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!

This July 4th, America is having its 235th birthday, and many of us will be celebrating on our boats. If you are planning to do so as well, make sure your code flags are presentable (not tattered and moth-eaten), so you can dress ship appropriately. When we’re in the Bahamas on July 4th, our boat is usually one of only two American vessels in the anchorage that bother to dress ship, and that’s a shame, because it’s a snap to do it. This year, with our soldiers fighting overseas, it’s a class act to dress ship for July 4th.

This year, with our soldiers

fighting overseas, it’s a class act

to dress ship for July 4th.

While you are enjoying the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that living in America affords, there are some legislative matters you might want to take a closer look at. The “Ending Taxpayer Subsidies for Yachts Act” is the provocative and misleading name of a Congressional Bill that recently landed in the House Ways and Means Committee. Introduced by Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Timothy Walz (D-MN), Bill H.R. 1702 would amend the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to effectively end the mortgage interest tax deduction for boats used as a second home if passed. It doesn’t just apply to “yachts”, either—to qualify for the deduction, a vessel must have a berth, a galley and a head; things you can find even on 21-foot cuddy cabin boats these days.
I would hazard a guess that many of you reading this column have taken advantage of the “second home tax deduction” for boats at one time or another. “At the point in my career when I bought my first cruiser, that mortgage interest tax deduction helped to make owning a boat more affordable,” says Southern Boating’s editor, Louisa Beckett.
If H.R. 1702 passes, it will affect not only boat buyers—who may decide not to buy that new boat after all—but also the whole boating industry, which has already lost enough jobs due to the economic downturn.
Another critical Federal issue, according to Jim Currie, legislative director for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), is the Environmental Protection Agency’s petition to allow ethanol/gasoline blends of up to 15 percent by volume (E15) to be sold at the pump. Today’s gas-powered marine engines are not designed to run on fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol; higher percentages may cause irreparable damage.
“If E15 is the only gasoline available at gas stations, a lot of people will be using that to fuel their boats,” Jim points out. The NMMA is part of a coalition of industries urging Congress to prevent the EPA from introducing E15 until it is tested further.
There are issues of concern to boat owners at the state level as well. In Florida, public anchoring areas are a hot-button topic in many communities—one that affects not only local cruisers but also those who visit here from out of state and international waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission currently is holding a series of public hearings to gather feedback on the state’s Pilot Mooring Field Program, which may result later this year in further anchoring regulations in five areas: St. Augustine, Martin County/Stuart, Monroe County, Sarasota/Bradenton, and St. Petersburg.  For hearing dates and to learn more about this topic, visit myfwc.com and click on “Boating”, then “Anchoring & Mooring.”
The NMMA has a summary of pending Federal and state legislation impacting boat owners on its website at nmma.org; click on the “Government” tab. If you want to get involved, the website will help you find and write your legislative leaders at the national and state level. (To our readers in Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and abroad, you might want to follow this legislation, too, as it may affect you.)
Have a glorious 4th!

In addition to being a hedonist’s dream, the cruise was something of an education for me. I took the Cook’s Tour of the Feadship’s engine room with the engineer and listened in awe as our captain explained some of the intricacies of operating a vessel of these proportions. Quite a contrast to our 60-foot Press On Regardless!

Once more in the Bahamas and “our” waters, we marveled at the huge mound of salt being carried out of Inagua and were sobered by the inspection of a wrecked freighter on Hogsty Reef. At pristine, unspoiled Rum Cay we were delighted to meet up with friends Marcus and Jeni Mitchell who were also cruising in the area aboard their 80-something-foot ketch Seahawk. In their smaller lobster boat, we took a great tour of the Rum Cay beaches and inlets. In the process, we heard a radio message from a friend of theirs flying his 1939 Grumman Goose aircraft. He landed in seven-foot waters near us, which was thrilling beyond description. We picked him up from the plane’s wing. A lunch of the freshest tuna sushi and roast quail aboard our floating palace followed, which topped off a most memorable portion of our trip. (We wrote up Overseas Salvage, which Marcus runs with his son, David, and their helicopter operations in our May issue.)
Next, we renewed our affection for Conception, arguably the prettiest of the lower cays. Then it was time to head for our hosts’ home dock at Lyford Cay in the perfect weather that had favored us from Day One.
Tom Daly’s Yachtsman’s Guide to the Bahamas proved yet again to be an invaluable asset, informing us where we could fit with a 10-foot draft and helping us decide between “must-see” and “can-miss.”
No part of this tranquil and stress-free journey would have been possible without the extraordinary vigilance of our most agreeably compatible crew—each member impeccably trained to the most exacting standards of guest service and yacht maintenance.
The entire experience reinforced my long-held conviction that Kenneth Grahame was spot on when he wrote, “…there is NOTHING, absolute nothing half so much  worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

Bahamian sailing workboats

have all but disappeared.

If you are as nostalgic about traditional Bahamian boats as we are, take a look at artist Wm R. “Bill” Johnson’s book, Bahamian Sailing Craft. You can find it at the Blue Sky Gallery in Marsh Harbour Abaco, which represents him (and on Amazon.com). This amazing, hand-lettered book, which was first published back in the ’70s, has sketches of every part of the Bahamas schooner, smack boat and sailing dinghy.

Luckily, you can still see wooden sailing dinghies in action at the Bahamas sloop regattas held during the spring and summer. The oldest and most famous takes place in Elizabeth Harbour in Georgetown on Great Exuma. We’ve been to it a half-dozen times over the years in our boat, and it’s always a joyous occasion.

People cruise and fly in from all over to watch it. The race’s start is unique: The crews set their anchors on the line and hoist the sails. At the gun, they haul the hook and off they go. The pictures shown here were taken in Elizabeth Harbour back in the ’60s by our friend, Russ Kinne, a fine professional photographer.

Smack boats in the 1960s.

Who knows, with the price of fuel these days, traditional Bahamian sailing craft may make a comeback!

Scuba divers

always  use a

buddy system.

They know that when you are on (or in) the water, there is safety in numbers. The next time you are planning a cruise, try to go with a group of boats, or at least one other vessel. It takes more planning—you will have to pick a time and a destination that works for everyone. But you’ll have better peace of mind and also a heck of a lot more fun.
One time, we were making a delivery run in someone else’s boat from Chubb Cay to Cat Cay in the Bahamas. My son George left Chubb in another boat about an hour and a half after we did and took the same route. Good thing he did, because a few miles from Cat, we broke down—first we had one good engine and one bad engine; then we had no engines at all.
We got on the radio and called George, who was only 16 at the time, but was already an old Bahamas hand. He caught up with us, passed over a line, and towed us into the dock at Cat Cay. He put us alongside gently; you could have put an egg between the boat and dock, and it wouldn’t have cracked.

If you cruise with a group, you’ll have

better peace of mind, and also a heck

of a lot more fun.

If you don’t want to plan the group cruise yourself, you can usually find an organization that wil do it for you. A few years ago, we used to lead a two-week Southern Boating guided cruise to the Bahamas every year. We’d put an ad in the February issue, and in the summer, we’d get the group together and head out across the Stream from Lauderdale to Bimini, Chubb, Nassau, Exuma, Eleuthera and back.
We split the boats into a fast group, for sportfishermen and such, and a slow group for trawlers and smaller craft. We had a marine mechanic, Mike Bowman, and two Bahamian captains, one with each group. Captains Hezron and Bursall Moxey were about as knowledgeable as anyone else alive about Bahamas waters; in fact, today, Bursall runs the freight boat between Nassau and Andros called the Captain Moxey.
At the start of the trip, we’d wait for good weather, then head for Bimini (by the way, it’s the setting for our big Swimsuit feature in this issue). The fast group would get there first, of course, and then wait for the slow group to show up. About seven o’clock, everyone would get together for “crocktails” and dinner, and compare notes. That became the pattern of our evenings throughout the cruise.
I remember once we were at a marina pretty far out in the islands when one of our group accidentally fueled up with gas instead of diesel. When he started the boat the next day, he got about 20 feet before the engines quit. The mechanic came in pretty handy on that trip.
To this day, people still stop by our booth at boat shows and tell me they never would have been able to cruise the Bahamas if they hadn’t gone on group cruises with us. It gave them the support and feeling of security they needed to make the trip.
Better yet, they made good friends on those cruises that they still have to this day; we all did. Even more important than safety in numbers, to my mind, is the camaraderie you can find in cruising in company with like-minded boat owners and their guests.
Although we are no longer guiding groups to the Bahamas, there are plenty of boat dealers, yacht clubs and cruising clubs in the South that lead weekend and week-long getaways and flotillas to destinations near and far. In the summer the Bahamas government offers a series of Boating Flings (group cruises) from Florida to different islands, including Bimini, Grand Bahama, and the Abacos. Each Fling is limited to 30 boats, and the miminimum boat size is 22 feet. For more information, call Karen Wring at the Bahamas Tourism office at 800-327-7678 or 954-236-9292 or visit bahamas.com.When it comes to cruising, more really is merrier.