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Write to be heard

August 3, 2010

What's with the snooty attitude toward freelancers?

The initial reaction from placement agents and senior crew is always the same dull association of “Very patchy CV; this will effect your employment chances.” It makes much more financial sense for a yacht to use its second tew to assist with crew cooking in down times than to have the owner’s private chef doing this.

July 12, 2010

New leaders give us a chance to dream

If we had a clean slate, what would South Florida want the megayacht industry to look like?

May 4, 2010

Helpful hints regarding Seaman's Discharge

Experienced first mate offers tips for handling Shengen visa in the Med.

March 29, 2010

Commodore's Vision

To my knowledge: Americans can travel to Cuba legally if you are a Cuban American, politician, and journalist or if you have a research project regarding Cuba. [“Getting boating in Cuba back to the past”] Others including students, religious groups, and humanitarians can apply for a license from the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

March 29, 2010

Crime in Antigua out of proportion

I think the recent crime reports from Antigua are blown a little out of proportion compared with other ports of call that are very dangerous. Antigua is not even close to being on the top 10 list. The most dangerous countries down south are Colombia,  Jamaica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago and Mexico.

March 29, 2010

Standing orders sensible

There are reasons for having proper standing orders. [“What do ‘standing orders’ really mean?” ] Onboard all inspected vessels and per ISM polices and government-issued CFRs, the master is required to have standing orders made up, signed off by officers and crew, and posted.

March 1, 2010

'Cruising permit' does not exist in all United States waters

Here on the West Coast, a “cruising permit” does not exist. The document is titled “United States Customs and Border Protection - Cruising License,” clearly labeled at the top of the document. I believe that the Cruising License issued by CBP on the East Coast and South Florida has the same terminology.

Belongs to The Triton. Uploaded on February 2, 2010 - 1:51am.
February 1, 2010

Government looks foolish after its involvement with Peterson Fuel

Regarding your article on Peterson Fuel. Why is it that the government is never happy unless it is regulating something?

  • TowBoatU.S. earns a big thumbs-up
  • Helicopter article ‘wonderful’
  • Merrill Stevens closure no surprise
January 4, 2010

Appendicitis article fell short

I read the long article about appendicitis, but you give no recommendation. [“Appendicitis ache tricks you, shifts before pain settles in,” page B2, September 2009.]

January 4, 2010

Voluntary compliance hindered by time-eating processes
I just read your November article on DHS and the auditor’s report. [“Auditor criticizes DHS small vessel security plan as ineffective,” page A6] It occurs to me that the government could get a lot more voluntary compliance if there was a way to speed up the process. We now have the local boater cards [for customs clearance of U.S. citizens in South Florida] to help move things along. We have the Advance Notice of Arrival for larger vessels.  
January 4, 2010

What’s with all the yacht crew being reckless on motorcycles?
Safety has always been a primary concern of vessel operation. We have safety training, fire extinguishers, life rafts, flare kits, EPIRBs and all the other items needed to protect life and limbaboard our boats. With that in mind, I am amazed  at the number of crew I see riding motorcycles without any helmets or safety attire. (A photo in The Triton after charity poker runs this fall motivated me to write.)
November 30, 2009

Write to Be Heard: Letters
  • Faulty valves prompt recall of Switlik rafts
  • Story was as great as Elmer Strauss really is
  • A geocaching difficulty
  • Italy story misses VSAT signal
  • www.thankyouverymuch.com
November 30, 2009

Yachties can learn from aviation's growing pains

As the yachting industry deliberates a growing expectation of crew licensing, lessons from the world of aviation, which faced similar demands more than 20 years ago, may provide guidance.

At one time, all one needed to be a captain in aviation was a commercial pilot’s license and an airplane that could get off the ground. A little marketing and one was in business; earning a living flying hither and yon.

 

October 31, 2009

WRITE TO BE HEARD: Captains & geocache

I have been a registered member of Geocaching.com since 2003 and have found many caches while travelling.  I have found caches in California, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.  I typically use my boat's handheld Magellan Meridian GPS that I have owned for many years.  Whenever I do not have it handy, I use my car's Garmin Nuvi GPS.

October 26, 2009

In this case, the ego comes from the pilot

If there is a problem with ego, in the pilot versus no pilot issue, it seems to me that it is on Pilot David Surface’s side. [Write to Be Heard, October 2009, page A22] He seems to indicate that without him a yacht cannot safely navigate in his area. His statement inferring that a 100-foot yacht carrying charter guests has the same navigation requirements and limitations of the Queen Mary is ludicrous at best and a real stretch to justify his importance. The driving force behind the pilot-for-yachts issue is that it produces a new source of income whether the service is needed or not.

October 26, 2009

Need to contact a water taxi in the United States? Be aware that they don’t have to carry VHF radios

We spent the summer in the Chesapeake, enjoying the weather, the crabs, and not so much ... the jellyfish (which actually weren’t too bad this year). Some of the “normal” maritime life includes sailboats in abundance, cargo ships, cruise ships, navy ships, weekend warriors, water taxis, pirate ships and dingies.
Imagine my surprise when I saw ahead of me a water taxi not making way, just sitting in the channel. I tried to contact him on the radio to find out his intentions, and no one answered. He just sat on the starboard side of the harbor, directly in the path of several vessels, mine being the largest. Not once did I see his head turn to look if anyone was around him.

October 26, 2009

News of suicide elicits sympathy and a source of grief assistance

Editor’s Note: After reading about the suicide of deckhand Debra Flanagan in last month’s issue, we received several condolence letters for her captain and crew mates. Here are two:

Belongs to The Triton. Uploaded on October 26, 2009 - 9:07pm.
October 26, 2009

Whaling: out of step with our morals, knowledge

In response to Nigel Beatty’s essay, “Movie about dolphin killings doesn’t tell whole story of Japan” in the October issue [page A20], I am disappointed that someone has publicly condemned a film based on their own cultural misconceptions and personal ego.

Belongs to The Triton. Uploaded on October 26, 2009 - 12:00am.
October 25, 2009

The Triton ‘let me down’ with anonymous bashing of brokers
  • The Triton ‘let me down’ with  anonymous bashing of brokers
  • Captains don’t want to use pilots?Sounds like it’s their ego talking
  • Yachts are a lot more than just excess
  • Bravo on the Latitude Adjustment piece in the latest issue of The Triton.
  • ‘A war on the rich at present’
  • Licensing articles accurate, helpful
  • ‘What a great workout’
October 1, 2009

Movie about dolphin killings doesn’t tell whole story of Japan

I have not seen all of “The Cove” movie, and I do not want to start a debate on right or wrong. But I had to comment on your article about the dolphin killing in Taiji, Japan. We all agree that it is horrendous, just like many other animal killings and captivity around the world, including our own countries. My comments come from my experience of living part time in Japan, sailing most of Japan’s waters and knowing lots of local fishermen all over Japan.

September 28, 2009

Captains don’t want to use pilots? Sounds like it’s their ego talking
After reading your article and the opinions of the yacht captains regarding the requirement to take a pilot in a particular port, I have two things to consider that were not addressed in the article or the captains’ comments. [From the Bridge luncheon, “Do you like to steer away from harbor pilots?” page A1, January 2009]
September 28, 2009

Letters: Oct. 09
Thank you, Triton, for expressing ‘what we ... feel’
September 28, 2009

Movie about dolphin killings doesn’t tell whole story of Japan
I have not seen all of “The Cove” movie, and I do not want to start a debate on right or wrong. But I had to comment on your article about the dolphin killing in Taiji, Japan. [“Diving in the ocean, reaching new heights of fame,” page A16, September issue]
September 28, 2009

The Triton ‘let me down’ with anonymous bashing of brokers
In the July article “Crew, brokers end up in different places in a sale” [page A19], I found it ironic reading the captain’s perspective of all the hard work the captain and crew go through as all brokers watch with no effort of their own.As I read this I was completing a free two weeks of analysis (80 to 100 hours) of the Broward County yacht market that reflected a high probability of the fair market values and market trends over the past four years.
September 28, 2009

Yachts are a lot more than just excess
I haven’t gotten past page 3 [Latitude Adjustment, “Picking a fight with the people who buy their ink by the barrel,” September issue] before I am forced to e-mail a comment: Right on, sister. A couple of years back, Leslie Stahl of “60 Minutes” interviewed Tom Perkins about S/Y Maltese Falcon. She took every opportunity to chide him for his excesses.