Allow me to share with you a few headlines I’ve come across recently:

1. The Miami Herald, 

March 26, 2012: 

“Park’s fishing-limit plan decried”

This was an article about a proposal to make the vast majority of Biscayne Bay (16 square miles, in fact)—located in the middle of a major metropolitan area and used by tens of thousands of cruisers and anglers—off limits as “the best way to ensure visitors actually get to see big fish and healthy corals in the future.”

2. Also from the Miami 

Herald, March 28: 

“Preserving our fisheries – Our Opinion: Compromise can be found on rules for Biscayne National Bay”

This was the Herald’s Op-ed reply to the proposed closure, which concluded, “Without the wise decision over the years to preserve our reefs and the coastal ecology through parks and preserves and good regulations, South Florida would not have its fine fishery. Protection today means fishing tomorrow.”

3. From the website 

Cruisersnet.net:

“Potential USCOE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Partial Filling of North Lake Worth From 15′ to 6′ At Palm County Request To Provide Grass Habitat”

This made known a plan put forth by Palm Beach County to actually fill in about half of North Lake Worth and plant sea grass there, an area that is an extremely popular anchoring spot and mooring field. And most interestingly, the county didn’t even consult with the municipality of North Palm Beach, which borders the lake and enjoys great economic benefits from the boating activity that occurs on the lake.

4. From the Recreational 

Fishing Alliance 

(RFA) website: 

“Administration Says No Public Input Needed- Denies Congress’ Request To Allow More Comment On Oceans Takeover”

This details a press release issued by House Natural Resource Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), reading in part, “Hastings received official notice from the Administration denying the Chairman’s request for a 90-day extension of the public comment period on the draft National Ocean Policy Implementation plan.”

This plan has potentially massive and far-reaching implications for anyone and everyone—commercial and recreational alike—who use our waterways, inshore and offshore.

5. Last, the headline 

on a March 2012 email 

circulated by the NOAA 

(National Oceanographic and 

Atmospheric Administration) 

Office of Coast Survey:

“NOAA Prepares to phase out Navigational Response Team”

This laid out that, due to a $2.3 million budget cut, the department would eliminate the six Navigational Response Teams (NRT’s) who work the nation’s ports, surveying for dangers to navigation and updating NOAA’s nautical chart products. These are the same response teams who race to areas hard hit by hurricanes and the like, to quickly restore navigational aids so that a port can begin operating again. The closure of even a minor port has far reaching negative economic implications, affecting entire regions if ships don’t resume coming and going in very short order.

Is it just me, or are things getting a little more (or less, perhaps, if some of these things come to pass) fishy around our coasts?

For the record…

Entire industries and institutions have been built upon the concept of breaking records. Now I’m not meaning to short shrift those who can chow down a few dozen hotdogs in one sitting or sit in a tree for weeks on end, but as I see it, the most challenging and meaningful records are those that involve the seas.

Again, those are all well and good and, perhaps it’s just my age talking, but those kinds of record-breaking activities are all too death-defying for my constitution.

People have attempted to break all sorts of oceanic records: free-diving to ink-black depths (the existing record is an incredible 702 feet!); swimming great distances like the English Channel; rowing or pedaling a craft across an ocean; and a host of other endeavors.

Again, those are all well and good and, perhaps it’s just my age talking, but those kinds of record-breaking activities are all too death-defying for my constitution. Also, I don’t see a practical tie-in with the historical reasons people took the risks in the first place. Often they set a “first” record without ever having necessarily meant to do so. Plus, I’m more comfortable with challenging the ocean in reasonably outfitted vessels more appropriate for the task, than attempting to break records that were originally and unintentionally set out of simple necessity.

Back in 2010, Australian Jessica Watson, age 16, became the youngest person ever to solo-circumnavigate the globe non-stop. At the time of this writing, a woman named Sarah Herbert is out in the middle of the Atlantic, making the east-to-west passage aboard an off-the-shelf windsurfer. Others have made the attempt, but on highly modified boards. She does have a chase boat for safety and when it’s time to catch some Zs.

Then, just this past February, a crew onboard a 70-foot mono-hull (a former Volvo Ocean Race boat), sponsored by high-end sports car manufacturer Maserati, set a new record for the “original” trans-Atlantic route, from Cadiz, Spain to San Salvador, the very course first sailed by Christopher Columbus. (This record is just the first of several the crew will attempt over the next few months.)

However, all the above involve sailing, and many of our readers are powerboat owners. To that end, we have something new to get excited about: an attempt at the around-the-world-under-power (or what many like to think of as “The Ultimate Cruise”) record is about to be made, and with a wonderfully historic twist.

A former NASA senior consultant turned attorney/judge, John Morrison, makes his case clear on the website Victoria500.com: “To set the world record for the fastest nautical circumnavigation of the earth in a powerboat. We do this to honor the upcoming 500^th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan’s historic expedition. In 1519, Magellan set sail with 5 ships and 270 men. Three years later, 18 men returned on the Victoria, the only ship to complete the voyage. These brave souls were the first people to ever circumnavigate the earth.

“We celebrate these men and all who have dared to take on the challenge of the seas, for it is these men who explored and unlocked the world for all humanity. For many, it cost them their lives… We challenge it with ours.”

But this impending saga has another twist. Morrison recently took possession of Gentry Eagle, the boat built by legendary boat racer Tom Gentry in which he shattered the Transatlantic crossing record and in so doing, brought the coveted Blue Riband trophy back to the U.S. (from airline and music tycoon, Sir Richard Branson) in 1989, taking 62 hours and 10 minutes to make the crossing.

At 112 feet, pushed along by a pair of twin 3500-hp MTU turbo diesels and a single 4500-hp turbine “stinger”, the boat can reach speeds in excess of 63-knots (70+ mph). Her fuel capacity is 9,800 gallons giving her a range of 1,500 nautical miles. Just contemplating the logistics of all the fuel stops makes one dizzy.

Although it is only in the initial stages, we’ll continue to watch and keep you updated as this stellar project moves along. It’s a record I believe in breaking.

Late last month there was an amazing boating survival story in the news. Most fortunately, the two men who were thrown out of the boat by a rogue wave managed to swim ashore and are fine to this day. I mention ‘to this day’ because the incident occurred back in August of 2008 off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. So why am I writing about it now in March 2012?

We truly live in a remarkable time when products that enhance the enjoyment and safety of the boating experience seem
to be progressing exponentially.

Human survival at sea is always an amazing thing, but even more so, on January 25, 2012, the boat from which the men were washed overboard—a 26-foot yellow-hulled Regulator (regulatormarine.com) outboard-powered center console named Queen Bee—washed ashore on the northwest coast of Spain! Rusty and covered with barnacles, yes, but still entirely intact.

Doing the math, that’s 41 months or almost 31⁄2 years that the boat remained afloat. And it wasn’t like that hull was bobbing around in some calm tropical lagoon, either. The incident occurred in the North Atlantic, an area notorious for savagely rough seas and extreme temperature swings, the sort of stuff that has crippled giant drilling platforms and brought seamen on large cargo vessels to their knees. Yeah, THAT North Atlantic, and it’s the only route the boat could have taken across, riding piggyback on the Gulf Stream.

Thinking back to my younger days, I remember wooden boats that would not last very long unless you properly maintained them and slopped on numerous coats of paint. Even then, they’d eventually succumb to the wear and tear inflicted by the marine environment, no matter how much care they received. So when I think of this boat staying intact enough to remain afloat all that time and in THOSE conditions, I think it’s an incredible testament to the quality of materials and construction that goes into a modern boat. Moreover, in one of the reports I read, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson, Lieutenant Joe Klinker, even commented, “It probably could have floated for another three years.”

From polarized sunglasses to mini EPIRB’s and hand-held satphones; pod propulsion systems to pop-up cleats; UV resistant clothing to Spectra lines; Kevlar or Carbon Fiber hulls to quiet and efficient four-stroke outboards; VIS systems to broadband radars with touchscreens; and now this boat which defied all odds of survival against the rigors of the sea… we truly live in a remarkable time when products that enhance the enjoyment and safety of the boating experience seem to be progressing exponentially.

What will the next few years bring? It’s exciting to think about!

It’s Boat Show season so there’s great entertainment in store. Whether indoors or in-water venues, boat shows have expanded to include a mind-boggling array of events and exhibits in addition to the stunning stars of any show, the boats themselves. My wife and I are fortunate enough to live on the Intracoastal Waterway and can view the parade of vessels traveling to the South Florida destinations, and we often observe the deft seamanship of the captains jockeying their charges into challengingly-tight docking quarters at the nearby marinas.

Then there are services on premises to help you finance,
insure and store your boat.

Indoor facilities, such as convention centers, offer a myriad of products ranging from some sort of super glue (which my wife never fails to replenish at each show), to the latest iteration of center consoles, inflatables, engines, generators and electronicsnot to mention fine jewelry, clothing, table and cookware, blinds, screens, linens, mattresses and just about anything else you need for any type of boat or boating activity. The indoor venue also offers a welcome shelter from less than perfect weather conditions, be it extreme heat or the deluges we experienced at the Fort Lauderdale show last October.
But after all, it’s still the magnificent display of boats in the water that is the biggest lure to any show. Be it a new or beautifully maintained brokerage boat, getting aboard one of these gems engenders seeds of “what ifs” and “maybe we coulds” in the minds of show-goers. New prospective buyers are hatched and those already in the market for a first boat or upgrade are nudged that much closer to ownership. Then there are services on premises to help you finance, insure and store your boat.
Ambling along the docks, you are sure to meet friends who share your interest in boats, racing, fishing and cruising. In an atmosphere uniquely appropriate for these kinds of conversations, you swap useful information about new gear, desirable destinations, recent boating experiences (both good and bad) and generally indulge your affection for the boating lifestyle with people you like and who are like you.
On a different subject also dear to my heart, the sedentary pleasure of reading about boats is arguably the most fun you can have indoors with your clothes on. I recently acquired a copy of In a Class By Herself: The Yawl Bolero and the Passion for Craftsmanship, by the noted author, John Rousmaniere. It was published in 2006 but remained under my radar until I received it as a Christmas gift. If you think it deals with dry architectural data and arcane facts about boat building, think again. The book lovingly details the history of the iconic yawl, Bolero, which won three consecutive Bermuda Races, as well as the people who designed, built, raced and ultimately restored her. The Who’s Who of those involved in the process include the likes of John Nicholas and Anne Brown, Henry Nevins, Fred Lawton, Olin Stephens and Drake Sparkmanand this just scratches the surface. Once I began, I had difficulty putting the book down, even to eat. I heartily recommend it to you all.

This year, Southern Boating enters our fourth decade of publishing. It’s hard to believe and it’s truly been a fun ride.

Over those 40 years this magazine has evolved in many ways. We’ve tried to determine just what you, our readers, want and expect from our pages, so some things have been tried and then discontinued while others have become editorial mainstays. But it’s not only the individual articles we’ve evaluated. Each year we develop what’s known as an Editorial Calendar which is a roadmap of sorts detailing what each issue will feature. The content of some issues is carved in stonesuch as our boat show preview issues, our swimsuit and sportfishing issues and our haul-out issuewhile other months we have more flexibility built in. And that’s where you, our readers, may play a part.

There are many issues to consider on both sides of the argument and if enacted, such a law could have far-reaching implications.

Are there subjects we have not addressed that you would like to see covered? How about destinations: is there some area you’ve been thinking of cruising to, but would like to know a little more about first? Is there a boat or yacht out there you’ve been thinking of buying but haven’t had the time to get aboard? Any DIY project you’ve been hesitant to tackle until you learn some more about how to go about it? We’d like to hear from you on any of those subjects, or anything else that may be on your watery mind. Send your questions and comments to our editorial department: sbletters@ southernboating.com.

In the Mail from Readers section you’ll read a very interesting letter from one of our readers. The writer is a retired member of the U.S. Coast Guard and his letter is regarding the proposed legislation that would make it mandatory to wear PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices, or life jackets) for any/ all people on recreational vessels underway. This matter has been swirling around Capitol Hill for several years now with politicians, lobbyists, USCG personnel and the general public weighing in on both sides of the debate. There are many issues to consider on both sides of the argument and if enacted, such a law could have far-reaching implications.

We’d like to know your thoughts on this matter as well. You can also write to your government representatives (house.gov).

Well, the Holidays are just around the corner and each year I’m asked by my kids and grandkids what I would like for Christmas. Of course, these gifts would all be sitting under the tree the morning of, but this year I have a different list, one which comprises of things that wouldn’t necessarily fit under the tree, so I thought maybe I would share it with you. This wish (or wish not) list will really challenge my kids this year!

This wish (or wish not) list will really challenge my kids this year!

-I wish to be on the hook having a quiet evening of cocktails and dinner without a single jet ski buzzing around.

-I wish to be tied up at the dock stern-to-stern with a big boat that doesn’t leave the blazing tower lights on all night.

-I wish to cruise the ICW without encountering some inconsiderate captain throwing a six-foot wake, rolling the refrigerator out of its place.

-I wish to not pay over six dollars per gallon of fuel in the islands while cruising.

-I wish to not be docked or tied up near another boat that blares annoying music into the wee hours of the night… especially the sort of music that has the same annoying beat—but with different words—that no one can understand.

-I wish to not be hassled by a storm with a name.

-I wish to never sleep under a leaky hatch.

-I wish that no bird droppings mess up my deck and swim platform.

These wishes granted would surely make Christmas last all year.

As we head into the new year, it’s hard to believe that in 2012 Southern Boating will enter its 40th year of publication.
For four decades now, we’ve shared great boats and wonderful destinations with you; new products and trends in the boating industry; and we’ve simply just celebrated the greatest activity on earth—letting go of the dock lines and heading out into the watery world. And it’s my biggest wish for the coming year to continue doing exactly that.
On behalf of the entire SB staff, here’s to a joyous and prosperous Holiday Season and New Year!

Let’s talk the economy. Daily, we hear of foreclosed homes, limited job growth and economic hardships of all types. It’s long been accepted that in tough economic times the non-essential items are the first things to go… you start at the top of the list and work your way down, and not very far down you come to your boat. Or do you?

The call of the open water is universal.

 -W.E Warrington

Last month the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) released it’s annual U.S. Recreational Boat Registration Statistics Report, the best gauge there is to judge changes in boat ownership. To quote the report:
“The National Marine Manufacturers Association (today) announced that boat registration numbers decreased 2.2 percent for a total of 12.5 million registered boats in 2010 compared to 2009’s 12.7 million.” (Florida, with 914,535 registered boats in 2010, held the number one spot for total boat registrations while the Great Lakes region again ranked first, accounting for slightly more than a quarter of all registered boats in 2010.)
I’m not saying that there’s anything good about a 2.2 percent decrease, but that number is far less severe than I might have expected. That then begs the question “Why?” We in the boating community can pretty much answer that ourselves. It’s because we love boats and boating and are willing to make sacrifices in other areas to keep ourselves, literally, afloat. Or, as Jim Petru, Director of Industry Statistics and Research for NMMA put it, “Our 2010 findings tell us that recreational boating remained a popular activity with just a slight decline during one of the toughest recessionary years from 2009–2010, further demonstrating boat owners dedication to the lifestyle despite economic conditions.” As another indicator, BoatUS reported, “(Our) membership remains about a half million members and we are predicting that to remain steady for 2012.”
We boat owners know that time spent on the water with friends and loved ones is the best kind of time spent: watching the joy on the faces of the kids as we tow them around on a water toy; hooking up a big fish, then doing battle until we wrestle it to the boat; discovering a new cove in which to drop the hook and take in the scenery; the way a meal just tastes better when cooked aboard, especially outdoors, and the way an adult beverage is more slowly savored; the simple peace of mind gained as the shimmering orb of the sun finally slips below the horizon, marking the end of a day you don’t want to end, then crawling into the bunk to be rocked to sleep.
Yes, I think we can all agree that boating is well worth sacrificing other pleasures for.

Note: Boat registration statistics are the basis for allocating the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund dollars among the states each year. In addition, NMMA uses the registration data to develop its estimates on annual state dollar sales of new boats, motors, trailers and marine accessories for its annual Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract.

Over the years I’ve written many times about the way it was back in the day when there weren’t as many boats, say, anchored in and around Biscayne Bay, and you could get away with things that today would attract the wrong kind of attention. So it happens that I was reading a story recently about a guy down in Miami Beach who has been abusing visiting yachts who have the misfortune of dropping a hook in front of his property. His backyard—Sunset Lake—just happens to be well known as a great little anchorage.

The ocean and

her treasures

are the common

property of

all men.

— John Adams

Cruisers are forever searching for convenient places to stop for a day or two, those perfect spots to rest or to have access to all the local chandleries, restaurant and other marine businesses.
I raised my family on the Sunset Islands and spent many years looking out over the lake. Never once did I think, “I sure wish these people would move their boats somewhere else!” In fact, they were more than welcome to anchor in my “backyard.” I enjoyed seeing anchored boats, as long as they didn’t run generators every night, make too much noise, or toss garbage overboard.
But now it seems that homeowners are all riled up and taking matters into their own hands when it comes to what they erroneously view as nautical “squatters.” One even blasted the visitors with loud music and a searchlight in the middle of the night! I wonder what his land-based neighbors thought of that.
Florida’s new anchorage law seems to be on the right heading. I for one, think that they should stay the course.  Anyone who’s cruised through Florida knows how wonderful it is to be out of the snow and enjoying the sun and sea. Cruisers can find all kinds of places to tie up, including some great marinas where you can usually walk to a nearby grocery store rather than having to dinghy in from the anchorage.
Right now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is working diligently to come up with plans to distribute strategically-positioned mooring fields to better accommodate visiting cruisers. Mooring fields consist of rows of robust moorings that are maintained by the local municipality. The Commission has selected five local government jurisdictions for inclusion in a statewide pilot program that includes St. Petersburg and Sarasota on the west coast of Florida, and St. Augustine and Stuart on the east coast. The law also designates Monroe County, which already has mooring fields at Key West and Marathon. These five jurisdictions are expected to draft ordinances to cover anchoring outside the mooring fields, but only after seeking input from the boating public. The goal of the program is to make cruising Florida more enjoyable and to try to neutralize conflicts between cruisers and waterfront homeowners.
St. Augustine has already placed 163 moorings in 3 fields and is prepared to adopt a 10-day anchoring limit outside of the mooring fields. These mooring fields also serve to preserve our fragile marine environment, protecting sea grasses or corals and providing other amenities to cruisers like dinghy docks or pump-outs.
Certainly there are more and more boats on the water heading south this time of year. Some are in transit, readying for a jump to the Bahamas or the Caribbean, while others are enjoying the Keys. These mooring fields seem like the perfect answer to a tough question: just where can visiting cruisers stop? In the meantime, can’t we all just get along?

One of my earliest jobs in publishing back in the ’50s was as an advertising representative for Motor Boating magazine, a Hearst publication headquartered in New York City. The illustrious Charles F. Chapman was editor of Motor Boating, a position he held for 56 years! Before being tapped by William Randolph Hearst to run Motor Boating, Mr. Chapman was a renowned motorboat pilot and racer, becoming Commodore of the New York Motor Boat Club and Chairman of the American Power Boat Association among numerous other distinctions.

Quite a while before 9/11,

I came across a passage

in Lindsay Lord’s book,

Nautical Etiquette,

that took on a new meaning

after that black day.

With this issue, we mark the 10th anniversary of the unspeakable outrage that was perpetrated against us on September 11th, 2001. It seems an appropriate time to re-visit the extraordinary patriotism and solidarity that this tragedy evoked in us. We could sure use some of that cohesiveness now. Old Glory was never more ubiquitous. In addition to all the customary places we were accustomed to seeing our colors flown, you could also see the flag on every conceivable type of vehicle from golf carts to trains to airplanes and, of course, boats.
One striking example of pride comes to mind. Back in those early years of the new century, my wife and I spent a great deal more time in the Bahamas than we do now. As a result it was convenient to have our boat hauled at our favorite yard in Spanish Wells. We were there when 9/11 occurred. When we arrived at the dock, the owner hailed me and said, “Skip, I really need a big favor. Is there any chance you’re carrying a spare American Flag? You can’t get one around here for love or money.”
I went below, rummaged around and found a brand new flag still in the packaging. I have no idea where I bought it (maybe Lewis Marine?), but I’m glad I had. Within hours, the guy’s employees built and stepped a flagpole, and the colors first were raised to its top and then lowered and secured at half-mast, as they should be. That flag still flies there.
Think about it for a moment. Here was a harried businessman, but on this particular day his biggest priority was to show the flag. Though he didn’t risk his life to do so, in his own way he was keeping faith with the New York City firefighters who raised the Stars and Stripes over what once had been the World Trade Center Towers.
Quite a while before 9/11, I came across a passage in Lindsay Lord’s book, Nautical Etiquette, that took on a new meaning after that black day. Lord wrote, “Yachts display their colors for all to recognize…No boat’s performance goes unnoted, for by her colors she represents a fleet with honored standards.”
Perhaps in an upcoming issue we’ll get into the proper etiquette for flying all kinds of flags, from your ensign to your club burgee.
On a lighter note: you may notice at the top of our Table of Contents page that this issue leads into our 40th year in publication, an accomplishment we are quite proud of. It was back in September of 1972 that we launched Southern Boating Magazine.
September is also the start of the Boat Show Season and we hope to see you at one of these great events. We’ll be there to check out all the new boats, products and gear. Please drop by our booth and say hello.

One of my earliest jobs in publishing back in the ’50s was as an advertising representative for Motor Boating magazine, a Hearst publication headquartered in New York City. The illustrious Charles F. Chapman was editor of Motor Boating, a position he held for 56 years! Before being tapped by William Randolph Hearst to run Motor Boating, Mr. Chapman was a renowned motorboat pilot and racer, becoming Commodore of the New York Motor Boat Club and Chairman of the American Power Boat Association among numerous other distinctions.

Although he was widely known

as “Chap,” I always addressed him

as “Mr. Chapman”

as a sign of the respect

he inspired in me.

In 1917, Chapman was asked by Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, to prepare a manual of small boat seamanship for Navy recruits. The result was the first edition of what is now known as Chapman Piloting, Seamanship  & Small Boat Handling and regarded as the boating “bible”.
But I digress. As an eager young salesman with a growing family to feed, my zeal for the success of the magazine and solid dedication to my job captured the attention of the boss who became my mentor, role model and friend. Although he was widely known as “Chap,” I always addressed him as “Mr. Chapman,” a sign of the respect he inspired in me. In the course of my association with Motor Boating, Mr. Chapman gifted me with an inscribed copy of the then current edition of Chapman Piloting, Seamanship & Small Boat Handling. It was to me a priceless acquisition I was proud and grateful to receive.
In large part due to Mr. Chapman’s tutelage, I plunged into my own publishing venture and founded Southern Boating in 1972. Then in 2004, in recognition of my support of the marine industry, I was honored to be awarded the Charles F. Chapman Trophy by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and a neat circle was closed. A year or so ago, I wanted to check some facts for an article in Southern Boating and was sickened to realize that my treasured “Chapman” had disappeared from my library. Because it is an indispensable reference, my wife Helen replaced it for me. To my surprise, I saw that the 66th edition was edited by none other than my good friend, the late Charles B. Husick, who had assumed the editorial responsibilities of Mack Maloney at his request.
Chuck was for many years one of our most popular contributing writers and as talented and knowledgeable an author and technician as you’ll find in the marine business. Another nice connection. My friends, I promise you I get no kickbacks on the sale of Chapmans, but I believe all boat owners should have a copy of this invaluable resource at their fingertips, on the boat if possible. Beware! It weighs a ton and is sold by the pound but it’s worth every ounce. It’s an interesting read on its own and if something you need to know isn’t in it, you probably don’t need to know it.
Ahoy, seamen!