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| September 2005 |
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Man Overboard Not a "Day in the Office"
Regarding the July '05 race report "Swiftsure Yacht Race" - to refer to a man overboard incident as "a day in the office" sends the wrong message. A cry of "man overboard" should send shivers up your spine!! Joh MacMillan Nanaimo, BC You're right, a cry of "man overboard" should send shivers up your spine, and there's no doubt that there were shivers up the spines of all aboard "Braveheart" when the bowman went over. But the full quote from "Braveheart's" skipper Colin Boothe was, "We've all done lots of miles together, so a guy off the side isn't a problem. It's just another day at the office." The message he is conveying is that they were a well practiced crew which acted quickly and efficiently, calmly, without panic, to pick up their overboard crew member. Can't We All Just Get Along? Dear Tom (Averna), After reading your article "San Juan Summer Weirdness" I was a bit disturbed. Should you be writing articles suggesting that all power boaters are alike? At the same time should we suggest that all sail boaters are alike? I have been working a summer job @ the government Locks, this has given me many hours of observing the behavior of our local boating community. I can assure you that there is as many "bad" sailors as there are power boaters. I might suggest that if a person is capable of spitting on someone else's property (for whatever reason) that it might have more to do with their mental stability, and ability (or lack of) to respect one's property than it does with what type of vessel they are operating at the time. I happen to love motor boating as well as sailing, I was personally offended by your suggestion that this person was in any way different from the "sail boaters" because he decided to be a disrespectful person. I have seen many sail boaters exhibit the same type of behavior. I wish your magazine would promote unity, safety and consideration at sea rather than trying to segregate the boating community. Respectfully yours, Jason Rippon You're right, there are jerks on both sides of the boating spectrum, and no powerboater would want to be lumped into the same category as this moron. Instead of saying "how different power boaters are from sail boaters," let's just say how much this guy was different from any boater we'd ever want to see on the water, on any planet, power or sail. San Juan Virgins - Cross Strait Early The additional advice I'd give a nervous nelly going to the San Juans is to be sure and cross the Straits early in the morning. Most mornings you could paddle a canoe across. Not so in the afternoons. Better yet, if he can understand the currents, go the back way through the Swinomish Channel. Dave & Pat Rogers Vashon Island Early is best, but even if it's flat, make sure and keep a weather ear and eye out. Weather around here is always subject to a quick change. Just pay attention and you'll be all right. Depending on the time of year, you may have to watch out for morning fog, but going "the back way" through the Swinomish Channel is always pretty good. Watch the current as you're tying up to a restaurant for lunch, and pay close attention as you leave because when you untie, you're gone. It is fun to have your bow into the current, then peel off and do a "bat turn" down current. Just make sure nobody's already where you're going to be shortly. Boatless in Havana I have enjoyed your magazine ever since I moved to Seattle ~ 9 years ago. Though I am boatless, I scour the pages monthly to keep up on the best cruising destinations, boat prices, and sometimes even to simply gain a new recipe. Your mag is truely wonderful. I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala and Belize recently for a vacation, and guess what my in flight reading material was. 
Here is a photo of me and my beloved 48° North in the heart of Havana, Cuba. Maybe it will someday grace the pages of one of my favourite magazines.
The odd thing about Cuba though, I felt right at home with my fellow boatless friends. It seems the only boats in northern Cuba I saw had machine guns mounted on the bow, both continuously cruised the coastline and as swift moving red or green colored dots on the horizon. Maybe Fidel needs a subscription. Keep up the great magazine, Paul Milton Proud fan and someday proud boat owner. Fidel does need a subscription, although I think he'd be more interested in the Mariners than the sailing up here. We also have little red boats with machine guns mounted on the bow running around - guess we're all on elevated (yellow) alert. Affordable headsets I loved the article about using headsets - "You Don't Have to YELL at Me!" As I read through it, I kept waiting for some suggestions as to where to find these precious items. Alas, no suggestions. It would be really helpful if someone has some ideas as to what is a good set for the money. I have found two on the internet. One through "Cruising Solutions" and several through Ear Tec. The problem I find is how to pick the one that will be effective at a short range (from the bow to the stern of a 38' sailboat) that is within a reasonable price range. Anyone have any ideas or opinions? Thanks. Myrna and Joe Antonich "Windarra" We've had several inquiries and have been going through the same search as yourself. The search for hands free headset walkie talkies took us from toy stores, baby monitors, to high end, experimental sets used on the America's Cup yacht Oracle. The Mariner 500 Head Set, as suggested by "Cruising Solutions" seems to be a good one for the money ($59.95/pair). Most others we found were either toys (Go G.I. Joe) or very pricey, $300 plus. Unlike the Mariner 500 that has the complete operating system within the headset, most units, like the Motorolas and Cobras, etc., were hand-held walkie talkies that you clipped to your belt, then added the headset with which to use it. They are readily available at most electronic stores. You can get resonably priced ones but it's having it on the belt with the cord to the ear that is the big difference. May be better, may be worse, it's up to you. Walkie Talkies work on the FRS system which the FCC defines as: Family Radio Service (FRS) is one of the Citizens Band Radio Services. It is used by family, friends and associates to communicate within a neighborhood and while on group outings and has a communications range of less than one mile. You can not make a telephone call with an FRS unit. You may use your FRS unit for business-related communications. (http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/family/) We'll look more into these units, but in the meanwhile, if you're using something like these on your boat, let us know what they are and how you like them.
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