The high-quality wooden pieces store in a small tote that could ﬁt just about anywhere on board.
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5. GRUNDENS gaff short • $60 • grundens.com The Gaff Short from Grundens is tailored from four-way stretch fabric and treated with a durable water-repellent ﬁnish. They provide UPF 50 sun protection and feature a handy slashand abrasion-resistant tool pocket.
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
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ISLAND PACKET YACHTS SOLD TO NEW OWNERS
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Admit it: You’ve secretly wished you had a monster to trim the big jib or pull that furling line. Fantasize no more.
wo longtime Florida boatbuilders that joined forces last year for production purposes have further consolidated operations with the purchase by Hake Marine of Island Packet Yachts (ipy.com), which also builds the Blue Jacket (blue jacketyachts.com) line of performance cruising sailboats. Hake Marine is the parent company of Seaward Yachts (seawardyachts.com), which last year closed its Stuart, Florida, production facility and moved its molds to the Island Packet yard in Largo. Founded by designer Bob Johnson, Island Packet launched its ﬁrst model, a 26-footer, in 1980. Johnson followed with a long line of full-keeled cruisers, most of which sported the company’s off-white hulls and rigs that incorporated a Hoyt Jib Boom. In 2013, Johnson collaborated with longtime Tartan Yachts designer Tim Jackett to debut the Blue Jacket 40, which was named Cruising World’s 2014
Domestic Boat of the Year. Seaward Yachts, designed by Nick Hake, offers three models, all with lifting keels: the 26RK, 32RK and 46RK. The two smaller sailboats are intended to ﬁt on a trailer. “When we met with the staff at Island Packet, I was moved by the loyalty and longevity of the team,” said Jessica Lynch, director of Hake Marine, in announcing the purchase via Facebook. “Some of them have been with the company for more than 30 years, bringing with them an enormous amount of talent and dedication for ﬁne American craftsmanship. Our plan is to further develop each brand with new designs, streamline manufacturing processes, and organize for efficient and effective boat production.” Hake Marine plans to offer all three sailboat brands — Blue Jacket, Island Packet and Seaward — through select dealers, along with factorydirect sales. — Mark Pillsbury
Our new powered winches will pump you up. And our retroﬁt kits transform Harken manual winches. Control them with new digital winch system switches. They prevent unintended power drain and are watertight and UV-protected. Powered winches make life easier. And now they’re easier than ever to bring aboard.
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The Island Packet 460 was a hit with Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges, who awarded it the 2009 Domestic Boat of the Year trophy.
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Your boat. Your crew. More anchorages. More sunsets.
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ELECTRONICS UPDATE: SOLVING THE DATA PROBLEM
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER
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pdating data on Raymarine chart plotters just got easier. A recent partnership between Navionics and Raymarine has solved a problem users have encountered when using wireless devices and Wi-Fi-enabled multifunction displays. Navionics’ contemporary cartography and Raymarine’s latest MFD operating system are designed to harness a Raymarine MFD’s ability to access the Internet via Wi-Fi or a wireless device’s hotspot, as well as the app’s ability to go online (via Wi-Fi or a cellular connection) and download the latest chart updates. Navionics’ new feature, Plotter Sync, allows your phone or tablet — running the Navionics Boating app — to automatically seek out Navionics cartography updates, which it pushes to your MFD via an electronic handshake over the MFD’s Wi-Fi network. Users can also purchase and download new charts via their device and then share this new data with their MFD using Plotter Sync. Waypoints, routes and sonar logs can easily be shared between your MFD and your phone or tablet, adding serious trip-planning ﬂexibility. For example, users can down-
load cartography or updates to their mobile device at home — over their fast and robust WiFi network — plan a cruise, and then step aboard and quickly share this data with their MFD’s hard drive. Raymarine’s U.S. marketing manager, Jim McGowan, says Raymarine’s latest MFDs are “smart,” meaning they can determine which pieces of a download they already have and which pieces are needed. Depending on how up-todate the MFD and other Raymarine systems are, the MFD can download speciﬁc pieces of the modular updates in order to use less data. Navionics president Giuseppe Carnevali says the company offered Plotter Sync to all of the major marineelectronics manufacturers, but only Raymarine has embraced this capability, at least so far, and both he and McGowan are quick to point out that this is by no means an exclusive partnership. For coastal cruisers, Plotter Sync represents an important missing link between an MFD and the Internet that makes it easier to manage electronic cartography, route planning and software updates. — David Schmidt
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LEFT BEHIND realistic cruising options. We could leave the boat in the water, anchored or moored in one of the Abacos’ hurricane holes, but that seemed like a bad idea with too many variables: Who would make that last trip to the boat to snug up the lines? Who would move the boat if necessary? After sorting through these considerations, we decided to put Chamba on the hard for the rest of the hurricane season. Our boat insurance wasn’t an issue. The premium and coverage remained the same whether the boat was in the water or hauled out. We had already taken the big hit when we left to go cruising, with our premiums nearly doubling to include Florida and the Bahamas. With our decision made, we now needed to ﬁnd a yard. Quickly. Barbara and I had visited both Marsh Harbour Boatyards (mhby.com) and Abaco Yacht Services (go-
abacos.com/ays/ays.html) in our travels. Both are modern, professional yards. At AYS, I had noted that they used tiedowns for their boats — heavy nylon straps that attached to what looked like eye bolts in the ground. This feature was the decider for us. Hurricane-force winds can shake boats resting on jack stands. Sometimes the jack stands work their way out from under the boat, at which point the boat can fall over. If it’s a crowded marina, the fallen boat can hit its neighbor, and down they go, like a row of dominoes. The tie-down straps reduce the movement and greatly help to hold the boat upright. The tie-downs were screwed into the ground, and the yard itself was paved with asphalt. We thought this was a good idea, as heavy rainfall would tend to run off rather than soak in and soften the ground, thus giving the tie-downs
greater holding power. AYS had other features going for it as well: We were just a short ferry ride to the airport, and we could live aboard on the hard as we prepared the boat. Within 15 minutes of our arrival at AYS, dockhands helped to maneuver Chamba into the 30-ton Travelift and slowly raised her out of the water. After the jack stands were placed, it was time for the four tie-downs, which attached to the fore and aft cleats. A yard worker took the other end, hooked it onto the padeye on the ground, and ratcheted the straps taut, going diagonally in turn to equalize the tension. The last thing was to go around the boat and check that each jack stand was at roughly the same pressure against the hull. The yard manager made sure she had emergency contact information and a key to the boat, then away we went. It’s difficult to leave your boat, especially in another country during hurricane season, but we felt conﬁdent in our preparations and comfortable with the yard. — Greg Jones
Webbing straps (left) led to attachment points (center) help secure boats on the hard. Chamba (right) is ready on launch day.
An Ounce of Prevention Here are the steps we took to prepare Chamba’s cabin and topsides for hurricane season:   Interior airﬂow is key to keeping mold at bay. We lifted all cushions and rested them on their sides, and opened all drawers, lockers and floorboards to get as much air exposure as possible. We also placed packets of desiccant throughout the interior. Upon our return, they were all saturated, but mold and mildew were minimal.  I shut off the propane at the tank and turned off everything electric except for the bilge pump.
To reduce windage and protect our gear, we removed the barbecue, radar reﬂector, sails, bimini and dodger and stowed them below. We lowered the topping lift and ﬁrmly tied the boom to the bimini’s frame, with an old life jacket padding the contact point.  To keep out rain and bugs, we took the cowl vents off the dorade boxes and screwed in the covers, sealed the hawsepipe, and cleaned the gaskets on every hatch and portlight before closing them.  All running rigging that remained on deck was tightly coiled and securely tied to the mast.
GREG JONES
cruisingworld.com
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y wife, Barbara, and I had been cruising the Abacos for three months on Chamba, our 1979 Gulfstar 37, and we weren’t ready to leave. There was still much more to see in the rest of the Bahamas, but as the temperatures climbed, we were reminded that it was now mid-June, and we were into hurricane season. The arrival of summer brought with it massive tropical thunderstorms, dramatic sunsets, impressive lightning displays and unpredictable high winds. Since we’d ruled out sailing home to Padanaram, Massachusetts, we needed a storm plan. Our options included either continuing to cruise, with the aim of getting to a hurricane hole in the event of a tropical storm, or leaving the boat in the water or on the hard while we went home. Continuing to cruise seemed risky — what if the hole was already full when we arrived? We didn’t want to ride out a hurricane on board the boat, so the hurricane hole had to be near shoreside facilities. That reduced our
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GINGERY CAULIFLOWER MIGUEL 3 6 1 4 2 2 1
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GOT CAULIFLOWER? Back in our conventional, land-based life, I prepared family meals in a welllit kitchen ﬁlled with every gadget and appliance. I could ﬁll our large fridge and pantry with any ingredients I needed to make whatever I wanted. Five years of world cruising aboard Del Viento, our 1978 Fuji 40, have changed the way I cook. § Our diminutive U-shaped galley and child-size fridge at ﬁrst seemed restrictive, but now I appreciate them for the way they focus my efforts. I cook meals based on what’s at hand and what’s available. Rather than buying ingredients to accommodate recipes, I seek or devise recipes that use what I have. § Enter “cauliﬂower Miguel,” a vegan-friendly twopot meal that’s a family favorite. Cauliﬂower, carrots, ginger, onions and garlic are available in markets around the world, and they keep well aboard. The nonperishables included in this recipe are staples we always provision for. We’ve found this healthy meal light enough to enjoy in the tropical South Paciﬁc and hearty enough to satisfy in Alaska. It’s a breeze to prepare underway. Turmeric gives a lively color and vinegar contributes a note of tartness. While the cheese may seem an unlikely ingredient paired with ginger, it works; we wouldn’t make this dish without it. — Michael Robertson
Prepare rice and set aside. Place a clean kitchen towel over the rice pan. Cover with lid or plate to keep warm. In a separate pot or very deep skillet, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and saute for one minute longer. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Add carrots and cauliﬂower. Sprinkle turmeric over the cauliﬂower and stir to combine. Add vinegar, water, ginger and salt. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, tightly cover pot or pan, and simmer until vegetables are al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To serve, ladle over rice and garnish liberally with Parmesan cheese. Serves six.
A Perfect Use for Leftover Ginger One of my favorite ways to use leftover ginger is to make fresh ginger tea. It’s a pleasant hot drink on any occasion, but it’s also a natural decongestant and nausea remedy. To make ginger tea: Peel and thinly slice a 11/2-inch piece of ginger. Place in a small saucepan. Add 11/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add two teaspoons natural cane or brown sugar (or to taste). Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour tea into a mug through a small strainer. Inhale the aroma and enjoy! Makes one mug. — Lynda Morris Childress
P R E PA R AT I O N : AT A N C H O R & U N D E R WAY TIME: 1 HOUR D I F F I C U LT Y : E A S Y
LYNDA MORRIS CHILDRESS
cruisingworld.com
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cups rice tablespoons olive oil medium onion, chopped cloves garlic, minced 14.5-ounce cans stewed or diced tomatoes medium carrots, julienned medium head cauliﬂower, chopped into bite-size ﬂorets teaspoons turmeric tablespoons apple cider or rice vinegar (or lime juice) cup water heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or generous teaspoon dried ginger) teaspoon salt Parmesan cheese, grated
After years of intense training, the members of the US Sailing Team Sperry are closing in on their goal of winning at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. They have the talent and the determination. The only thing they need is us. While their competitors receive government-sponsored ďŹ nancial backing, Team USA is 100% privately funded by donations and sponsorships. That means the US Sailing Team Sperry has to work harder and smarter to win. And now, with less than a year before the games, every minute and every dollar counts. Your support gives these incredible athletes the resources and the advantage they need to be the best in the world.
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O n Wa t c h All her ports were smashed. Gang graffiti was spray-painted inside. There was no rig, a fire had been lit in the head area, and the engine was frozen solid with rust. Like I said, she was lovely. C A P ’ N
F A T T Y
G O O D L A N D E R
cruisingworld.com
COURTESY OF GARY M. GOODLANDER
I
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was 8 years old, and the Vinoy Basin, in St. Petersburg, Florida, was my private kingdom to patrol. Making my rounds, I spotted a skiff barely ﬂoating offshore. A few days later, I noticed that it had drifted into the harbor, awash with the tide. The next day, there it was: half-buried in sand in the northwest corner, the one closest to the Flagler-built hotel. It was an honestto-goodness treasure! The frayed, sunburned painter told me it had come adrift long ago, as did the barnacles inside and out. There were no markings. But the thwarts were sturdy, the oarlocks stout. It was a 16-foot generic ﬁshing skiff — or, more accurately, it had been a generic skiff, until I started to dream upon it. Two wide athwartship bottom planks were missing, but who was counting? “Worthless,” my father said when I told him of my ﬁnd. “Besides, she’s too heavy for a little guy like you.” “Please?” I asked. Something in the tone of my voice made my father look up and narrow his eyes. “OK,” he said, “but you’ve got to do the work, not me.” We were both true to our word. The following day I scrounged “one-by” wood from every unguarded source I knew. On the weekend, my father carried the saws and planes while I lugged the bits and brace. “Don’t chop at it,” he instructed me
Wild Card, the hurricane-damaged Hughes 38 the Goodlanders pulled off a Virgin Islands reef, carried the couple twice around the world.
while I sawed. “Just allow the teeth to effortlessly ﬂow. Keep the blade at the same angle. Picture it cutting in your mind. Breathe regular. Use the whole length of the saw. Slow and easy wins the race.” Getting the planks to ﬁt tightly was difficult. “Creep up on it, son,” my father advised. “It’s easier to cut again than it is to glue that sawdust back on.”
He held up a bronze wood screw. “You’re going to need exactly the correct bit in your brace. And you’re going to draw the screw threads on that bar of soap I brought to help them turn in. Keep going slowly. If you stop and the screw cools, it might bind and then twist off its head.” Using the brace and staying perfectly aligned above the holes was particularly
O N WA T C H
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challenging. Once the planks were in place, we had to keep the water out. “Red-lead the seams ﬁrst,” my father told me. “Then caulk her by sound. I brought several irons and the mallet. Finally, knife on some Woolsey’s seam compound and pray.” She ﬂoated like a swan upon the water. “She don’t look so worthless now, does she?” I asked him. He grinned. “No, son, she doesn’t,” he said. “You did good.” Three days later, she’d swelled up enough to completely stop leaking. Oh, I was proud. “Tight as a drum!” I shouted
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happily as I rowed her around the harbor. My father was right on one account: She was heavy and a bear to row, but row her I did. She was mine, all mine. When I ﬁnally got through splashing her with paint, she was the prettiest ﬂat-bottom 16-footer in the harbor. A part of me, 50-plus years later, still loves her deeply. At age 15, I was living in Chicago and had a plan. I’d save up my money and buy a Volkswagen van. When I turned 16 and had my driver’s license, a pal named George and I would drive to San Francisco for what would turn out to be
the Summer of Love. It wasn’t a great plan, but it was a fairly common one for an American youth of that era. But then I was at a hippie Christmas party in an ex-funeral parlor on Cleaver Street (it was an odd period) when I overheard a slightly tipsy sailmaker named Mike Joyce saying: “I’ve got half a dozen sailboats. One is right close by in the Chicago River. I’m going to convert her into a coho ﬁsher!” A few days later, I happened to be on a
I sat in the cockpit — gently, so as not to scare her. I felt the most powerful surge of lust I’d ever experienced. bus in snow-snarled traffic on the North Avenue Bridge when I spotted said vessel. It was a lovely William Atkin-designed 22-footer, built in 1932 of Port Oxford cedar. I jumped off the bus. The boat had been broken into and looted. All her ports were smashed. Gang graffiti was spraypainted inside. There was no rig, a ﬁre had been lit in the head area, and the engine was frozen solid with rust. Like I said, she was lovely. I sat in the cockpit — gently, so as not to scare her. I felt the most powerful surge of lust I’d ever experienced. I silently told her I loved her and would take care of her and that we’d sail far, far offshore together. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. So help me God. I didn’t have Mike’s phone number, so I called his girlfriend, Lynne Orloff (who would go on to become author of the marine cookbook Can-to-Pan Cookery), and explained the situation. She was a tad taken aback. “Are you suggesting I, er, withhold my affection from Mike until he sells you that boat?” she asked, appalled. “Great idea!” I said. Mike and I settled on $200 for Corina, with another $15 for a mainsail and $10 for the jib. “You’re on your way, kid,” he said to me. I believe I’ve proven him correct. When I reached 19, I put an ad in the Boston Phoenix to see if anyone else was interested in building a bluewater cruising boat. Seventy-some people responded. We had a spaghetti dinner that more than 30 hippies slurped. We picked a couple of dozen freaks out of the pile and formed Ferro Cement Boats of Boston. Three years later, I splashed Carlotta, our 36-foot Endurance ketch, and arrived in the Caribbean a few years after that. This boat gave me the greatest gift of
O N WA T C H
broadband Internet access. This allowed my nerd wife to go off keyboard surﬁng. “Did you hear that Jeff at Amazon has invented an MP3 player for books?” she asked. I ignored her, preferring to surf real waves, not cyber ones. But she wouldn’t give up. “Can I contact him and send him some of your writing?” she asked. “Sure,” I said. “Just leave me out of it, OK?” Damn it if my nerdy wife didn’t earn us a pile of money — and without me fully understanding what she was doing. Don’t you hate it when that happens? One day back in the Caribbean, boat
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We owned Wild Card for 23 years, sailed her almost 100,000 ocean miles, and sold her for 10 times what we paid. sailor had asked me to survey his boat, a lovely Sparkman & Stephens-designed 38-foot sloop built by Hughes in Canada. Alas, it had been driven onto a reef during the same storm at Mary’s Point, St. John. The owner had nearly drowned in the process, and then decided instead to drown his sorrows in the liquor lockers of all the wrecked yachts surrounding him. The result was that he had been airlifted back to New York City and rehab. I called him up and offered to help salvage his boat, but he turned me down. “That boat almost killed me,” he said. “I never want to see her again.” “But she’ll just be pounded to bits in the surf and looted as well,” I told him. “So be it,” he said. I eventually gave him $3,000 for her salvage rights. Once again, Carolyn and I had grinders in our hands and were tackling a project that a sailor with any
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sense or cents would not be involved in. What we did have were strong backs and ﬁerce determination. Aboard what was to become Wild Card, we would sail around the world twice, for an initial cost of 4 cents a mile! We owned Wild Card for 23 years, sailed her almost 100,000 ocean miles, and sold her for 10 times what we paid. But my most powerful memory of her was wading out that ﬁrst time and wondering if I should bet my entire future on something that had ﬁsh swimming inside. In 2009, we were surprised to ﬁnd out that the primitive island of Yap had
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all. It was not just a home and boat and lifestyle. She gave me the conﬁdence that I could do almost anything if I had my wife, Carolyn, there to help. (Five other boats were built at Ferro Cement Boats, but only the aptly named Perseverance, many years later, saw the water.) I’d built Carlotta to sail around the world, and she proved a seaworthy, seakindly craft. But rum was 84 cents a bottle on St. Thomas, and life got in the way. Our daughter, Roma Orion, was born. I sailed every regatta on every famous boat in the islands, from San Juan to Trinidad, for over a decade. But at 6:23 a.m. on September 17, 1989, Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm, forced us to swim away from a ﬂoundering Carlotta in 120 knots of breeze. There is nothing quite like wrapping your 7-year-old child’s passport in a plastic bag, duct-taping that plastic bag around her chest, and then jumping into the frothing water with her in your arms. In the wake of the storm, I was in shock. I was homeless, boatless, penniless, jobless, and farther away from circumnavigating than ever. I had to shake myself, and shake hard. It was time to get serious about life. Well, as serious as a salt-intoxicated sea gypsy can be. A few months before the hurricane, a
diesel (I make it sound fate struck once again. The easy; it was not), nailed on a moment I saw the Wauquiez Monitor windvane (ditto), and Amphitrite 43 slumped over immediately set off on circle in her hurricane hole with a number three before the dirt tree branch growing between dwellers and land sharks could her mast and forestay, I get their greedy hooks into us. knew. Her engine was a pile Whew! of rust. Her rig was useless. Each of these boats has Nothing electric worked. given me enormous personal All her running rigging was satisfaction for very little bright green in the tropical money. Basically, we pay for dampness. The spreader our vessels with sweat instead lightbulbs hung down like of cash. Is this difficult? eyeballs out of their sockets. You betcha. Can it be fun? Her dinghy was a deﬂated You betcha. Especially since mosquito breeder. The there’s nothing I’d rather fabric of her sails tore easily. do more than mess around There was a major problem with boats with Carolyn at with the title, so having her my side. But the real key to documented in the United In their early 20s, Cap’n Fatty and Carolyn set up shop in Boston and framed, ﬁnished and launched Carlotta, a 36-foot my life as a penniless yacht States would probably be ferrocement Endurance ketch. rehabber was that 16-foot impossible, which meant ﬁshing skiff and the 22-foot no bank was interested in double-ender Corina. Their message was reeked of diesel oil. The rudder didn’t ﬁnancing her. clear: If you’re willing to work harder turn, and she was sunk so deep in the Then the story took a turn for the and smarter than the next fellow — and mud that we couldn’t see the keel. worse. It had been four years since she’d you’re married to Carolyn — damn near Carolyn said, “This boat is almost last ﬂoated. Looking closer, I saw that anything is possible. worthless!” a major reﬁtting project was required, “Exactly,” I concurred. “Let’s buy it!” one that would demand diverse skills. Fatty and Carolyn are currently preparing We did, and for $100,000 less than There was a huge yard bill coming up in the owner originally had the boat listed to cross the Indian Ocean on Ganesh, their 60 days. Rainwater was leaking inside, for. We tossed in a new Perkins M92B 43-foot Wauquiez Amphitrite ketch. ruining the varnished interior. The bilges
COURTESY OF GARY M. GOODLANDER
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Wa y p o i n t s We were flying by the seat of our foul-weather pants — cold, wet, slightly seasick, tired and beaten down, dealing with conditions that were mostly new to us. A N T H O N Y
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ccording to my journal, Nottoway was seven days out from Horta, Azores, heading due east toward Cascais, Portugal. So far it had been a relatively uneventful sail, with weather doing a little bit of this and that. Nottoway is a Ted Hood-designed Bristol 40 built in the early 1970s (see “Commuter Cruising 101,” March 2016). With a full keel and centerboard, she is comfortable in troubling seas, but the loss of the centerboard on the crossing from Maine to the Azores had brought her age and overall condition into question. With a new centerboard fashioned in Horta, Nottoway was behaving beautifully as the wind and seas began to rise. It was late June, and we were less than 180 miles from the coast. That evening our crew of three, skipper Spencer Smith, David Yezzi and I, took bets on when we would make landfall. The challenge to the calculation was how much the head wind would push us south of our mark, but we all ﬁgured on arrival within 36 hours. When I came on watch at midnight, the wind was blowing 20-plus knots, and we opted to reef to make the night a bit more comfortable. By the midday watch, however, winds had grown to between 30 and 40 knots, and remained there for nearly three days. So much for the bet. This is not the telling of a disaster at sea, but rather of three guys and a boat pulling together in trying conditions. Here was our challenge: Wind speeds were up to 40 knots, and the waves had built to between 15 and 20 feet. We were under bare poles
The crew re-provisioned and had Nottoway’s centerboard replaced in the Azores before setting off for Portugal (top right). The windvane, seen intact behind David and Spencer (above), didn’t survive the rough weather (top left).
except for a little bit of the roller-furling jib showing. With the hanky-size sail set, and having lashed the wheel to windward, we maintained an upwind zigzag course of about 1 knot, just enough to keep steerage way on. Where we wanted to go was east, directly upwind. Yet we were nearing the Gibraltar shipping lanes and weren’t exactly the most visible thing out there, especially in the wave troughs. So we decided the only way to get where we wanted to go was to cross the shipping lanes at a right angle, as quickly as possible. North-south ship traffic coming in and out of Gibraltar can be heavy, and we worried that our dark green, low-proﬁle sailboat under bare poles would be easily missed. Even if we could increase our way by 3 to 4 knots, we would be sitting ducks
COURTESY OF ANTHONY IRVING, DAVID YEZZI AND SPENCER SMITH
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especially in the nearly pitch dark. The waves were invisible for many hours as we crossed over. There was also the boat to except when a top would break and run whitewashed down the consider. She was old, and the previous experience of losing the face, the phosphorescence in the white water and the reddish centerboard had cast some doubt on how much abuse she could hue of the binnacle light contrasting with the near-blackness take. Adding speed and going into the wind under those sea conof the night. These were the waves we had to watch out for. ditions would only add stress to an already hardworking vessel. First would come the noise, like a small avalanche of water. The So we decided to wait out the storm. The hope was to mainbroken wave tops gathered speed as they spilled down the face, tain our position as best we could; however, wind and current sometimes lunging into the cockpit. The feeling of closeness were slowly carrying us south. And who knew at the time that to the sea was magniﬁed by the low proﬁle of the boat itself, so the conditions more than 48 hours later would be unchanged? If unlike today’s high-freeboard designs. Even with weather cloths anything, the waves had time to build more. secured to the lifeline stanchions, the proximity to the waves felt With a crew of three, watches were solo — not that there very real, as if I could reach out and touch them. It made for a was that much to do. Nottoway was behaving well and rode lively ride that drew me in completely with our surroundings. comfortably. On occasion larger rollers would slam into the Later that night, as we approached the shipping lanes, we port side, sending a shudder through the boat. We had our doubled up on the watches in case contact was needed with ﬁngers crossed that Nottoway would take the abuse. We were all any ships bearing down on us. Ships don’t always respond when in various degrees of dampness, and it was hard to stay warm, called, but the effort would need to be made anyway because especially during night watches. In addition, I am prone to a 40-foot sailboat would not fare well in a collision with a seasickness, and even with Dramamine I felt best in my bunk or 1,000-foot tanker. Just as David was stepping to the wheel, a on deck. particularly large wave of green water ran over the transom and During the day, our paths would cross, especially at watch ﬂooded the cockpit. It knocked the EPIRB off its bracket and changeover, but at night, except for the handing over, you were into the rather full footwell. Our immediate concern was that on your own. We kept a deck watch at all times and always the action had activated it, transmitting a distress signal to all had our harnesses buckled in. I would huddle up next to the passing craft. Luckily, upon retrieval we found that the switch companionway to keep in the lee of the dodger because at had not been tripped. It was night there was no way to just another moment of stress see what sweep of water was The waves were invisible except when a that wasn’t needed. Here we coming your way. Watches were, ﬂying by the seat of our were shortened to three hours top would break and run whitewashed foul-weather pants — cold, after dark, but with the boat down the face, lit by phosphorescence and wet, slightly seasick, tired and buttoned up and no light, the beaten down, dealing with sense of aloneness was intense. the reddish hue of the binnacle. conditions that were mostly It wasn’t a terrible feeling, but new to us. There was no panic decidedly unnerving and not or fear, but anxiety was in the air, and it’s safe to say we weren’t something I had ever experienced before. Add to this the noise having much fun. and the fact that we were still 100 miles west of Portugal, and it David and I exchanged shifts on the wheel about every halfwas like being on another planet. hour. While one of us drove, the other huddled under the lee of Noise and sailing have never mixed well with me — the louder the dodger, dozing as best as one could. Our skipper, Spencer, it is, the more anxious I become. And it was noisy, especially at had been awake throughout most of the previous 36 hours and night. When you can’t see a thing and your only sense is hearing, was ﬁnally getting some much-needed naptime in the quarter sound intensiﬁes. The wind was howling as we climbed a wave, berth. When I last took over, the eastern sky was just beginning then quieted down as we reached a trough. The rigging was to brighten. singing, and the crash of breaking waves was all around. We were With dawn came hope for our tired spirits, and the wind ﬁnally sitting on deck in almost complete darkness, hunkered down as began to drop. We had successfully crossed most of the shipping much as possible to avoid the weather, feeling damp and cold lane and were now about 25 miles off the southwest coast of and wondering if it would ever end. I remember shouting at the Portugal. David could go below and get some real sleep, and I top of my lungs on one night watch, “Would you please stop?!” I had the boat to myself. What followed was probably one of the didn’t have to worry about waking Spencer, David or, apparently, most exhilarating sails of my life. I smiled at our good fortune whoever was in charge of the storm. and how well the boat and crew had fared. Spencer relieved me On our third evening, with no change in the weather, we’d around 0600, and when I came back on deck at 1000, there in had it. Our drifting had slowly pushed us south, and there was the distance were the headlands of Cabo de São Vicente, with our little chance of fetching Cascais. It was around suppertime — destination of Lagos only about 25 miles farther on. cold baked beans and peanut butter sandwiches — and I was Our high spirits carried us for this last leg. Five hours later, coming on watch for David. Spencer was poring over the chart, as we rounded the corner near the entrance to Lagos, we were and suddenly proposed the idea of running down to Lagos, at met with a surreal sight. At the mouth of the harbor are a the southern tip of Portugal. Finally, here was a chance to be series of caves carved out by the waves. The place is a vacation proactive, and we jumped at it. Under more sober reﬂection, we destination, and a number of wooden ﬁshing boats converted might have opted to wait for daylight, but as Samuel Johnson for sightseeing bobbed around the entrance. They were brightly said when asked about sailing nearly 300 years ago, “Being in a painted in blues, reds, oranges and yellows, and ﬁlled with ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.” We swimmers and sunbathers shouting and laughing in the sun. It were going to make a jailbreak. was like landing back on Earth after a trip to Mars. We estimated we would arrive at the Gibraltar shipping channel just before dawn. As it was my watch to start, I unlashed Anthony Irving is a forest ecologist by trade, but sailing has always been the wheel and headed off. Our tuft of jib was just enough to a constant, including on long-ago stints on the schooner America and the nearly match the wave speed. After three days of doing nothing, hermaphrodite brig Black Pearl. He has sailed extensively throughout absolute concentration and maximum effort were now required. New England and parts of Europe, most recently in the Mediterranean. Running before 15- to 20-foot waves is quite an experience,
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G r e e n Wa k e s In the coming decades, what does climate change hold in store for cruising sailors? Leading climate modeler and sailor Dr. Philip J. Rasch offers his take in a candid conversation. B Y
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Malé, the capital of the Maldives, is home to more than 125,000 residents and is a popular stopover for cruisers crossing the Indian Ocean (left). The island nation is the lowest in the world and has a high risk of being submerged due to rising sea levels. Dr. Philip J. Rasch (below) is a sailor and climate scientist with some sobering predictions.
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ISTOCKPHOTO (TOP); COURTESY OF PHILIP RASCH
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ore than any other group I know, sailors are keenly attuned to the nuances of wind, waves, tides, storms, calms, barometric pressure, clouds and temperature. A new term in the sailor’s glossary, climate change, is going to be a factor in all things sailing for the rest of our lives and beyond. A report released in December 2013 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted an 8- to 10-degree F rise in temperature by the end of this century. For people who pay attention to such things, those numbers are alarming. In matter-of-fact scientiﬁc monotones, the atmospheric physicists who wrote this new
assessment envision a world much changed from the one we know today, and their ﬁndings and predictions pose troubling questions for long-distance sailors: How is climate change going to affect winds, ocean currents and weather patterns around the world? How is climate going to alter the way we voyage across oceans in the coming decades? To get a real-world ﬁx on answers to those questions, I sat down with Dr. Philip J. Rasch, a rock-star climate modeler at the Paciﬁc Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. I asked Rasch — himself a sailor — to explain in broad terms what we can expect from climate change in the near future.
PV: As you know, most bluewater cruisers do their open-water sailing in a belt that girdles the globe between 25 degrees N and 25 degrees S. What, if any, are the changes in weather patterns that climate models see emerging as long-term trends in tropical and subtropical waters? Rasch: There are many different ways to answer that question. Over the last century we’ve seen ambiguities in wind and wave patterns around the globe, and for the purposes of understanding how climate is inﬂuencing those circulation patterns, it’s not helpful to isolate the tropics from the midlatitudes,
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or the midlatitudes from the higher latitudes. They’re all tied together. That said, there are clear signals, or signatures, for strengthening wind speeds in some regions and diminishing wind speeds in others. In the tropical zone, storms are increasing in strength, but it’s unclear yet whether they’re increasing in frequency. Related to that, another signature that seems to be robust is changes in wave height in the midlatitudes of the Paciﬁc and Atlantic. This may be inﬂuenced by a climate feature near the equator called the intertropical convergence zone. This zone seems to have shifted southward over the last
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century. That shift determines where the maximum precipitation falls, where it rains on land, and how cyclones get steered over water. If you’re a farmer in Africa or a ﬁsherman in the Atlantic, or sailing in those areas, that’s going to be a very big deal. PV: Some of the changes in the climate models seem counterintuitive, such as diminished wind speeds in tropical and subtropical zones and an increase in trade winds. What causes that?
patterns of heat distribution are in a state of ﬂux. PV: What do climate models tell us about the inﬂuence of El Niño and La Niña events in coming years? Rasch: The models predict that these patterns are going to intensify. There’s also a suggestion that the El Niño southern oscillation patterns are shifting eastward. Rising ocean temperatures will change El Niño’s intensity and position, and this will have far-reaching con-
This map from August 2015 shows sea-surface temperature anomalies. The dark red is 5 degrees C above average.
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Rasch: When we talk about climate, as opposed to weather, we have to think about how the wind ﬁelds and ocean currents distribute heat around the planet. More energy tends to get soaked up in the equatorial regions, and that heat gets redistributed to the rest of the planet by wind and ocean currents. The polar regions radiate some of that heat back into space. Winds carry equatorial heat to the poles, along with greenhouse gases, in great circulation patterns that have been controlling our global climate for centuries. We’ve detected a spinning down of those circulation patterns, a diminishing of winds associated with those patterns, in the tropics. Some circulations go north and south while others go east and west. These circulation patterns, and percolation systems in the ocean, deep underwater, move heat around the planet. Right now, all of those
sequences, a kind of cascade of effects. The coastlines of Peru and Chile, for example, enjoy an upwelling of nutrients from deep in the ocean that brings food to their ﬁsheries. Small changes in those currents and ocean temps can have big impacts downstream. Fisheries scientists in the Southern Hemisphere are very worried about this because it has the potential to affect huge population centers in South America and Africa. PV: You’ve said that sailors tend to think of weather patterns over water, when in fact many of those patterns are set in motion by phenomena on land. Could you tell us a bit more about that, and how climate change will inﬂuence those patterns? Rasch: A good example of this begins in Africa. There’s been a shift in rainfall patterns over Africa that’s associated with
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this intertropical convergence zone that I mentioned. The Sahel region of Africa, a band between the Sahara and the savanna, is drying up as a result of precipitation being moved into new circulation patterns. This climate feature over Africa also sets loose easterly wave patterns in the atmosphere that are the progenitors of tropical cyclones. Small shifts in weather patterns over land can have huge inﬂuences on what happens over the oceans. PV: We hear a lot of conﬂicting speculation about climate change inﬂuencing both the strength and frequency of major storms. What can the models tell us about emerging storm patterns? Rasch: Let me answer that by saying a lot of people are worried about the effects of surface ﬂow, like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic and the Kuroshio Current in the Paciﬁc. These warm rivers of water in the
oceans carry heat away from the equatorial region and send it north toward the poles. We’re very interested in getting a better understanding of how those circulation patterns will inﬂuence storms and the distribution of heat to the Paciﬁc Northwest and northern Europe. These are complex systems. Warmed water is carried north, and then another circulation pattern returns the cooled water to the equatorial region, like a continual heat sink. This circulation takes place over centuries, but it has a huge inﬂuence on ocean temperatures and storm formation. The more heat carried in the surface water, the more intense the storms will be that are fueled by that energy. This is called the meridional overturning circulation, or MOC, and while most people have never heard of it, it’s very important, especially as ice sheets in the Antarctic and Greenland melt at faster and faster rates.
PV: So Greenland ice melt could play a role in the formation of tropical storms? Rasch: Yes, it already does. You have to look at the storm track regions across the planet. Each one is different, but overall, storm track regions are projected to move closer to the poles. ... As they move closer to the poles in these wavy, meandering currents of air, the amplitude of the storms is also projected to change. PV: If you were planning a long-distance cruise with your family, which feature of climate change would loom large? Rasch: As the planet continues to warm, there’s the expectation that wave heights at midlatitudes will continue to get higher. Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are going to get stronger. In the overall pattern, wet places are going to get wetter, and the dry places drier.
Ten years ago, the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] reports weren’t terribly concerned about sea-level rise, but they are now. That shows you how fast things have changed. As more ice melts in the polar regions and the oceans warm, the volume of water not only increases, but the water itself expands. We used to think low-lying island groups like the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, were safe through the end of the century. No longer. The Maldives will be underwater in the next few decades. PV: That’s a sobering prediction. Rasch: Yes, it is. In terms of climate, we’re in uncharted waters. Paciﬁc Northwest sailor Paul VanDevelder is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times on the environment and natural resources.
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On the helm offshore, Carl Doane shares Tazzarin’s cockpit with a tired osprey as afterguard.
Sable Island is constantly changing shape, which means charts of the area quickly become out of date. Ocean storms are frequent, and while winds and waves try to tear the island apart by constantly shifting the sand dunes, the island’s other predominant feature, marram grass, helps to hold it together. Nearly half of Sable is grassland, where the roots grow down two or three feet, and there is a wide variety of other vegetation, including cranberries and blueberries, that is well adapted to the island’s harsh environment. There is also abundant life on the island. Horses were introduced in the early 1800s, either following a shipwreck or to serve intrepid settlers, depending on whom you ask. Today around 500 horses roam the land. They are small in size but can subsist on grass and the fresh water they ﬁnd. Many of them have developed wide hooves that help them walk through the sand — the same grit that also grinds down their teeth, making it hard for older horses to eat. They seemed to live in family groups, and I was told that during the cold winter months, the herds huddle together for long periods of time between the sand dunes.
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ﬂying over the Atlantic Ocean, I like to keep track of the plane’s progress on the seat map in front of me. One small place I always notice, situated well off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, is a crescent-shaped sliver of land called Sable Island. Sable is a French word that means “sand,” and as I would come to learn, it aptly describes this outcropping that lies in wait on the great circle route to Europe. I became intrigued by this remote 26-mile-long spit of an isle after listening to a lecture given by former Newport Bermuda Race chair Bill Barton and Dan Finamore, a curator and archaeologist with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. After their 2010 presentation at the New York Yacht Club, I asked them if they would consider inviting me if they ever returned. My goal was to produce a documentary on Sable Island, and happily, that notion became a reality in August 2015. Sable is not an easy landfall. It took two years of planning, and we had to apply for a permit from Parks Canada to land there. We were the only yacht granted permission to go ashore that summer. When we ﬁnally arrived, I discovered a beautiful, unspoiled place, yet with a frightening history of shipwrecks and countless visual reminders of adventures gone wrong. It is no accident that Sable Island is sometimes called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Some 350 vessels have foundered on its shores over the past 500 years. Sable was formed during the last ice age. At one time there were many such islands off the coast of Nova Scotia. Then, as the ice melted, causing ocean levels to rise, the other moraines disappeared. Because of its location and makeup,
G E T T I N G to Sable Island is hard work. Bill Barton, along with two of his longtime sailing friends, David Martz and Carl Doane, spent the early part of the summer preparing for the expedition. Bill owns a Sabre 36 named Tazzarin, after a king in children’s literature. In addition to the Peabody Museum’s Dan Finamore, award-winning cameraman Mike Audick was on board. With six of us in all, Tazzarin was fully loaded for the trip. Our destination lay 180 miles southeast of Halifax. We left on a clear, cool morning. As luck would have it, we had a southeasterly breeze on the nose, and it continued to build toward 20 knots as the day progressed. About 60 miles out, I started feeling some abdominal discomfort after steering for an hour. I went below, but the
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pain increased dramatically. While I would prefer not to write about a health issue, there are some valuable lessons that we learned through this unscheduled ordeal. When the pain became unbearable, Bill called a doctor in the States for advice and soon found a clinic east of Halifax, at Sheet Harbour. I took a heavy dose of ibuprofen and Tylenol and tried to make the best of it. It was a long four-hour sail to a wharf where Canadian medics were waiting to whisk me off to the ﬁve-room clinic. As it turned out, I had a kidney stone (the ﬁrst in my life). It passed that night, and we were on our way the next morning. The lessons I learned that day are that you should always be sure you can reach a doctor, even at sea, and that it is better to head for shore when you have a serious health problem rather than try to tough it out. I was sorry for causing an 18-hour delay, but we were all happy to be back at sea, even if the wind was now blowing over 25 knots — and still on the nose. The 132-mile voyage from Sheet Harbour was businesslike and routine. There was a purpose to our mission, and we all looked forward to arriving at Sable. As the watches passed, we rotated steering, talked, and even welcomed an osprey aboard for a few hours. The poor bird looked extremely tired. He made many attempts to land on the top of the mast, and unfortunately took out the masthead ﬂy in the process. Eventually he had his rest in the cockpit, next to the helmsman. Then, when the osprey revived, he hopped over the side. He struggled to take off, but ﬁnally got airborne with great effort and was on his way. It was quite a relief to ﬁnally sail under Sable’s lee shore. We arrived after dark and waited for sunrise to make our landing. A clear sky greeted us the next morning as we loaded up one of our two inﬂatable dinghies and headed for the island. Parks Canada station manager Aaron Carpenter was on the beach waiting for us. The waves were small, and it was an easy landing. Sable has no natural harbor, so we were at the mercy of the weather and surf. Had the surf been up, we would not have been able to land. Top to bottom: Horses have roamed Sable Island for 250 years; once pressed into service by lifesaving crews, they now run free. Cinematographer Mike Audick gets ready to ﬁlm Gary Jobson (center) and Dan Finamore alongside the fallen ﬂagstaff of the old Humane Establishment. Tazzarin lies at anchor off Sable’s north shore. Opposite: Main Station is manned year-round by a staff of ﬁve meteorologists and park employees.
Visiting Sable Island Tazzarin was the only private yacht to visit Sable Island in 2015. The destination is off the beaten path and best suited for yachts and experienced crews that are well equipped for offshore sailing. As the newest National Park Reserve in the Parks Canada system, the island is open to the public, but advance registration is required. For additional information on arranging a visit, see the Parks Canada website, pc.gc.ca/sable, and review the information under the “Visitor Information” section. Sable is 180 nautical miles from Halifax and 100 miles from Canso, Nova Scotia, the nearest port. It is the foggiest place in Canada, with 127 days of fog a year, the majority of it in the midsummer cruising months. It is also the windiest place in the Maritimes. There are no harbors, docks or moorings, and the small staff at Main Station has no boat to assist in emergencies. The shoals are constantly shifting, and a depth sounder and eyesight navigation provide more information than a chart during ﬁnal approach. In fair weather, you should be able to ﬁnd an anchorage in 20 to 25 feet of water with good holding in a sandy bottom. Visiting yachts must anchor in a designated spot adjacent to Main Station, on the north side of the island. Typically, yachts are discouraged from remaining anchored overnight; visitors are allowed ashore only during daylight. If there are northerly winds, landings can be difficult or impossible due to surf conditions. If you visit, though, Sable provides a memorable experience. — Bill Barton
Surprisingly, there was minimal evidence of shipwrecks, even though many stories of ships going down are well documented (see “The Graveyard and Its Wrecks,” p. 52). We did ﬁnd the remains of one ship sticking out of the sea, and you could see the outline of a broken hull under the water. We learned that the sand swallows up a vessel quickly. In 1999, a yacht named Merrimac sailed up on the beach and was quickly devoured by the sand. Now 16 years later, we spotted her bulkhead and some rigging about 200 yards from the ocean. It was amazing to see how the position of the beach had changed in such a short time. Among Sable Island’s many tales of misfortune is the one involving the ﬁshing vessel Andrea Gail, which became famous in the book and ﬁlm The Perfect Storm. The ill-fated vessel made her last communications east of Sable; the only evidence of her loss was her EPIRB and some ﬁshing gear, which were found on the island’s beach. In 1912, the steamship RMS Carpathia, which had rescued the survivors of Titanic, relayed its reports about the sinking along with a list of survivors through the Marconi wireless station on the island. With shoal areas extending up to a dozen miles from Sable’s opposite ends, one can imagine just how dangerous these waters were before reliable electronic
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O V E R the next three days, we hiked everywhere. There are no trees on Sable Island nor any cover to escape from the sun. In the 1940s, Canada built several buildings to house meteorologists and lifesaving personnel. Four of us were allowed to stay in one of the rustic cabins; the other two stayed on the boat at night. Dan and Bill worked with Parks Canada’s senior archaeologist, Charles Burke, over the next few days. They spent dawn to dusk exploring and recording the many cultural items they found in their travels. It was amazing how much material was scattered around the island; the Canadians do not gather any of it. Jonathan Sheppard, the Sable Island park manager, told me that the cultural material gives researchers many clues about the rich tapestry of attempted settlements and shipwrecks. As a museum curator, Dan seemed mighty happy to ﬁnd a treasure trove of artifacts, which he estimated would take months to catalog thoroughly. Part of our agreement in gaining permission to land on Sable was that we provide a written report on Dan and Bill’s ﬁndings. Among the intriguing things we discovered was an old mooring buoy or channel marker. It was rusted and shaped like an onion. Dan estimated that it was from the late 1800s. We did not touch any of the artifacts.
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The Graveyard and Its Wrecks
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I have been to Sable three times, and each approach was different: the ﬁrst in a thick blanket of fog and a ﬂat calm; the second, a clear morning with 20 knots of north wind and seas pushing us on an endless lee shore; and the third, in the protection of southerlies on a dark night amid storm clouds, lightning ﬂashes and scattered moonbeams. Each time, Tazzarin advanced slowly, feeling her way among the shoals rather than relying on charts of the ever-shifting bottom. Anchoring in these infamous waters feels like simply anchoring in a shallow, exposed part of the open Atlantic. Sable is about 26 miles long, with bars stretching another 12 miles off the East Spit and West Spit. Altogether, it is a nearly 50-mile-long hazard to navigation, perched on the main route between the Old World and New World, and has threatened ships for centuries. Today numerous commercial vessels and sailing yachts traverse the great circle route between North America and western Europe each year, passing close to Sable. The earliest of the island’s recorded shipwrecks occurred in 1583, when HMS Delight, the largest ship in
explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s ﬂeet, wrecked on Sable’s sandbars. The most recent wreck was the loss of a cruising sailboat, Merrimac, in 1999. Much of Sable’s past is shaped by shipwrecks; each one brought survivors as well as human tragedy and lost cargoes. By 1801, the Nova Scotian government had decided too many ships were wrecking on Sable and too many lives were being lost. The Humane Establishment was created, and lifesaving crews were stationed on Sable. In essence, this was the birth of the Canadian Coast Guard. Thus began a century and a half of lifesaving on Sable. The station was manned up until 1958 and saved countless sailors and cargoes. — Bill Barton
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COURTESY OF CAPE ANN MUSEUM (LEFT); COURTESY OF GERRY FORBES
The Gloucester ﬁshing schooner Lizzie M. Stanwood was homeward bound from the Grand Banks in a chilling Valentine’s Day storm when she wrecked in 1904.
navigational aids. But one man’s peril may be another’s opportunity, and many people once ventured out to Sable to take advantage of the shipwrecks. There was perceived wealth to be gained by salvaging the cargo that washed ashore, and there are many stories of piracy and theft from this era. Some shipwrecked survivors were marooned for years before being rescued. Sheppard pointed out that there were also tales of valor. “‘Resilience’ is a word that describes many of the shipwrecks,” he said. “There were many crews that rebuilt their vessels. The stories of the quest for survival are inspiring.” Thanks to LORAN and, later, GPS,
A navigational error claimed the J/41 Merrimac in 1999. The sloop was swallowed quickly by Sable’s sands.
shipwrecks are mostly a thing of the past. The lighthouses are no longer in operation. But even with modern aids to navigation, Sable Island demands caution when sailing near its shores. The waters surrounding the island are the foggiest place on the Canadian coast thanks to the extreme difference in water temperature on either side. To the north, the cold Labrador Current ﬂows southwest. This chilled water arrives from Newfoundland and Baffin Bay. Yet not far to the south of Sable, the warm, fast-moving Gulf Stream ﬂows northeast. It is never too warm or cold on Sable Island, though hurricanes there have the greatest impact of anywhere on the
Canadian coast. Monster storms have a huge effect on the topography of the land. Marram grass might grow for decades on a particular part of the island, only to be completely blown out by a storm. It can take many years for vegetation to regrow. O N the east end of the island, Mike Audick and I ﬁlmed our climb up Bald Dune. This desolate spot is 120 feet above sea level and a 6-mile hike from Main Station. We felt a great sense of achievement in being able to sit atop that pile of sand. A few times during our visit, I was able to rest quietly and just look at the landscape and the sea. There were no ships on the horizon, no Internet, no cellphones to break the silence. There were no footprints in any direction. A few horses occasionally strolled by, and it was fascinating to watch the seals on the beach. These moments made me wonder what the barrier islands on the East Coast of the United States were like before any development. I grew up on Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, a body of water formed by barrier islands. Superstorm Sandy in 2012 was a brutal reminder of how fragile the beaches are. A few months after the storm, I ﬁlmed the bay and islands from a helicopter. It was horrifying to see so many ruined buildings. That image was in my head as I sat on a dune looking at unspoiled Sable Island. I was at peace during my respite there. The fast-paced world was at bay, and at night the stars were brilliant and inﬁnite. During one period of rest, Finamore asked me if I could envision an America’s Cup race taking place off Sable. That day the sky was clear and the wind was blowing 18 knots. It was perfect for sailing. While it would take considerable infrastructure to host an America’s Cup in that inhospitable setting, I could see a ﬂeet of 80 Lasers racing there. I ﬁgured the sailors could stay in tents on the beach. It would be rustic, but great fun. (Of course, the sharks lurking nearby might be an issue.) There are several hundred thousand seals living around Sable Island. Sheppard said their population is a good indicator of what else is living in the surrounding waters. Grey and harbor seals are the two most prevalent species. The male greys can weigh up to 650 pounds. There are other types of seals as well. Walruses could be found on Sable centuries ago, until they Opposite from top: A circa 1900 navigation buoy is among the treasures found on Sable Island. Tazzarin’s crew includes (left to right) Dan Finamore, Mike Audick, Carl Doane, David Martz and Gary Jobson. With a half-million members, Sable is home to the world’s largest grey seal colony.
Gary Jobson is a winning America’s Cup tactician, writer, ﬁlmmaker and CW editorat-large. To see a trailer of his documentary, The Magic and Mystery of Sable Island, go to cruisingworld.com/1606sable.
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were hunted to extinction. Just past the surf line, 18 types of sharks lurk, waiting for a lone seal to swim out; the predators tend to avoid larger groups. During our visit we found three seals on the beach with huge chunks of their bodies missing. It was awful to see them in pain from the shark attacks, but there was nothing we could do to help them. We were reminded by the Canadians that this was part of the cycle of life. In the winter the seals move all over the island. We found many seal skeletons well inland. There was considerable plant growth around these areas. Sheppard said that this kind of ecological activity helps keep Sable Island stable. We spotted many birds. One of the more prevalent species is the Ipswich sparrow, which lives on the Eastern U.S. Seaboard during the winter. Sable Island is the birds’ sole nesting place, and they must ﬂy over 400 miles to reach it each breeding season. Bill Barton told us that there are 16 species of birds that nest on Sable, along with many transient visitors. With our crew on the island, the population soared to 18. In addition to us, there were four Parks Canada personnel, several researchers, and four college students who were spending their summer studying the genetics of the horses through their dung. On the third day of our visit, we learned that a strong cold front was coming in from the northwest. “Oh boy,” I thought, “another upwind blow for the sail back to Halifax.” At sunset we loaded Tazzarin for our voyage to the mainland. David Martz took on the job of hoisting the anchor, which was well dug in after three days. It was windy, but we made it back on one tack. Finamore spent considerable time at the helm. I enjoyed watching him improve his steering technique. The secret, he told me, was to anticipate the waves two to three swells ahead of the boat. It’s hard to know if the ocean will someday swallow Sable Island, or if the wind will blow it off the continental shelf. Sheppard said Parks Canada is working on a management plan to ﬁnd ways to preserve the island, which may allow more visitors (with a light footprint) in the future. On my next transatlantic ﬂight, I expect that I will once again search for Sable Island. When I see it, I will surely smile, knowing that, at least once, I got to explore the mysterious, magical spit of sand.
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Joshua Slocum became an international celebrity in the late 1890s after he was the first person to successfully sail around the world solo. Yet by the early years of the 1900s, roughly a decade after his famous circumnavigation, Slocum found his fame diminished, his accomplishments old news, and his money largely gone. This excerpt from a new biography of the iconic singlehander, Joshua Slocum: The Captain Who Sailed Around the World, details the final, sad years of Slocum’s life.
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rom 1903 to 1908, Joshua Slocum spent much of his time on Spray, the 36-foot wooden sloop he had successfully guided around the globe. In the winter months he often sailed south to avoid the cold. During the warmer months he sailed along the New England coast, mainly around Martha’s Vineyard. He gave the odd talk and sold the shells he collected down south. In November of 1905, Slocum left Martha’s Vineyard for his annual respite in southern waters, which included stops in Cuba and Jamaica. In early April 1906, after a leisurely two months spent collecting shells at Grand Cayman, Slocum headed north again. His cargo included about a thousand shells, as well as a dozen rare orchids, which the captain was asked to deliver to none other than the president, Theodore Roosevelt. That important delivery was delayed, however, when Slocum drifted into some serious legal trouble. By Thursday, May 24, Spray was tied up at Riverton, New Jersey. That night, Slocum gave a lecture at the Riverton Yacht Club. The following day he welcomed visitors aboard Spray, including 12-year-old Elsie Wright, who toured the sloop in the afternoon with a friend. On Friday evening, after his visitors had Capt. Joshua Slocum, seen here in 1902 at the bow of his 36foot wooden sloop, Spray, was the ﬁrst person to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe, in 1898.
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gone, Slocum called on Leslie Miller, a friend who summered at Martha’s Vineyard. “Slocum was lean, hungry looking and gaunt,” recalled Miller’s son, Percy. “There was no mistaking he was an old sea dog.” The captain listened to Percy play the piano before heading back to Spray. At 9 o’clock, while stepping off a trolley car, Slocum was arrested and charged with raping Elsie Wright. The allegations against Slocum were outlined in a number of newspaper reports. “Capt. Slocum in Trouble,” stated a headline in the Riverton New Era. The article said the alleged incident took place while Wright and her young male friend were visiting Spray Friday afternoon. “It is said that while the boy was on deck the skipper showed the little girl through the cabin, and then the assault is alleged to have occurred,” the paper stated. “His arrest came as a startling surprise after a round of entertainments in his honor,” another paper noted. “The old sailor was indignant at his arrest. He ridiculed the charge against him, and when being taken to the jail said he would be vindicated.” Added another report: “Capt. Slocum said he had no recollection of the misdemeanor with which he is charged, and if it occurred it must have been during one of the mental lapses to which he was subject.” Bail was set at $1,000. Unable to afford such a sum, Slocum sat in jail for 42 days. On July 6, the matter was put before a judge, and the captain did not contest a lesser charge of indecent assault. “I am very sorry to be obliged to administer reproof to a man of
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your experience and years,” stated the judge. “Upon request of the family I can deal leniently with you.” Slocum was discharged and told to never return to Riverton by rail or water. Exactly what happened that day on Spray is unclear. It is apparent, however, that Slocum did not rape Wright. At one point the girl’s father wrote a letter to the Riverton New Era, emphasizing that no physical injury had occurred. A doctor, called by Wright’s parents, concluded, “She was not much injured, but was suffering from shock.” In the end, the alleged incident was downgraded to a “great indiscretion.” So what happened? “Was his ﬂy undone, intentionally or carelessly? Did he say something obscene to her?” wondered biographer Geoffrey Wolff in his analysis of the event. “I can imagine a young girl recoiling from a grizzled, bald and bewhiskered old man with wrinkles, liver spots, an arthritic claw of a hand, bad breath and a few missing teeth,” he concluded. Regardless of what actually happened, one must assume from Slocum’s next stop that his reputation had not suffered. Free of the allegations and embarrassment that had dogged him for weeks, the captain sailed north to Oyster Bay, New York, to deliver the one surviving orchid to Teddy Roosevelt. Archibald Roosevelt, one of the president’s sons, was sailing around Oyster Bay in a small boat when he spied Spray. Slocum, now in his 60s, invited Archie aboard. An avid sailor, Archie was greatly entertained by the old captain’s yarns. That evening, the boy reported the visit to his father. Roosevelt enthusiastically told his son to invite the captain up to Sagamore Hill, the president’s nearby summer house. As biographer Walter Teller succinctly concluded: “Slocum had navigated in a matter of days from a cell in a Jersey jail to a place as guest of the president.” After meeting Roosevelt, Slocum took Archie and a sailor from the president’s yacht on a cruise from Oyster Bay to Newport, Rhode Island. “It was a marvelous adventure for a child,” Archie wrote years later, recalling meals of salt ﬁsh and enormous pancakes “as thick as your foot.” Slocum’s visit with the Roosevelts appeared to inspire his next unsuccessful plan. By midSeptember, 1906, Spray was docked at a New Bedford wharf and Slocum was talking about a trip through the Panama Canal, then under construction. “It is not my wish to be the ﬁrst to go through the Panama Canal,” he told a local paper. “The logical man for that honor will be President Roosevelt, on the best battleship in our navy.” After the president’s entourage, Slocum said, Spray would follow. Slocum disappeared before the canal opened in 1914. But he did meet again with Roosevelt. In the spring of 1907, Slocum departed the Cayman Islands bound for Martha’s Vineyard. Spray’s deck, the New York World reported, was piled high with souvenirs for selling in northern waters, including “forest orchids, strange coral
and other wonders of the South seas.” In May, the New Englandbound skipper sailed up the Potomac River and anchored at the foot of Seventh Street in Washington. Archie Roosevelt greeted him at the dock. “Father wants to see you,” said Archie, standing with his dog, Skip. From the dock Slocum was taken to the White House by wagon. “They made me wait in what they called the red room. Pretty soon the president came in and we had a long chat,” the captain recalled. Among Roosevelt’s questions for Slocum: Would he again visit Oyster Bay and take Archie out for another trip aboard Spray? Clearly Roosevelt was not concerned about the captain’s previous legal troubles. On July 13, the captain sailed into the bay near the president’s summer home. “He comes to Oyster Bay for just one purpose — to see his chum, Archie Roosevelt,” the New York World reported. “Archie is learning the art of sailing from the old sea dog.” Despite his faded prospects, Slocum was still capable of drawing a crowd. “Everybody in the village has rowed out to shake hands with the captain,” the newspaper reported. “They have come to look upon him as one of the wonders of the deep.” Biographer Walter Teller put a tremendous amount of effort into ﬁlling the gaps in Slocum’s life. Much of Teller’s work ﬂeshed out Slocum’s ﬁnal years — a period highlighted by the decline of both the captain and his sloop. Vincent Gilpin, an author and yachtsman, saw the aging captain in Miami in January 1908. Gilpin attended a Slocum lecture at a local school auditorium and later visited him aboard Spray. “He was thrifty and usually hard up — which didn’t bother him, for his wants were few,” Gilpin wrote in a letter to Teller in 1956. “Spray was very simply ﬁtted out, rather bare, and very damp. I remember seeing him lunching one day on what looked like a half-baked potato, from which he sliced pieces with his jackknife. He was rather shabbily dressed in civilian clothes, with a ragged black felt hat,” Gilpin continued. “On the whole, I thought him a good example of the old-line Yankee skipper: competent, self-reliant, not talkative, but perfectly friendly and ready to answer questions. A very capable man; and a lonely, unhappy man.” Ernest Dean, a friend from Martha’s Vineyard, was working as a yacht captain in the Bahamas when he ran into Slocum in 1908, attending one of the captain’s lectures in Nassau. After the lecture, he saw Slocum on a wharf with a group of local men, one of whom was holding a cloth over his bleeding mouth. A rattled Slocum told Dean the group of men — “ginned up some” — had been Slocum mysteriously disappeared in 1908 or 1909 (left). Opposite: Spray was hauled in Tasmania in the winter of 1897 (top right). Spray’s cabin was full of “curiosities,” including shells and items collected from various ports (top left). In his later years, Slocum would welcome visitors aboard — for a price (bottom).
COURTESY OF THE NEW BEDFORD WHALING MUSEUM (OPPOSITE); QUENTIN CASEY
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“When I first met Slocum and Spray they both were neat, trim and seaworthy, but as the years rolled along, I noticed signs of wear and exposure.”
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speaking poorly of Spray. Apparently one of the men labeled Slocum a liar for claiming he had sailed around the world in such a small boat. “I looked up in time to see which one said it, made a leap, and with a couple of side-winders, unshipped his jaw,” Slocum told Dean, displaying his thin skin. Dean later wrote, “When I ﬁrst met him and Spray they both were neat, trim and seaworthy, but as the years rolled along I noticed signs of wear and exposure.” Louise Ward, an American reporter, met Slocum in Kingston, Jamaica, during this period. Spray, she recalled, appeared old. The captain, meanwhile, seemed “rather sad. I remember he said to me: ‘I can patch up Spray but who will patch up Capt. Slocum?’” The deteriorating state of the captain and his boat is perhaps best revealed in the recollections of H.S. Smith. In his 20s, Smith and three sailing buddies sought out the famed captain after being told Slocum was back in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The four young men found Spray ﬂoating in a creek on the Fairhaven side of the Acushnet River. Slocum sat slumped by the wheel, looking dejected in the hot sun. The captain, Smith recalled in a letter to Teller, resembled a typical beachcomber: “He wore a battered old felt hat, unbuttoned trousers that would disgrace a clam-digger and a pair of high lace-up shoes badly in need of a polish.” Hailing the captain, they asked to come aboard. “Yes,” Slocum replied. “But it will cost you boys 10 cents apiece.” After a search of their pockets the young men produced 40 cents and stepped on deck. “The little ship was ﬁlthy and almost everything aboard was dilapidated,” Smith recalled in an article in the March 1968 edition of The Skipper, a yachting magazine. “Capt. Slocum himself answered our questions in a slow and hesitating way, indicating a kind of mental slothfulness or perhaps senility.” Smith also recalled vividly the captain’s many conch shells, all in a “putrefying condition.” “I can still remember that smell,” he wrote. “The odor permeated the whole ship and added to the general atmosphere of dirt, neglect and decay.” Much to their delight, however, Slocum allowed the four men to help him sail Spray to New Bedford for supplies. “So all hands got to work, directed by Slocum, who stayed by the wheel and gave his orders in a very crisp, sharp fashion without shouting — a far cry from his earlier hesitant mumbling,” Smith noted of Slocum’s transformation from a dozy old man to an energetic sea captain. Slocum eventually handed Smith the helm. “But there was little steering to be done. She held her course perfectly, with hardly a touch on the wheel.” At New Bedford, Slocum went onshore while Smith and his crew further explored Spray. “But everywhere we looked, we encountered dirt, shoddy workmanship, decay — and the ever present stench of tired conch,” he wrote. “It was depressing.” More than a decade after his record-breaking circumnavigation, Slocum’s prized vessel was in rough condition. “From what we saw that afternoon, there is no question in my mind that Spray was a slow, docile, seakindly craft that would take care of herself for days at a time,” Smith noted, “but the shape she was in would give horrors to anyone who went to sea.” Some time later, Slocum set off in his sloop from Martha’s Vineyard. The 64-year-old captain told friends and acquaintances
that he planned to sail to Venezuela and head up the Orinoco River to the headwaters of the Amazon. He was never seen again. Two mysteries surround Slocum’s disappearance. The ﬁrst concerns the year he actually went missing. Many sources cite November 14, 1909, as the day he departed Martha’s Vineyard for the last time. That was the date Hettie, his second wife, wrote on a court document in 1912. But as Ann Spencer detailed in her Slocum biography, Alone at Sea, numerous newspaper articles reported that Slocum vanished in November of 1908, not 1909. For instance, a July 24, 1910, article in the New Bedford Sunday Standard reported that the “fearless navigator” departed in November 1908, headed south to the West Indies for the winter. The article noted the captain was spotted in a gale a few days out of Martha’s Vineyard. Nothing had been heard from the captain since; no other sightings were reported and no wreckage was spotted. “Slocum is probably now resting at the bottom of the ocean,” the paper concluded. “I should as soon expect to see the dead rise as I should to see Capt. Slocum,” Hettie told the paper. “He is lost in all probability, probably run down by a steamer at night.” Hettie’s theorizing brings us to the second mystery: What happened to Slocum? Did the weathered Spray ﬁnally throw a plank or succumb to rough seas? Or did the aging skipper suffer a heart attack, stroke or simply get washed overboard? Like Hettie, son Victor Slocum concluded a steamship likely cut down the little sloop at night. Garﬁeld, another son, told Teller his father had longed for a burial at sea. “And he got his wish.” Or, did Slocum — who had grown increasingly reclusive in his later years — simply decide to cut off all communication with his friends and family in New England? On May 27, 1911, the New Bedford Evening Standard reported the sighting of a “lone mariner” on the Orinoco River. “White Man Seen on the Orinoco River May Be Capt. Joshua Slocum,” stated the headline. The report was based on nothing more than rumors in the shipping community, but it offered a “dim ray of hope” that Slocum was safe, nearly three years after departing Martha’s Vineyard. “There is yet the chance that the captain may return in Spray,” the paper stated. That is a comforting way to picture Slocum’s ﬁnal years: sailing his trusted sloop, exploring foreign ports, savoring his “solitude supreme” and embracing — not fearing — the rigors of life at sea. “To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood,” he wrote in Sailing Alone Around the World, his account of his famous voyage. “But where, after all, would be the poetry of the sea were there no wild waves?” Quentin Casey is a journalist and sailor based in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Joshua Slocum: The Captain Who Sailed Around the World, Casey’s ﬁrst book, is published by Nimbus and available from Amazon. Casey plans to donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia. Opposite: In 1897, during his circumnavigation, Slocum brought Spray into Australian waters (top) and also visited South America (bottom left). By 1907, Slocum had visibly aged (bottom right). He and Spray disappeared a year or two later.
COURTESY OF THE NEW BEDFORD WHALING MUSEUM (OPPOSITE)
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“To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood. But where, after all, would be the poetry of the sea were there no wild waves?”
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Apostles Mea Culpa PUT OFF BY THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE CRUISING W I S CO N S I N ’ S P O P U L A R A P O ST L E I S L A N DS , T H E S E LO N GT I M E G R E AT L A K E S SA I LO R S N E A R LY D I D N ’ T C O M E B AC K . L U C K I LY, T H E Y D I S C OV E R E D T H AT cruisingworld.com
S O M E T I M E S I T ’ S N I C E TO B E W R O N G . BY FRED BAGLEY
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Catamount, a Caliber 38, is seen through the extensive caves at Devil’s Island (left). The Apostle Islands are known for their plentiful red sandstone formations. Jennifer takes in the solitude at Sand Island (above).
was a noise unlike any we had ever heard on our boat. It was well after midnight, and the sound was like a classroom of schoolchildren madly scraping their ﬁngernails on a blackboard. Instantly we were awake, and we realized our boat was moving hard to port. Then our motion stopped with a massive thunk. Clouds obscured the quarter-moon as we staggered to the cockpit. We were clearly still ﬂoating, and we could see we were pretty much where we had anchored the evening before, but there were now two-foot waves smacking our bow. Welcome back to the Apostle Islands, we said to each other. Clearly we had not learned our lesson from our previous visit. Even worse, we wondered why we had bothered to come back at all.
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wife, Jennifer, and I sail our Caliber 38, Catamount, out of northern Michigan and spend our summers on Lake Superior. We had been to the Apostles once before, and frankly, we were not impressed. The islands are touted as one of the premier cruising grounds in the country, with reliable winds and accessible wilderness in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. But we had found lots of crowds and mostly round islands with virtually no protection. Swells rocked us mercilessly all night, every night. Midnight wind shifts resulted in a mess of boats hauling anchor and moving to the other side of the island or the lee of an island nearby, neither of which was really any better. We vowed we would never come back. We preferred the remote and dramatic Canadian shore of Lake Superior, but the previous year we’d ended our summer in Duluth, Minnesota, at the westernmost end of the lake, and were now working our way back east. Since the Canadian shore was just barely thawed out after a very cold winter, we reluctantly decided to spend a few days back in the Apostle Islands, on the south shore. It would be warmer there, we could get last-minute chores done, and we needed to buy Leinenkugel’s beer, which is brewed in Wisconsin and one of our summer staples when we can ﬁnd it. Long home to Native Americans, the Apostles were ﬁrst visited by French Jesuit priests in the 1670s; they thought there were 12 islands — hence the name — but actually there are 22. Subsequent centuries saw the islands logged, farmed, quarried, ﬁshed and ﬁnally opened to tourism. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was created in 1970, when the National Park Service acquired 21 of the islands and started the process of letting them revert to wilderness. On our ﬁrst day out of Duluth, we reached on lovely southwest winds for more than 50 miles and anchored in the lee of Sand Island, the westernmost in the group. A nice sunset was the perfect backdrop for cold chardonnay, guacamole, and steaks on the grill. As we crawled into bed for the night, we wondered if we had been wrong about this place. Then came the noise. The wind had suddenly swung to the northeast. The schoolchildren scraping the blackboard was our anchor chain rolling across small rubble that lay under a thin layer of sand; the thunk was Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Apostle + Islands
Devil’s Island Outer Island Raspberry Island
Sand Island
Lake Oak Island Stockton Island S u p e r i o r Michigan Island
WISCONSIN
La Pointe Nautical Miles 0 90.8º W
90.6º W
5
10
Anchoring at Sand Island (above) might not offer all-around protection, but the vista makes up for it. Racers in the annual Bayﬁeld Race Week inch past the north end of Devil’s Island in barely a breeze (left). Port Superior Marina (opposite) is a popular launching point for sailing the islands.
Catamount fetching up hard at the end of our swing. What a crummy start in an area we hadn’t wanted to visit in the ﬁrst place. But then, slowly, the Apostles started to work their spell on us. After a few hours, the wind backed to the northwest and the seas went ﬂat. In the morning, we launched our dinghy and explored the north end of Sand Island, where Superior’s incessant pounding had carved out sea caves in the sandstone cliffs, just big enough to row our dinghy into. We marveled at the intricately sculpted pillars and arches, the variegated colors of the stone, the ferns growing downward from the ceilings.
Jennifer
and I sailed into the heart of the islands later that day, settling in at popular Stockton Island, where sailboats outnumbered powerboats in the anchorage by almost 10 to one. Blessedly, the Park Service has banned personal watercraft everywhere in the national lakeshore. Stockton Island has miles of white sand beaches in Quarry, Julian and Presque Isle bays. Hiking trails meander through cranberry bogs and pine forests, then break out to commanding views from open headlands. We hoped (sort of) that we would encounter one of the many black bears that inhabit every one of the islands, but we only saw tracks. In all our hikes on trails and on beaches, we never saw a single piece of trash or even any ﬂotsam. It did indeed feel like wilderness. Stockton Island also reminded us of what it’s like to anchor over hard, rippled sand. In our more familiar waters on the Canadian side, we never see our anchor hit bottom (the water is just too dark), and we are never sure what the anchor grips onto. In the Apostles, we could watch our anchor drop 20 feet through the gin-clear water, sploosh onto the sand, and sink its ﬂukes to engage Mother Earth. Then we could watch the chain pay out, snub it off at 60 feet, and know that Catamount wasn’t going anywhere with that grip. We reminded ourselves that we hadn’t dragged even on the ﬁrst night, when we were caught by the sudden wind shift at Sand Island. One morning we hiked to an old quarry on Stockton. After the
MARIANNE G. LEE (TOP); FRED BAGLEY; MAP BY SHANNON CAIN TUMINO
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MARIANNE G. LEE
A P O S T L E S M E A C U L PA
Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the call went out for a more durable building material, and the sandstone of the Apostles (dubbed brownstone at the time) seemed the perfect solution. Boatload after boatload of Apostle Island sandstone went down to Chicago to help rebuild the ravaged city. We beat in light air farther east to remote Michigan Island, where the Park Service had just reopened the 1857 lighthouse after a million-dollar restoration. It’s a short walk from the dock up to the lighthouse grounds, where volunteer keepers interrupted their dinner to give us a tour. Then we huffed and puffed our way up 127 steps to the top of the “new” 1929 tower, where the Coast Guard still maintains a light. The 360-degree view was stunning. When it was time to pump Catamount’s holding tank and get more beer, it was off to Bayﬁeld, Wisconsin, the epicenter of Apostle Island sailing and dubbed the “Best Little Village in the Midwest” by the Chicago Tribune. Bayﬁeld is a crunchy spot with great 19th-century architecture, locally roasted coffee and Leinenkugel’s on tap. Tucked into the town marina, we were a block from the ferry terminal out to bustling Madeline Island (the only Apostle not in the national lakeshore) and within easy walking distance of supplies, including freshly caught whiteﬁsh off a ﬁshing boat run by two local women. Locals suggested breakfast at Greunke’s, which has been hosting travelers since 1866. Its ceilings are low and plastered with
Life magazine covers, and its walls are covered with memorabilia and photos dating back to the ’20s. Although I passed on the house specialty of sauteed whiteﬁsh livers, I did justice to the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were the size of saucers and the gravy tough on my coronaries, but I am proud to say I didn’t need a doggy bag. Jennifer had oatmeal and grinned at my excess.
We 
discovered we had arrived at the start of the annual Bayﬁeld Race Week. Everything from 27-foot family cruisers to a 50-foot Nelson/Marek was on the water in seven classes. The kickoff event is the Around the Islands Race, a clockwise race of about 80 miles that can take 36 hours to complete, though this year the race was shortened due to anticipated light air. Hoping to catch some of the opening-day action, we motored out to Devil’s Island, the farthest north of the Apostles. Knowing the huge race ﬂeet would take a while to get there, we let Catamount ﬂoat on the ﬂat waters while we rowed our dinghy the length of the island’s sea caves. Even without wind, there was enough motion in the caves to give a quiet glooping sound to add to the eeriness. The caves here lack the subtlety and grace of their smaller Sand Island cousins, but they extend for nearly a mile and are simply awe-inspiring. Watched over by an 1891 light tower, the Devil’s Island caves are the signature image of the Apostles’ storm-battered coast.
weeks. Occasional anchoring issues now seem trivial. We were impressed by the sailing opportunities: good winds, great views, attractive little Bayﬁeld, historic lighthouses, sea caves and hundreds of like-minded sailors, all in a wilderness setting. We had clearly been wrong the ﬁrst time. Aside from that ﬁrst night with the blackboard-scraping schoolchildren, we loved every minute of our visit. So mea culpa, Apostle Islands. You deserve all those accolades. Fred and Jennifer Bagley live in Vermont and sail Catamount on the Great Lakes every summer. A fog bank rolls into Oak Island (below). Quaint Bayﬁeld, Wisconsin (left), is a short sail from the Apostles and an ideal spot for re-provisioning and shore leave.
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As we rounded the northwest side of the island near dusk, we saw the race ﬂeet headed our way, but the light air had become no air. We stayed well off to the side as the boats crawled past the caves, with not a sound from any of the crews or a single motion that might upset their balance. With 50 miles still to go, it was going to be a long night for the racers. Conditions improved, though, and three days later, on a different 12-mile windward/leeward course, we saw the same boats ﬂying spinnakers in 20 knots of wind on a madcap dash to the ﬁnish line off downtown Bayﬁeld. For two nights we settled on the north side of Oak Island, where we hiked up its 200-foot-high sand bluff to look out over the islands and the open lake. Several of the outer islands slowly dissolved into a fog bank, and we almost needed radar on the dinghy to ﬁnd Catamount when we rowed back. But as the wind pushed the fog to the east, we were surrounded in the cockpit by our own personal rainbow — a “fogbow,” if you like — that started on our bow and ended on our stern. Lake Superior’s average summer water temperature is a kill-
er 49 degrees, but at Oak Island we swam off the boat in June. Local mariners assured us that by August the water is downright toasty. No way that ever happens on the Canadian shore. It’s clear why sailboats rule here. Sailors can haul anchor, set out for the day, be fairly assured of good winds, sail to their heart’s content, and use their dinghy-racing skills to tack and jibe and kite their way through all the narrow channels. Underwater obstructions are rare, and what is there is almost always sand. Then, at the end of the day, they can check the forecast, call their buddies, and pick an anchorage that (usually) works for the night. OK, full disclosure here: We did have to move once in the middle of the night. While we were parked on the east side of Raspberry Island, after a visit to its 1863 lighthouse and a chat with the very knowledgeable park ranger, the wind veered straight down on us well after dark. So we had to raise anchor and work our way back to Stockton Island’s Quarry Bay. But you know what? The moon was full, it was warm, we were by ourselves, and there was nothing to hit. We also discovered one other advantage to anchoring in the Apostles. Because there are no hidey-holes and no fully protected harbors, every anchorage has a view, whether it’s of the sunset, the sunrise, the next wilderness island or out onto the vast expanse of Lake Superior itself. We had planned to stay in the Apostles only a few days before heading for Canada; we wound up staying nearly two
CRUISING NOTES While getting your boat to the Apostle Islands, in Lake Superior, may be a stretch for all but the most committed Great Lakes sailors, cruising the area is easier than you might think. The Apostle Islands are an ideal spot for trailer-sailors, who can pick from a bevy of launch sites, none more than a few miles from the ﬁrst night’s anchorage. Since all the islands are fairly close together and one can anchor close to shore at virtually all the beaches, it is a perfect spot for your pocket cruiser. While 21 of the 22 islands are part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, there are no entry fees. If you are cramped for space, several anchorages have campsites
just inland for a small overnight charge. A Wisconsin ﬁshing license is required if you are looking for lake trout. The best cruising guide to the Apostles is Superior Way (4th edition, 2008), by veteran Lake Superior sailor Bonnie Dahl. Replete with information on the best anchorages for various wind directions, historical descriptions of lighthouse keepers and shipwrecks, a summary of services available in Bayﬁeld, and more, this book is a must-read. For bareboat charter options, check out Superior Charters (superiorcharters .com) or Sailboats Inc. (sail boats-inc.com). But a word of caution: You may not get enough of this area in just one visit.
MARIANNE G. LEE (CENTER); FRED BAGLEY (LEFT)
june/july 2016
NO SAILBOAT? NO PROBLEM. CHRIS STUCKEY
sailing to make someday today
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MULTIHULLS 2016
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You name it: razor-sharp bows, ﬂared hulls, square-topped mains, open living spaces, forward cockpits, advanced composites, ﬂybridges, sun decks. There’s no end in sight to the innovative ideas coming out of the multihull world. At a time when big-production-run monohulls are starting to all look the same, naval architects are pushing out distinctive designs and convincing sailors to make the leap to two hulls and three in record numbers. Welcome to Multihulls 2016, Cruising World’s look at all the buzz about sailing and living aboard this fast-evolving breed of boats.
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page 99
THE ARTISAN CAT BUILDERS OF SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA MANUFACTURES 30 PERCENT OF ALL THE WORLD’S CRUISING CATAMARANS. HOW DO THEY DO IT? WE TRAVELED HALFWAY AROUND THE GLOBE TO FIND OUT FOR OURSELVES.
BY TIM MURPHY
T
he warm Agulhas Current puts our Gulf Stream to shame. Flowing southbound out of the Indian Ocean and down through the Mozambique Channel, it attains an astonishing 6 knots by the time it crowds in close to the craggy South African coast. Beyond that current lie the Roaring 40s and the Southern Ocean, and beyond them, Antarcti-
ca. Three ocean systems, very warm and very cold, clash here, spinning off a regular train of gales that come crashing into the current. Several years ago, Duncan Lethbridge was delivering one of his new St. Francis 50 catamarans along South Africa’s Wild Coast with a novice crew as one of these recurring blows was building up. He handed over the helm to
An Angelo Lavranos-designed Knysna 500 SE is outbound into the Indian Ocean from Knysna Heads, once deemed by the British Admiralty to be the most dangerous harbor entrance in the world.
TIM MURPHY
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER; TIM MURPHY (TOP)
BOATBUILDER
Opposite: A Matrix 60 carbon hull is manufactured using a wet-preg vacuum layup (top). At St. Francis Bay, goats lie astern — literally — of hull number four of the Nexus 60 line, an all-epoxy and vacuumbagged cruiser (bottom).
Knysna 500
Knysna Yacht Co., Knysna knysnayachtco.com Kevin and Rika Fouche cruised the Caribbean as a family before founding Knysna Yacht Co. in 2002. The company initially built two St. Francis 44s, with tooling Kevin bought from Duncan Lethbridge. After those two boats, Fouche kept the hull tooling but created new deck tooling to add headroom and open the interior space. The company built 26 Knysna 440s over the next decade. Then, ﬁve years ago, Kevin commissioned a larger design from Angelo Lavranos that would better accommodate the options that virtually all of his customers speciﬁed. From that tooling, the yard has built seven Knysna 480s and 12 Knysna 500s. “We’re not a production yard,” said Kevin. “Ours is a boutique boat, custom-built. If you want one of our boats, we can offer a huge amount of customization.” Knysna Yacht Co. employs 38 boatbuilders at one yard. They build four boats per year. Matrix Yachts, Cape Town matrix-yachts.com Peter and Fiona Wehrley ran charter boats together in the 1990s, as did Matrix Yachts’ technical director, Mark Wehrley, their son. Toward the end of the decade, Peter and Fiona were looking for something bigger than their 50-foot Mayotte. “We were looking at a Privilège 65, but Privilège stopped building them,”
Matrix Explorer said Peter. So they returned to South Africa to build a boat for themselves. A structural engineer and designer with an aviation background, Peter designed the 76-foot Matrix Silhouette 760. It didn’t start out that big. “Designing a boat takes time,” said Peter, “sitting in it at night and studying the areas and reﬁning them.” Now, 15 years later, the Wehrleys are still build-
exception, each of these mom-andpop enterprises is run by very good sailors, many of whom started their company out of the desire to build a single cruising boat for themselves. Several of these builders spent years as full-time cruisers or charter skippers. Most have taken boats across oceans. Each is a veteran of the Cape of Storms. A BOATBUILDING COUNTRY Last December I traveled to Cape Town and the Eastern Cape to meet South African boatbuilders, tour their yards, and sail some catamarans. What I found surprised me: If the business models hearken back to an earlier time, the technology from which many of the boats are built looks distinctly forward. Among this group, I saw some of the lightest, stiffest, highesttech sailboat structures available anywhere in the world. If you’re in the market for a new cruising cat, it’s a trip I recommend. Knysna Yachts’ Kevin Fouche recommends it too; he says he’ll even reimburse the travel costs of anyone who comes to visit his yard and places an order for a boat. With the rand, or ZAR, at historic lows against the dollar (at press time, U.S. $1 buys more than 15 rand), that’s an arrangement you might be able to negotiate with other builders as well. Cape Town is the undisputed hub of South African boatbuilding. The big marine chandleries and materials suppliers are here, as are the sailmakers and riggers and boatyard crews. Other boatbuilding pockets lie farther east, past Cape Agulhas — the true southern point of Africa, and the boundary between the Atlantic and Indian oceans — and then along the Garden Route and Eastern Cape coastlines, particularly around St. Francis Bay and Knysna. Die-hard surfers are drawn to Cape St. Francis for the “10 million-to-1” waves at Jeffreys Bay, made legendary by the 1966 documentary The Endless Summer. Idyllic Knysna, with its vast lagoon and dramatic oceanfront cliffs, is a gateway to several renowned big-game reserves. The drive from Cape Town is about ﬁve hours to Knysna or seven and a half hours to St. Francis Bay, and the ride itself, through national parks and along the coast, is worth the time. Twice on the N2 national highway, I had to slow my rental car to let baboons cross, and a detour to the penguin colony at Simon’s Town is one I’ll never forget.
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PROFILES
69 june/july 2016
get some rest, leaving clear instructions to stay in close to shore and out of the current. When he came back on deck a couple of hours later, he knew straightaway what had happened, and it didn’t take long for conditions to deteriorate. “The seas were four stories tall,” Duncan told me, “and the top two stories were collapsing.” They’d strayed into the current. For the next many hours, he said, he had to use every steering skill he’d learned sailing Hobie Cats through the beach surf in Jeffreys Bay to stay upright and sailing — except now he was doing it at sea in a 12-ton catamaran. Duncan founded St. Francis Marine in 1988, and he stands as a godfather of today’s South African boatbuilders. When St. Francis shifted production from 44-footers to 50-footers in the early 2000s, Duncan sold his tooling for the 44s to Kevin Fouche, who used it to start Knysna Yacht Co. Rudi Pretorius ordered a Knysna 440 for his family and loved the build process so much that ﬁve years later he became a boatbuilder himself, starting Maverick Yachts in 2007. Meanwhile Kevin’s neighbors at Vision Yachts built a 45-foot cat from tooling created by Peter Wehrley at Matrix Yachts. In fact, the more you talk with South African boatbuilders — the Paarman brothers at Nexus Yachts, Tim van der Steene at Tag Yachts, Mark Delaney at Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing — the more you understand that the whole industry is a network of interconnected relationships, both within companies and between them. Collectively, South Africa produces 30 percent of all the cruising multihulls in the world, second only to France. Yet the business models prevailing in the two countries could hardly be more different. With the exception of Robertson and Caine, which will build 175 boats this year at four separate plants near Cape Town, the South African builders produce just a handful of yachts each: four boats, eight boats, 12 boats a year. These are typically family businesses operating not as high-output factories but as artisan shops. And without
PROFILES
ing versions of that boat, with some variations optimized for performance and others for day charters. When I visited Matrix, an all-carbon hybrid-electric 60-foot performance cat was in development. Matrix Yachts employs roughly 40 boatbuilders. To date, the company has built seven 76-footers and four 45s. Maverick Yachts, Cape Town maverickyachts.co.za In the last eight years, Maverick Yachts has built 17 Phil Southwell-designed cruising catamarans — nine 40-footers and eight 44-footers — as well as ambulance boats for inland lakes in Africa. With its 24-foot-6-inch beam and open saloon, the Maverick is uncommonly spacious. Today you’ll find Mavericks cruising in
Maverick 440
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multiple locations. Before building boats, Rudi Pretorius built a successful logistics company in Cape Town, sold it, and retired at age 45. With plans to voyage around the world, he and his wife, Deslynn, ordered a new Knysna 440 that launched in 2003, but those plans were tragically interrupted when their oldest son was killed in a traffic accident. After months of reﬂection, Rudi began focusing on the best times of his life. “Building the Knysna was like a second honeymoon,” he told me, recounting visits to the boatyard. And so a boatbuilder was born. Today Maverick Yachts employs 24 people, plus contractors. The company builds four boats a year, with room to grow to 12. Nexus/Balance Catamarans, St. Francis Bay balancecatamarans.com In South Africa’s world of composite structures, the Paarman brothers are beachfront royalty. Their uncle John Whitmore pioneered South African surﬁng in the 1950s and was the country’s ﬁrst surfboard builder. Jonathan Paarman, now 62, learned the trade at his side before moving on to building Hobie Cats and then larger sailboats and Grand Prix speed machines. In 2007, Mark Paarman decided he wanted a fast cat for himself that could carry plenty of kit for long expeditions to unpopulated surf spots. He wanted a boat strong enough to withstand the treacherous seas of the Agulhas Current and fast enough to sail out of dangerous storm quadrants. That meant epoxy construction, a foam core and a tough laminate schedule. Together with his brothers, Roger and Jonathan, and a partner, John Henrick — all top-level sailors, surfers and deep-sea ﬁshermen — the gang built four allepoxy Nexus 60s designed by Antony Key. In the meantime, Roger Paarman hooked up with Phil Berman of the Multihull Co. in 2012 and
As for Cape Town, orienting yourself is easy. Take the funicular to the top of Table Mountain on a clear day, and you’ll see the whole region laid out before you. To the south stretches Cape Peninsula and some 50 miles to the Cape of Good Hope, as the Cape of Storms is known on modern charts, much of it national park that offers spectacular hiking and cycling. To the southwest lie Hout Bay and the modernist beach neighborhoods of Llandudno, Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point. Out west across Table Bay, 8 miles off, lies Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his sentence, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spread out just below are the city center and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where Cape Town’s marine services mix with high-end shopping and entertainment. And northwest of these, out near Table Bay’s western strand and the industrial zones of Woodstock and Montague Gardens and Atlantis, lies the real interest: Here is where the boats get built. WHY BUILD BOATS IN SOUTH AFRICA? South Africa’s business climate differs in some ways from the climate
in North American and European countries, and in other ways from the climate in Latin American and Asian countries. Three forces shape any business environment: labor markets, government regulation, and procurement of materials and components. South Africa’s blend of these forces is unique. When Rudi Pretorius examines the costs in a new Maverick 440, this is what he sees: components, 35 percent; raw materials, 19 percent; labor, 14 percent; overhead, 17 percent; and tooling, 15 percent. The big-ticket items are not labor or real estate or marketing, but components and equipment that come in from abroad. “If you were in Australia,” said Rudi, “labor would have been much, much higher.” Phil Berman, of the Philadelphiabased Multihull Co., conceived the broad outlines of the Balance 526 performance-cruising catamaran, then commissioned Cape Town yacht designer Anton du Toit to design it and Nexus Yachts of St. Francis Bay to build it. I met Phil in Cape Town for the launch of hull number one. Over the last decade or so, Phil has commissioned other new builds in Brazil and China. “The big advantage of South Africa over Bra-
TIM MURPHY; BILLY BLACK (FAR LEFT)
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PRICE (USD)
DESIGNER
Knysna 500 SE Matrix Silhouette 760 Maverick 440 Nexus/Balance 526 Phoenix/Xquisite X5 R&C Leopard 40 St. Francis 50 Tag 60 GT Tag 50 GT Two Oceans Marine M60 Two Oceans Marine 740S
50’ 76’ 43’ 7” 52’ 6” 50’ 6” 39’ 3” 50’ 60’ 1” 50’ 10” 59’ 2” 74’ 8”
45’ 2” 66’ 40’ 4” 47’ 4” 49’ 8” 38’ 1” 48’ 3” 56’ 5” 48’ 6” 59’ 2” 69’ 5”
29,735 88,184 26,460 20,550 39,683 25,770 25,000 32,178 23,582 21,179 31,000
1,345 2,915 1,195 1,010 1,431 1,032 1,515 2,658 2,034 1,809 3,237
22.4 23.5 21.5 21.5 19.7 18.9 28.4 42.0 39.6 37.8 52.5
144 137 180 87 144 208 99 80 92 46 41
$29.26 $55.57 $19.46 $72.99 $30.24 $17.46 $33.20 $65.26 $49.61 $75.55 $96.77
$870,000 $4,900,000 $515,000 $1,500,000 $1,200,000 $450,000 $830,000 $2,100,000 $1,170,000 $1,600,000 $3,000,000
Angelo Lavranos Peter Wehrley Phil Southwell Anton du Toit Rudolf Jonker Alex Simonis Angelo Lavranos Greg Young Greg Young Anton du Toit Anton du Toit
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER
SOUTH AFRICAN CATS AT A GLANCE
COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
BOATBUILDER
Balance 526
began conceiving the Balance 526. Hull number one of that series launched in December. Phoenix Marine/Xquisite Yachts, Atlantis xquisiteyachts.com Phoenix Marine was born from the ashes of Dean Catamarans, which liquidated in 2012 after more than 25 years in business. The company had just introduced a new 50-foot design, of which four boats had been built. A small syndicate of employees, customers and creditors eventually purchased the Dean assets. Chief designer Rudolf Jonker, a Dean employee for 18 years, had spent the previous ﬁve years on the Xquisite X5
50 project and wanted to see it continue. One of his customers was Tamas Hamor, who’d purchased the fourth and ﬁnal Dean 50 and sailed it 13,000 miles. Already in a charter business called Xtsea, Hamor started Xquisite Yachts in 2014 to market the boat. Now branded as the X5 (sail or power), the 50-footer is built by Phoenix and sold by Xquisite Yachts. Robertson and Caine, Cape Town robertsonandcaine.com Among South African boatbuilders, Robertson and Caine is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Occupying four production plants near Cape Town, the privately held company employs some 1,400 workers. The exclusive catamaran builder for Tui Marine (which owns The Moorings and Sunsail charter companies and sells Leopard catamarans), R&C has orders for 175 boats in 2016 and 211 boats in 2017. These range from 40 feet to 58 feet, both power and sail. Sixty percent of those boats will go into charter and 40 percent to private owners. Founder John Robertson now lives in Tampa, Florida, with the title of executive chairman; a motorcycle accident killed Jerry Caine in 1999. R&C’s managing
six-month cycles of classroom work with equal intervals in apprenticeships. Every Cape Town yard I visited employed students from this program. Otherwise, each company trains its own staff. “Virtually every one of our guys has been trained by us,” said Peter Wehrley of Matrix. “A lot of our guys had never been employed before. We generally start them at sweeper and see how they operate. Then, slowly but surely, we train them up. It’s actually quite rewarding to be part of the community.” ABOUT SABBEX The South African Boatbuilders Export Council (SABBEX) is an association within the framework of the South African Department of Trade & Industry. In addition to promoting exports at boat shows worldwide, SABBEX members must adhere to an industry code of conduct that includes warranty procedures, owner’s manuals, customer service and international speciﬁcations; companies that fail to meet these standards are excluded. For more on SABBEX, visit sabbex.co.za.
Phil Berman compared his boatbuilding experiences in South Africa and China. “In China,” he said, “Lee [Xiangong] builds our boats. Lee went to a university of boatbuilding, but he isn’t a lifelong sailor. Lee is going to do exactly what I tell him to do.” In China, he said, communication took longer, and so it took longer to get projects done the way they wanted. And in South Africa? “Jonathan [Paarman] isn’t going to do exactly what he’s told to do,” Phil said, laughing. “If he thinks something’s stupid, he’s going to let me know about it right away — because he’s a sailor. He intuitively knows. “In South Africa,” he continued, “you have this core of South African build guys. There’s a culture. Guys like Jonathan, they don’t come along very often. And it takes a lifetime to get that kind of skill set.” THE TECHNICAL SPECTRUM Fiber. Resin. Core. No matter who’s doing the work, the story of composite boatbuilding is the story of those three ingredients. The simplest, lowest-tech way to
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zil is procurement,” he said. “Cape Town has such a yacht-building facility that these guys can get what they need. We’ve got the Harken guys here. Southern Spars came to the boat to set up the rig. Ullman in Cape Town made the sails.” In Brazil, by contrast, “Everything had to be ordered six months out, shipped in and then trucked. So you have all this costly material, and it’s just sitting there.” Interestingly, Rudi told me that Robertson and Caine’s high production scale inadvertently exerts an inﬂuence on the cost of components for all South African boatbuilders. “If I order a winch that’s on one of their boats, it’s a lot less expensive than one that isn’t,” he said. South Africa’s most distinctive feature is its labor market: What skills are available, and at what cost? The legacy of apartheid and its aftermath fundamentally shape business here, creating both opportunities and constraints that are unlike those you’ll ﬁnd elsewhere. Some of these factors take shape in government and industry programs; others are deeply rooted in ethnic culture. South Africa ofﬁcially designates people according to race: Black African, Coloured (mixed race), White and so on. Through an official program called Black Economic Empowerment, based on score cards and created to redress the inequities of apartheid, the South African government formally grades each business on its degree of diversity. Boatbuilding jobs are welcome in South Africa, as nationwide unemployment ﬁgures ﬂoat around 25 percent. The going rate for an entry-level laminator, according to one Cape Town builder I interviewed, is 40 rand ($2.70) per hour; highly skilled workers earn 100 rand ($6.70) per hour. Assuming eight-hour days and 240 working days in the year, that amounts to annual salaries of between $5,000 and $13,000. By contrast, a recent study by the state of Maine showed the average marine-trades salary in that state to be just over $40,000. As an industry, South African boatbuilders are working to develop the necessary trade skills among potential employees. Trade groups like the South African Boat Builders Export Council (SABBEX) and Marine Industry Association South Africa (MIASA) collaborate with False Bay College on a three-year yacht and boatbuilding program that combines
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Robertson and Caine Leopard 40
build a boat is to lay out dry ﬁberglass (E-glass) in a female mold, then roll or spray catalyzed polyester resin into it and let it cure. “Hand-layup, solid construction” is the shorthand for this method. Since the late 1940s, it’s the predominant way that boats have been built. “Sandwich construction” adds a core of foam or wood between ﬁberglass skins to attain the desired strength with less weight. Hand-laid construction has two potential downsides. For one, the ﬁber-to-resin ratio may vary widely from one day to the next: Too little resin compromises strength, while too much resin adds needless
weight without adding strength. Secondly, in a sandwich construction, the bond between the ﬁber skins and the core depends entirely on what kind of day the laminator is having. Vacuum-bagging is a method for evenly applying pressure on a laminate and then evenly distributing resin as it cures. This process starts out like hand-layup, but laminators cover the ﬁberglass, core and resin with an airtight ﬁlm before the resin and bonding material cure. Then they submit the sandwich laminate to vacuum pressure. Consider that atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch. Over a span of one
director, Alet du Plessis, brings a background not in slinging resin but in corporate ﬁnance. The boatbuilding operation here is very much oriented to high production, with ﬁnely honed logistics systems for delivery of materials and components setting a four-boats-per-week pace. Founded in 1991, R&C has picked up many CW Boat of the Year awards, most recently for the Leopard 48, in 2013. St. Francis Marine, St. Francis Bay stfrancismarine.com Mention Duncan Lethbridge, and the creation myths start rolling in. Tim van der Steene of Tag Yachts contends that it was a 1989 St. Francis 43 that started the whole multihull trend in Caribbean chartering and the worldwide cat boom that followed. As already noted, Duncan gave Kevin Fouche his start in the business, and that led to Maverick Yachts. “I think Duncan’s the grandfather of our industry,” Kevin said. “I’ve told him he needs to go chill. He doesn’t need to work so hard now.” But there’s no sign of anyone chilling at St. Francis Marine. Duncan is one of three boatbuilders of all those I visited who has invested in resin-infusion technology and other forward-thinking methods for keeping weight out of the boat. His company builds four St. St. Francis 50
Francis 50s per year, with no plans to expand. Over the shop ﬂoor hangs the Cruising World Boat of the Year banner for Best Cruising Catamaran, which the St. Francis 50 won in 2006. Tag Yachts, St. Francis Bay tagyachts.com Tim van der Steene is working at the high-tech, high-performance end of the cruising-cat spectrum at Tag Yachts. Imagine a 60-foot, 16-ton catamaran cruising along and ﬂying a hull (see photo, p. 72). “People jump up and down and
Robertson and Caine is the “800-pound gorilla” of South African boatbuilders. The company will produce 175 boats this year and still uses hand-layup of ﬁberglass and polyester resin (top). At Phoenix Marine (above), the 50-foot Xquisite X5 was the ﬁrst South African cruising boat to be resin-infused with vinylester and polyester resins.
TIM MURPHY; COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER (BOTTOM LEFT); BILLY BLACK (TOP LEFT)
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BOATBUILDER
say, ‘Oh, that’s dangerous,’” Tim said. “Well, actually it’s not dangerous, because we’ve got three safety systems built into the boat.” Those systems include an inclinometer to measure the boat’s angle of heel; a pressure sensor on the hydraulic sail controls; and load cells in the rig. “We can tune the safety system to anywhere from 100 percent down,” Tim adds. When you hit the limit, the system releases the main and jib sheets and traveler. The boats are all-epoxy,
Tag 60 XR
resin-infused and post-cured. XR versions are all-carbon and feature a larger rig; GT versions blend E-glass and carbon. Forty-eight employees work at the yard; next year, Tim plans to open a larger yard in Port Elizabeth to build boats between 72 and 90 feet. Originally a domestic and commercial architect from Johannesburg, he ran crewed charter boats — a Mayotte 47, Privilège 51 and Lagoon 67 — from 1997 to 2004. Since 2007, Tag Yachts has built three Tag 60s, and was working on a fourth when I visited. The yard is also at work on three Tag 50s.
Two Oceans 750 Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing, Cape Town 2oceans.co.za Rod Delaney started Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing in 1989. His son, Mark Delaney, studied boatbuilding in Florida before joining and then taking over the company 14 years ago. For most of its life, Two Oceans was a service yard that also built power cats between 23 and 32 feet for ﬁshing. Beginning a decade ago, Mark started taking on larger, custom projects at a rate of one boat per year. Designers include Alex Simonis, John Shuttleworth and Anton du Toit. Lately this business has grown. In December the yard had four boats in progress, of between 60 and 80 feet, including one all-carbon cruising boat. Two Oceans employs 130 people.
build boats with E-glass and carbon reinforcement for high-load areas. Such deliberate use of materials and techniques delivers lighter, stronger boats (see “South African Cats at a Glance” p. 72). If high performance and low weight are what you’re after, the boats with the lower displacement-to-length ratios tend to be the ones employing the more advanced materials and techniques. The dollars-per-displacement column gives an idea of the premium placed on lighter weight. THE ARTISAN EXPERIENCE South Africa’s blend of boatbuilding skills, maritime culture and labor rates distinguishes it from every other boatbuilding region. At the heart of that distinction lie the differences between high-production and artisan approaches. A 45-foot cruising cat from a high-volume yard might be built in around 5,000 manhours, on assembly lines that employ advanced organizational techniques to reduce labor hours. Each boat designed for this high-volume business model must appeal to a broad demographic of sailors, which might include charterers. By contrast, one South African builder told me his company invested 20,000 man-hours in a 40-footer; another estimated between 25,000 and 30,000 man-hours for a performance-oriented 50-footer. Neither business model is clearly better or worse than the other. Rather, it’s a fundamental qualitative choice. There are advantages to owning a boat from a well-capitalized company whose practices over dozens or hundreds of units have been standardized. More labor hours aren’t obviously an advantage until you go aboard the boat and assess for yourself how well those hours were spent. From one artisan-style yard to the next, the answer will not be the same. Building on a small scale means that the personality and the choices of the builder will be more indelibly stamped into the boat, for better or worse. But what’s indisputably a good thing across the spectrum of builders is that there’s such a range of choice. When you look at them all, you may just ﬁnd the boat — and the builder — that you want to spend a good long stretch of your life with. Tim Murphy is a CW editor at large and a longtime Boat of the Year judge.
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square foot, that works out to a ton of pressure. Core materials, whether foam or wood, start as ﬂat panels that are scored on one side, allowing them to take on the complex shapes of a sailboat hull. Vacuum-bagging ensures that resin evenly covers the core’s surface and ﬁlls the spaces, called “kerfs,” that open up when core panels are bent. This is the method employed by Knysna Yachts, Matrix Yachts, Maverick Yachts, Nexus Yachts, Robertson and Caine, and Two Oceans. Resin infusion is initially more involved and arguably riskier for the builder. How does it differ from vacuum-bagging? Resin infusion means laying up the ﬁber reinforcements and core, sealing the dry laminate under plastic, then drawing resin through the bagged laminate under vacuum pressure. Infusion is cleaner for the workers and better for the environment. Classiﬁed as a “closedmold” technology, infusion signiﬁcantly reduces styrene emissions during construction. Many builders in Europe and North America have adopted this method in order to meet government-imposed air-quality standards. For boat owners seeking high performance and low weight, infusion can offer the ideal ﬁber-to-resin ratio. Phoenix Marine, St. Francis Marine and Tag Yachts employ resin infusion in their hulls and decks. Other South African builders are beginning to infuse smaller parts. Among resins, polyester has been the base line for 70 years. Vinylester is newer, more expensive and more resistant to osmosis. Epoxy’s properties are best, but it costs about four times as much as polyester and can be tricky to work with. Matrix Yachts builds its 760 model in polyester, then applies an epoxy barrier coat below the waterline. Knysna Yachts uses vinylester in the hull’s outer skin; St. Francis uses vinylester throughout the layup. Nexus, Tag and Two Oceans build their boats entirely of epoxy. To ensure that the epoxy cures fully, some builders post-cure the entire laminate after layup. “We put it in a tent and heat it up to 80 degrees Celsius,” said Mark Delaney of Two Oceans. “Then you ramp the temperature up slowly.” “Exotic ﬁbers” are those with better properties than E-glass. Of these, carbon offers exemplary stiffness per weight, though it’s several times more expensive than E-glass. Matrix, Tag and Two Oceans each offer allcarbon boats. They and Nexus also
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hoosing a route across an ocean can be highly personal. Sometimes you need to give sway to dreams and fantasies, visiting far-ﬂung destinations that are lodged in your heart, perhaps inspired by a magazine article or a story you once heard. Sometimes the beaten path is the way to go: following a rally, or the season, to points known. But sometimes you sail a route you never intended to take at all. Years ago, when my husband, Evan, and I originally planned to go cruising with our daughter, Maia, our hope was to continue on from Southeast Asia through the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean. But heading into what is now a known pirate region struck us as risky, so we chose not to take our 40-foot Wood’s Meander catamaran, Ceilydh, (or our teenage daughter) into the danger zone. This left crossing the Indian Ocean to South Africa, either on the southern route, which most boats still take — from Cocos Keeling to the Mascarene Islands, past Madagascar, and arriving in South Africa in time for the milder summer months (November to February) — or, thanks to the diminishment of piracy and a recently revised “high-risk area,” on the northern route, which we took. About 30 boats made this passage in the 2015 season. Our journey began in February of that year, took almost nine months, straddled two cyclone seasons (May to July in the North Indian Ocean and December to April in the south), and gave us a chance to visit some pint-size countries and remote atolls. From Langkawi, Malaysia, we sailed to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka (see “A Fresh Welcome,” Jan. 2016). After a few weeks there, we spent time in the Maldives, a chain of 1,192 islands where they speak Dhivehi and spend ruﬁyaas. Then it was Chagos, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, where no one but researchers and sailors in transit across the Indian Ocean is currently permitted to visit. Next we sailed on to the Seychelles, with its granite peaks and gorgeous beaches; Comoros, the third-smallest African nation by area; Madagascar; Mozambique; and South Africa. Our 13-year-old daughter, Maia, accused us of choosing the route as a geography lesson, especially after we admitted we’d never heard of Comoros. In truth, we were swayed by the fact that four other
RISKS & REWARDS EXHILARATING. FRUSTRATING. WONDERFUL. CROSSING THE INFAMOUS INDIAN OCEAN ON THEIR CATAMARAN PROVED TO BE ALL OF THIS AND MORE FOR AN ADVENTUROUS FAMILY CIRCLING THE GLOBE.
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With a bit of planning (and some luck), ďŹ ve kid boats converged on Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives, for days of swimming and beachcombing.
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THE CLEAR WATER, PRETTY REEFS AND WHITE SAND BEACHES OF ULIGAMU ALMOST MADE UP FOR THE HOURS SPENT DRIFTING THERE IN STEAMY WEATHER.
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“teen boats” would be making the trip at the same time as us. If we were going to journey into the dual unknowns of adolescence and the Indian Ocean, why not do it in company?
WHAT ABOUT PIRATES?
W
Off with a Bang Even though it’s known as an ocean of big weather and strong currents, it was the threat of pirates that caused a drop in the number of cruisers willing to take on the
Indian Ocean. Recently there’s been an international effort to control piracy, and while our proposed route technically put us inside the “box” where yacht insurance wouldn’t cover us for such acts, shipping
e would never go anywhere we didn’t feel safe. That said, during our passage from the Maldives to Mozambique, we were technically just inside the high-risk area where our yacht insurance wouldn’t cover us for acts of piracy. In December 2015, the HRA was reduced, and the new HRA is as follows (though other insurance companies may have different borders): Qin the Red Sea: northern limit latitude 15 degrees N; Q in the Gulf of Oman: northern limit
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assessments showed we were steering clear of the dangerous areas (see “What About Pirates?” below). During our 1,100-nautical-mile passage from Langkawi to Trincomalee, pirates
Reasoning with Monsoons Lasting six days, the 720-mile passage from Sri Lanka to Uligamu, Maldives, was the slowest we’d ever made. It also helped establish the pattern that endured for the Indian Ocean, where sailing alternated between too little or too much wind, with too few miles gained in the sweet spot of 12 to 20 knots. The clear water, pretty reefs and white sand beaches of Uligamu almost made up for the hours spent drifting there in steamy weather. Jumping in almost as soon as we arrived (after checking when the officials were due), we found ourselves eye to eye with unicorn ﬁsh and surgeonﬁsh. A short time later our agent, Assad, arrived along with the officials, a gift of ice cream, and the kind of unﬁltered openness we discovered was characteristic of Maldivians. Want to know a Maldivian’s take on religion, politics or multiple wives? Just ask. Every morning, sailing dhows set off from Nosy Be, Planning our route Madagascar, to deliver necessities to neighboring through the Maldives villages (left). Evan explores the islands in was made more Moramba Bay, Madagascar (above). fascinating because of a change in the tourism laws. Until 2010, when the new laws that Sri Lankan ﬁshing crews love to went into effect, most villages were offtrade, but having a brightly painted craft limits. Sailors were allowed to visit only with a waving crew make a beeline toward you is still intimidating. Happily, the trade a few select ports and, if they felt like splurging, a couple of restaurants at resulted in a large mahimahi in exchange the 112 secluded private-island resorts. for a container of orange juice. But changing laws led to new cruising The next morning we were welcomed itineraries. Not only could we explore into Trincomalee by officials who were uninhabited islands and the tried-andclearly bemused by the relatively large true ports of Uligamu, Kulhudhuffushi, number of yachts that were suddenly Hulhumale and Gan, but the whole making the once off-limits harbor their country was suddenly accessible. Sri Lankan port of call. While the eastThis meant we had the run of hundreds coast anchorage is great, until additional of islands, scattered among 26 atolls ports are opened to cruisers, the big running down the country’s 520-nauticalreason to visit Sri Lanka is the inland mile length. Because only a few are travel. In a weeklong trip, we covered highlighted in any sort of cruising guide tea plantations, national parks, ancient
latitude 22 degrees N; eastern limit longitude 65 degrees E; southern limit latitude 5 degrees S. During our crossing we paid careful attention to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre’s website (icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre) for details about acts of piracy. If we had felt it was warranted, we would have changed our route and headed south to the Mascarenes, or gone into “stealth mode” on the AIS so we would stop reporting our position publicly.
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cities and more. Highlights included cycling among the early Buddhist stupas in Anuradhapura and seeing a leopard in Wilpattu National Park.
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were indeed the farthest thing from my mind on a star-ﬁlled night when we collided with something solid. Whatever we struck stopped us with a jarring shudder but thankfully didn’t penetrate the hull. We later learned we’d breached our port false bow and taken a chunk out of our daggerboard, but that night, reassured all was well, Evan and Maia headed back to sleep. Charlie the cat and I hunkered down in the moonlight and peered into the distance, scanning the horizon for boats. The ﬁrst vessel we spotted on this passage appeared on Evan’s watch just as we closed with the Sri Lankan coast. Friends on other boats had mentioned
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The same weather that kept us harborlagoons and abundant reefs, and then or have all-weather anchorages, a visit to bound had delayed the supply ships, and another small village, where we learned the Maldives required a combination of several boat crews had been waiting more the ancient Maldivian game of bashi ball. old-fashioned adventurous seamanship than a week for fresh food. Locals were and the judicious use of modern waiting as well, and every time a supply South of the Equator technology: We checked the charts to ship came in, there was a race to the As April pushed into May, we continued pinpoint a potential anchorage and then grocery stores to buy up whatever was south, deeper into the hulhangu. As we downloaded images from Google Earth available. Eventually Evan and I headed neared the equator, the weather continued to help with navigation. out individually, and we both struck gold. to ﬂip-ﬂop between postcard-perfect and Understanding the weather was our Suddenly we had more than 120 eggs and not at all nice. Our favorite anchorages next step. Since ancient times, the enough extra potatoes and onions to had what we dubbed “catamaran parking” Maldivian people have organized their make us popular in Chagos. — shallow shelves of coral-free sand that lives around two seasonal monsoons. The For cruisers, Chagos’ Salomon Atoll is offered good holding when multiday northeast monsoon, called iruvai (which a fabled stop. It’s found 300 miles south squalls gave us whiteout rain and gusts to means “hot and dry”), is characterized of Gan and requires proof of medical 50 knots. Off one village, we had a daily by relatively gentle winds that are lovely evacuation and wreck removal insurance, visit from a ﬁshing boat that came by to for sailing. The southwest monsoon, as well as a 50-pound weekly called hulhangu (“hot and wet”), fee to get a 28-day yacht-intypically features storms and Route of Ceilydh transit permit. Once there, strong winds. Historically, we weren’t allowed unlimited hulhangu starts the second INDIA 20° N run of the place, but we could week of April, but the local travel between Ile Takamaka, ﬁshermen told us climate SRI LANKA with its lush bird life, dolphins change is altering the monsoons 10° N and manta rays, and the old and warned us to keep a Langkawi AFRICA Chagossian settlement on Ile constant eye on the weather. MALDIVES Equator Boddam, with its wells, crumCruising permits run for 30 MALAYSIA Revised High Risk Area bled jail, abandoned hospital days in the Maldives, but we Chagos Archipelago and ruined church. were spending two months 10° S In 2010, a marine protected exploring the country, so we SEYCHELLES area was created that covers stopped in the capital, Malé, COMOROS INDIAN OCEAN Nautical Miles the territorial waters of the to renew our cruising permit 20°S 0 1200 600 MADAGASCAR Chagos Archipelago, which and provision in the country’s 50° E 70° E 90° E 110° E has resulted in a reboundbigger grocery stores. We’d ing of ﬁsh, shark and seabird spent the previous month populations and a reef that’s considered offer fresh mangoes and to advise us to stay trying to come up with the perfect one of the most pristine in the world. where we were, warning that the seas in balance of uninhabited islands, remote On one snorkeling trip, we attracted the the Equatorial Channel were too rough for villages and tourist activities, and our puppylike attention of a young blacktip second month would be more of the same. transit into the Southern Hemisphere. reef shark and a green turtle. As Maia Finally the weather eased, and After a week in built-up Malé, we swam and dived with the turtle, we were we made our way to Addu Atoll, the headed to an uninhabited island in Ari mesmerized by the colors around us: Flusouthernmost in the Maldives. We Atoll, where a pod of dolphins became orescent lime green, pink, purple and wanted to buy four to ﬁve weeks of the main attraction after we discovered blue corals sprouted like wildﬂowers fresh provisions before continuing to they would swim near us whenever we Chagos, where we’d spend the transition dived on the reef. From there we visited time between cyclone seasons. The ﬁrst a small village where we befriended Opposite, clockwise from top: Ceilydh, a 40-foot Wood’s Meander catamaran, anclue that this might be a challenge was Mashood, a local who invited us to his chors at sunset off Haa Alif Atoll, Malwhen storekeepers would only sell us home for a dinner of mas huni (spicy dives. A procession of women attending four eggs at a time (and when tested, tuna and coconut), garudiya (ﬁsh soup) a wedding on Anjouan, Comoros, show about half of these were rotten); then we and barbecued ﬁsh. Then it was another off the gifts. Maia swims with a curious uninhabited island of pared-down beauty, discovered there was a general shortage turtle in Salomon Atoll, Chagos. of everything from apples to zucchini. with shady palms, white sand, iridescent
CROSSING THE INDIAN OCEAN ON A CATAMARAN
Southeast Asia to Sri Lanka: Easy sailing with light beam winds, with a chance of squalls in December and January, early in the season. Q Sri Lanka to Maldives: Light to no wind. Many boats carried enough fuel for the whole distance. Approaching the Maldives, the ocean currents get stronger, and there are lots of unlit ﬁshing nets. Have a waterproof ﬂashlight and sharp knives available in case you need to cut nets free at night. Q Maldives to Chagos: Can be a bumpy ride if the currents south of the Maldives hit the southwest winds. Watch for squalls later in the season. Q Chagos to Seychelles: Classic trade-wind sailing with the wind from well astern. Cats with a
DIANE SELKIRK; MAP BY SHANNON CAIN TUMINO
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A POD OF DOLPHINS BECAME THE MAIN ATTRACTION AFTER WE DIS COVERED THEY WOULD SWIM NEAR US WHENEVER WE DIVED ON THE REEF.
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big mainsail, small jib and swept-back shrouds don’t do well with straight downwind sailing. Our strategies included jibing downwind, so the main wasn’t pressed on the shrouds and the jib was kept full or running wing and wing, and dropping the main completely. Q Seychelles to Comoros (or Madagascar or Mayotte): A breezy, upwind passage that will be faster with a clean hull. (The warm waters of the Seychelles encourage a lot of marine growth.) Some cats opted to run their leeward engine at low speed to point higher. Falling off toward Comoros makes it easier to get to Madagascar once you are in that island’s giant wind shadow. For notes on each of the places we stopped, including fees and contact information, visit cruisingworld.com/1606indianocean.
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across the seaﬂoor, each one a more extraordinary shade than the last. Green Mountains, Shopping Malls After almost four months of sailing in the low-lying atolls of the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago, when we ﬁrst spotted the 2,969-foot Morne Seychellois, it seemed so gargantuan and unreal, it was almost as though we’d forgotten what elevation looked like. We didn’t know much about the Seychelles when we added the country
of 90,000 to our Indian Ocean cruising itinerary, other than that it had famed beaches and is the endemic home to a sensuously shaped coconut called the coco de mer. But, like the rest of our journey, the country of 115 islands turned out to be a wonderful surprise. A gorgeous combination of mountainous terrain, white beaches, coral reefs and cozy anchorages, the Seychelles seems like it was created with sailors in mind. The Seychelles also had dentists, which, after three months of a tooth-
ache, Evan was happy to see. I was excited about a hairdresser, and Maia was thrilled with the clothing stores. Where we were moored in Port Victoria, our closest neighbors were a number of newly hatched chicks in a heron rookery. Each day we’d admire the awkward young birds, but the speed with which the chicks grew made us realize the days were ﬂying by. Eventually, it was a hike up one of Mahé’s gorgeous trails that convinced us it was time to go sailing again. As well as
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BETWEEN THE CHALLENGES OF GETTING THERE AND CHECKING IN, COMOROS ISN’T AN EASY DESTINATION, BUT IT’S EXACTLY THE KIND WE HAD SET OFF TO FIND.
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Windy Ride to Comoros We don’t have a wind-speed indicator, but the boats around us on our 800-mile upwind passage from the Seychelles
to Comoros did. And my ear became calibrated. At 25 knots, the wind was a high-pitched moan that resonated at the same frequency I grind my teeth; 30 knots clenched my stomach and sounded to me just like anxiety. I found 20 knots much more comfortable. Fewer waves crashed into or washed over us, and both the cat and I could venture out of our seasick haze long enough to drink water and eat something. Fifteen knots sounded like exhaling — short lulls where the seas uncrumpled, and we could sail without crashes and bangs and a clenched jaw. Most of the passage was under staysail and double-reefed main, a few square meters of canvas catching all the power of the Indian Ocean wind as it compressed over Madagascar and hit Africa. We could have used some of that breeze earlier in the season.
coups since independence from France in 1974, the country is currently peaceful. Between the challenges of getting there and checking in, Comoros isn’t an easy destination. Yet after we got past details like arrival procedures (and costs) that seemed set at the whim of the officials, the fact that there’s no official garbage collection (much of it is burned at the edge of the sea or dumped into ravines), and the unusual version of French spoken there, we found that Comoros was exactly the kind of destination we had set off to ﬁnd. From the way the wind smells like tropical ﬂowers and the streets are scented with cloves, to the bright colors the women wear and the way the kids wave from dugout canoes, Comoros is almost cliché. The market is vibrant, the old town is intriguing, and the people are quick to smile and laugh (and return your change when you overpay and walk away).
Into Africa Comoros was the transition in our journey across the Indian Ocean. The quick 235-mile hop to Madagascar felt less like a division than our previous passages had. It was here that some of the 60 or so boats from the southern route converged with the northern-route boats and turned Nosy Be’s After the upwind passage to Anjouan, Comoros, a hike to take in the view of Mutsamudu (left) and the harbor harbor into a colorful was appreciated by the crew. Maia and some cruising “we’ve almost crossed kids had fun on the beach at Chagos (above). the Indian Ocean” party, set to a Malagasy beat. There was one more complicated crossing The best part of a hard passage is to go. But before we set out on a perfect the last few miles, after you sight land sailing breeze, we had spiced rum to taste and, if you’re lucky, the wind and seas and lemurs to visit. drop to the point where you can catch Maybe not knowing where you’re going your breath and prepare for arrival isn’t such a bad thing. Cruising seems to be formalities. Our landfall in Anjouan, so much about preparing (and sometimes Comoros, was perfect: The wind overpreparing) that it can be easy to miss decreased to 10 knots, and the seas the adventure of simply setting sail and settled from over three meters to one. seeing where life takes you. The northern We had calm weather to tidy up, shower, route across the Indian Ocean has too and wash salt off the ceiling from when much wind, and too little wind, and too a wave had broken over the cabin, much bureaucracy. It’s also beautiful and bouncing up through the cockpit and in friendly and colorful. It’s a perfect cruising through the companionway. experience and a difficult one. It’s a route Comoros is 99 percent Muslim and I’d recommend with my whole heart. one of the poorest countries in the world. The population speaks some French but After stops in South Africa and Namibia, Diane mostly an Arabic dialect of Swahili. The Selkirk and her family are heading out across economy is primarily agricultural, with the Atlantic aboard their 40-foot Wood’s Meanpeople growing vanilla, cloves and ylangder catamaran, Ceilydh. ylang. Despite experiencing more than 20
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boasting rare carnivorous pitcher plants, the Glacis Trois Frères trail offered a magniﬁcent view of the easterly islands in the archipelago, including Praslin and La Digue. It was this vista that sent us to the grocery stores to stock up and then to the port captain to check out, ﬁrst for the outer islands and then for Comoros.
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R I S K S & R E WA R D S
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CATEGORIC YES, TAKING A PAIR OF BRAND-NEW, FAST AND FINE FRENCH CATAMARANS — THE FOUNTAINE PAJOT LUCIA 40 AND THE LAGOON 42 — FOR TEST SAILS IN MIAMI DURING THE DEAD OF WINTER IS TOUGH DUTY. BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT.
BY HERB McCORMICK
A stormy morning on Biscayne Bay turned into an absolutely beautiful afternoon to put the new Lagoon 42 (left) and Fountaine Pajot’s Lucia 40 (right) through their paces.
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CALLY COOL BILLY BLACK
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he day began inauspiciously. Cracking the curtain of my hotel window in downtown Miami — directly across the street from Miamarina at Bayside, the site of last winter’s Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show, which had concluded the evening before — I had a ﬁne view of the sideways rain pelting the rush-hour traffic on Biscayne Boulevard, the leaden skies hanging low
and ominously over the neighboring high-rises, and the occasional ﬂash of distant lightning. It was a perfect morning for pulling up the covers, ordering room service and renting a movie, none of which was on my agenda. Nope, I had different plans. I was going sailing. Over the years, I’ve lost track of the number of boats I’ve tested and reviewed, though I’m certain I put the
hundredth in my wake many moons ago. Most of the time, the boats are neat and it’s a blast. In some instances, the vessels are ill-prepared and not ready for prime time, or the breeze fails to materialize, and it’s either boring or an ordeal (and sometimes both). Rarely does the weather devolve to the point where the whole exercise becomes dodgy and dangerous, but it does happen.
Even at the worst moments, however, I count myself lucky: Not everyone gets paid to put ﬂashy new boats through their paces. In any event, as I stuffed my backpack with notepads, cameras and foul-weather gear, on this morning I had no clue how the day would transpire, other than that I had scheduled two test sails aboard a pair of French cats that had
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SEA TRIALS
made their American debuts at the show a few days earlier: a late-morning session on the Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 and an afternoon appointment aboard the Lagoon 42. The radar app on my smartphone conﬁrmed the TV weatherman’s forecast: The current line of thunderstorms was quickly moving off the Florida coast, with clear skies to follow. What the wind would do, if anything, was an entirely different matter. Cautiously optimistic, I downed breakfast and headed over to the marina. Little did I know that one of my cooler, more agreeable days of boat reviewing was about to unfold.
boat reviewing — though this too is sometimes unavoidable — is to never test a brandnew boat with its brand-new owner. I know it’s hard to believe, but some new owners have reservations when I ask to set the spinnaker or shake out a reef in building breeze, or to roll their lovely vessel into a death turn under power
at 2,800 rpm. Go ﬁgure. So I was a little taken aback when I stepped aboard to shake hands with Steve Clawson, the justiﬁably proud owner of Love Knot, hull number two of the Lucia 40 line. Steve in turn introduced me to a pair of strapping young bucks from Annapolis, Maryland, where the boat was
After purchasing their Lucia 40, retired Navy officer Steve Clawson and his wife, Luz Marina (below center), traveled to France with their kids to check out their new cat’s progress. Their new Lucia 40 provides sweeping views from the main cabin (bottom) and plenty of comfort down below (left).
LUCIA 40: The Owner The sky had cleared and bright sunshine was drying the stilldamp docks as I made my way down a pier to rendezvous with the crew of the Lucia 40, who’d just tied up after an earlier test sail with
several of my fellow scribes from other sailing magazines. (I like my colleagues but avoid group boat tests whenever possible; I prefer to have the undivided attention of the builder or their representative so I can ask stupid questions free from embarrassment.) It was pretty clear from their expressions, which were as limp and still as the drooping ﬂags on the dockside displays, that their outing had not been an exhilarating experience. “Good luck,” said an old writer friend as we passed each other. “There’s not a breath of air out there. It’s ﬂat calm.” Another cardinal rule of
FOUNTAINE PAJOT; COURTESY OF STEVE CLAWSON (TOP); BILLY BLACK (OPPOSITE)
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accent the wraparound coachroof windows. With the clear objective of maximizing space, every item on the boat appears to have been given a lot of thought. As on many modern cats, a sliding-glass door and dropdown window separate the cockpit and the main cabin; when everything is opened up, the two distinct areas merge into one open ﬂoor plan. Naturally, the centralized L-shaped galley straddles the cockpit and the saloon, putting the cook squarely in the middle of everyone and everything. A big L-shaped settee opposes the galley and shares
fore and aft with inviting double berths and private heads. But it’s the owner’s suite to starboard — in what Fountaine Pajot calls the Maestro layout — that’s arguably the nicest spot on the cat. A desk and vanity in the middle of the cabin are sandwiched between a large double berth aft and an enclosed head, with a huge dedicated shower stall forward. It’s a terriﬁc layout. As we motored out of the marina, bound for Biscayne Bay, Steve handed over the helm to his professional delivery skipper, Jordan Peacock, and we repaired to the trampolines for a good old gam. I found Steve’s personal sailing story every bit as intriguing as his new ride.
H
Once into Biscayne Bay, with downtown Miami in the distance, we rendezvoused with a ﬁlling sea breeze and got underway. The Lucia 40 performed well in the light air.
nounced outer rails for the two sets of transom steps (with a swim ladder on the starboard set). A solid canopy that also hosts the beam-width traveler on its aft edge caps the cockpit. A pair of portlights in each hull pour natural light into the staterooms below and
a seat corner for the desk and navigation station. Spatially, these bookend features are both functional and fun. From the inside looking out, the coachroof windows offer arresting views. To port, down four steps, the boat sports staterooms
aving grown up on a landlocked farm in Indiana, when it came time for college, Steve was eager to see both the water and the world. A commission to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis provided an avenue to both. Though he’d fussed around with small boats on Midwest lakes, at the Academy he truly learned to sail, and a posting to a Puerto Rico duty station at the outset of his career provided the opportunity to purchase his ﬁrst boat, a 20-foot wooden sloop aboard which he happily explored the nearby Spanish Virgin Islands. For many years after, constant moves made boat ownership impossible, though he continued to hone his skills at Navy sailing clubs when posted to bases in Newport, Rhode Island, and other locales. By 2008, having retired from the Navy and working as a consultant based near Annapolis, he was ready to again take the ownership plunge and bought a locally built Gemini catamaran from Performance Cruising. Though most of his sailing had been in monohulls, Steve;
his wife, Luz Marina; and their family loved the space of the cat and the fact that they could take novice sailors and kids out on Chesapeake Bay with no worries. But he was also thinking about a bluewater boat he could cruise farther aﬁeld. And while he’d chartered boats frequently in the Caribbean over the years, including many monohulls, some of his best trips had been aboard Fountaine Pajot cats like the Mahé 36 and Bahia 46. At the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show in 2015, he saw the drawings of the company’s new Lucia 40, and a week later he put down a deposit for one of the ﬁrst to come off the line. A trip to last winter’s Paris Boat Show, where hull number one was unveiled, and a coinciding visit to the Fountaine Pajot yard in La Rochelle to see his own boat under construction — he’d toured countless manufacturing facilities over the years, and was impressed by the craftsmanship, the cleanliness and the quiet, all of which he likened to an art studio — convinced him he’d made the right choice. That was conﬁrmed when the boat arrived in Fort Lauderdale and, with Jordan and a third hand, he sailed the boat across the Gulf Stream and back in heavy weather and big seas for a photo shoot in Bimini. The Lucia 40 handled her maiden voyage with aplomb, recording nearly 12 knots of boat speed in 25 knots of breeze. Now, out on Biscayne Bay, the gently ruffled waters signaled the impending arrival of a fresh sea breeze. Nice. We put the throttle down to motor out and greet it. Like most new owners have, Steve had upgraded the twin Yanmar 20-horsepower diesels to the 30-horsepower options, and we skidded along nicely at 6.3 knots at 2,100 rpm and 7.3 knots at 2,800 rpm.
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bound after Miami. Clearly, these lads weren’t Frenchmen from Fountaine Pajot; in fact, there wasn’t a company rep in sight. It appeared it would be the four of us. Steve asked if I was ready to go sailing. Mate, I was born ready. I’d already taken the opportunity to poke around the Lucia 40 earlier, during the show. Visually and stylistically, the Olivier Racoupeau design has a lot going on. In proﬁle, the hulls feature aggressive plumb bows and reverse sheer lines that rise unexpectedly amidships before tapering aft into what look like reverse transoms but are actually pro-
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THE RADAR APP ON MY SMARTPHONE CONFIRMED THAT THE STORMS WERE MOVING OFF THE COAST. WHAT THE WIND WOULD DO WAS ANOTHER MATTER.
LAGOON 42: The Builders If my midday Lucia 40 sea trial was a mellow stroll in the park, my afternoon Lagoon 42 excursion was an enjoyable scramble up a tall peak. Such are the differences between a light-air foray under main My mouth was dry and palms sweaty as we approached the Rickenbacker Causeway under the Lagoon 42’s big asymmetric spinnaker (above). One of the design’s themes was maximizing living space, as in the owner’s stateroom (right).
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and jib and a full-on test of a complete sail inventory in punchier breeze with a couple of professional rock-star French sailors. I’d had the distinct pleasure of sailing with Lagoon’s director, Yann Masselot, on several earlier occasions, but this was my ﬁrst outing with Olivier
d’Enquin, a bundle of kinetic energy who works in France handing over new Lagoons from the boatyard to their eager new owners. Obviously, the job requires a talented, supportive sailor. Apparently, neither Yann nor Olivier had yet sailed the 42, which had been rushed to Miami on a
freighter just in time for the boat show. And they were very anxious to put her through her paces. (Quick aside: It takes conﬁdent builders to share their inaugural sail on a new design with an inquisitive sailing journalist just dying for something calamitous, or rather, interesting to happen.)
COURTESY OF LAGOON YACHTS; HERB MCCORMICK (OPPOSITE)
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The breeze wasn’t howling, but with a steady 6 to 8 knots, we had enough to go sailing. The big, fully battened squaretop main was hoisted with the aid of a Lewmar electric winch — who doesn’t enjoy push-button sailing? — and once the genoa was unfurled, we began tacking upwind at over 5 knots, making good progress considering the light air. With all lines led to the raised helm station (including a clever continuous line setup for the traveler, the most important trimming tool on any performance cat), nicely shaded by a dedicated bimini, the Lucia was simple and easy to operate, with a light helm. After a while, I turned it over to Steve with exquisite timing as photographer Billy Black picked the ideal moment to wheel alongside in his photo boat. Everyone else dashed below and hid so Billy could nab some hero shots of Steve in command, alone on his boat. So much for my rule about test sails with owners: Steve’s happiness was infectious. And he hopes to share that joy with other sailors in the future by offering the boat for charters on Chesapeake Bay and in the Virgin Islands, depending on the season (see loveknotsailing.com). Anyway, the combination of boat and crew couldn’t have been lovelier. Those morning showers were a distant memory.
MORE MIAMI MULTIHULLS
The Gemini Freestyle 37 can be laid out numerous ways, including with a hardtop and patio furniture.
F
ountaine Pajot and Lagoon may have been the largest catamaran builders to debut new boats during last winter’s Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show, but they weren’t the only ones. The most interesting of the other new cats, the Seawind 1160 Lite and the Gemini Freestyle 37, offered fresh, innovative takes on familiar, wellestablished platforms. Perhaps beﬁtting a boat that was conceived in Australia, the original Seawind 1160, of which well over 100 were built, was centered around the cockpit barbecue, a civilized idea if ever there was one. Pair that with the trifold door that opened the entire saloon and cockpit into one spacious central living area, and the 1160 packed a lot of cat into 38 feet. Happily, those features remain the centerpieces of the 1160 Lite, which is now built in Vietnam. What makes the newer version unique is the elimination of the twin inboard diesel engines, which have been replaced with a pair of Honda 20-horsepower outboard engines that tilt up or down electrically. In addition to opening up vast lockers aft for sails, scuba gear, water toys and so on, they are easily serviced and save signiﬁcant weight. And that’s been a theme throughout the
boat, which has a clean, revamped interior with less wood; PVC closedcell foam in the hulls; cored tables and furniture; a carbon-reinforced forward beam; and other innovations (like optional composite steering wheels) to keep the boat light and fast. The other load that has been lightened with the 1160 Lite is the cash in your wallet to purchase one. At around $359,000 for a spanking-new ride, the cat also represents signiﬁcant value. The Gemini Freestyle 37 continued the minimalist trend. The basic boat starts at under $150,000, and it is indeed basic, with an open deck platform that can be tricked out or outﬁtted in countless ways. Add a hardtop canopy and modular deck furniture, and you have a fun, fast daysailing picnic boat. Take it a step further with hull accommodations and built-in furniture from the factory, and you’ve got a simple but able cruising boat. Want a “green” version? Go with the solar panels and electric engine. Or just add rows of deck chairs, as one tropical entrepreneur has done, and you have a readymade sightseeing and snorkeling day-charter boat. Now built by Catalina in Florida and backed by the solid pedigree of Gemini’s other popular models,
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sible, including in the main cabin and the staterooms in the hulls. That trend is especially noticeable in the spacious main cabin, where the settees, cabinets and counter space are all maxed out to the picture windows; in the ﬁve gradual steps that lead to the owner’s stateroom, to starboard; in the stateroom itself, where the extra space is utilized for access to the large double berth; and in the lockers, seat and shelves in the stateroom’s centralized desk and settee. When I arrived at the Lagoon in midafternoon, Yann was noticeably antsy. Let’s just say that the show workers charged with breaking down the docks and ﬁnger piers had not been in any particular hurry, and Yann and Olivier were extremely ready to break out of the corral and gallop into the open range. About a nanosecond after the last offending pier was moved, we were underway, with dispatch. It felt like a jailbreak. “Where to?” Yann asked. We had two choices: motor out of Government Cut and into the open Atlantic, or retrace my earlier steps on the Lucia 40 by heading back under the Rickenbacker Causeway and into Biscayne Bay. I had no idea if there was wind in the ocean but was sure about the bay, so suggested the latter. There was only one problem: The mast on the Lagoon is 68 feet tall, we weren’t entirely sure about the causeway clearance, and the chart plotter was not yet loaded. So I hailed photographer Billy Black on the VHF, and after double-checking his charts, he reported that the bridge was 78 feet high. No worries. Except that, as we made our approach, the distance between the top of our stick and the bottom of the causeway sure didn’t look like 10 feet. Yann shot me a glance, and I shrugged in return. At which point he put the dual throttles down. “If something happens, we can always blame Billy,” he said. Luckily, we made it under unscathed.
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They also had a couple of crisp new reaching and running sails they hoped to check out. Would I mind? Why, not at all, mon amis. Let’s get this party started. As with the Lucia, I’d had a thorough tour of the Lagoon during the show and come away impressed. Perhaps more than any other cat builder, Lagoon has achieved a consistent look across the brand with its distinctive coachroof treatments — speciﬁcally the tinted, wraparound, turretlike windows and overhanging eyebrow. You know a Lagoon when you see one. Yet with the 42, the yard has also pulled off a pretty difficult achievement by producing a yacht that looks reassuringly familiar but is in fact brimming with fresh, innovative ideas. For example, there’s been a concerted effort by naval architect Patrick Le Quément, in collaboration with VPLP design, to create spaces that ﬂow naturally from one to the next, making the simple act of moving about the boat effortless and intuitive. From the low, suspended teak transom steps; to the two series of steps up from the cockpit to either the raised helm station, to port, or the wide, clear side decks; to the three steps that lead from the “winch station,” adjacent to the wheel, to the coachroof platform, which is home to both a daybed and a trio of ﬂat solar panels, the 42 is a boat that practically invites you to roam around. As with other recent Lagoons, the entire sail plan and rig have been shifted aft, which opens up the foretriangle and the option to set any number of downwind sails. This translates to a shorter boom, but that’s compensated for with the full-battened square-top main. Combined with the standard self-tacking jib, the working sails have plenty of drive yet are easily managed. In the accommodation plan, the builder’s major theme was maximizing living space by utilizing the full beam and pushing things outward as much as pos-
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And there was more good news: The breeze had built a bit more and was locked in at 10 knots — still a little light, but pretty darn good. After powering into clear water, making 7.4 knots with the twin 57-horsepower Yanmars at 2,000 rpm and 8.7 knots at 2,400 rpm, in seconds ﬂat my talented, capable crew hoisted the main and unfurled the self-tacking jib, and we shut down the engines. The silence was golden. Tacking through about 100 degrees, closehauled on starboard tack, we easily clocked along at better than 6 knots. Oddly, on port tack, we couldn’t quite register the same speed, making 5.7 knots. I’m guessing the rig still required a little tweaking on this inaugural sail. Cracking off, in went the jib and out came the code zero, a CAT CONTACTS For more information on the boats reviewed in this article, visit the company websites: Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 (fountaine-pajot.com)
Gemini Freestyle 37 (geminicatamarans.com/ freestyle37)
Lagoon 42 (cata-lagoon.com)
TRU 32 (truyachts.com)
Xquisite X5 (xquisiteyachts.com)
sweet, perfectly cut Mylar sail set off a dedicated sprit that immediately gave us a nice burst of speed, with the 42 skimming across the bay at just under 8 knots. Hard on the breeze, you wouldn’t want to ﬂy the code zero in any more wind (though you could certainly crack off with it), but it was just perfect for the ﬁne conditions. But Yann and Olivier weren’t ﬁnished. After our trials, they too were planning on sailing to Bimini for a photo shoot (they’d have the same boisterous conditions as the crew on the Lucia did, and at
one point had the 42 scooting along at better than 16 knots), and they had one more sail they’d like to set, a whopper of an asymmetric kite. Did I want to check it out? Gentlemen, knock yourselves out. It went up without a hitch, and after a couple of jibes, we were soon joined by a big group of Lagoon personnel and prospective clients enjoying an outing on the Lagoon 630 MY power cat. By this time we’d spun around and were heading back to the marina by way of the Rickenbacker Causeway. I was quite enjoying my time at the helm when Yann gave me a nod. I understood exactly what he meant. Did I want to sail under it? Now, I had a general sense that this might not be an entirely legal maneuver. And the fact that there was a large audience in a huge cat right on our hip was kind of daunting. So too was the perception that the beam of the 42 was not appreciably smaller than the span between the bridge’s central piers. For this test, a writer from another magazine had joined us. She seized the moment to helpfully interject a vote of conﬁdence: “OK, pressure’s on.” I’ll credit the Lagoon 42’s effortless tracking and pinpoint steering for permitting us to pass through uneventfully. Once safely clear, the power cat sidled alongside and passed over a few ice-cold beers. Their timing was wonderful; in all the excitement, my mouth had become very dry. We’ll be revisiting both the Lucia 40 and the Lagoon 42 this fall, during our 2017 Boat of the Year tests. I have a strong sense both boats will be solid contenders. As I gathered my things and headed back to the hotel, I couldn’t recall conducting two tests where the weather and venue had been so similar but the actual experiences so different. If only every day at the office, I thought, were just like this one. Herb McCormick is Cruising World’s executive editor.
The Seawind 1160 Lite sports familiar lines (top), but a revamped interior (above) and outboard engines (left) are signiﬁcant changes.
the Freestyle 37 is one of the more original cats to come down the line in some time. The only limit to it is your imagination. Speaking of compact catamarans, that’s the very deﬁnition of the South African-built TRU 32, a fully found cruising cat that’s just 32 feet long. This seagoing RV will appeal to adventuresome sailors who appreciate a lot of features in a diminutive
package. Look for it this fall at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, where it will surely draw curious cruisers. Unfortunately, another builder launching a new cat from South Africa, Tamas Hamor of Xquisite Yachts, didn’t have time to get his new 50-foot X5 cat to Miami, though he drew plenty of visitors to his booth with a tour of the boat via virtualreality headsets. He also plans to show the boat in Annapolis, where his luxury cat will turn heads in real time.- H.M.
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MULTIPLE CHOICES THERE’S NO ROOM FOR DEBATE: MULTIHULLS HAVE BECOME VIABLE MAINSTREAM CRUISING PLATFORMS THAT ARE HERE TO STAY. THE QUESTION NOW IS HOW THEIR DESIGNS WILL TRANSFORM AND EVOLVE.
B Y A LVA H S I M O N
For many designers and builders of contemporary cruising catamarans, the delineation of indoor and outdoor spaces no longer exists: Open floor plans reign supreme. But there’s more than one way to, pardon the expression, skin a cat. For example, the Bali 4.3 Loft separates the main cabin from the cockpit with a large folding door that can be raised to transform those once disparate areas into one common living space (above left and center). The Bavaria Open 40, however, takes a decidedly different tack (above right). Like the Bali, it features a fixed bimini over the cockpit. But the Open 40 is equipped with roll-down flaps on each side of the cockpit. When raised, and with the main doors open, the space is wide and inviting.
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ormally, any article concerning multihulls spends half its ink comparing them to monohulls. Hopefully, in previously tackling this topic (see “The Great Divide,” June 2015), I’ve made my position clear: This sometimes contentious debate over the merits of these different crafts is done and dusted. Catamarans and trimarans are popular and viable cruising platforms that deserve serious discussion and consideration. At issue now is the rapid development of multihull concepts, designs and construction. While the recent popularity of catamarans may suggest a paradigm shift, multihulls are not immune to the age-old forces of physics. Their performance characteristics are still determined by hull form, windage, weight, sail area-todisplacement ratio and lateral resistance. Thus they come in all shapes and sizes, spanning the spectrum from ﬂying foils to rooftop party platforms. Yet there were salient themes running through the Best Multihull Cruiser category in Cruising World’s 2016 Boat of the Year contest. The focus seemed to be on enhanced open ﬂow between indoor and outdoor living spaces, more and larger lounging areas, improved visibility, and loads of natural light. The Bali 4.3 took the most radical approach to the indoor/ outdoor issue by simply eradicating that delineation. The builders took out the main bulkhead that normally divides and deﬁnes those spaces and installed a hull-spanning drop-down door aft. When the door is raised (with the help of an electric motor), the entire boat is transformed into one outdoor area. When the door
is down, the space is enclosed from rain, wind and spray. The company calls this conﬁguration the “loft mode,” and not since the Maine Cat series have we seen such unobstructed expanses. This design eliminates the need for two dining tables and connects the galley directly to the main social area. The traditional forward trampoline has been glassed over and surrounded by cushioned seating with a footwell, replete with twin cocktail tables to create yet another spacious social area (see “Bali High,” p. 99). The cabin deadlight forward incorporates a drop-down window that ventilates the entire vessel and connects the forward area to the entire boat. Because the cabin of the 4.3 is entirely enclosed, the helm had to be elevated to starboard in a ﬂybridge setup. That required lifting the boom for safe clearance, which raises the sail plan’s center of effort substantially while reducing the mainsail area, both detriments to high performance. Bavaria collaborated with the French cat builder Nautitech, which it now owns, to create the Bavaria Open 40, named the Best Multihull Cruiser for 2016. Designer Marc Lombard has struck a nuanced balance between smooth performance, increased recreational space and open ﬂow. Addressing the importance of performance, even our high priest of traditionalism, L. Francis Herreshoff, once said, “The fun of sailing is proportional to the speed of sailing.” And even without the daggerboards that usually deﬁne high-performance catamarans, plenty of joy will be discovered in the Open 40’s nar-
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Renowned multihull designer Chris White developed the concept of forward doors and cockpits on cruising cats. Some builders have employed that space for sailhandling, paired with an indoor steering station. On Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Atlantic 47 MastFoil (top left), the functional cockpit is arranged to accommodate both the helmsman and the sail trimmers. On the Leopard 40, however, the opening door forward does not lead to a cockpit but instead serves as a passageway (top right). On larger cats like the colossal Ipanema 58, space is not an issue, as evident in its wide-open cockpit (bottom).
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on the upper deck lies an enormous area with cocktail tables, high-backed lounge seats, a wet bar, refrigeration and a barbecue area. You can almost hear someone ask, “Sir, madam, would you perhaps like to sit at the bar while your table is being prepared?” As for lounging spaces on the 58, take your pick — the enormous expanse forward, the voluminous protected cockpit, or a cruise-ship-proportioned sun deck aft of the upper lounge area. All sailing functions lead directly to the central bridgedeck helm, which offers excellent visibility when docking. It is protected from the sun with a notably small bimini and from spray with an equally small splash screen. If it feels a bit open to the elements, remember that, in fairness, the design’s core concept is based on chasing the endless summer, so the upper steering station probably won’t see much use on tempestuous days when the autopilot takes over. Inherent in all contemporary catamaran designs are sleeping quarters located below the sunny main-deck level, down in the hulls. Following the “let there be light” trend, all of 2016’s multihull nominees created ample interior brightness with multiple deadlights in the hulls and hatches above. Putting the extra cost aside, recessing those hatches at deck level would greatly enhance safe and unimpeded ﬂow forward. Other noticeable trends? The mainsheet traveler, which in the past was often found running along the aft coaming, has almost universally been moved to the top of the hard bimini. This clears the cockpit and opens the space for recreational use, as seen
THE MULTIHULL VS. MONOHULL MATTER IS DONE AND DUSTED. NOW THE ISSUE IS HOW CATS WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND DEVELOP.
Author and adventurer Alvah Simon, a two-time circumnavigator and CW editor-at-large, served on the judging panel for the 2016 Boat of the Year competition.
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to good effect in the Open 40, which installed a plush seat and backrest there. Water toys are integral to the modern cruising lifestyle. All the cats boasted built-in stowage facilities for kayaks, surfboards and paddleboards. The Voyage 480 even had designated stowage lockers for scuba gear. Meanwhile the ease of entrance aft, from the water, was well thought out across the board, with low platforms, drop-down ladders and good handholds. A tacit assumption that twin rudders are sufficient steering redundancy was found in the minimal attention to emergency steering mechanisms, except on the Open 40, which, despite having the built-in redundancy of twin helms, also provided good access to the rudderheads and space to swing emergency tillers. With the expansion of social spaces on the foredeck, multihull galleys are being swung around on many designs to a forwardfacing orientation. Multiple cabins mean larger crews to feed. Increasingly, those galleys are being equipped with standard-size kitchen appliances. None of these trends are relevant to those who feel the need to go bashing about the northern ice ﬁelds. Rather, they are responses to an unabashedly languid, recreational market with tropical sailing in mind. But I believe that at the core of this movement, there is also an important social component. Quite simply, people want to share these white sand, aqua-blue experiences with family and friends. And modern multihull manufacturers have focused on providing the platforms, amenities and space — both private and communal — to optimize that quest.
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BILLY BLACK, ALVAH SIMON (TOP RIGHT), COURTESY OF FOUNTAINE PAJOT (BOTTOM)
row hulls, generous standard sail area (980 square feet) and clever weight-saving gimmicks. For example, instead of running wires from every single light ﬁxture to a switch on the wall and back to the ﬁxture, the Open 40’s switching mechanism has been incorporated into the light itself. It may not sound like much of a savings until one calculates the many hundreds of feet of wire (and, by extension, weight) that’s been eliminated. That attention to weight reduction throughout the boat translates into a lean 7.8 tons of displacement over 40 feet of waterline. Like the Bali, the Open 40 features a ﬁxed bimini over the length of the cockpit, but with roll-down side ﬂaps. When the main doors (located in a traditional cabin bulkhead) are open, this creates a single large space between the interior saloon and the exterior cockpit. Because the large cockpit table is so well protected, only a small cocktail table is required within. This space doubles as the navigation station, and when the table is dropped down and cushions are inserted, it becomes a perfectly secure playpen for toddlers. Lombard has tapered the bimini in such a way that twin helms are neatly tucked in at deck level, but well outboard and aft, resulting in outstanding visibility from either steering station. This emphasis on visibility and light is apparent throughout the vessel, as in the wraparound front deadlights with minimal sills to impede the view. Recessed diesel ﬁlls and a water catchment system built into the bimini are just two of many clever features found on the 40 that I hope will catch on with other builders. The Leopard cats, no doubt inspired by the work of designer Chris White, further popularized the forward cockpit theme with a stout door opening from the main saloon directly forward, eliminating the need to go aft and around the coachroof to reach the foredeck. On larger models, the builder created a cockpitlike area with seats and a table. In the Leopard 40, however, this is simply a passage. The Leopard bucks the aforementioned trend in open ﬂoor plans; rather than meld living spaces, the builders intentionally broke them up into well-deﬁned areas of privacy, providing the option of sun and breeze forward or shade and protection aft, as well as a choice of indoor or outdoor dining at two substantial tables. Visually, these areas are all connected by very large deadlights, so there is no sense of conﬁnement. Their interior volume was substantially increased by adding two inches to the hull width, but only from the waterline up, which should not impact performance. Ultimately, however, extra space equates to extra weight, and this approach will reach a point of diminishing returns. By maintaining an interior saloon dining area and a cockpit dining area offset to port, the Voyage 480 featured the most traditional layout of this year’s entrants. The company kept the relatively small, disc-shaped hardtop and eschewed any physical connection with the foredeck. The boat’s proportions are well balanced, resulting in an attractive vessel (see “Hassle-Free Sailing,” p. 98). One distinctive feature is the lack of dinghy davits aft. The Voyage instead has two adjustable rubber notches for the keel of the tender to sit in on the aft crossbeam. At 58 feet in length and with 29 feet of beam, Fountaine Pajot’s Ipanema 58 has no need to be overly clever with space. Instead, the company has seemingly done everything in triplicate (see “Tall Order,” p. 97). There is a large cockpit area with a table for 10 and separate, commodious cushioned seating. The main saloon sports its own large convertible cocktail/dining table, and
BALANCE 526
IN A SWEET SPOT THE BALANCE 526 IS A TRUE COUPLE’S CRUISING CAT YOU’LL WANT TO TAKE SAILING AND ANCHORING.
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blend of cost containment and above-average strengthto-weight ratios. The cores are vacuum-bagged for thorough bonding, including in the interior bulkheads and furniture. Throughout the boat, ﬁber-to-resin ratios are artfully managed. “Jonathan Paarman has a no-stainless fetish,” says The all-epoxy Balance 526 is a performance-oriented couple’s cruising boat (above). Its articulating wheel can be raised or lowered so the skipper can steer from above or below the cockpit hardtop (right).
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n the world of cruising catamarans, a debate has been raging for more than 20 years: Payload or performance? The palaver started in the mid1990s, when cats began rolling out in increasing numbers for larger populations of sailors, including charterers. The boats were marketed on the basis of two mutually exclusive promises: their displacementbusting speed potential or their capacity to carry all the comforts of a well-appointed apartment. Sailors snarked about roomarans, the boats you might want to take anchoring but never sailing. At the other end of the cat spectrum were thoroughbreds marketed to couples but in fact sailed by pro crews. The Balance 526 was forged in the smithy of this debate. “We’re not creating a charter cat, and we’re not creating a racing cat,” says Phil
Berman, owner of Balance Catamarans. “We’re creating a high-performance cruising cat for a couple to sail on.” If the 526 isn’t the ﬁrst model Berman created with those aims in mind, it is certainly the most successful. What’s the secret in this boat? It starts with Berman’s build partners at Nexus Yachts (see “The Artisan Cat Builders of South Africa,” p. 82). Through a rare mix of world-class talent in building composite structures and labor rates that allow a builder to competitively market a 25,000-man-hour product, Nexus has created a beautiful vessel. The hull is a sandwich of ﬁber with a closed-cell foam core, bonded together using only epoxy resin — the best boatbuilding resin available. The ﬁbers are E-glass with carbon reinforcement in the high-load areas, a good
Berman, referring to the chief laminator at Nexus Yachts. Handrails and posts for radar and antennas are all built from lightweight composites. I sailed hull number one in Cape Town, South Africa, shortly after it launched. Even loaded for long ﬁshing expeditions — including with a factory-installed ice ﬂaker — this boat was a special pleasure to sail. The hull form features a reverse bow and scoop transom for a long waterline, but no chines or other tricks that add cabin volume at the cost of hydrodynamic ﬂow. We sailed at 9.4 knots upwind in 11 knots of breeze; cracked off to 120 degrees apparent with a screacher up, we sailed at 12.3 knots. The cabin designs are a
result of hulls that were built for sailing. A head and massive stall shower occupy the aft end of the owner’s hull, while the master cabin lands near the hull’s centerline. A walk-around queen is placed athwartships and up on the bridgedeck. Guest accommodations are located in the port hull, with an athwartship bunk forward and an in-line berth in the aft cabin; a head and guest shower are located amidships. The helm station features an articulating wheel pedestal. On some monohulls, we’ve seen this arrangement as an alternative to twin helms. On the 526, it allows the helmsman to steer from one of two positions at the aft end of the cabin bulkhead: either “up,” with full, direct visibility of the deck and sails, or “down,” on the cockpit sole with full weather protection and visibility through the cabin’s windows — which are made from tempered glass, not Lexan, which can craze over time. Having joined the payloadversus-performance multihull debate for much of the past two decades myself, I stepped off the Balance 526 thinking it might just be the new scratch boat in that ﬁght. Tim Murphy is a CW editor-atlarge and a longtime Boat of the Year judge. For more photos and model speciﬁcations, go to cruising world.com/1606balance.
FORM AND FUNCTION
The Balance’s hull form avoids the bumps and chines some designers use to add interior volume while minimizing wetted surface. To make the most of the hull’s ﬁner ends and to ensure a proper owner’s cabin, a large head and separate shower are located in the relatively narrow aft end, and the master berth is located athwartships near the middle of the boat.
BILLY BLACK
BY TIM MURPHY
I PA N E M A 5 8
TALL ORDER LIKE THE GIRL IN THE SONG ON THE BEACH OF THE SAME NAME, WHEN FOUNTAINE PAJOT’S COLOSSAL IPANEMA 58 SAILS PAST, EACH ONE SHE PASSES GOES “AH.”
BILLY BLACK
t’s a famous tune, and many a crooner has given it his or her all, but for my money, only Frank Sinatra could do these lyrics justice: “Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking, and when she passes …” That, my friends, is entertainment. Fittingly, creating entertaining moments seems to be a major theme of the new Ipanema 58, from the French builder Fountaine Pajot. The company is well known for using clever place names for its ever-expanding series of comfortable cruising catamarans, and the iconic Brazilian beach seems appropriate for a sensual, sun-seeking machine. It’s also suitable in an ironic sense; after all, why bother visiting Copacabana, Ipanema or any other shoreside resort when you can just bring your own long, tall, personal beach scene right along with you? Yes, in every dimension, this is one gargantuan vessel (see “Multiple Choices,” p. 92), but before we get into the particulars, it must be established that the Ipanema is also one ﬁne sailboat. On her maiden transatlantic voyage from France to Maryland, the professional delivery crew registered a 245-nautical-mile day (averaging a nice round 10 knots) with a top boat speed of 16 knots in a 40-knot squall under headsail alone. Sweet. Our Boat of the Year tests
could work in a commercial kitchen, oodles more couches and settees, and of course a plethora of full-size appliances, including a fridge, dishwasher, washing machine and so on. That’s where you’ll ﬁnd me, hanging with the cooks. The accommodations, naturally, are equally luxurious. There are three different versions, including a six-cabin The Ipanema 58 is an impressive catamaran in every dimension, and under sail, the view from the ﬂybridge is commanding (above). It’s also a yacht with plenty of natural light and a spacious ﬂoor plan, particularly in the main cabin (right), which also houses the galley and nav station.
were conducted on a more languid Chesapeake Bay day in winds that plateaued at around 10 knots. Even then, the combination of the big square-topped main and roller-furling gennaker provided plenty of payload, powering the surprisingly nimble cat at almost 7 knots upwind and 7.5 slightly cracked off. And steering the boat from the elevated perch on the ﬂybridge, so far removed from the water, was an otherworldly experience — it seemed as if we were ﬂoating on air. Behind the wheel, I felt like a blimp pilot, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. But enjoyable sailing is only one of the boat’s objectives, and for some owners, I’d imagine, it won’t even be the primary one. This is a yacht aboard which you could throw
three or even four parties in different spaces at the same time, and none of the guests at any of them would be forced to commingle. At anchor in the islands, it would be hard to forgo the open-air pleasures of the upper deck and its commanding view, replete with lounges, sun pads and amenities (wet bar, refrigerator, barbecue) galore. Should showers threaten, the ample cockpit can easily seat a dozen or more under the shaded hardtop, with similar accouterments in the upstairs parlor. If the kids are rambunctious, simply send them forward to the spacious trampolines and accompanying daybeds. Everyone wins! Then there’s the main saloon, with the hideaway ﬂatscreen TV, an ample galley that
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charter layout — our Boat of the Year judges named the 58 the Best Charter Boat for 2016 — and a couple of other arrangements that incorporate a dedicated owner’s stateroom. With a seven-ﬁgure price tag, sadly, I probably won’t be one of those lucky owners. But I could totally get into a charter trip, and I’d even bring my music. Hey, is that Ol’ Blue Eyes?! Man, the Ipanema 58 strikes all the right chords. Herb McCormick is Cruising World’s executive editor. For more photos and model speciﬁcations, go to cruising world.com/1606ipanema.
ONE-STOP SAILHANDLING
Taming the Ipanema 58’s sail plan, with its large headsails and powerful square-topped mainsail, is a formidable challenge. But the designers of this mighty 58-footer have devised an elegant solution. Adjacent to the helm, a quartet of Antal XT 62 winches (three of four are electric) are aligned with two sets of line clutches and color-coded sheets and halyards. Nifty canvas bins keep lines neat.
june/july 2016
BY HERB MCCORMICK
VOYAGE 480
HASSLE-FREE SAILING WITH THE RIGOROUS DEMANDS OF THE CHARTER TRADE EMBEDDED IN ITS DNA, THE VOYAGE 480 IS DESIGNED TO KEEP THE MAINTENANCE LOG BRIEF WHILE YOU BULK UP ON SAILING MEMORIES. BY MARK PILLSBURY
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s I stepped aboard the new Voyage 480 catamaran last fall, I thought, “My, it would be easy to keep this baby looking good.” The boat had just sailed across the Atlantic to make its North American debut at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, and to be honest, she didn’t look a bit worse for wear. A little pre-show washdown had left the exterior gelcoat and stainless-steel hardware gleaming. Inside, composite paneling, acrylic counters, a rugged vinyl sole, and a distinct lack of woodwork to ding up blended into a Spartan but pleasant look that would be a breeze to keep spiffy. That’s no coincidence, as it turns out. The same company that builds Voyage catamarans in Cape Town, South Africa, manages them for owners and services them for charterers in Soper’s Hole, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. By design, Voyage’s cats — four models ranging from the 480 to a 60-footer — feature practical layouts and easily handled sail plans. They come packed with creature comforts and gear that make them luxurious to vacation upon — but with as little downtime as possible, so they can earn their keep. Voyage Yachts is a familyowned company that’s been building boats since 1994 to supply Voyage Charters, which opened two years later. About
In light winds, the speedo hovered at 5.5 knots closehauled and a little over 7 knots on a reach (above). The chef on board will appreciate the generous counter space (below).
40 percent of its boats are put to work carrying vacationers, and the remainder have been sold to private owners. Boat of the Year judge Tim Murphy began his discussion of the 480 with a few of the things he liked, including the fact that the builders “did some nice things to keep weight out of the boat,” like using cored furniture and doors. Murphy also praised the textured gelcoat panels used in the saloon and guest cabins, as well as the mainsheet handling system, which we’ll get to in a moment. With catamarans, there’s a direct link between weight and performance. By using foam coring in the hulls, deck and cockpit bimini, and vacuumbag construction to control the ﬂow of resin, the builder managed to produce one of the lightest boats we looked at — a displacement/length ratio of 116, the lowest of any
of the cats, and less even than the performance cruisers we test-sailed. And they did it without eliminating amenities like built-in dive-tank storage; a front-opening fridge and top-opening freezer, stove, oven, microwave, and ice maker in the galley; indoor and cockpit tables; and a hardtop bimini over the cockpit that incorporates a composite traveler arch. On that arch are attachment points on both sides to anchor two bridles that control the mainsail. By toying with the sheets, you can dial in sail shape no matter the conditions, as well as control the boom when jibing.
The 480’s helm station is built into the starboard side of the aft bulkhead and includes a two-person helm seat. Overhead, a sliding hatch in the bimini lets you stand and see over it or view the mainsail when seated; depending on your height, you may have to try a few alternatives for a clean sightline forward. That and the camber of the side decks would take some getting used to, I think. What would feel quite like home are the comfortable indoor living spaces. Kingsize berths are featured in the four-cabin, four-head-andshower layout (a three-cabin owner’s version is also offered). Aft cabins have in-line bunks; athwartship beds are located just forward of the mast, and there’s a single bunk perfectly sized for kids in each forepeak. All up, the charter version of the 480 is $770,000, while the base price for a private owner’s boat is $572,000; the difference in cost is attributable to the long list of options available. Bottom line, if you’re looking to either own a cat of your own or put one in charter to pay the bills, the builder can work with you to make sure you have the right Voyage for your voyage. Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor. For more photos and model speciﬁcations, go to cruising world.com/1606voyage.
COOL BREEZE
Lewmar hatches and portlights let in lots of natural light. The ports on the cabin top open both fore and aft, which means even in the marina, there will be plenty of fresh air to keep the crew comfortable while lounging in the saloon or creating in the galley.
BILLY BLACK
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BALI 4.3 LOFT
BALI HIGH AN INNOVATIVE NEW CAT FROM A WELL-ESTABLISHED FRENCH BOATYARD, THE WIDE-OPEN BALI 4.3 LOFT WAS CREATED FOR HIGH TIMES AFLOAT.
BILLY BLACK
T
he Catana Group has carved out a niche as one of France’s leading builders of performance cruising catamarans. Last year the company unveiled an entirely new line of cats under the Bali banner, including the 43-foot-6-inch Bali 4.3 Loft, which made its American debut at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, in October, and was a nominee for the 2016 Boat of the Year awards. “They deserve kudos for innovative thinking,” said BOTY judge Alvah Simon. “They’re trying to break down a lot of established parameters and paradigms in catamaran design, and in doing so have introduced several very, very interesting ideas.”
Especially in terms of form and function, the Bali 4.3 — with an emphasis on an open ﬂoor plan, the maximum utility of onboard space and plenty of related creature comforts — is a signiﬁcant departure from its Catana siblings, which certainly provide cozy accommodations but are also serious sailing machines. Relatively speaking, a Catana is about getting there; the Bali is about being there. I mean, sure, a Harley-Davidson will get you to all of the United States’ wondrous national parks. But once you’ve arrived, what you want for a base camp is a loaded RV. That’s where this new yacht comes in, because when it comes to kicking back, the 4.3
and optional washing machine and air conditioning), windlass and such. At the same time, they had to be ultrasensitive to saving weight in all that structure, as all those disparate and wondrous goodies also rack up displacement, and nobody wants a heavy, sluggish cat. The Bali 4.3 addresses the power requirements in multiple ways: a quartet of 100-watt solar panels embedded in the hardtop; a choice of 4-, 7.5- or 11-kilowatt generators; a bank of ﬁve house batteries and two starter batteries for the standard 40-horsepower Nanni diesels (50-horsepower engines are also available); and an extra pair of optional alternators (our test boat had the standard 50-amp alternator plus another 120-amp add-on). As for saving weight, the build is light and stiff thanks to the closedmold, resin-infused, foam-core sandwich construction. Unfortunately, on the day of our sea trials, the breeze barely ruffled the waters and we didn’t get the opportunity to put the boat through a proper test. But our judges were still unanimous on one point: They’d never seen anything quite like the Bali 4.3. Herb McCormick is Cruising World’s executive editor. For more photos and model speciﬁcations, go to cruising world.com/1606bali.
LIGHT, AIRY AND OPEN
Contemporary cat builders have given a lot of thought to accommodations, and especially to making them as roomy and comfortable as possible. Take this stateroom on the Bali 4.3 Loft. Thanks to three opening ports, there’s an abundance of natural light and ventilation. The ample berth has side access, and there’s a nice shelf for books and knickknacks. On a yacht with abundant creature comforts, this space is certainly in keeping with the overall theme.
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With a ﬂybridge steering station employing a dedicated bimini, the boom of the Bali 4.3 Loft is well off the water, which in turn elevates the fully battened mainsail.
Loft is locked and loaded. This is evident in the central feature of the Bali, the rather elaborate drop-down transom and lifting overhead door that converts the deck layout from a compartmentalized cockpit and main saloon into loft mode, which entails a wideopen indoor/outdoor patio and porch with a straight-line galley all the way forward (see “Multiple Choices,” p. 92). But designer Olivier Poncin, in collaboration with architect Xavier Fay and interior decorator Couëdel Yacht Design, didn’t stop there. Forward of that unusually located galley, the big front picture window also opens, further obscuring the delineation of inside and outside spaces; in fair weather, it allows a coursing fresh breeze throughout the boat. And the builders still weren’t ﬁnished, as the area all the way forward, between the hulls and right up to the bows — where you’d ﬁnd the trampolines on traditional cats — has been decked over and furnished with cushions and settees. For a sailboat, it gives new meaning to the term “sun deck.” Accomplishing all this presented two challenges to the designers and builders. First, they needed to generate lots of electricity to run the various motors (a pair is required for the movable overhead door and transom), appliances (don’t forget the dishwasher
cruisingworld.com
BY HERB MCCORMICK
It’s so simple and easy to apply, yet really durable…
Cetol® is a wood finish that provides a nice shiny look, almost like that of a varnish job. It’s very user friendly, easy for our customers to maintain themselves, and it gives a durable, protective finish with great UV resistance. Cetol offers an exceptional value – compared to a regular varnish, there’s much less maintenance and prep work involved. Enjoy the Simplicity – formulated for easy and rapid application. www.yachtpaint.com Scan this QR code to see Chris’ video
Chris White
AN_200079_150114
Marshall Marine
All trademarks mentioned are owned by, or licensed to, the AkzoNobel group of companies. © AkzoNobel 2016.
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1 ROGER, DODGERS D e p e n d i n g o n y o u r b o a t , d e c k l a y o u t a n d i t i n e ra r y , t h e re c a n b e m o re t h a n o n e w a y t o p ro t e c t y o u r c o c k p i t , co m p a n i o n w a y a n d c re w f ro m b o a rd i n g s e a s a n d h e a v y s p ra y . B Y T O M Z Y D L E R
TOM ZYDLER
S
ince dodgers ﬁrst appeared on yachts in the 1950s, these little tents over companionway hatches have come a long way, from simple “pram hoods” — a term still popular in the United Kingdom — to complex structures resembling waterborne Conestoga wagons. A good dodger does wonders to protect a watchkeeper from nasty weather. The hard part comes when a dodger designer tries to combine all-around protection for the crew with access to cockpit winches. All too often, dodgers built for boats sailing south through cold weather grow into complete cockpit enclosures that don’t allow enough space to swing winch handles when trimming sheets. It’s best to discuss all the nuances of boat operation with the dodger maker, or even consult a sailmaker for advice. The accompanying photographs show many clever takes on good seagoing dodgers. Creating a cockpit dodger starts with shaping and install-
ing a framework of tubing. The most popular dodger type is made of fabric stretched over a framework of 7⁄8-inch or 1-inch tubing. Creating a solid frame anchored around the cockpit with strong bases is the ﬁrst and perhaps most important step. Boats heading offshore must use the heavier 1-inch tubing. The fabric over the frame will have panels of ﬂexible, clear PVC to provide visibility forward and to port and starboard. On boats planning to sail in warm weather, these window panels should have zippers around the edges so they can be dropped or rolled up, permitting the breeze to ﬂow freely and cool the space under the dodger. For cold-climate cruising, many sailors opt to install ﬁxed dodgers. To keep weight down, such dodgers are usually made of a ﬁberglass skin shaped over a foam core that provides the desired shape. Planning to sail in the higher, cooler latitudes but also enjoy tropical destinations? Cut openings in the ﬁxed dodger to install lightweight, hinged hatches that
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P R A C T I C A L
This perfectly built soft dodger allows easy operation of all lines controlling the sails. The side panels and front panel can be snapped off in good weather to provide cooling ventilation. Note the handholds built into the dodger frame.
will open or close as the weather demands. To my mind, a semirigid dodger is the best model for all-seasons sailing. It has a ﬁxed, rigid roof that sits on tube legs, as well as side
panels of fabric and clear PVC that can slide into aluminum channels in the edges of the roof and the cockpit coamings. The sides of the dodger can be designed to roll up or even slip off entirely when
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So you’ve made the investment in a new dodger for your boat. With a little care, you can expect many years of service. Here are some maintenance recommendations for common dodger and bimini materials:   Rinse your canvas with fresh water as often as possible, particularly if it’s salty after a sail. While most marine fabrics made for outdoor use, like Sunbrella, will resist mildew, mold can grow if dirt and salt are left on the fabric too long.   If you’re leaving your boat for a few weeks or have it stored for the offseason, take down all the canvas and stow it ashore, if possible, or in the cabin.   For sailors living in northern climes, keep in mind that freezing temperatures can cause some vinyl window materials to crack.   Consider having snap-on covers made to protect windows from UV rays when not in use.   If the canvas needs a more thorough cleaning, you can gently scrub it with a soft-bristled brush and a solution of water and mild soap such as Woolite. Rinse the canvas thoroughly and air-dry.   After you clean the canvas — and periodically, as needed — Sunbrella recommends using 303 Fabric Guard to restore water and stain repellency.   Check the manufacturer’s recommendations before cleaning or polishing the windows, as materials vary greatly, and using the wrong products can leave windows scratched or cloudy.   Don’t forget the stainless! To get the longest life out of the stainless frame, keep it clean and rust-free. I’ve had good luck with both Spotless Stainless and Collinite No. 850 Metal Wax. — Jen Brett
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The vast majority of yachts keep their dodgers in place all the time. This often obstructs the view from the helm, which can be a real pain when docking. On our Mason 44, we built a dodger frame that can
be easily dropped down and ﬂattened by pulling out a couple of quick-release pins. This makes maneuvering in tight spaces much easier. In the far north, where we spend our summers, we put the dodger down and out of the way so we have a good view of any threatening ice as well as the abundant wildlife: polar bears, seals, whales and seabirds. Naturally, the dodger goes back up when the spray starts to ﬂy and the cold wind begins to sting. Material Matters Building a custom dodger requires a good deal of attention to detail and a high degree of canvas work skills. And it’s not an inexpensive project, with the fabric being one of the costlier items. Custom canvas shops typically employ a grade of Sunbrella with middle-ofthe-road longevity of about ﬁve to six years. But Sunbrella fabrics come in various grades; the best may last up to 10 years. Obviously, if you use your boat often, it’s wise to choose fabric 1) A powerful tube frame supports a solid roof on this semirigid dodger. The soft panels with clear PVC windows will be attached to aluminum tracks yet to be installed. In extreme sea conditions, the soft panels will be removed to reduce wave impact. The strong roof panel will present less resistance to the wind and waves and most likely will survive intact through the conditions. Note the handholds on the frame base. 2) This lovingly and skillfully built ﬁxed dodger incorporates safety handholds and a receptacle for the main boom. No need to install a separate boom crutch on this boat. The opening front window is receiving the ﬁnishing touches in the yacht owner’s shop. 3) Here’s an inside view of the previous dodger. Note the stainless tubes on each side that beef up the structure. One of them also serves as a conduit for the wires that power a handy cockpit light.
TOM ZYDLER
cruisingworld.com
C A N VA S CARE
sailing in benign climates; the permanent roof provides shade. Another good thing about this semirigid setup: It’s very easy and inexpensive to replace the soft side panels when they get old.
ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S YOUR WATERLIFE.
WE OUTFIT IT.
Tom B. West Marine Associate Tom is wearing the
westmarine.com
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1) Clear PVC window panels don’t last long when fully exposed to UV light, especially in tropical latitudes. Protect them with removable canvas covers during prolonged layups. It’ll be a good investment that may double the useful life of the PVC. 2) The combination of tube supports and ﬁberglass dome contributes strength to this ﬁxed dodger. Based in British Columbia, the owner decided on permanent windows, which in this case provide visibility in all directions. As with all good dodgers, this one has secure side handholds. 3) This ﬁxed dodger, an integral part of the cockpit area, creates an effective yet unobtrusive pilothouse. Since the aluminum cutter Polaris sails in arctic waters, all the windows stay permanently closed. The soft curtain at the back of the dodger adds protection for watchkeepers, especially when running downwind in foul conditions. 4) This DIY version of a ﬁxed dodger looks extremely strong because no opening windows can weaken the integrity of the structure. Home-ported in cool British Columbia, the yacht doesn’t really need more ways for the wind to chill the crew. Rain is another matter, and then the movable canvas extension helps.
with the greatest longevity. Thread is also important. Normally the somewhat UV-protected standard thread that canvas shops use to sew a dodger will deteriorate in four to ﬁve years due to UV damage. Whether building the dodger yourself or commissioning one from a canvas shop, it’s well worth the cost to use a very sturdy PTFE thread, like Gore Tenara. There are also ways to keep the costs of a dodger reason-
able. The owners of some popular production boats can save money by ordering pre-cut dodger kits from outﬁts like Sailrite (sailrite.com). Sailors handy with sewing machines can buy the Make Your Own Dodger DVD from Sailrite and have a go at it themselves. We followed that path, and while the fabric on our dodger isn’t as drum-tight as on others built by professionals, it has stood up to some nasty weather for the last ﬁve years. We did have
to restitch it, which we did with Tenara thread. To build up courage for a DIY dodger project, one can also turn to YouTube and learn the tricks of the trade from experts, as well as how to avoid various mistakes other amateurs have made. There are lots of little custom items you can add to personalize your dodger: a secret pocket for keys, for instance, or compartments for sunglasses, a ﬂashlight or a sharp knife for emergencies.
A dodger is your friend, so when the fabric starts leaking, give it a face-lift with one of the available waterprooﬁng compounds. Starbrite PTFE compound gave our Sunbrella dodger about a year of protection from leaking. This summer, Tom and Nancy Zydler plan to sail their Mason 44, Frances B, through Baffin Bay up the west coast of Greenland. They will head as far north as the ice will allow.
TOM ZYDLER
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HANDS-ON SAILOR
2 SPLICE IT UP A locked Brummel eye and a few pieces of hardware turn hollow-core D yneema into a forestay and running backstays.
BY HEATHER FRANCIS
used for sheets and halyards; the outer sheath provides more traction on winches and a better grip when handled. We planned on using a standard hank-on staysail, however, so we opted for the hollow-core line, using the slipperiness of the Dyneema ﬁbers to our advantage. It would have been feasible to use small-diameter Dyneema line, as its breaking strength would have been sufficient for our application. However, we were constrained by the size of the hanks and other hardware needed to complete the project. We found that 8-millimeter line was more than strong enough and best suited the hardware used. To attach the aluminum frictionless rings that we used to tension the forestay and running backstays (see “Tension Tamer,” p. 108), as well as the stainless thimbles
RIGGING
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ailors have long embraced cutting-edge technology to voyage farther and faster. From Capt. Cook using Harrison’s chronometer to determine longitude — and thereby his ship’s position — to carbon-ﬁber wings and foiling catamarans, innovations sometimes take a few years to trickle down to the realm of affordability for the average cruising sailor, but they are worth the wait. One such breakthrough we’ve embraced on our Newport 41, Kate, is Dyneema lines. Made available to the public in the 1990s, Dyneema was developed and tested for several decades before making its wider debut. Used for everything from space tethers to bulletproof armor to ﬁshing line, Dyneema has earned its reputation as one of the world’s strongest ﬁbers. When tested, Dyneema displays strength-to-weight ratios eight to 15 times that of steel wire, the variation depending on the construction of the wire. Originally quite expensive, Dyneema is now considered an economical alternative for various applications on board the typical cruising sailboat. Dyneema and similar products later released under other names, such as Spectra, are examples of ultrahighmolecular-weight polyethylene, or UHMWP. These ﬁbers display several unique characteristics. They are lightweight and ﬁre-resistant, have low moisture absorption, and they ﬂoat. They are also self-lubricating and lowstretch, making Dyneema ideal for activities such as kiteboarding, mountain climbing, archery, skydiving and sailing.
RIGGER’S TIP
The Newport 41 sloop Kate was turned into a cutter by adding an inner forestay made of Dyneema.
Recently, with potentially more windward passages ahead of us, we decided to install a removable inner forestay and running backstays on Kate. The boat was originally sloop-rigged, but the hardware for an optional inner forestay had been installed both on the mast and the deck during the build. Since our boat is older, we could not order the rigging cut-toﬁt direct from the factory. And being in the middle of the South Paciﬁc, we had
limited access to a reliable rigger. So instead of running traditional wire rigging, we decided to try Dyneema. Not only would it avoid the cost of shipping stainless wire to the island, but it also meant that we could do the installation ourselves. Dyneema line is available with a traditional polyester braided cover or as a bare, hollow-core, 12-braid line. The covered Dyneema, often referred to as Dyneemacored polyline, is typically
Though sloop-rigged, Kate came from the factory with hardware for an inner forestay. If installing one from scratch, you will need to find a way to reinforce the deck where the stay is to be attached. Loads when flying a staysail can be considerable.
used at the attachment tangs on the mast, we used simple locked Brummel splices. The process of splicing hollow-braid line reminds me of a magic trick; simple steps are meticulously done and undone, and then suddenly the eye appears. But there is no sleight of hand involved, just smart rope work. The ﬁnal step is to feed the tail of
HEATHER FRANCIS
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the splice into the hollow core of the standing line. This makes the splice work like a magician’s ﬁnger trap: The harder the standing line is pulled, the more tightly it constricts around the tail, and therefore the more secure the eye becomes. Due to its ﬁbrous construction and slippery feeling, Dyneema can be ﬁnicky to work with. The trick to getting a neatlooking splice is to be extra careful when feeding the ﬁd through the braid. Unlike conventional line, Dyneema ﬁbers tend to separate and snag on even the dullest point. Yet the steps to making an eye splice are simple enough for the average DIY sailor; all that is needed is a marker, a sharp blade, some tape, a set of ﬁds and some patience. This method of creating an eye splice can be used to capture hardware such as a ring or thimble, but it can also be used to attach a shackle, carabiner or other quick-release hardware. The possibilities for using Dyneema on board are now not only affordable, but endless.
TYING A BRUMMEL SPLICE Step 1: Measure approximately the length of your ﬁd (ours was 30 centimeters) from the bitter end of your line, and make a small mark. This will be the “tail” that gets buried in the ﬁnal step. Make another mark that’s approximately three times the diameter of your line from your ﬁrst mark (in our case, about 24 millimeters). This will be referred to as “A.” Step 2: Since Dyneema doesn’t burn well, rather than melt its end, wrap the bitter end tightly with tape and cut through the tape and line at a 45-degree angle. This makes it easier to work the end of the line through the braid when completing the splice. Step 3: Form the required eye size by capturing your thimble or ring, making sure that A is held tightly at the bottom of the eye. Make a corresponding mark on the other side of the eye. This will be referred to as “B.” Remove the ring.
Heather Francis is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. For more than a decade she has traveled the world living and working on boats. In 2008 she and her Aussie partner, Steve, bought their Newport 41, Kate, and have been sailing her full time since. Follow their adventures at yachtkate.com. TENSION TAMER
Step 4: Attach the bitter end to the ﬁd. At mark A, ﬁnd the center of the Dyneema line and gently work the end of the ﬁd through the braid. Be careful not to snag any ﬁbers as you pass the ﬁd’s point through. Pull the ﬁd and bitter end through the line.
ﬁd through the line and pulling the ﬁd and the bitter end through again. Make sure to enter the line on the same side as in Step 4. Step 7: Again pull the end up tightly so the Dyneema is turned inside out for a second time. You should be left with two clean and obvious openings in the line that face the same direction.
back through opening A and pull tightly. You may need to ease and twist the line so it lies ﬂat. Step 14: Attach the bitter end to the ﬁd and insert the ﬁd into the hollow core of standing line, approximately a ﬁd’s width from where the bitter end exits.
Step 15: Be careful to pass between the braid pattern and not to snag individual strands. Step 8: Turn the opening A right- Work the ﬁd down through side out by folding the line and the hollow core a little over the passing it back through the open- length of the ﬁd, bunching the ing. Be sure to work from back line up on the ﬁd as you go. to front, or in the opposite direcStep 16: Carefully exit the line tion as you did in steps 3 and 4. between the braid, and pull the Step 9: Work opening B comﬁd and bitter end through the pletely through opening A. You center hollow and out, leaving the line bunched up. will have a large loop that contains the opening B and intersects the Dyneema at opening A. Step 17: Remove the tape from the bitter end and cut the strands with a sharp blade at an extreme Step 10: Turn opening B rightangle. Fan out the strands. This side out by carefully easing the will reduce the bluntness of the short section back through the tail, creating a nice taper and a opening, again working from smoother line when ﬁnished. back to front. Step 11: A small loop will be formed when opening B butts against opening A. This is the eye, or where the ring will be held captive.
Step 5: Now remove the ﬁd and pull the end up tightly so the line is rolled inside out. This will create a small hole in the Dyneema.
Step 12: Ease the ring (or thimble) into the eye. You may need to pass a little more line through opening B so there is enough slack to work the Dyneema over the outer rim of the ring.
Step 6: Repeat this process at mark B by carefully working the
Step 13: Pull the long, or standing, end of the line completely
When in use, both the inner forestay and the running backstays need to be tensioned. With wire rigging, this is accomplished with a turnbuckle or Highﬁeld lever. When tensioning line, usually a series of blocks are used. We discovered a third option while researching how to install our new soft rigging: anodized aluminum frictionless rings. Frictionless rings are now manufactured by several companies and come in various sizes. They are a simple but elegant solution to the problem of tensioning Dyneema lines. One ring is attached with a splice to the deck end of the forestay; a second, smaller ring is attached to the deck and has
Step 18: Bury the tail by working the bunched-up line toward the cut bitter end, massaging or milking the line as you go. Step 19: Once the tail is buried, hold the ring and pull the standing end. The locked Brummel eye splice is complete. Step 20: Follow the same procedure to splice an eye for a thimble. On Kate, the thimbles are used to attach the inner forestay and running backstays to the mast.
a length of Dyneema that is spliced around its circumference. This line is passed through the middle of the larger ring and back through the middle of the small ring; the number of times it threads through the ring determines the purchase. Dyneema’s smoothness and the rings’ rounded center edge provide a frictionless solution. When it’s time to tension the inner forestay, we lash the Dyneema line in place and then lead it back to a cockpit winch. Our running backstays are connected to the toerail near the transom using snatch blocks so we can remove them quickly when tacking or jibing. These are also tensioned by a winch.
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3 ALL CHARGED UP U s e t h e s e t i p s f o r p ro p e rl y c h a rg i n g a n d m o n i t o r i n g AG M b a tt e r i e s t o m a x i m i z e t h e i r e f f i c i e n c y , o u t p u t a n d l i f e s p a n . B Y S T E V E D ’A N T O N I O
M O N TH LY M AIN T EN AN C E
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O
ver the years, I’ve seen far too many AGM batteries fail prematurely. It’s frustrating because these failures are often relatively easy to avoid. As mentioned in last month’s column (“A Charge Account,” May 2016), deep-cycle battery life is (or should be) measured in cycles rather than years, with the ideal state of charge ranging from 100 percent to 50 percent to 100 percent (50 percent is the maximum recommended depth of discharge). If you routinely “shallow-cycle” a battery — for instance, by discharging to just 70 percent capacity — the battery may last longer, but at a steep price. That’s because the number of amp-hours (a measure of energy over time) produced by
that battery over its lifetime will almost certainly be less than that of batteries regularly discharged to 50 percent. Lifeline, a major AGM battery manufacturer, claims its products produce approximately 1,000 cycles when they are routinely discharged to 50 percent and then fully recharged to 100 percent (though that latter ﬁgure, as we’ll discuss, can be difficult to attain). All discussions on battery charging and life span must ﬁrst address monitoring, or how to know your battery bank’s state of charge (SOC). On a day-to-day basis, the most convenient and reliable means of tracking this information is with an amp-hour meter, a device that acts somewhat like a gas gauge by measuring and tracking the amount of current that leaves
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and re-enters a battery and converting it into a percentage of SOC. Most lead-acid batteries, especially AGM models, beneﬁt from a three-stage charging proﬁle: bulk, which provides high, constant current; absorption, which is typically timed and provides moderately high current at a ﬁxed voltage; and ﬂoat, which supplies a ﬁxed voltage, typically 13.2 to 13.4 volts, at very little current, typically 0.5 percent of the battery bank’s rated amp-hour capacity (for example, 2.5 amps for a 500 amp-hour bank). Many shore-powered chargers and external alternator regulators offer optional temperature compensation, which involves a probe affixed to the battery to tailor the ﬂoat voltage, which is temperature-sensitive: Warmer batteries ﬂoat at a lower voltage and cool batteries at a higher voltage. This feature is valuable because it diminishes the likelihood of ﬂoating at too high a voltage, or overcharging, which will shorten battery life. Overcharging ﬂooded batteries is undesirable. Among other things, it requires that water be added more frequently, which is a nuisance. AGM batteries are sealed, however, and if they are overcharged to the point that they vent hydrogen/water, they cannot be reﬁlled and their life span will be shortened.
HANDS-ON SAILOR
In terms of the aforementioned charge proﬁle, particularly when using the combination of an alternator or generator and a shore charger, the challenge comes with charging the ﬁnal 10 to 15 percent. Because the battery’s internal resistance increases with its SOC, pushing these ﬁnal amps back into the battery is a slow process — and because of this, many batteries never achieve the all-important 100 percent SOC goal. Understandably, engines and
generators are often shut down before the charge is complete, which in turn can lead to sulfation (see “Sulfation Negation,” Jan. 2016). This deﬁcit can be offset or reversed by periodically carrying out a full charge by using dockside power, making a long run under power, or using an adequately sized solar array. Finally, check the settings on your shore-powered charger and alternator regulator to ensure they meet the
requirements of your battery manufacturer. In addition to providing an AGM setting, as most chargers and alternator regulators do, some chargers and regulators go further by offering proﬁles speciﬁc to battery manufacturers and/or customizability. Steve D’Antonio offers services for boat owners and buyers through Steve D’Antonio Marine Consulting (stevedmarineconsulting.com).
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STEVE D’ANTONIO
Multistage alternator regulators ensure that AGM batteries are charged in accordance with their manufacturers’ recommendations (left). AGM batteries can be overcharged; the positive grid on this battery corroded as a result of a ﬂoat voltage that was too high (center). Only alternators designed for continuous high-output operation, like this one (right), should be used with external regulators. These are well-suited to charging large AGM house battery banks.
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PASSPORT RENEWAL REMINDER Navtours now offers bareboat charters aboard monohulls and cats up to 40 feet at its base on Lake Champlain.
SUMMERTIME: SAIL LAKE CHAMPLAIN, MIDCOAST MAINE Navtours, which has monohulls and catamarans at its bases in the Bahamas — George Town, Grand Exuma Island and Nassau — also offers boats on Lake Champlain from a base in Plattsburgh, New York, in summer. For details, contact the company (navtours.com). Maine Cat Catamarans has added a new light and fast Maine Cat 38, Tintin, to its bareboat ﬂeet out of Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. Offshore passages of three to four days are available this June with Capt. Ralph Drahos and his wife, Arlene, as Tintin makes its way north for the bareboat charter season in midcoast Maine. Summer charters out of Rockland, Maine, run from July 9 to October 1 and last a minimum of seven days. A maximum of ﬁve people are permitted; a 10 percent discount is offered for additional weeks. For details, contact the company (mecat.com).
CREWED NEWS This year, The Moorings debuts various cabin layouts
for its ﬂagship crewed catamaran, the Moorings 5800, in the Seychelles in June and in Croatia in August. The luxury charter boat, which comes with captain, chef and host, can take eight to 10 guests. For details about all cabin layouts and maximum guest capacities as well as destinations, visit the company website (moorings .com/5800). Burma Boating offers crewed charters aboard a ﬂeet of classic sailboats from 50 to more than 100 feet in length in Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago. The group of 800 pristine islands is situated near the Thailand border and only an hour away from Bangkok. For details, contact the company (burmaboating.com). Zephyrus, a crewed 50-foot Beneteau sloop that can
Since 2006, Americans have been required by federal law to show passports for returns via air to the United States from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The U.S. State Department has issued a reminder urging against renewal procrastination. Applications and renewals can take a month or longer to process; make sure you don’t inadvertently ruin your sailing vacation. For details on rules and regulations, including whether driver’s licenses and other forms of identiﬁcation are valid for international travel, log on to the passport section of the federal government website (passports.state.gov).
LEOPARD POWER CAT ADDED IN FLORIDA True Love, a Leopard 37 power catamaran, has joined Southwest Florida Yachts. Based with the company’s power ﬂeet at Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral, it’s offered with discounts of 5 percent off in June, 10 percent off in July, 12 percent off in August and 15 percent off in September. Charters must be three days or longer and begin and end in the month of the promotion. For details, contact the company (swfyachts.com). — Elaine Lembo
COMPANIES ADVERTISING THIS MONTH The Moorings 888-703-3176 p.113 Sunsail 800-797-5307 p.119 GoCats Charters* 800-592-1254 p.122 Kiracoulis 800-714-3471 p.125 Dream Yacht Charters 866-776-8256 p.121 Tortola Marine Management Ltd. 800-633-0155 p.117 The Catamaran Company 800-262-0308 p.114-115 Footloose Sailing Charters 855-217-9217 p.126 Conch Charters Ltd.* 877-521-8939 p.116 Barefoot Yacht Charters* 784-456-9526 p.127 CYOA Yacht Charters 800-944-2962 p.123 Pro Valor Charters 866-776-8256 p.124 Sail Caribe 866-381-7609 p.123 Southwest Florida Yachts* 800-262-7939 p.125 Cruise Abaco 321-473-4423 p.124 Cruise Annapolis 443-949-9481 p.125 Harmony Yacht Vacations 888-542-2667 p.122 BROKERS Ed Hamilton & Co. 800-621-7855 The Globe Sailor 646-453-6602
p.122 p.121
*Also broker This directory is a list of charter companies advertising in this charter section; it is not an endorsement by the editors. Classiﬁed advertisers not listed. Listings are arranged in ﬂeet size order. “Charter companies” listed maintain ﬂeets of bareboats and report that they maintain chase boats/personnel, carry liability insurance, return security deposits in 10 working days, deliver the boat contracted (or same size, type, age, condition, or better), supply MOB gear and offer pre-charter brieﬁngs. “Brokers” are not afﬁliated with any charter company; they book private or company-owned boats, crewed or bareboat.
COURTESY OF NAVTOURS
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accommodate up to six guests, offers U.S. citizens people-topeople exchange charters from Key West to Cuba and back. For details, contact Nicholson Yacht Charters (yachtvacations.com).
Welcome to 5-Star Sailing The Moorings knows just what it takes to make your next vacation simply unforgettable. For more than 45 years we’ve set the standard for getaways at sea in over 20 destinations across the globe—and now we’re inviting you to see the difference. Cast your cares to the wind and experience the true meaning of “escape.” Your yacht, your schedule, in the best of company. Let us show you the way.
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Call 877.937.2521 or visit moorings.com/cw
Be among the first to enjoy Fin & Tonic on your next charter in the BVI.
The British Virgin Island’s Preferred Charter Operator for: Lagoon & Gemini Catamarans Be a part of our social community: © Photothèque Lagoon : Nicolas Claris
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Beginning October 2016, the highly acclaimed, 2017 Lagoon 450, will be available for charter through The Catamaran Company in the BVI. Fin & Tonic, with a spacious 4-stateroom, en-suite plan, oﬀers extraordinary comfort, privacy and functionality while faultlessly performing at the highest level for a discerning party of eight. The new 450 is the most envied charter yacht of its size and The Catamaran Company, Tortola, is oﬀering it for pre-booking now. A fortunate few will sail Fin & Tonic on a ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served basis, so book now.
Book before July 15, 2016 and receive Fin & Tonic t-shirts for your entire crew.
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JOURNEY TOWARDS A SUN-KISSED, SAIL-BLISS HORIZON We have the perfect sailing escape for you. This summer, feel the wind in your sails as you cruise atop the water with tropical islands, refreshing cocktails, and the warmth of the Caribbean sunshine. After all, it’s those exhilarating moments we’re all on a journey to catch. What’s more, you can share this experience with up to 10 friends aboard our Sunsail 444 Catamaran. Set course towards a summer horizon that’s sun-kissed and sail-bliss. Speak with a Vacation Planner today and mention promo code SPF20, exclusive to Cruising World readers, and save 20% off* your Sunsail charter this summer, available in all Caribbean destinations.
SEE THE WORLD, DIFFERENTLY. 877.937.4860 SUNSAIL.COM/SPF20-CW Caribbean | Paciﬁc Northwest | Mediterranean | Southeast Asia | Indian Ocean | South Paciﬁc | United Kingdom *SPF20 special is non-combinable with any other offers and applies to departures from 6/1/2016 – 9/19/2016. Book by 9/17/2016.
“Just came back from the BVI on our maiden voyage!”
“Here is a photo from our ﬁrst SOLO voyage with my two rookie sons as crew. We’re very proud of our accomplishment. We sailed downwind two days when the wind was so strong, we just used the jib. We did a beam reach for three hours to and from Jost Van Dyke one day. Thanks for all your great training!” Dan Barzel • Cordova, Tennessee Fast Track to Cruising® Catamaran Live Aboard
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For over 30 years Ed Hamilton & Co has used their firsthand knowledge to arrange Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charters Worldwide.
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Serious training for cruising sailors, and those who want to be F O RT L A U D E R D A L E , F L • M A R S H H A R B O U R , B A H A M A S • S A I N T T H O M A S , U . S . V I R G I N I S L A N D S • N E W P O RT, R I
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Gather your family and adventure affordably on the all-new Footloose 3900! With four en-suite staterooms, outdoor spaces with amazing views, and the speed you need to cross off every line on your must-see list—it’s an amazing way to experience the beauty of the British Virgin Islands.
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arefoot Yacht Charters
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“Join us while we rekindle the Ancient navigation arts through the Barefoot Navigator” -Philip Barnard
Barefoot Offshore Sailing School offers the perfect offshore sailing conditions of St Vincent and the Grenadines to bring the highest level of sailing to everyone on top quality, professionally prepared yachts, using the industry’s best instructors. We help all sailors reach the level needed to move purposefully towards their sailing dreams! We are pleased to introduce our Barefoot Navigator course with Jack Lagan!
Barefoot Offshore ASA Courses: We offer the full spectrum of ASA courses: ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106 and 114.
Barefoot Offshore Courses:
B.O.S.S developed this course to give us hands on skills for using the world around us as a navigational aids. We will use everything from the indigenous birds of the area, wave and wind directions and the stars above to ﬁx our position.
• One week Barefoot Navigator Course with Jack Lagan – $2,500.00 per student • Yachtsman’s Diesel Engine Course – $200.00 per student • Yachtsman’s Rig Tuning Course – $200.00 per student
“Come join us as we rekindle the ancient navigation arts through the Barefoot Navigator”
Website: barefootoffshore.com Email: info@barefootoffshore.com
BROKERAGE WHERE YOU’LL FIND the BEST USED BOATS on the MARKET
BOAT MONTH
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KIUROS
LITTLE HARBOR 58 KIUROS has to be the freshest, most beautifully maintained and renovated Little Harbor 58 to hit the brokerage market. She is a magniﬁcent shoal-draft, center cockpit, offshore sailing yacht. Truly a rare offering. Lovingly maintained to the highest standards by her skipper for the past twelve years, her systems and equipment have been continuously updated.
Wellington Yacht Partners WellingtonYachts.com | info@WellingtonYachts.com Rhode Isl a nd: (40 1) 6 83 -6 0 70 | Flo r id a: (9 5 4 ) 5 27-4 23 0
www.berthonusa.com
I N T E R N AT I O N A L YA C H T B R O K E R S Jennifer Stewart Alan Baines Bill Rudkin
Phone 1 401 846 8404 Email sales@berthonusa.com
40 Mary Street Newport, RI 02840
The Newport Shipyard 1 Washington Street Newport, RI 02840
STRONG DOLLAR – TIME TO EXPLORE THE WORLD MARKET!
SISTERSHIP
S&S SWAN 44 (1974): In restoration under cover for last thirteen years, unmodiﬁed version, in fantastic shape inside and out, decks & toerail superb. Maroon hull color at $125,000.
SWAN 46MKII (1991): Hard to ﬁnd MKII, with recent decks, bottom, and the more modern teak interior with elliptical keel and rudder, tall rig, in Portsmouth, NH, just reduced, $250,000.
AZUREE 46 (2015): Sailing this new Rob Humphreys design will seal the deal, exceptional performance with a huge spacious cockpit, easily short handed, and luxurious below, loaded at $399,000.
RUSTLER 33 (2016): Now available for fall launch, inboard standard, color optional with base at $185,000. And don’t forget about the Rustler 24 as well, current base, $57,500.
MOODY 41 (2013): Super easy to handle with self tacking jib and in mast, best cruising cockpit going, new blue awlgrip, two fairly equal double cabins,at $225,000, Newport.
SWAN 53 (1991): Must be sold, two boat owner is highly motiviated, ready to rock and roll, great sails/new rod/new electronics. Aft cabin, great for liveaboard, in Newport at $315,000.
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See more at www.passportyachts.com
Passport 40 Aft Cockpit Beautiful example of the legendary Robert Perry designed Passport 40.
1982 Passport 40 AC Updated by original owner with many improvements. Re-powered in 2002, hard dodger, central heat and air, new fiberglass decks, etc.
2007 Passport 470 AC Gorgeous two stateroom aft cockpit Passport with low engine hours. Please contact us.
1999 Stellar 52 Raised Salon R. Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s update of a S&S design luxuriously executed to the highest standard. Asking $299,950.
2008 Passport 470 CC Fully equipped for cruising and ready to go. Shoal draft, three staterooms. Priced well below replacement. Asking $524,500.
2004 Passport 470 CC Very well equipped with arch twin wind generators and solar panels. Refit in 2016.
Gozzard 36 AC Excellent cruiser/liveaboard design with strikingly beautiful lines. Several to choose from starting at $125,000.
1997 Passport 470 Center Cockpit Well thought out deck plan. Large practical cockpit/galley. Two staterooms/heads ensuite. Asking $309,000.
1996 Passport 470 CC Gorgeous joinery, dark blue hull, 3 staterooms and teak decks make this popular model a real head turner. Well maintained and constantly updated. Asking $375,000
1974 Olympic Adventure 47 An affordable, solid, blue water cruiser with 7 berths and 3 private cabins. Asking $105,000.
1992 Gozzard 31 AC Awlgripped hull and lots of factory upgrades. Asking $89,000.
2006 Passport 515 CC Center Cockpit model custom designed by owner for display at European boat shows. A fine example of Passportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; long range cruising technology. Asking $575,000.
For more information on these and other previously owned yachts, please contact us: ANNAPOLIS: Yacht Haven, 326 First Street, Ste. 404, Annapolis, MD 21403
410-263-0008 www.passportyachts.com
qualit y yach t s from s w if t sure yach t s The Farr 60 Pilothouse is a thoroughbred blue water cruiser with a hull shape derived from Farr Yacht Design’s experience with some of the fastest racing yachts of the past forty years. But her attraction does not stop there, as her sumptuous interior lives more like a yacht of 70 feet or more. Luka was beautifully constructed at Sweden’s Najad yard, world renowned for solidly constructed yachts with excellent detailing, systems access, comfort and safety. A grand four cabin layout – each with its own head and shower – will accommodate two owners and six guests. Her spacious raised pilothouse provides excellent visibility and protection from inclement weather. Above deck, sailing Luka is a push button affair. From the comfort of her spacious cockpit, the winches, anchor windlass, sail furling and retractable bow thruster are hydraulically powered.
Luka 1997 Farr PH 60 $675,000
d e ta i ls
o n l i n e
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NEW SAILING YACHTS
for world cruising from Swiftsure Yachts
50 Dubbel 50 Celestial PH 48 Fife 8 Metre 48 Swan 48 C&C 46 Amazon CC 45 Waterline 44 Beneteau CC 43 Custom Perry 42 Roberts PH
1989 1996 1929 1972 1973 1992 1995 1999 1977 1994
$285,000 $199,000 $250,000 $90,000 $248,000 $225,000 $279,000 $139,000 $240,000 $128,000
41 S&S Yawl 40 Jonmeri 39 Hallberg-Rassy 38 C&C 115 38 Alajuela 36 Grand Banks 36 Swan 35 Nexus 32 Beneteau 323
1960 1986 2000 2006 1975 1974 1989 2003 2005
$185,000 $129,000 $259,000 $161,500 $129,000 $99,000 $149,500 $319,000 $77,500
SwiftsureYachts
™
www.swiftsureyachts.com www.facebook.com/swiftsureyachts Swiftsure Yachts, Inc. 2500 Westlake Ave. N. Suite F, Seattle WA 98109 206.378.1110 | info@swiftsureyachts.com
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WE ALSO OFFER: Live-Aboard ﬁnancing I Loans for older boats (1919–1995) I Loans for part- and full-time charters *Estimated APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Subject to consumer loan program requirements and credit approval. Certain fees, closing costs, and restrictions may apply. APR applied to the loan is the APR in effect on the date the application is received and is valid until 30 days after the loan is approved. APRs may vary with loan term. Boat must be 1996 model year or newer; for boat model year 1996 to 2005, add .25% to above rate. Maximum loan term based on model year, loan amount, loan type, and lender guidelines. Other rates with different loan terms are available. Example of a recreational use Boat loan: A 12 year fixed-rate $55,000 loan. Based on an APR of 3.99%, this loan has 144 monthly payments of $481.27 each. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
© 2016 Bank of the West. NMLS ID# 19116.
Photo courtesy of Sunsail and Randy Lincks.
The Moorings Yacht Brokerage has the world’s largest selection of pre-owned charter yachts.
T
he Moorings Yacht Brokerage sells over 200 pre-owned charter yachts from the world’s best builders each year. A yacht purchase includes the same “blue-water” ready equipment used to safely sail the boat from the USA, France, or South Africa factory to one of our many global bases. You too can take advantage of the same proven value realized by every other satisfied buyer worldwide whether you plan to sail locally or internationally. Call or email for more details on our select opportunities to own today. Best Boats
•
Best Equipment
2011 BENETEAU 50
Loaded: Gen, aircon, bow thruster, electric winches, much more…. Located BVI, St. Martin, & St. Lucia. Starting at $200,000 Reduced Price
•
Best Locations
LEOPARD 46
Fully Cruise Equipped – Gen & Air Multiple Models – limited availability Located BVI, St. Lucia, Belize, & Abaco Starting at $360,000 Reduced Price
•
Best Service
2010 JEANNEAU 44I
3 & 4 Cabins - Performance & comfort Nice electronics & bow thruster. Located BVI, St. Martin, & Antigua Asking from $119,000 Reduced Price
2009 BENETEAU 43
2012 LEOPARD 39
2010 LEOPARD 384
Oceanis 43.3 and 43.4 3 & 4 Cabin available. Well equipped. Located in BVI, St. Martin, St. Lucia. Starting at $119,000 Reduced Price
Family cruiser, Owner’s Version. Full size drawer fridge/freezer. Gen & Air. Solar Panels. Located in BVI, St. Lucia, & Abaco. Starting at $250,000
Family cruiser. Spacious. Full size drawer fridge/freezer. A/C. Solar panels. Located in BVI, St. Martin, & Belize. Asking from only $205,000
2010 BENETEAU 40
Following Models Specially Priced Starting at Only...
2008 JEANNEAU 36I
Oceanis Series - Fully equipped 3 Cab/2 Head - BVI, SXM, STL, Abaco Great sailing cruiser. Sail away now. Starting at $105,000 Reduced Price
‘10 ’12 ‘14 ‘11 ‘09 ’11
Jeanneau SO 42i...$120,000 Leopard 44...........$375,000 Leopard 48 ......….$565,000 Jeanneau SO 409.. $123,000 Leopard 40 ........... $235,000 Jeanneau SO 53 .... $289,000
Great Cruiser / Racer 2 Cabins /1 Heads Available in BVI, and St. Martin Asking from $59,000
www.mooringsbrokerage.com | 800-850-4081 | info@mooringsbrokerage.com
Comfort.
Luxury.
The VOYAGE 480 is the ideal performance cruising yacht, with customizable layouts available for charter or for live-aboard, blue water voyaging.
Pre-owned VOYAGE yachts for sale___ 2004 VOYAGE 500 $443,000
Recently renovated, fully equipped, 5 cabin, 5 head, VOYAGE 500. Genset, watermaker, air conditiong, turn key ready to set sail! asking $443,000
www.voyageyachts.com info@voyageyachtsales.com
2012 VOYAGE 600 $1,050,000
6 cabin, 6 head late model VOYAGE 600. Genset, water maker, air conditioning, electric furling and deck winches, solar, very well appointed and equipped. asking $1,050,000
1 284 346 5507 1 888 742 7097
The Cruising Yacht Specialists REPRESENTING THESE FINE YACHTS
DELPHIA 31' – 53'
ISLAND PACKET 465 – 2008 $479,000
MOODY 46 – 2000 $279,000
BLOCK ISLAND 40 1997 $235,000
ISLAND PACKET 40 3 FROM $165,000
SISTERSHIP
IP SP CRUISER MK2 (43’) – 2015 $629,000 57 57 52 50 47 47 47 46 46 46 45 45 45 44 44 44 42 42
CATALINA 42 MKII – 2007 $189,900
Southerly 2011 ................................ $1,395,000 Southerly 2010............................... $1,475,000 Island Packet 485 2003.................. $425,000 Trintella Ron Holland 2005............... $595,000 Beneteau 473 2006 ......................... $249,000 Delphia NEW ...................................... Enquire Delphia 46DS CC NEW ......................... Enquire Beneteau 461 2000........................... $169,900 Island Packet 465 '08 ......... 2 from $420,000 Moody 2000 ...................................... $279,000 Island Packet 445 '06, '07 2 from $374,000 Island Packet 1997..............................$219,000 Southerly 135 '06, '12 ........... 2 from $419,000 Island Packet 440 2006 .............. $384,900 Island Packet 1993............................. $164,900 IP SP Cruiser MK2 2015 .................. $629,000 Trintella Ron Holland 2000 .............$259,000 Catalina MKII 2007 ........................... $189,900
VISIT OUR WEBSITE ANNAPOLIS, MD
42 42 42 42 41 41 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 38 38 38 38 37
SOUTHERLY 42RST – 2010 $485,000
Endeavour 1985.................................... $87,000 Southerly 42RST 2010 ................... $485,000 Hunter 420 CC 2000 .........................$135,000 Tatoosh 1982....................................$120,000 IP SP Cruiser MKI 2010 .................. $428,500 Bristol 41.1 CC 1981 ............................ $135,000 Delphia 40.2 2009 ...............................$125,000 Delphia 40.3 NEW................................. Enquire Maxi 1200 NEW ...................................... Enquire Island Packet '94, '96 ........ 3 from $165,000 Bayﬁeld Ketch 1984 .............................$85,000 Block Island 1997 .............................. $235,000 Maestro 2006 ................................ $269,900 Catalina Morgan 380 1995 ........................ U/C Hunter 2005 ........................................ $119,900 Shannon Pilothouse 1981................... $99,000 LeComte North East 1970 ................. $49,000 Beneteau First 375 1987 ................... $44,900
37 37 37 36 36 36 35 35 35 35 35 35 32 32 32 31 31 27
Nauticat '02 ............................2 from $239,000 Island Packet '95, '98 ............ 2 from $138,000 Southerly 115 MK IV 2006 ............... $199,000 Island Packet Estero 2010 .............. $270,000 Tashing Tashiba 1986 ......................... $117,900 Catalina 36 MKII 2002 ..................... $94,000 Island Packet 350 1997 .................... $129.500 Island Packet '89, '90 .............4 from $94,500 Island Packet Cat 1994 .................... $138,500 Scanmar 1985.................................... $49,900 Pearson 1977 .................................... $48,000 Beneteau 1988 ................................... $44,900 Camper Nicholson 1970 ..................... $49,000 Island Packet 1990 .............................. $79,900 Island Packet 320 2001 .............................. U/C Paciﬁc Seacraft 1997 ................................. U/C Island Packet '87, '89 ............ 2 from $49,900 Island Packet '85, '86, '89 .... 3 from $34,900
www.SJYACHTS.com 410-639-2777
DELTAVILLE, VA
CHARLESTON, SC
OYSTER 63' PILOTHOUSE Custom-built pilothouse featuring inside controls and raised navigation area. Thoughtful design throughout, immaculate condition. Cruised by husband and wife team.
DIX-HARVEY 55’ CATAMARAN, 2009 Custom built in collaboration between owner, experienced design team and quality builder, reflecting strong Gunboat influences. A luxurious cruising catamaran in impeccable condition, well tested, with stunning performance.
HINCKLEY SOU’WESTER 59' 3-SR/3-head layout. Mechanical and electrical systems refit, 2007. Ready to cruise or race, with electric winches, electric main furling, air conditioning, bow thruster. Priced to sell!
LITTLE HARBOR 53' CENTER COCKPIT Classic shallow-draft Hood centerboard design with rare two-stateroom layout featuring a large owner’s suite forward. Easy to handle, and a joy to sail!
ALDEN 54’ AFT COCKPIT SLOOP In excellent shape and lovingly updated. Handsome lines and 3-SR/2-head layout below. Custom tall spar, power winches, generator and new electronics.
PASSPORT VISTA 515, 2008 Late-model bluewater cruiser, fully loaded with every conceivable option for safe, easy, comfortable sailing. Spacious owner’s stateroom aft and VIP cabin forward. Shoal draft and ICW compatible rig.
HYLAS 51' Located in New England. Three-stateroom/three-head layout. Ready for cruising, with Leisure Furl boom for easy handling. New antifoul and entire bottom of hull repainted (2014).
OUTREMER 49’, 2010 New to market. Four-cabin “Club” Version. Daggerboard speed, carbon mast, North Sails, Yanmar engines, all B&G/Zeus electronics, solar, water maker. Cruise off the grid. Lightly used.
MARK ELLIS/BRUCKMANN 47', 2000 Modern construction and systems, with classic lines. Easy to singlehand, with hydraulic winches, bow thruster and genoa furler. 2-SR/2-head layout. In pristine condition.
HYLAS 46' Nice example of this popular design features queen berth aft, huge galley and functional cockpit – with newer sails and electronics. Asking only $239,000!
LITTLE HARBOR 44' CENTER COCKPIT Maintained like new. Recent engine, generator, all new electronics, new mainsail, new canvas. Easy to singlehand, with electric furling main, primary winches, all lines leading to cockpit. 2-cabin/2-head, aft-cabin layout.
Rhode Island (401) 683-6070 | Info@WellingtonYachts.com | Florida (954) 527-4230 TED HOOD 2MILES DAVID 2CHRIS FAIRFAX 2DOLF HAFFENREFFER 2CHET HARTSHORN 2 MURRAY LORD BOB MARSTON 2JOHN PERKINS 2JIM WETHERALD 2BRUCE SZAMIER
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James Wharram Designs World renowned safe, seaworthy catamarans. 14’-63’ self-build in ply/epoxy,glass from plans that are “a course in boat building” www. wharram.com
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BENETEAU 46’ (1999) BAHAMAS, $99,000. Large inventory, upgrades 2013, impeccable, annex and motor (2015). linodilullo@ hotmail.com, (514) 570-5207.
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Of f Wa t c h Then the breeze picked up, right on the beam, with some punch to it. For the next several days we ripped off consistent 24-hour runs of well over 300 miles. H E R B
M c C O R M I C K
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t was very windy and about to get much windier. In the early spring of 1986, aboard the 60-foot catamaran British Airways, we were less than 48 hours into our transatlantic record attempt when the whole show started going extremely sideways. Skipper Robin Knox-Johnston — already a legend, having become the ﬁrst sailor to circle the globe alone and nonstop less than two decades earlier — gathered the crew in the cat’s rather cramped cockpit to outline the situation. Robin explained that the low-pressure system we’d waited several days in New Jersey to latch onto — the plan had been to ride the low from Ambrose Light, off New York City, to Lizard Point, at the mouth of the English Channel — had morphed into a monster storm that was about to overtake us. Had we been farther east, he said, we could have turned and run before the heavy southerlies, but because we were due south of the Grand Banks, that was no longer an option; the fast cat would tear into the relative shallows in hours. So the idea was to reduce sail and claw our way to weather, and if that didn’t work, stream warps off the bows and essentially park and maintain our position until the heavy weather passed. “Now,” he said, as he once again reviewed where all the safety and survival gear was located, “if we capsize and I’m swept away ...”
A Cat TALE The 60-foot cat British Airways had few creature comforts, but when the breeze was on, she could haul the mail.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, man,” I recall thinking. “Can you please slow down and run that past me again?” This month, as we assemble our annual issue devoted to multihulls, I am reminded of my very ﬁrst offshore trip on a seagoing catamaran. These days, of course, cats are everywhere, but that wasn’t the case 30 years ago. My voyage on British Airways was memorable for countless reasons. There were some very good sailors aboard, including Robin’s fellow Brit Josh Hall and a young Frenchman named Bernard Gallay, both of whom would go on to compete in solo round-the-world races. The record we were chasing at the time was just shy of eight days, set by a giant French trimaran called Royale 2. Realistically, we didn’t stand much chance of bettering it, as British Airways was
a much shorter, heavier boat, designed by Rod MacalpineDownie. (A French sailing writer derisively nicknamed her “the truck of the seas.”) But that didn’t matter to me; I’d never been on a yacht that could knock off double-digit boat speeds for hours and hours on end. As far as I was concerned, B.A. did not refer to the vessel’s initials; nope, those letters meant Badass. As it turned out, we got slapped around pretty well in the gale, but we kept the boat moving and emerged whole and unscathed. The real problem came in the aftermath, when the blow had pretty much sucked the breeze out of the entire Atlantic Ocean. For 72 hours after the storm, our engineless cat did little more than rise and fall on the greasy leftover swell. It was not a pleasant ride. That said, it was still an
adventure. We ate from one simmering pot the entire way across, a curry-based concoction Robin just kept throwing stuff into whenever it got low. The commode was basically a hole in the boat with a toilet seat bolted over it. Our Spartan sleeping quarters consisted of little more than a chilled crawlspace decorated with a smiling portrait of the queen, but at least they were dry. And when the BBC reported the news about Libya being bombed to bejesus, our captain, an ex-merchant mariner whose politics veered far to the right, was downright giddy. But then the wind picked up, right on the beam, with some punch to it. For the next several days, we ripped off consistent 24-hour runs of well over 300 miles. In fact, we knocked off the second half of the Atlantic in about four days. If we’d managed that the whole way, we actually might have set a new record. But no matter — to this day it still stands as some of the best sailing of my life. To punctuate the journey once we were tied up in England, Robin’s sponsor graciously forked over a ticket from London to New York on the Concorde. Talk about ﬂying British Airways! I thought 12 days across the Atlantic was pretty darn quick — until it took me three hours to get home. Herb McCormick is Cruising World’s executive editor.
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