Preparations Are Coming Along 3/30/08

Things are moving along quite well considering the
weather has not totally co-operating. The AIS from
Milltech Marine is installed and connected to the new
Standard Horizon chartplotter and the installation
went surprisingly well. We can pick up targets 20
miles away. The new side curtains for the cockpit are
up and look great. The painting has begun but the wind
has been blowing 15 to 20 almost every day. And today
it has been raining so this part will be a bit slow.
Susan is making pretty good progress with the teak
also. She is stripping the old finish off and redoing
everything with 3 coats of Cetol Natural Teak and
three coats of the clear gloss. It really looks great
and we have been very pleased with how the Cetol holds
up over the years. The new natural finish gives the
teak a much more natural look than the older style.




Upon unpacking the last parts for the masthead sensor
for the wind instruments we found a problem with the
anemometer cups. Simrad was great and sent out a
replacement part immediately with no questions ask. As
soon as the wind is down a bit I will be up the mast
to finish that part of the installation. We have also
been testing all of the electronics and doing some
tweaking on the SSB ground plane. So far all is well
and each time we tweak the SSB we seem to get out
better and receive better so we must be doing
something right.
We are counting down and plan to move the car and van
to our relatives in south Florida for storage in about
a week. That means departure should be in about two
weeks. We have learned a long time ago to be flexible
so we will wait and see just how that timetable works out.

Clearing Into Mexico

Clearing in and out of every port in Mexico and the high costs involved in what became known as the “paperwork cha cha” was the biggest complaint from any cruiser that traveled there either on the Pacific or Caribbean side. At each port where a Port Captain was present, it was necessary to visit Health, Customs, Immigrations and Port Captain and pay the appropriate fees to each office. There was a clearing out procedure that must be followed at each port. Then the whole was process was repeated over again including the fees at the next port. In addition, there were many forms to provide and fill out for some of those officials. At some point, the Port Captains in many areas refused to do individual check ins and required all pleasure craft to go through a ships agent to both clear in and out. Fees to these agents varied from as little as $40.00 to as much as $200.00 and the agents sometimes did most of the clearance work and sometimes did nothing more than take your money. Many cruisers refused to travel to Mexico as a result of this and the businesses that benefited from visits by pleasure craft soon began to realize the frustrations of all of this. Tere Grossman, who is the owner of Marina San Carlos in the Sea of Cortez and the head of the Mexico Marina owners Association, began a campaign a few years ago to change these procedures and streamline the entire process as well as reduce the costs involved in multiple check ins.

As with any changes in Latin America, the process was long, slow and complicated. But Tere’s group persisted and in the early months of 2005, President Vicente Fox signed the new regulations in to law. Simply stated, the new regulation, Reglamento 69, eliminates the need for a pleasure craft to check in and out of every port. The vessel checks in as it arrives at the first port of entry and checks out at the last port of entry when preparing to leave Mexican water. The only requirement for intermediate ports is to call the Port Captain on the VHF and let him know you are there and passing through. Also, the law makes it illegal for Port Captains to require a pleasure craft to hire an agent to clear in and out. The law was to go in to affect as soon as it was signed by the President. The Director of Port Captains in Mexico City called ALL Port Captains throughout the country to a meeting in the city to explain the new regulations, exactly what they meant and how they were to be implemented. This procedure is not common when such new regulations are passed in Mexico but it shows the governments’ resolve to improve the situation to generate more interest in travel by boat to Mexico. After the meeting, the changes were implemented immediately….in the Pacific. But the Caribbean side was a different situation. Our experiences seemed to be typical of what happened to many boaters entering and clearing in to Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos.

We arrived in Isla Mujeres in early May of 2005. We had heard of the changes in procedures but did not know the specifics at that time. On our first day, when we tried to check in, we were told that an agent was required. We mentioned the new regulations and were told that yes the new law had passed but it would be a couple of more months before it was implemented. Not knowing better, we hired an agent and paid his fee. Later we moved on down the western Caribbean to spend several months in the Rio Dulce waiting out the record hurricane season. Our original plan was to continue south to Panama, transit the canal, and head up the Pacific coast of Central America. Our long but pleasant delay in Guatemala forced us to change plans and head back to the United States by the same route which we had come south. This brought us back to Isla Mujeres. While in Guatemala we researched the new regulations for Mexico and had corresponded with Tere Grossman several times. We also had received a well known magazine detailing the changes and how well they were working throughout the Pacific side of Mexico. On top of that, we spoke to cruisers on the SSB/HAM radio who indicated that things were going quite smoothly on the West Coast. We expected to be pleasantly surprised at how easy the new procedures would be. We also had received word through the Northwestern Caribbean Net that perhaps the changes were not yet in place in Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos, even though it had now been several months since they had been signed in to law.

We do not recommend that vessels bypass proper procedures when entering foreign ports since doing so can be problematic and even costly. But we decided to do just that upon our arrival in Isla Mujeres. The requirements upon arrival are to call the Port Captain to announce you are there and to begin the check in procedure. But only days before, a vessel reported that the Port Captain was still requiring the use of an agent, in violation of the new law. So instead of calling the Captain on the radio, we instead went ashore to the health inspector’s office to begin the process. The health inspector chastised us for not calling the Port Captain first but processed our paperwork anyway. Next we went to Immigrations, our passports were stamped and we walked to the next block to pay the immigration fees at the bank. The last stop was the Port Captains office. We walked in, stood at the counter and asked that we be checked into the port. The gentleman behind the counter informed us that we must hire an agent to do this. We were ready for this and since Susan speaks Spanish fairly well, the communications issue was not a problem. Always with a smiling and friendly demeanor, we told the official that we were aware of the new regulations and even quoted the regulation number. In addition we had the magazine with us quoting the changes and their implementation in other ports. Susan also told the official she did not know what an agent could do for us since the majority of the clearing in procedure was already complete. Since the official was not the Port Captain he was a little dumbfounded and said the Port Captain was off the island and would not be back until the next day. He said it would be fine for us to move around and enjoy ourselves and would we come back the next morning to see the Captain and also bring a copy of the magazine article with us? He stated that they were not aware of the new regulations. We responded that we were surprised at that since all Port Captains were called to Mexico City to have the new regulations explained. He did not have anything to say to us but asked that we return the next morning.

We knew there was an Internet Café a block down the street so that became our first stop. We had brought Tere Grossman’s email address with us and immediately emailed her and gave her an update of what had transpired. We had corresponded with her previously to let her know we were on our way to Isla. Now it was time for a little relaxation and some shopping. Isla is one of our favorite stops and we love the atmosphere. The many shops and restaurants and the colorful streets are truly what you expect when coming to Mexico. We always wish we could spend more time here. Later in the day, we checked back at the Internet Café and found to our surprise that an email from Tere had come back very shortly after we had sent ours to her. She had contacted Ing. Leonardo Lazo, the director of Port Captains and he in turn called the Port Captains office in Isla Mujeres. They were reminded of the new law and instructed to clear in pleasure vessels without requiring an agent. We did feel a bit uncomfortable since we did not know how the Port Captain would react to us going over his head. We told them we were freelance writers for different boating publications and were writing an article on the changes regarding clearing in and out of Mexico. I believe that helped in getting them to co-operate.

The next morning, we arrived at the Port Captains office just as they opened with the copy of the magazine article they had asked for. It was apparent the phone call of the previous day had been received and understood. The reception was cordial but it was obvious it was not sincere. To our surprise, the Port Captain informed us he was doing this only for us and would not do it for others. We let it go and finished clearing in. Once we finished, we again emailed Tere Grossman and informed here of how things went and of the Port Captain’s comment. Surprisingly, the next boats that came in were told they could use and agent if they liked but it was not required. We wondered why that might be and hoped we had made a difference through our efforts and that now things would change for those that came after us. Well, that didn’t happen quite as we had hoped. Very soon the Port Captain took a new tack. He stopped accepting payment for the check in and required the boaters to take a ferry to the mainland and pay the fee at a bank in Cancun. This is a hassle, very time consuming and more expensive since you must pay for the ferry to the mainland and the return. The ploy was obvious since whenever someone objected they were told that they could hire an agent and avoid the hassle. And many did just that, but not all. As soon as we learned of this new approach by the Port Captain we notified Tere Grossman, even though by that time we were back in the US. She assured us that the information would be passed on and gave us the email address of another government official that would be interested and would help correct this new situation. We emailed Captain Raymundo Mata Contreras, Deputy Director of the Mexican Merchant Marine and here is the email we received back from him.

Here is a copy and paste of an email we received from Leonardo Lazom of the Mexican government and what they are doing to correct this problem. Boaters checking in and still finding a hassle should immediately email Capt. Contreras directly with their problems. They are very concerned about the financial impact on the economy with this kind of problem. The email address is at the end of the message. Chuck and Susan, S/V Sea Trek

Asunto: Atten: Leonardo Lazom, problems in Isla Mujeres

Copy to: Teresa Grossman-Asociación de Marinas Turísticas.

With reference to the message sent to Mr. Leonardo Lazo Margain regarding your concerns with the Maritime Services at Isla Mujeres; where you express your concern about the collusion between the Port Captain and the agents; that they are making it so difficult for the boaters that they will use the agents rather than go through the hassles the Port Captain has imposed.

For the Government of Mexico, the Secretary of Transport and Communications through the General Coordination on Ports and Merchant Marine our compromise as the Maritime Administration is primarily to observe national legislation, and the International Maritime Conventions related with the guarantee of the Safety of Life At Sea, Safety of Navigation and all related activities with Ports and Waterways in our jurisdiction; this is realized through a national policy for the development of the maritime and Port System, and also in every port under the supervision and authority of the Harbour Master.

The Maritime Administration complying with IMO Conventions, specially the FAL Convention to facilitate traffic bettwen ports worlwide. We need to recognize that during the past; the Navigation Law was restricting the traffic for boaters because it was a requirement to dispatch all boat at every port during their presence at mexican waters, nowadays with the reform made to the law is only required at the first arrival port of call to the country and at the departure to international voyage.

We started a complete program to update documentation, rules and obligations for the keyplayers in the industry and eveybody needs to observe regualtions stated in the Navigation Law and Port Law.

Since, the new changes in the law we have dealing since that with differents matters regarding the boaters, and in order to promote competitiveness in the Maritime and Port Industry it´s necessary to promote a new culture to meet the customer´s needs ensuring the continuos growth of the Port operations at the Mexican Ports.

Some of the requirements were requested to the Minister of Finance who is the federal Agenct that receive all fees related with the use of federal and public services and obviously those related with maritime industry.

During last week was approved to have a bank terminal at the island in order to attend the necesities and very soon boat and customers will be informed; so all process can be completed RIGHT THERE without going out of the island.

Let me inform you that is not compulsoty to use a shipping agent for the tramitance; but that´s the only decisión of the boat owners and the Harbor Master is impeded to promote the use of agents; otherwise they will be subjected to penalization as per stated in the Responsability Law for the Public Service.

As part of the objectives of this Administration and as a Part of the Government Agenda we are combating authoritarianism and corruption.

Let me say additionally that this is part of the changes of the Country México. We foreseen ahead and promisory future for the Maritime and Port Industry, and we know that Governments needs to give the Industry a certain with the Law and with a Public National Policy in all Maritime Issues.

With that in mind we request you to inform to all boaters; that concerns regarding with these maritime incidents must be attended directly by the Harbor Master or through my office.

On behalf of the General Coordinator on Ports and Merchant Marine Eng.Cesar Patricio Reyes Roel, receive our best regards.

Capt. Raymundo Mata Contreras, Deputy Director Merchant Marine.

Av. Nuevo León No. 210 7th Floor.

Col Hipodromo Condesa. Deleg. Cuauhtemoc.

México, D.F. 06100

Phones + 52 55 5265 3222 and + 52 55 5265 3235

Email: rmata@sct.gob.mx

Website www.sct.gob.mx

So this is where things stand today. Any problems can be addressed directly to Captain Contreras and he will be more than happy to assist any and all vessels still being hassled in the Caribbean. So just what are the proper clearance procedures?

You need to first contact the Port Captain on Channel 16 and let him know you have arrived. They will first send the Health Department to your boat to make sure you and your crew are healthy. They may also want to inspect your fresh food stuffs. After you have cleared Sanitario, which is free, they will stamp all your papers and you are free to go to shore to Immigration. Immigration will have you fill out the visitor form and charge you 214 pesos per passport (about $21 per). This can be paid at the bank a few doors away. From there, you take the rest of your paperwork to the Capitania and they will complete it and charge you approximately 263 pesos for a 40 foot boat of 13 gross tons. The fee is based on the gross tonnage, anchoring fee and services of the Port Captain so will be a little more or less depending on the size of your boat. If you have not cleared into Mexico before, you will need to apply for the temporary importation (Importada) of your vessel into Mexico, which is good for 10 years. We had already done this when we came down in the Spring through the agent at Marina Paraiso. It is unclear who is doing this now and you may have to go to Cancun and do this paperwork yourself. The government is also trying to set up a web site so this can be done over the internet.

Now to the paperwork. You will need 5 copies of your crew list to present to Sanitario. He will stamp each one of them and keep one for himself. You will also need 5 copies of your zarpe or clearance from your last port. (US citizens coming from home won’t have this.) You only need to present your passport to immigration. When you get to the port captain, you will need the 4 remaining copies of your crew list and zarpe, a copy of your passports, documentation, boat insurance and Importada (if you already have it). They input some info into their computer, had us fill out a form, pay the fee and we were done.

This last vestige of the old guard will eventually change but only if the boaters continue to gently apply pressure on those that resist the change. How you approach this goes a long way in how it is eventually resolved. We always use the cordial, friendly approach no matter how absurd the situation becomes. We believe that approach has made a big difference in how we are perceived and received. Tere Grossman can be contacted at grossman@marinasancarlos.com and is glad to hear from boaters. She has worked hard to bring about these changes and is dedicated to bringing about compliance throughout all Mexican Ports. Since we had our experiences the Port Captain in Isla has gotten creative and still tries to put up roadblocks so cruisers will give up and hire an agent. Be persistent but polite and insist the process be done according to Mexican Law. You will eventually prevail but contact Tere Grossman if problems continue.

Getting Ready...........Again

Once again we are preparing Sea Trek for our next cruise. Our plans at this point are a bit muddy but considerations are to visit friends along the eastern seaboard from Florida to South Carolina between April and November. Then when the hurricane season comes to a close, head back over to the Bahamas. It has been eight years since our last visit to the island chain so we look forward to seeing what changes have transpired since then. We always say our plans are written in the sand at low tide. During the next month and a half we will be doing some upgrades and maintenance that we have neglected since we have been here in Houston.

A few years ago we did some experimenting with a non skid paint for the decks. Over the years the finish has gotten pretty shabby and we have tried painting with a couple of different products. The best look was with AwlGrip and a flattening agent added to eliminate that shiny finish and loose all "non-skid" affects. It looked good but was still very slippery when wet. We came across a product called DuraBac that touted itself as a true non skid and reported it was used by commercial fisherman and the military as well as industry. The application process was fairly easy, the color selection was good and after we applied it to the deck the performance was very good even when the decks were awash. We chose the color Cream since it matched the original non skid color but sadly found after only a few months it started turning grey in splotches all over. Our first contact with the manufacturer found they did not include an additive that was supposed to be mixed in so they sent us a replacement. But the same thing happened after the second attempt. Further contact with the manufacturer was not of much help since they insisted we must have done something wrong or used the wrong cleaners. So at our expense we redid the decks again and guess what? The same results, so we decided that we really liked the non skid properties and we researched other like products and found one with good positive feedback called Tuff Coat. Concerned that we might have problems with it also turning gray we ordered new gray paint then we did a test section and left it for a few months. The finished stayed the same color and was easy to clean. The DuraBac was always difficult to clean from the very start. Again the non-skid properties are great. So now Sea Trek has a great looking new coat of gray non-skid.

We have also done some work on the interior. New blinds on our large ports, a new storage cabinet over the galley counter where the old TV/VHS combo used to live and new foam for some of the cushions. A new stereo system tied to the new HD LCD TV and DVD player/recorder improves the entertainment upgrades. I have added a new four stage battery charger and left our trusty 30 amp original charger in place but unplugged. If one fails we only need to unplug that one and plug in the other for a back up.




Several years ago we replaced the large fixed ports on the cabin sides with Lexan, surfaced mounted and with bronze outer frames. Over the years the Lexan has degraded and clouded over to the point that one could not see through them very well. Those were clear Lexan but we decided to replace them with a darker smoked finish. The bronze frames were always green so we decided to get them chromed. We found a shop in Houston that did a great job. The final finished look was outstanding and we have received many complements since we completed the project.

For many years we have run all of our navigation programs from the computer at the nav station. As a certified marine electronics technician I decided it was probably time to put a plotter at the helm. We went with the Standard Horizon CP300 since we did not need an integrated system and the Standard Horizon is very user friendly. In addition it uses the C-Map cartridges which I prefer and the cost is 1/3 or better than most of the other systems on the market. From personal experience and the first hand experience of others that use the Standard Horizon we have received nothing but positive feedback. Our 16 year old Signet Wind Instruments have been occasionally acting erratic so we decided now would be a good time to replace them. We installed a Simrad Wind machine to match our Simrad speed/depth/temp combo. Tweaking much of the rest of the equipment and electronics are on the todo list. We also replaced the aging side curtains for the cockpit.

Other items yet to be done include having the anchor and chain re galvanized since there is a place close by to get that done. Some of the paint on the hull is showing it's age since we last did the job 10 years ago so we will do some touching up. The teak is getting stripped and redone after eight years of just maintenance coats and several other small cosmetic projects. We like the boat to be looking good and feeling good when we leave for these cruises and it has paid off in the past. We have been able to enjoy the trip and the boat with only minor issues to deal with along the way. So we will post our progress for those interested and for those not so interested we hope you enjoy the other many articles we have posted here. We will continue to post as we move along our route and report back when internet access allows.

The Cruisers Triangle

For about 10 years now we have been traveling up and down the ICW. We do not do the trip every year, but have 5 round trips under our belts. If you leave early enough from the Chesapeake in September or October, you will have enough time to make side trips in North and South Carolina and Georgia to see new sights before the cold sets in. If you are pushing South because you left too late in the season and are being chased by frost, slow down when you hit the Florida border.

One particular year we left later than we planned, not getting away from Baltimore until the third week in October. Granted, we had better weather than expected for the most part with very little frigid cold stuff, but still wanted to press on before the every-three-day-front pattern started. We always feel like once we get to Fernandina Beach, we can slow down a bit. This seems to be a sentiment now shared by many and, as we discovered this trip, a new trend has begun. Folks will bounce from St. Mary’s, Georgia to Cumberland Island, Georgia to Fernandina Beach, Florida and back to one or the other places for weeks on end. None of them are more than 8 or so miles apart and can be reached within the span of an hour or two, depending on how you hit the tides.

We have always stopped in Fernandina Beach because we have friends who live there. We discovered many years ago that we do not, however, like to be in the anchorage in a good blow. An open fetch from the north or south and strong currents can make for anxious hours or days at anchor. One experience with others dragging down on us was enough. We now head upriver to St. Mary’s, which is much more protected, should weather be an issue. When the weather has passed, we simply up anchor in St. Mary’s and arrive back in Fernandina in under 2 hours (closer to 1 if the tide is right).

Since on this trip we arrived from an easy overnight offshore run from Beaufort, S.C. and were anxious to see our friends, we went straight to the Fernandina anchorage and had a nap before getting together with our friends for the evening. After looking at the weather forecast for the next few days and realizing 25-30 knot winds were forecast, we decided it would behoove us to run upriver for a few days until the winds died down and we could resume our visit. We left the next day for St. Mary’s. We didn’t time our trip upriver very well with regard to the tides, but it really didn’t make too much difference as it is about 8 miles. We arrived in St. Mary’s and anchored just past Lang’s West, the second marina, on the North side of the river in about 8 feet at low tide, in a good holding mud bottom. Don’t forget the tides in this area run about 7 feet.

St. Mary’s, Georgia, claiming to be the second oldest city in the country, is a quaint little town at the very edge of your waterway chart. Although Native Americans and Spaniards passed through this area as early as the mid 1500’s, St. Mary’s was not established as a town until done so by the British in 1787. St. Mary’s has a population of about 8,000 people and lives up to its reputation as a quiet village on the Georgia/Florida border. It is notable for its shops, restaurants, submarine museum and historic homes which line the waterfront. The Howard Gilman Memorial Park opened in June of 2001. This attractive waterfront park lies just above Lang’s Marina West. There is a fountain, swinging benches, brick walkways and a gazebo in the center inviting you to stroll or just sit and hold hands with your honey on a swing under a vine covered trellis. St. Mary’s is only a 30 minute ride from Jacksonville International if you have folks flying in and only 9 miles off of I-95 if you have guests coming by car. (See www.stmaryswelcome.com for a walking map with points of interest.)

The group of roving sailboats planned to have their 3^rd annual Thanksgiving dinner in St. Mary’s. While anchored here, we were asked on at least 2 occasions if we needed to provision, do laundry or fill propane tanks. Folks who had procured rental cars or had friends in the area wanted to make sure everyone had what they needed. This was a refreshing experience having become a bit jaded by some earlier uncruiser-like behavior on the way down. We were also asked to stay for Thanksgiving, but had plans further down the road so bid our farewells.

After a few days in St. Mary’s, folks would up anchor and run downriver for the 5-6 mile jaunt to Cumberland Island. This pristine, stunning island is only accessible by air and water. There are no roads or bridges leading to Cumberland. One anchors, then dinghies to shore at the designated docks. Don’t forget your $4 park entry fee when you go to shore. One can hike the miles of trails on the island or walk the long, sandy beaches and hunt for shells. Camping on the island is also permitted at designated sites for stays of no longer than 7 days and you must reserve in advance. You must also bring everything you need with you If you don’t feel like taking your boat to Cumberland and want to leave it in St. Mary’s, you can simply take the 45 minute ferry ride to the island for $12 per person for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for children 12 and under. There is also the $4 park entry fee for ferry riders as well.

Cumberland Island is a diverse ecosystem. The inland side is saltwater marsh teeming with life. Continue further toward the ocean and you will enter a live oak forest draped with Spanish moss. In their shadows, ferns abound as well as raccoons, armadillos and other animals rustling in the underbrush. The National Park Service provides a map which indicates the paths to the beaches and other points of interest. Please note the areas that are off limits to the public. The contrast from the dense green forest to the white, bright sand beach will take your breath away. The beach runs for an impressive 17 miles and wild horses can be found on the inland side beaches.

There are also a few structures on the island. The ruins of Dungeness, built in the late 1700’s, are not open to the public due to being unsafe structurally as well as being inhabited by diamondback rattlesnakes! There are 2 manor houses on the island, Greyfield and Plum Orchard Mansion. Greyfield is private property, but Plum Orchard was donated to the park service by the Carnegie family. The First African Baptist Church still stands near the North end of Cumberland Island, having been built in the late 1800’s and rebuilt in the 1930’s. Take your camera to shore as there are photo ops at every turn. Our trip South this year did not allow time for a stop in Cumberland, but gazed wistfully at the island as we drifted by on our way back to Fernandina.

Much of the Fernandina Beach waterfront is docks used for commercial ships, shrimpers and pleasure boaters. The Fernandina Harbor Marina is right on the ICW and has fuel and dockage alongside an extensive pier. Fernandina has the bustling Centre Street running perpendicular to the waterfront. It has much more activity and shops than does St. Mary’s and is a good place to begin your Christmas shopping on your way South. Although any major provisioning is quite a distance from the marina, most folks seem to be able to catch a ride with some nice locals who take pity on them as they were once cruisers themselves. Downtown Fernandina encompasses a 50 block area with many homes and B&B’s listed in the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. Much of the architecture is Victorian. It boasts a whopping 25 restaurants within walking distance of the marina. For more information on this friendly town and the surrounding area go to www.aboutamelia.com.

Having spent time in each of these three places, we fully understand the current trend toward staying in “the triangle” for weeks and enjoying the slower pace the South offers. So if you are heading South for the first time in the Fall or making a repeat passage, talk to other boaters on the VHF and find out what you can bring to Thanksgiving dinner in St. Mary’s or who is going to Cumberland to stroll the beach and join in the fun!

Wadaya Need To Go Cruising?

I think that anyone that reads any cruising publications is asking that same question and looking for the answer. But is it really that simple? There are still those out there that will tell you all you need is a stout ship, a well-built sextant and a wooden bucket and paradise is yours. Why, they will tell you that you don’t even need one of those noisy, smelly, infernal engines. And that is wonderful…..for them. For the rest of us, a little creature comfort and some additional equipment to enhance the experience and make our passages a little easier and safer is what we are looking for. Now I don’t mean for those of you with unlimited resources. That is a whole other article. Most of us are of average means and if we want to cruise then we really have to watch the cash flow.

Over sixteen years of living aboard and cruising have taught us many lessons and fine-tuned our requirements. Some things we have learned we can’t do without and others we really never needed. The first consideration was the boat. That choice will depend on where you plan to cruise and when. Running the ICW and coastal cruising will demand one type, while crossing oceans and even short offshore hops to the islands will require something entirely different. For us it meant a heavy displacement cruiser. We knew we would never be the first into the anchorage, but comfort, seaworthiness and above all sound construction was more important. Another big consideration was storage. When you consider a cruising boat, there is a very special exercise I like to perform. Sit down in the cabin and begin to mentally place everything you own on this vessel. See how quickly you run out of room. It helped us to decide NOT to buy some so called cruising boats and later proved to be a good exercise.

Once we decided on the boat, we were lucky in that the previous owner was one of those that didn’t need any extras. As a matter of fact the only cooking equipment on board was a very large gimbaled microwave oven and an electric frying pan. He seemed insulted that we wondered why there had never been a stove on board. The point is that a vessel like this will allow you to add the equipment you want in the manner you want. We have installed every piece of equipment on board. The reason being, if there is a problem, the installer is always on board. We have always done the installation according to manufactures recommendations and within safety standards. Sometimes it took a lot of studying and research in advance, but it always paid off later. So wadaya need?

Living on a boat shouldn’t be a lifelong camping experience. Our first installation was a propane stove. We considered other sources. Kerosene, diesel, and others. None gave us the convenience and familiarity that propane presented. We installed all the required safety equipment including automatic shut offs, sniffer sensors and a sealed locker vented to the outside of the boat. All met current safety standards. The next area was the head. We decided on a manual one since we did not want to increase our electrical demands. The shower was next since bucket baths on deck with salt water didn’t appeal to either of us. The hot water heater was already ten years old and that is about their shelf life. It was replaced with a stainless unit that would allow us to heat water with the engine. This was preferred since we don’t like to spend all our cruising dollars on marina stays. Being at anchor somewhere is what we believe cruising is all about. The addition of a Watermaker made staying at anchor in remote areas and not worrying about long showers more of a reality.

Every cruiser is concerned with the boats electrical demands. That and anchors is usually the topic of discussion whenever two or more cruisers get together. Our 110-volt needs are light. The TV and DVD player, a low watt microwave and occasionally hand power tools are about it. We opted for a 12-volt to 110-volt power inverter instead of a generator. We didn’t want another noisy, smelly, high maintenance system aboard. A 1850-watt inverter has worked well for us for many years. It is quiet and maintenance free. If you need lots of 110 for refrigerators and AC units then a generator is a must. We have never felt the need for AC when at anchor and we have spent most of our time in the tropics. A good sun awning and well-placed cabin fans went a long way to keeping us comfortable. Our refrigeration unit was originally an engine driven unit. It was another system that we removed even though it worked perfectly. The decision to go to 12 volt DC was to cut down on the need to run the engine at least twice daily and sometimes more.

The refrigeration decision changed our 12-volt DC needs dramatically. For quite some time our mizzen mount wind generator along with the engine alternator served our needs quite nicely. Now our daily amp hours almost doubled. We then added three a solar panel to try and make up the difference. It was adequate for a period of time. On long offshore passages where the autopilot, lights, computer and radar were running constantly it was not quite enough. Our engine alternator also proved to be too small. After a trip up and down the east coast, through the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic and the south coast of Cuba we returned to the states to add a few things. That included two additional solar panels. We installed the largest we had room for and could afford. When the sun is shining they are silently charging our batteries with no muss or fuss. We also increased our alternator size to the largest our engine would accept. These additions so far have proved to more than meet our demands. If I could add more it would certainly be additional solar panels.

That brings us to the second most popular topic, anchors and ground tackle. Many of our cruising friends carry a gigantic storm anchor for those ultimate conditions. We considered this also, but decided on another approach. Instead of one large anchor, we added three oversized ones for the length and displacement of Sea Trek. Our primary and secondary are plow types and a back up danforth is stored aft. Being able to use any of the three or all of them at any given time made more sense to us than carrying around a big storm anchor we might never use. But having the three oversized ones still gave us pretty good confidence in just about any conditions we encountered. This has included ten hurricanes and four tropical storms. Did we mention Sea Trek is a storm magnet? Since much of our cruising is around and near coral and rocky bottoms we chose mostly chain ground tackle. Again, the largest our electric windless and anchor locker will allow. Nylon anchor rode will chafe through in a matter of hours on rocky or coral bottoms under the right conditions.

For us, staying in touch with both cruising and land based friends and family is important. In the beginning…we carried a portable SSB receiver to get weather reports and listen in on the many nets. After our first trip to the Bahamas we found we wanted to also talk with the folks we met and have access to any types of weather resources. A SSB transceiver was the next step. Then we arrived into the computer age. The wonders of a laptop for space, programs that brought us weather fax off the SSB, and navigational software that gave us real time plotting from the GPS (we have two) were new toys we couldn’t leave the dock without. Being at the dock introduced us to the Internet and email. Suddenly we were junkies. How could we ever go cruising without email???? At first we used and were very happy with the then new Pocketmail. We stayed in touch and got a regular email fix. Life was good. But as we wondered further away from home there were some drawbacks. Connecting in foreign countries was difficult, expensive and sometimes impossible. Then we discovered HF email and the wonderful Ham operators that would provide worldwide availability for no more than the cost of the equipment and a license. Replacing our perfectly good SSB with a new transceiver that had Ham capabilities was a must. Adding a TNC modem opened up the world to our daily email. The communications officer, after much studying and anguish, passed her Ham exam and now has the appropriate license. The safety issues of this type of set up are also very comforting.

Safety is important to us. Sailing short handed offshore should never be taken lightly. ALL of the crew should know how to get the boat to safety if they are the only ones able to do so. The equipment we carry reflects our serious approach to this issue. We installed a life raft on deck in it’s own cradle prior to our first offshore passage. With research, we purchased what we believe to be one of the best. This was one area we decided that price should not enter into the equation. Jack lines from bow to stern are always attached. We decided on inflatable life vests with a built in harness. This has encouraged us to wear them any time we are out of the cabin offshore. They are reasonably comfortable and allow us to always be hanked on. We always carry the required flares, distress signals and additional safety equipment. A regular inspection tells us when they need replacing.

Creature comforts are also important to us. We truly believe that this enhances the whole experience. While we were still in northern climates we installed a diesel cabin heater. It is plumbed to our main fuel tank so no additional fuel sources or tanks are needed. Fortunately we have not needed it for years. A TV and DVD player is great for those like me that need a regular TV fix. We carry a large selection of DVDs since we have the storage space for them. We started collecting CD’s after a replacement of our 12-volt stereo system. We still have lots of cassette tapes. Sun awnings with water catchers built in and 12-volt fans throughout the boat serve as our air conditioning system. Add what you feel you would like to have.

Electronics have improved with leaps and bounds since we started cruising. We started out with a GPS, VHF, wind instruments and a SSB receiver. Today we carry two GPS receivers, one at the helm in the form of a chartplotter and one at the nav station. The nav station is connected to the laptop which has the latest navigation software installed. Electronic charts are wonderful and we use them extensively. But the paper charts are sitting directly under the computer for planning, reference and regular plotting just in case. Radar was another invaluable addition. We sailed without it for years. Once we installed it, we wondered how we ever got through it all. It is great for tracking weather and avoiding those odd squalls and also an invaluable tool for night passages. It will pick up anything else out there with you and sound an alarm to let you know if anyone is getting too close. We still have the wind instruments. I don’t have to explain to anyone the value of a good autopilot. Again, do some research before buying. One comment we heard over and over again about a very popular brand was that it had a wonderful service department. Almost every owner made the same comment. Naturally we avoided that one. Look at the recommended size for your vessel and go to at least the next size larger. This will really pay off in more difficult conditions. It also means that it will work much less. The wear and tear need for maintenance and breakdowns will be fewer. Power consumption will also be less.

The family car (Dinghy) is another consideration with lots of choices. We went with a ridged hull inflatable. We started with a fiberglass dinghy, which lasted all of a couple of weeks. After almost capsizing it a couple of times and many dings to the hull it quickly went away. We next went to a straight inflatable. This was convenient for storing on deck but hard on the dinghy when landing on rocky beaches. The RIB was a good compromise. We also added davits on the stern to carry it. It never spends a night in the water and we seldom have to do any serious cleaning to the bottom. It is also much more secure, since we can easily chain it to the mother ship. An appropriate size outboard is also necessary. It needs to be able to plane the dinghy with at least two people aboard and a reasonable amount of equipment or supplies. The larger the tube size and the higher the rise in the bow will help determine how dry you will stay in those choppy conditions.

Last but not least, one addition we added after our first trip up and down the ICW is one of my favorites. That was an anchor wash down system. We no longer have mud streaming down the decks and the hull each time we up anchor. It is a simple, straightforward installation. All you need is a salt-water pump, some fittings and hose. Another thru-hull is not really needed. You can tee into an existing one that is forward on the boat. It is also great for washing off fish parts when you catch this evenings’ dinner. Fishing is another subject.

I don’t mean to imply that this is the definitive answer to what you will need for cruising. This is what has worked for us over the years. Each boat and crew will have their own requirements and needs. Do what works for you. We are about to begin our next cruise and feel pretty good about our decisions. I am sure several of these points will be argued along the way. But then again, that is also part of the experience. We hope that whatever choices you make your voyages will be both safe and memorable. Fair winds.

Hurricane And Storm Prep

We have on many occasions, only half jokingly, told our friends that we believe Sea Trek has a bulls-eye painted on her somewhere with the symbol for a hurricane in the center. With the approach of the last Hurricane, this will be named storm number fourteen for us, plus the unnamed storm of the century. We now have hurricane preparations down to a science. We realize that living on board in the Florida Keys might put us in harms way, but the storm of the century brought us 85 knot winds and two feet of hail in the northern Chesapeake. We experienced Hurricane Georges, Charley and tropical storm Mitch in the Keys. Dennis ran over us three times in Great Bridge, Virginia, once as a hurricane, then backed up over us as a tropical storm, and then backed over us again as still a tropical storm. We were pinned to a sea wall in Great Bridge, VA for ten days. We sat out Hurricane Floyd anchored in the Wye River in the Chesapeake. Irene found us in Bellhaven and Isabel found us, again, in the Chesapeake and a bunch more elsewhere. The point being that anywhere on the East Coast or Gulf Coast of the US is in harms way if you live and travel on a boat.

Once it was announced that a storm was headed our way, we knew instinctively what we had to do. First item of business was to tend to the sails. No matter what the predicted storm size, the roller furling head sail always comes down. This time around we chose to leave the main and the mizzen on their booms and to wrap a good strong line around sail, sail cover and boom. If the storm threat was greater, we would opt to remove them. Let me add that we are in a very protected basin with high buildings all around us. We knew the wind protection was good. Otherwise we would remove and stowed all sails to reduce windage and the potential damage that could be caused if one got loose. We next stripped every loose item from the deck. Our rule is that if it is not bolted or otherwise attached to the boat, it has to come off. If we are at anchor, then that means it must be stowed below. This time we were able to stow most items in our van.

Last year we replaced our aging bimini with a hard top. Removing this would be major construction, so we decided to tie the whole thing down with a series of crossed lines that should prevent the wind from removing it. A solar panel atop the dinghy davits had to be removed. Next the dorades were replaced with their proper screw on caps. All covers come off and all hatches are dogged down and taped all around with preservation tape. This allows removal of the tape without pulling the finish off around it. We then make sure all ports are secured and fastened down tightly.

We generally wait until the day before the storm arrives to set up the dock lines. The reason for this is so we can be fairly certain of wind direction and strength. We use a spider web pattern that would make the average arachnid proud. A major point is knowing as close as you can what size storm surge to expect. We need to allow enough slack in the lines to accommodate the rise in water but not too much so the boat will bang into pilings and the dock. That means positioning the lines on the dock as high up on the pilings as possible. A small nail will insure that they won’t slide down. We also run lines as far from the boat as possible, often tying to pilings etc. that are down the dock a slip or two away from us. The boat is positioned in the center of the slip and as far off the main dock as we can get it. Of course this only works if space is available and it does not interfere with your neighbor. If we are at anchor we set out all three of our anchors. We try to determine where the heaviest wind will come from and set our largest anchor and chain it that direction. But we have been fooled a time or two. We also have set an anchor off the bow, even in the slip, if it might help keep us off the dock. You also need to consider any places that the lines might chafe and use good chafe gear in these areas. Sea Trek has substantial cleats and a very solid Sampson post. Any line is only as secure as the attachment point on the boat. In the past we have seen many instances of cleat failures and the lines stayed intact. Of course these are considerations that need to be made far in advance of any storm season.

Next, we begin removing our electronics. All radios, GPS’, computers, radar, removable depth sounders and whatever else we consider essential, come off the boat. Most all are installed originally with easy removal in mind. Again, because of our protection and the projected size of the storm, we decided to leave the wind generator and the radar dome in place. We did, however, climb the mizzen and tie both off very, very securely. Next we remove all important papers and financial materials, especially the insurance papers. In the event of a major storm we have removed almost everything from the boat, including our clothes, personal items and mementos that we would not want to loose. The interior of the boat is prepared just as if we were going to sea. All loose items are stowed. Doors and drawers are secured. Anything that might move around or get tossed about the cabin is tended to. We close all sea-cocks and shut off the propane system completely. In certain vessels, a plug in the exhaust outlet might not be a bad idea. We also move all interior cushions to the v-berth in case a hatch or ports leak. The wind driven rain can be the same as if someone turned a fire hose on the boat. We remove the shore power cord and turn off the power to our slip. Lightning is always a serious problem during these storms. I don’t know how much it really helps but we clamp heavy cables to the upper shrouds on the main and the mizzen and let them hang in the water. The hope is that it will provide a direct path for the lightning to the ground instead of through the boat.

Our dinghy hangs on davits on the stern. It has ridden out gales while under way with no damage. But this is a different situation. Once all other preparations are complete, we tie it off the dock with double long lines. As with the main boat the attachment points need to be strong. We then completely fill it with water. It should prevent it from going airborne when the high winds move in. Our outboard is stored ashore. All fuel jugs are also stowed ashore somewhere that can’t cause a fuel spill during or after the storm. We have a small gasoline generator that we use if all power goes out after the storm. This is a common problem. We fuel up the generator and stow it in the van. Once all preparations are complete, we stand back and take a hard look at all we have done and go through the “what if” process. Many times we have changed lines or made some adjustments to secure things a little better. This entire process takes us a full two days from early morning till we run out of energy. To completely strip the boat takes us three full days. But when we drive away (and I can’t put in to words how difficult that is) we are confident that we have done all we can to secure Sea Trek so we can return, with her in one piece.

Now this is our routine that we have developed over the years. It has worked well for us. But each situation and each vessel is different. Only you can determine what is best in your case. We are strong advocates for leaving the boat in hurricane situations. A boat can be replaced but human life can not. You won’t be able to count on any help once the storm reaches the danger point. You will be on your own. Expecting others to risk there life and well being during these extreme situations is not practical or realistic. Hurricane Charley only gave us a glancing blow. Maximum winds were only 50+ knots. We did have a close encounter with a tornado at the approach of the storm. But Charley’s sudden rapid development and abrupt change of course reminded us that these storms are very unpredictable. Accurate forecasting even with our vast resources is still not much more that an educated guess. Just as those in the Port Charlotte area found, we too could have suddenly been facing a category 4 storm and the severe destruction that came with it. Each of us must make our own decisions as to how much and how far we will go to protect our vessel. Once you are in the teeth of the storm and things go wrong there is nothing humanly possible you can do. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those that lost everything during these terrible storms. We know this is the price we pay for living where we do. We try to lessen that price as much as we can. A good plan, well in advance, and good preparation has seen us through so far.

Cruising And Sailing Cuba On Our Boat, Click to enlarge page

This was originally posted on our Sea Trek site and was from our trip to Cuba several years ago. This was originally published in Soundings Magazine, and many of our readers ask that we republish it. So here it is and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making the trip. Revisiting Cuba is high on our cruising plans.

We weighed anchor and got underway from Punta Manzanillo in the Dominican Republic at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. It was Easter Sunday and we knew that the entire island of Hispaniola would be celebrating today. We would sort of be celebrating ourselves, but in a different way and for a different reason. Today was the beginning of a cruising adventure that began as an idea five years prior and was just now before us.

Leaving the Florida Keys, making a quick trip through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and now the DR, we were as ready as we were going to be. We had provisioned and prepared the boat while spending a wonderful time in Luperon. A day sail to Manzanillo and a good night’s sleep found us both excited and anxious. We had heard mixed reports about visiting Cuba. Everything from how terrible it was to reports that it is one of the most wonderful cruising grounds left in the Atlantic. Soon we would know.

Refurbishing The Spars

For those of you who pay to have all of the work done on your boat, read no further. This article is for those of us who live to cruise and do most, if not all, of our own maintenance. The first step is to find a yard that will let you do your own work. You will probably have to hire a crane to un-step the mast(s) and lay them in a cradle if the yard does not have their own crane. You can cut the cost of the crane if you can find a few other boats that are doing the same thing at the same time. Once you have booms removed and the masts un-stepped and balanced securely on sawhorses, you can begin the process of mapping the reconstruction

We made the mistake of thinking we would remember where everything went. We strongly suggest you take pictures as well as making notes of each item removed. Wrap tape around the cleats, eye bolts, etc. as you remove them and write on the tape where they were located. We at least had the forethought to do this much so we only had a few mystery cleats for which we could not find homes. We had 4 separate boxes in which we placed hardware from the mizzen boom, mizzen mast, main boom and main mast. The shrouds were coiled and marked. Some of our halyards were a bit long in the tooth, so a string was tied and taped to the end then pulled through the mast in order to replace them. Unfortunately, someone decided to pull the strings out so we had to purchase a wire feeder from the hardware store to rerun the halyards.

After all of the hardware was removed, marked and boxed, including the spreaders, we began the process of prepping the masts. This required some creative engineering since we needed to “hang” everything that was being painted. Some areas that had received repeated banging from shackles needed serious sanding and other areas just needed a light sanding. Once the sanding was completed to our mutual satisfaction, the bare areas with no paint remaining were sprayed with a yellow/green paint called zinc chromate specifically designed to coat bare aluminum. Once those areas had been coated completely and lightly sanded with 220 grit paper we got down to the task of applying the first coat of primer. Three coats of primer were applied prior to applying the glossy topcoat – another three coats. For paint, we chose to use a 2 part paint we have used on the hull and topsides as well. Sanding is necessary between each coat again with 320 grit sand paper. Additionally, after sanding, the area needs to be blown off with a high pressure air hose, wiped with a tack cloth, then with the paint prep that goes with the paint you are using. We divided these tasks. I was the prepper and Chuck was the painter. I never thought I would get done sanding 6 coats of paint on 2 masts, 2 booms and 4 spreaders! We would flip the booms and masts after each coat to make sure each side got equal coats. Chuck used a roller and not a brush, except for those hard to reach areas.

The finished results were just as good as if they had been sprayed. All of the cleats, mast steps and anything else stainless were given a good shining with metal polish prior to returning them to their positions on the booms and masts. Any screws with heads that had been stripped in the process of removing them from the spars were replaced. Did I mention that stainless screws that have been married to aluminum for 10-20 years do not like to come out easily? For the not so stubborn screws, some lubricant left on for a few hours was sufficient. Some of the other screws in the original cleats needed a bit more persuasion and a few even required either heat or a power impact wrench!

The final stage of checking the rigging included checking each shroud and fitting for cracks, beginning with a visual inspection for broken strands. Chuck chose a multi-stage product that started with spraying them with red dye. Once that dried, a white dye/paint was sprayed on top which showed any cracks in the end fittings. We were fairly lucky and only needed to replace our bobstay and 2 of the lowers. Next step is to begin reassembling all the hardware. Each stainless fastener was coated with tef-gel to prevent any corrosion and to facilitate any future removal. Once all of the tangs were reattached to the top of the masts and the shrouds reattached to them, we could contemplate having the crane return to the yard to re-step the masts. This is also a good time to check that masthead light, VHF antenna, wind instruments and wiring and replace if questionable. Unless you particularly like being hauled up in the boson’s chair. We chose to replace the first 2 as their condition was questionable and it was very convenient. This is also a good time to secure the wiring inside the mast to prevent that slap, slap you get in the rolly anchorages at night,

Hopefully when you chose to take on this task, you will have allotted a number of weeks to complete it. We had the absolute worst weather imaginable as we tried to do this project on weekends and holidays (and some evenings). It literally took us months between rain and snow and our real jobs. This task would have been much simpler if we could have attacked it on a daily basis instead of whenever our work schedules and mother-nature would cooperate. However, the end result was worth the effort and our boat looks pretty good for an old girl! In the end, you will have a great new look and enhance the beauty of your vessel and, more importantly, safe, secure rigging. Happy cruising!