July 2004

Vol. 1, No. 4

U.S. captains rely on word-of-mouth to land jobs

The 139-foot S/Y Rebecca was scheduled to complete a refit in Newport in late June. Capt. Paul Fitzgerald, whose crew spent a year planning the project, said preparation and organization were key. Read more about it beginning on page 15. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. PAUL FITZGERALD

Join us for more on salvage laws in the Triton Connection,

page 10

Exclusively charter boats now VAT free

See the future at Visions East, page 15

At least three Triton Bridge captains lost their jobs in June. Two had longevity; one didn’t. One has 20 years as a captain; another only a few. Earlier this year, still another Bridge captain was fired from his post after four years.

Regardless of the reasons, these captains and many others face the same task – finding their next job. So we posed that question to our Triton Bridge on two continents in June. Two captains who spend most of their time in the Mediterranean shared their thoughts on this topic in Antibes, France. Five others shared their thoughts back home in Fort Lauderdale.

As always, the captains are not identified in this story to encourage frank and open discussion. Attendees are identified as a group on page 7.

The difference of opinions on this topic was striking, with Europe-based captains turning to yacht management companies for jobs, and America-based captains finding word-of-mouth the best job-seeking tool.

“When I’m out of a job, I call everyone I know, other captains, crew, the agencies,” one captain said.

But that sort of approach struck one captain as doing more harm to the industry than good.

“Having to hawk for work is the most unprofessional way to go,” said one who preferred the services of a yacht management company. “We have to get out of the 40-foot-sailboat

mentality. This industry has to have a private-jet mentality. The jet is on the runway with engines running, so that when the owner steps aboard, you close the door and you’re ready to go.

“The bulk of the people we work for, that’s what they expect,” he said. “[On their yacht,] the engines should be running and there’s just one stern line double tied, so that when the owner gets there, we’re ready to go. That’s the head space crew needs to be in.”

On both continents, talk turned here into a discussion of the level of professionalism for which yacht owners are prepared to pay.

“We’re in an industry where a crew member has to resign his commission to go to school to get his certifications, and then go back and find a job,” one captain said. “No other industry does

that.”“That’s what I did,” a younger

captain said. “I took two winters off of six months each, so I was 12 months out of work and [thousands] out of my pocket to get my license.”

“If owners were told that his captain has qualifications that he needs to keep current, they wouldn’t even blink about giving him the time to do it and paying his expenses,” the captain said. “All their employees do it. It’s part of the cost of doing business. But they won’t do it unless they have to.

“Owners are being sold an incorrect dream. They aren’t told they need to make this available to their crew, and brokers are a lot at fault for that.

“That’s where management

See THE BRIDGE, page 7

From the Bridge

Lucy chabot Reed

By Lucy Chabot Reed

Charter yachts in French waters that are registered as commercial vessels and are used exclusively in charter can legally be exempt from the VAT.

That is according to Thierry Voisin, owner of the brokerage Partnership in Nice, France, who has spent the past year negotiating with French finance authorities to arrive at some exclusions from the expensive tax for yachts.

In one of the best attended sessions of SEAS2004, an international trade show and conference held in May in Nice, Voisin announced that he and

another industry leader had gotten French officials to exempt two classes of yachts from the value-added tax: commercial yachts engaged exclusively in charter, and private, non-European Union-flagged yachts with a non-European owner.

The value-added tax, or VAT, is a general tax on the value of goods and services across Europe and is charged as a

See VAT, page 8

For more coverage of SEAS2004, see pages 6, 9, 12.

� The Triton July �004

PublisherDavid Reed

david@the-triton.com

Advertising/Business Development

Kristy Foxkristy@the-triton.comsales@the-triton.com

Business Manager/Circulation

Margaret Soffenpeg@the-triton.com

DistributionRoss Adler

National Distribution Solutions

The TritonP.O. Box 22278

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335(954) 525-0029

FAX (954) 337-0702

www.the-triton.com

EditorLucy Chabot Reedlucy@the-triton.com

editorial@the-triton.com

Contributing EditorsLawrence Hollyfield,

Michael Miller

ContributorsEng. Joel Antoinette, James

Barrett, The Bridge, Capt. Paul Fitzgerald, Capt. Denise Fox,

Don Grimme, Lisette Hilton, Jack Horkheimer, Lisa H. Knapp,

Capt. Herb Magney, Jeff Ostrowski, Steve Pica,

Rossmar International, Silvio Rossi, Herb Shultz, Michael Thiessen, Phaedra Xanthos

Vol. 1, No. 4.

The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group. Copyright 2004 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Meet Grove Harbour Marina, page 13

WHAT’S INSIDE

PHOTO/LISA H. KNAPP

Advertiser directory 33Calendar of events 30Classifieds 32-33Crossword puzzle 30Crossword answers 27Fuel prices 20Health: Body Business 24Horoscopes 29In the Galley 27In the Stars 29In the Yard 15

Letters to the Editor 35Manager’s Time 24Money: Into Account 25Opinions 34-35Photo Gallery 14,23Reviews, book/DVD 26SEAS2004 1, 6, 9, 12Technology Pull-Out: Getting Under Way 15-22Travel: Taking Time Off 28Triton Connection 10

July �004 The Triton �

4 The Triton July �004

By Lucy Chabot Reed

The fire that destroyed the Janie II was unstoppable and unpreventable, at least by Capt. Steve Ernest and his crew.

A faulty light switch in the aft stateroom – a guest room that had not been used just before the fire on April 15 – ignited while Ernest was pulling the Janie II into port in Palm Beach, Fla.

Once the wiring ignited, it quickly filled the voids in the Spanish-built ship, he said. No number of fire extinguishers could reach the source of the fire hidden behind bulkheads.

All Ernest could do was get his crew off and watch his job go up in flames. The Janie II was a total loss, he said.

“The owner will buy another boat, but that’s in the future,” he said, noting

that he will not be on the owner’s payroll until then.

“But next time, I will definitely have an employment agreement with some sort of severance package that pays to the end of the contract in case of an act of God or something like this.

”The fire not being in the engine room really posed a problem,” he said. “There, you can see where the fire started and what caused it. Why did this light switch go up? Who knows?”

One lesson Ernest said he learned from the fire is not to travel with too many personal belongings.

“Never carry on more than you can carry off in two bags,” he said. “Most of our personal belongings were not covered by the insurance, and they’re gone. Pack just like you would if you’re going to the airport. But sometimes it doesn’t matter. Most of my crew didn’t even get off with their shoes.”

Janie II was about 50 feet from the dock when the stewardess smelled smoke. She and the ship’s engineer used several fire extinguishers on the fire, but it continued to burn.

“If it had happened 30 minutes earlier, we would have been in the water,” Ernest said. “That other fire, on

NEWS UPDATE

After fire, Janie II captain will protect career with contract

See JANIE II, page 5

Join us July 14 in Fort Lauderdale at the Triton

Connection, a workshop to examine marine insurance

matters, particularly as they relate to fires. If you want to attend, contact Kristy Fox at

kristy@the-triton.com or (954) 931-1590. Seating is limited.

July �004 The Triton �

the Newfoundland Explorer, those guys were almost trapped.”

Ten days after the Janie II burned, the Newfoundland Explorer caught fire. Parked at the Best Western Marina Inn near the 17th Street Causeway bridge in Fort Lauderdale, 10 city firefighters were briefly caught inside as they tried to battle the four-alarm fire.

“Once we started pulling on the hose, the stand pipe on the dock broke,” said Lt. Kevin Johns of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. His team was the second engine to respond to the fire. “Two of our three lines were gone.”

A hose from a fire boat in the Intracoastal Waterway continued as the only source of water for the by-then 10 firefighters onboard the 157-foot vessel.

When they aimed the water down a hatch into what they thought was the engine room, water turned to steam and forced the fire up through another outlet and into the hallway where the firefighers were, Johns said.

“I yelled, ‘We have fire behind us,” and we all got down on our stomachs,” he said. “I was holding my breath to get down farther. I looked up and all I could see were rolling orange flames, from wall to wall, top to bottom.

“I’ve been on the job 18 years and this was the most harrowing experience of my career.”

After about 40 seconds, other firefighters were able to redirect the water line and create enough of an opening for the firefighters to escape.

Johns said the fire began with the tri-phase generator in the engine room, but he wasn’t sure if it was a faulty wire or the generator itself.

As of late June, the vessel remained at the dock. A broker thought to be the listing agent did not return several phone calls about the vessel’s status.

No one was aboard the Newfoundland Explorer when she caught fire, nor is she believed to have had much of a crew. The six-member crew of the Janie II, however, lost their jobs after fire destroyed that yacht.

And while Ernest helped several of his crew land new posts, he said he’s still looking.

“No matter how well known you are in the industry, it still takes a while to find a job,” he said, noting he’s worked on yachts for 30 years. “I think I’ll take the summer off.”

When the time comes, Ernest said he’ll find a job from a broker.

“I’ve always found that word-of-mouth is the way to go,” he said. “And the important thing is not the size of the yacht; it’s about the owner. Is he nice, is he capable?”

[Editor’s note: For more on how captains find jobs, read this month’s “From the Bridge,” on page 1.]

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

CORRECTION

In an article on the hours of work and rest in the June edition, Graeme Lord was misidentified. He is the director of yacht management at International Yacht Collection in Fort Lauderdale.

JANIE II, from page 4

Broken water lines on second fire endangered 10 firefighters

The Newfoundland Explorer caught fire April 25. PHOTO/LUCY REED

� The Triton July �004

Trainers take teaching task seriously, talk of starting associationBy Lucy Chabot Reed

Several workshops at SEAS2004 touched on the topic of training, with one session looking at the qualifications of the trainers themselves.

Some attendees were critical of trainers’ abilities and of the absence of courses to help captains improve their management and other soft skills. A panel of training industry leaders including Fred Dovaston and John Wyborn fielded the comments.

“There is a perception in this industry that the way trainers are regulated is unsatisfactory, that it’s the Wild West,” said Wyborn, a part owner of Bluewater Training in Antibes and Palma de Mallorca. “The reality is that we are under the glare of the MCA.

“But it’s the perception that worries me. Training providers are quite proud and serious about what we do. We have [discussed] the idea of forming an association of trainers to explore ways of providing the training the industry needs.”

An association of trainers would

hold training providers around the world to a similar standard so students could take courses in a variety of locations and still be qualified to sit for certification exams.

“An association is definitely needed,” said Dovaston, owner of the crew placement agency that bears his name. “Getting your qualifications today means you’ve got to travel to lots of places to get your training done. And it’s not just training for qualifications, but also for the job,” especially for interior crew and deckhands, he said.

In a workshop specifically geared toward the MCA’s training, at least one captain voiced displeasure with the quality of required courses.

“A number of crew complain about the quality, that the people teaching don’t necessarily want to be there, that they aren’t interested in the curriculum,” said Capt. David Clarke, skipper of the 49-meter Feadship Mi Gaea. “They consider it substandard to what they were hoping to obtain and the teachers’ ability to teach.”

“If there’s a complaint,” Wyborn said, “the student should go to the college. If

they don’t get satisfaction, they should go to the MCA. If anything rings alarms at the MCA, you can bet Tony [Drury] will be on the phone.” Drury is deputy chief examiner of the MCA’s Seafarers Training and Certification branch.

When the discussion evolved into non-required courses – such as management skills training or interior service instruction – Drury said the MCA would not get involved in regulating or certifying those courses.

“Our basic premise is safety of life at sea,” he said.

But several attendees wondered if yachtsmen would take non-compulsory courses.

“There’s no training in personnel management and financial reporting because it’s not mandatory,” said Jim Russell, president of the Professional Yachtsmen’s Association in Antibes.

“When training for qualifications, you get a certificate so you know the training was adequate,” Dovaston said. “When training for outside certifications, all you have is the result, so trainers have to be so much better.

That’s why there aren’t many courses offered outside the requirements.”

Some schools do offer courses that are not required for any license, and there is a trend that more may do so, said Julie Liberatore, assistant manager for student administration at Maritime Professional Training in Fort Lauderdale.

Most agreed the courses should be available.

“And the owner should pay,” one captain said.

“It’ll come in time,” Russell said. “Owners never paid for any training before, now they pay for quite a lot.”

Several attendees agreed that some courses work better on the boat than in a classroom.

“We prefer onboard, especially with medical or firefighting,” Clarke said. “That way, you are using the vessel’s equipment and it shows the crew the issues they have to overcome on the boat at the time of the emergency.”

Some private companies and schools offer on-board training. Steven Kahlich, chief operations officer of Great Circle Systems of Nevada, said his company hosts a three-day training seminar onboard or at a build office that is more effective than a classroom course.

The trainers also agreed some courses were better taught onboard.

“If you attend a fire course at Bluewater or anywhere else, you’re wasting your money,” Wyborn said. “It has to be onboard to train the crew on their own equipment.”

The next generation of onboard training, of course, is training videos that can be shown onboard. One captain who worked on merchant ships and was used to weekly training videos, wondered why there wasn’t something similar for yachts.

Several projects are in the works, including a video series being developed by yachting journalist Michael Howorth.

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Capts. Mac McDonald of the 46-meter Trinity Magic and David Clarke of the 49-meter Feadship Mi Gaea attended SEAS2004. PHOTO/LUCY REED

SEAS2004

July �004 The Triton �FROM THE BRIDGE

Captain: ‘yacht management companies are the future’companies can come in,” he said. “They can tell owners, ‘We need X dollars to keep the current crew trained.’ It’s part of the cost of running the boat. If they are told that way, they won’t even bat an eyelash. The worse thing going on in yachting right now is hiding things from owners.

“Yacht management companies – for better or worse – are the future,” this captain said. “They’re either going to make a mess of it or they will do a great job raising the level of professionalism in this industry.”

Is the yachting industry ready for the kind of headhunters who work in the corporate world, the kind of executives who find the best person for a job and offer them better pay and options to leave their current job?

“This industry needs to get that mentality so owners will say, ‘I need to pay him well and treat him well so he’s not poached,’” a captain said.

“You can expect radical changes in this industry in the next 12 to 18 months in the way captains are hired,” one captain predicted. Thanks to the International Safety Management Code that requires yachts to have a designated person ashore, more and more owners are turning to yacht management companies.

“If run professionally, management companies can be good for this industry,” this captain said. “A lot of yacht management companies popped up with no expertise, managing one boat. But in five years’ time, they will all go out of business and the ones left will be very professional.”

Wouldn’t you rather be hired directly by the owner?

“It depends on how long you want to be in this industry,” he said. “Owners come and go; the good management companies are here to stay.”

Still, many America-based captains were apprehensive of putting so much weight in any one method of job searching.

“Very few of us are secure in what we do,” one veteran captain said. “You’ve got to spread yourself out. There is no rhyme or reason to this industry.”

Most captains agree on one thing: “As you progress through your career, you have to be prepared to spend more and more time out of work,” one captain said, as others nodded. “Getting the next job doesn’t happen overnight.”

Although many captains admitted using crew placement agencies, most were critical of their effectiveness.

“Crew agencies didn’t work well for me,” one captain said. “I signed up all over the place and hardly ever got calls. You have to call them to see what’s up.”

“You have to wine and dine them to get called,” another added to chuckles.

“Crew agencies work for the meat

and potatoes of this industry, but not for captains,” a captain said.

One captain described his experience in a crew agency when looking for work. His agent interrupted their meeting to answer a ringing phone from a boat looking for a captain. The agent opened a computer folder on his desktop called “captains,” picked three or four names from memory, and faxed those resumes over.

“To me, that’s unacceptable,” the captain said, noting that the agency should have had a more precise system of matching experience and skills to a specific boat’s needs.

“There’s only one person I know who does that well and that’s Adrian Fisher,” said a captain, referring to the France-based crew placement guru. “He’s ahead of his time. He sends one person on an interview because that’s the best person for the job.”

“In five years, the management companies that haven’t gone out of

business will all be doing it that way,” another said.

The captains agreed the Internet was useful only in landing jobs on smaller boats or perhaps for couples seeking jobs together. Highly professional owners with large crews are unlikely to use the Internet to fill vacancies, they said.

Networking with industry leaders helps, too. Captains mentioned people such as Jimmy Floyd of Smallwood’s and Kristy Fox of The Triton as valuable sources of jobs leads.

“Of all the options, I haven’t heard anything that works for everyone,” one captain said. “There really can’t be because it’s such an oddball industry. Dumb luck has worked for me. I have gotten jobs by being in the right place at the right time.”

Sometimes, though, it’s not the lack of options that’s the problem.

“I’ve passed on jobs because I asked too many questions,” a captain

said. “I always ask for references on owners. I always ask ‘Who was your last captain?’”

And sometimes captains turn down jobs because they simply aren’t ready. Not every sailor with a captain’s ticket is ready to be a captain, they agreed.

“If I were offered a captain’s job on a 50-meter yacht, I wouldn’t take it,” one mid-career captain said. “It could ruin your career. You think it could make your career, but it could ruin it, too.”

So would you take a job as a first mate?

“A first mate’s job would be great; less time on the computer,” another captain joked.

“I wouldn’t mind a first mate’s job if the pay was good,” a veteran captain said. “If the pay was good, I’d be a bosun.”

Share your thoughts about job seeking for captains by e-mailing Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Attendees of the fourth Triton Bridge are: Top left, Gordon Scott; bottom left, Jason Heath; above from left, Paul Pratt, John Blandin, John Lloyd, Wes Armstrong and Gregory Quackenbush. PHOTO/LUCY REED

THE BRIDGE, from page 1

� The Triton July �004FROM THE FRONT

Despite French decision, VAT rules not clear in Italy, Spain

percentage of price.In yacht sales, it applies to the

cost of a yacht built and bought/sold in Europe. The percentage varies by country and can reach as high as 16 percent or higher. On a $5 million yacht sale, a 16 percent VAT is $800,000.

The VAT also applies to services,

such as charters and yard work. Brokers have advised clients for years

on ways to get around paying VAT on a yacht purchase or charter. But in mid-May, Voisin said, French authorities agreed to some exclusions that might reduce the number of consumers avoiding the VAT.

“Until last year, nothing was clear,” Voisin said. “What had come down was an internal note, not a real regulation.

“Last July, the file came back and we knew we had to solve this thing. We couldn’t advise any owners or captains anymore about what to do. We had to find a solution.”

All charter, no taxThe solution is the negotiated

agreement that exempts a charter yacht from VAT on everything as long as it is registered as a commercial vessel with its flag state, has a permanent crew, and is exclusively engaged in charter, Voisin said.

That means even the owner must have a charter contract, priced at market value, with payment made to the charter company, he said. The permanent crew can be as few as one in winter, he said.

If they meet these requirements, all yachts – French, European and non-European-flagged vessels – would be exempt from a VAT on the hull, on goods and supplies, on fuel and on services including yard work.

“This is a big thing,” Voisin said. “These boats now don’t have to request transportation authorization.”

French authorities may search for records going back as many as four years, so Voisin suggested charter vessels keep contracts on board with the passenger lists.

“Don’t always have the same charterer or [the vessel] might be fiscally re-qualified as a private yacht and then you’ll have to pay the VAT,” he said. “Get a brochure, so you can demonstrate that it’s really commercial and is actively seeking charters.

“You cannot get the break on the tax if it’s not being used in trade,” he said. “The fiscal authorities want to avoid the dentist who charters to himself simply to avoid the VAT when his yacht was really not in the business of trade.”

Under this category, there is no limit

on the number of days a charter yacht can stay in French waters.

“It’s not a temporary admission so you can stay as long as you want,” Voisin said.

It was unclear how this VAT exemption applies outside of France.

“This is how French authorities see it,” Voisin said. “There’s still lot of work to do in Spain, and the Italians are expected to vote on a taxation law for charters later this summer or fall, but are still far from the concept of commerciality.”

No charter, no taxFor private yachts that do not

charter, Europeans must pay the VAT. But the agreement exempts non-European owners with non-European flagged yachts. To cruise in French waters, such vessels must make a “temporary admission for private use,” which allows 18 months of VAT-free cruising, Voisin said.

“Every time you leave, another 18 months starts all over,” Voisin said.

This VAT exemption requires that the yacht not be used in charter nor can it be loaned, even for free, to friends, he said. The agreement permits an owner to loan his private yacht to

VAT, from page 1

See VAT, page 9

History of a tax evasionThierry Voisin opened his

workshop at SEAS2004 with a short history lesson that explained how charter yachts had gotten away with not paying VAT for years. It all started in 1992, he said.

“Until that time, all boats that had been exported from England or wherever and never imported into a [European] country, were illegal,” he said. “Well, that was 80 percent of the charter fleet. We avoided paying the VAT on charters by taking one guest back to San Remo. It was ridiculous.”

What prompted closer government scrutiny was safety, Voisin said. In the early 1990s, about the time Octopussy was launched, “boats were going 45 knots and there were no regulations. If the chef was driving and it crashes, who is at fault?”

So he called the now-Maritime and Coastguard Agency and had a meeting.

“They told us none of our boats comply,” he said. “They met no manning regulations, the life rafts were locked down. Everything was wrong.

“Yacht owners are sensible when it comes to money,” Voisin said. “So we told them if we’re going to make them pay to comply, you’ve got to give him a break on the VAT. It’s been very vague for a long time.”

– Lucy Reed

July �004 The Triton �SEAS2004

By Lucy Chabot Reed

For three days in late May, hundreds of the marine industry’s business leaders and experts gathered in Nice, France, for the inaugural Superyacht Equipment and Services Event, hosted and organized by The Yacht Report.

With 30 workshops running concurrently with almost 5,000 square feet of trade exhibitors on two floors, SEAS2004 brought together both issues and products. About 3,000 people visited the show, fewer than organizers expected.

For at least one exhibitor, though, the quality of the visitors was more important than the quantity.

“What was nice about SEAS was that there wasn’t that much foot traffic, and the people walking around were the people who can make buying decisions,” said Garry Linne, owner of Megafend, a specialty mooring items manufacturer in Fort Lauderdale.

Linne said he made the trip to Nice – which cost him about $6,000 with exhibit space, airfare, lodging and meals – because of that concentrated clientele. Through contacts he made there, he now has two new distributors based in Europe.

“Even though events like this are costly, the contacts are priceless,” he said.

A few exhibitors expressed concern that many of the attendees were too busy with the workshop sessions to walk the trade show floor, prompting organizers to rethink that portion next year.

About 65 percent of exhibitors have reserved space for next year, which is scheduled for May 24-26, 2005, also at the Acropolis in Nice.

For more information, visit www.seas2005.com.

There were too many workshops to cover each one in depth in its own article, so here is a sampling of

family (children, parents, siblings), but not friends if it wants the VAT exemption.

“Of course, once you have paid VAT on the hull, you can do whatever you want, as long as you don’t benefit financially – that is, you cannot charter it,” he said. “But you can loan to a friend and go wherever you want.”

This category of yacht and owner can also get temporary admission for work when going into a yard for VAT exemptions, thus there would be no taxes on work or labor, as long as the yacht is exported after the work.

Voisin noted that for the past decade, government authorities have looked at the beneficial owner of a yacht.

Since 1992 – even if the yacht was owned by a company registered in the Cayman Islands, for example – if the beneficial owner lived in the European Union, he was considered a resident for the purposes of this rule.

“When a yacht is permanently in the same country, it is liable for company taxes in that country,” he said. “They [those rules] haven’t been enforced yet on yachts, but you have to know that one day they will.

“Don’t push your luck,” he said. “Just pay the tax, just play the game. We have been fighting for 12 years for this and we got the most favorable position for charter yachts we could.”

If a vessel has a European flag and owner, but never goes to Europe – for example, is in Greece all the time – it wouldn’t have to pay VAT, he said.

There is another exception. “If you can prove the yacht was built

before 1985 or was in [European Union] waters prior to Dec. 31, 1992, you don’t have to pay VAT on the hull,” Voisin said. “You can get a VAT exemption certificate, which is just like you paid the tax, though you never did. I would advise you to get one as soon as you can, as they will become more difficult to acquire in the future.”

Workshop attendees had many questions on how the new agreement will work, but Voisin – the sole panelist – didn’t always have the answer.

“Life is a little more difficult now for non-EU vessels than for European vessels,” he said. “How will it show? I don’t know yet. If the boat is permanently in Europe, get a European flag.”

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

VAT not charged on shipyard work, labor for eligible yachtsVAT, from page 8

SEAS�004: the place to be seen, heard

See SEAS2004, page 12

10 The Triton July �004TRITON CONNECTION

By Lucy Chabot Reed

The 135-year-old case law that governs maritime salvage raises just about everyone’s hackles, either because of the seemingly rouge nature under which salvage companies operate, or the seemingly naïve nature under which skippers operate.

But everyone at the Triton’s inaugural Connection in June agreed that knowing the score going in was key to avoiding surprises and an unnecessary legal situation.

“Salvage is one of those issues that people aren’t very vanilla on,” said Michael Karcher, partner of the Miami maritime law firm Underwood Karcher & Karcher.

Karcher, who addressed the group of more than 25 captains and other industry professionals, said the majority of legal issues over salvage claims stem from the fact that the captain or owner didn’t know what they were getting into when a towing company offered assistance.

“You don’t want to get caught where you don’t know what the score is,” he told captains. “You’re the one who has to make the call. “Before you accept any help, ask ‘Is this a towage or a salvage?’

“If you’re in a position where you can debate, why not? Get the best price. If your truly in peril and you don’t

have the time to do it, that’s the whole purpose of these companies. Take the help and figure it out later.”

Salvage companies are relatively new in maritime history, coming into being – at least in the United States – in the late 1970s when the United States Coast Guard restricted its salvage efforts to humans, not vessels.

Private companies emerged to help boaters save their boats, including towing and salvage services. The endeavor can be expensive in equipment, training and staffing, as many of these companies are available 24 hours a day.

A system of financial rewards based on 10 factors including the degree of peril and the level of success. It is usually about 15 percent, Karcher said.

“A lot of disputes come when a tower comes [to render assistance] and doesn’t let you know it’s salvage,” said Larry Acheson, owner of Offshore Marine Towing and affiliated with TowBoat US. “If you are not in peril, you have to make that decision. It’s your charge. Is this towage or salvage.”

But it’s not easy to make a logical decision in the heat of the moment. Paul Canavan learned that lesson the hard way. In April, the veteran captain skippered the La Bella 2 in a sea trial for a potential buyer. He hit something and the boat started taking on water.

He called the U.S. Coast Guard to say he planned to beach the boat to help

plug the hole. Within minutes, several tow boat companies had arrived, and several employees from one had jumped aboard. In the confusion and stress of the moment, Canavan accepted their help, a move he said he would not do again.

“No matter how long you’ve been in this business, when you are in this situation, you are in a different kind of state,” he told the Connection. “Your adrenaline is going, you’ve got potential owners on board, you’re not thinking clearly.”

In that kind of situation, Karcher said, get an agreement – even verbal – on what the tow company will do.

“You don’t need a signed contract, but you’ve got to have an agreement,” he said. “If someone throws you a line and you accept it, that’s not necessarily an agreement.

“More and more arbitrators are saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute’ and not letting that go,” Karcher said. “The question is what

happens next. If a deckhand accepts the line and you as the captain say, ‘Get off my boat,’ that’s not an agreement. If he’s been on board for an hour helping, I think we have an agreement.”

Of course, if the vessel is in peril and a captain is negotiation an agreement, an insurance company may say those delays did more damage to the vessel and part of the coverage may be violated.

Education helps captains avoid salvage problems

See CONNECTION, page 11

Butch Risker, operations manager at Fort Lauderdale Shipyard, far left, and Capt. Chris Milark of M/Y Wireless, far right, talk to Capt. Paul Canavan about his recent salvage experience with a towing company. PHOTO/KRISTY FOX

In the aftermath of several yacht fires (see page 4 for an update), our next Triton Connection will be July 14 in Fort Lauderdale when

we’ll examine marine insurance matters.

If you want to attend, contact Kristy Fox at (954) 931-1590

or kristy@the-triton.com. Seating is limited.

July �004 The Triton 11TRITON CONNECTION

“At sea, things happen and we need assistance from time to time,” Acheson said. “Education before this happens will help.

“Carry your own contract. Boat US uses a standard form yacht salvage contract (get a copy at www.the-triton.com). Any salvor that won’t sign it shouldn’t be on your boat.”

Karcher suggested captains know their boat’s insurance contract, and who the salvors and towers are in the areas they cruise.

“If you are in a new place and something goes wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the Lloyd’s open form,” he said.

Colin Downey, captain of the 50-foot Storm Along, asked, “What does a captain need to know to cover his backside to keep from getting pinched between obligations under law and the expectations of the insurance company and owner?”

Canavan said, “Within 24 hours, go to your attorney and you and your crew and make a statement while it’s still fresh in your head.”

Also, preserve any evidence possible, including taking photographs to document the weather and sea conditions, Karcher said. For a full list of Karcher’s tips on how to be prepared, visit www.the-triton.com.

“The situation you want to avoid is misunderstanding,” he said. “You need to know the score going in.”

To read some other views on salvage and The Triton’s story in June, see “Write to be Heard” on page 35.

For more details on the 10 factors

that determine a salvage award and Karcher’s tips on how to be prepared before a salvage issue arises, visit our Web site at www.the-triton.com.

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Dave Andrews, owner of Prop Speed in Fort Lauderdale, and Capt. Chris Berg of M/Y Intrepid, network after The Triton’s inaugural Connection. Offshore Marine Towing owner Larry Acheson is behind. PHOTO/KRISTY FOX

CONNECTION, from page 10

Recorded statement can protect captains after fact

1� The Triton July �004SEAS2004

interesting things interesting people said at SEAS2004:

On the importance of the steward and stewardess:

“The industry has yet to acknowledge that the interior is the most important part of a yacht. The most underpaid person is the one in charge of the interior.

“Young people forget that working on the interior means you are in service. It’s a proud occupation.

“Being in charge of the laundry is a very highly skilled position. It’s not easy to take care of all these fine materials. It’s very hard to fill. I’m placing people with five and 10 years experience with commercial machines.

“The industry has got to realize that being a steward is an excellent occupation and it can be a long-time career. It takes three to four years to become a competent, all-around stewardess.”

– Adrian Fishercrew placement agency owner

On the importance of every crew member:

“As a captain, I have a different perspective. The stewardess is not the most important person on a boat. We are all important.

“If you want to complain about the number of crew onboard, you’d better call in a few architects. There are only so many bunks. It’s a very simple equation at the end of the day. You need so many people to run a boat and that leaves only so much room for stewardesses.”

– Chris Jonesfounding member of Professional

Yachtsmen’s Association

On the post of chief steward:“Chief stewards are a dying breed.

There are very few boats who want chief stewards. We don’t get requests for them much anymore. Middle Eastern clients prefer chief stewards, not chief stewardesses, but in general it’s a hard position to fill.

“And some captains don’t respect chief stewardesses as much as they do a chief steward.”

– Steve BellingerInternational Crew Recruitment

On tight staffing on yachts:“Some yachts are having trouble

meeting manning requirements because there are not enough accommodations.

“Manning requirements didn’t take into account hotel crew. As far as we’re concerned you only need a cook for the crew. You don’t need a chef for passengers. All that is driven by the market.”

– Claude Hamiltonhead of code vessel safety

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

On the role of the MCA in training:“As a government body, we have no

commercial interest in training. ”– Tony Drury

deputy chief examinerMaritime and Coastguard Agency

On how to estimate the cost of a refit on a walk-through:

“Give [the owner] a cost with a risk factor of plus or minus 50 percent. If he wants a better assessment, he has to give you more time.”

– Bob Costelloengineer and director

Jenacis Marine Consulting

On the role of the expert in a refit:“Too often we are called in half-

way through or even at the end of a project. Then we come in as the Big Bad Wolf condemning the whole thing. That does nothing but annoy the yard. We’d rather come in at the start.”

– Joop Ellenbroekchemical engineer and owner

CCS Yacht Coating Services

On the role of the expert in a refit:“An endemic problem in the

industry is that if you don’t like what this expert says, you can find one who will say what you want.”

– Capt. Tork Buckley

On the role of the captain in a refit:“We are still on the amateur side of

a lot of rebuilds. The captain says I’ve done a couple of these; we don’t need all these experts.’ We do.

“I’ve been a captain for a long time. I know a good stewardess from a bad one, but I’d make a terrible stewardess. We need all the expertise we can bring in.”

– Capt. Joe Russellpresident of the Professional

Yachtsmen’s Association

On who is a better boss:“A shipyard’s interest is in making

money, not necessarily the best boat. The owner’s interest is in making the best boat possible. I’d rather work for the owner.”

– Joop EllenbroekCCS Yacht Coating Services

SEAS2004, from page 9

SEAS voices spoke volumes about concerns in industry

July �004 The Triton 1�MARINA PROFILE

By Lisa H. Knapp

Long-time boater and developer Alan Lima has renovated the historic Pan American seaplane hangars in Miami to create Grove Harbour Marina, a state-of-the-art facility with a resort-style atmosphere and new dockage for about 380 boats.

After seven years of planning, red tape and renovations, Grove Harbour Marina opened in February. Sixty new wet slips up to 100 feet are available, with 50 more in the works. Grove Harbour also offers dry-stack storage for 260 vessels up to 46 feet, and brings new nautical resources to roughly 2,000 boaters within a one-mile radius.

“If we build it, they will come,” Lima said with Kevin Costner-like confidence. “As a boater, I created a residential-style marina with a five-star resort atmosphere and the amenities I’d want.”

Those on-site amenities include certified mechanics, pump out facilities, haul-out services, single-phase 100 amp electrical service, high-flow gas pumps and floating docks.

The fully restored seaplane hangars, opening in August, will house new and used boat dealerships, a ship’s store and a Fresh Market grocery store, in addition to charter services for yachting, sailing, sportfishing and diving.

Across from the Ritz Carlton at 2640 Bayshore Drive, the new marina spans 14 acres in Dinner Key Basin with unobstructed access to Biscayne Bay. Grove Harbour is literally steps away from Cocowalk’s shopping and restaurants.

A planned boardwalk on the seawall, Founder’s Walk, is planned to connect the complex to Monty’s restaurant early next year.

With dockage at a premium in South Florida, slipping into Grove Harbour offers another option to the 1,400 yachts visiting each year, according to the Marine Industries Association of South Florida.

“We’re conducting a study on the number of slips available for super yachts in the tri-county area, and are working with Broward County to build more dockage for all boats,” said Frank Herhold, the association’s executive director. “We recognize the space shortage and high dock rates, especially in season, and are working to solve the problem.”

Already, the first of Grove Harbour’s five dry storage racks are reserved, as well as four slips accommodating yachts up to 110 feet. Ten more wet slips are designated for yachts over 75 feet. Current choices to accommodate a 100-foot yacht in Miami-Dade County include Bayside, Miami Beach Marina, and Sunset Harbor. Grove Harbour’s nightly rate, at $2 a foot, is competitive.

Dockage rates include water and

30/50 amp service. Floating docks, with wave attenuation built-in and 50/100 amp power service, are available. Capt. Vince Maffei of M/Y Princess Sarah, a 105-foot Northstar, looks for floating docks when considering dockage.

“They rise with the boat and tide,” he said. “Without perfectly set bumpers and dock lines, a vessel can scrape the piling on a fixed pier.”

Flowing at 32 to 60 gallons a minute, Grove Harbour’s eight Shell diesel and gas pumps cut fueling time for a 100-foot yacht to about one hour. Lima said he expects to sell 1 million gallons of fuel a year.

The marina plans to take delivery of a 70-ton marine travel lift in October that can haul vessels to 85 feet, Lima said.

“Our Wiggins Bull Marina forklift, with a 96-inch load capacity hauling vessels to 40,000 pounds, is the largest forklift for dry storage in South Florida,” he said.

Grove Harbour is a midrange

channel, with running depths averaging seven feet at low tide.

“The city [of Miami] owns the land, and the lease,” Lima said. “The government must dredge for us to be deep water.”

Lima worked with seven government

agencies, including the city of Miami’s historic preservation department, and invested more than $14 million (plus land acquisition costs) to renovate the hangars, which housed the machine shop for engine repairs.

The marina includes panel designs and window replacements that are in sync with vintage 1930s design and meet 21st century hurricane requirements, he said.

The hangars were part of the first international airport for seaplanes flying from Miami to the Bahamas. During the 1920s, the lack of airports and runways in the Caribbean mandated amphibious seaplanes or ships for travel. Pan Am Field closed in the 1940s with the building of modern airports.

Citing asbestos and lead paint as obstacles, Lima said, “It would have been easier and cheaper to knock down and start over, but I wanted to preserve the history of the hangar.”

Lisa H. Knapp is a freelance writer in Aventura, Fla. Contact her at lisakevinknapp@aol.com.

Historic Miami landmark renovated into resort-style marina

Grove Harbour Marina in Miami’s Coconut Grove has renovated much of the site of the former Pan American Field. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN LIMA

Getting Under WayTechnical news for captains and crews

July 2004Pages 15-22

PULL-OUT

This is the second of three reports by Chief Engineer Joel Antoinette on the new build of the M/Y Bellissima at the Baglietto shipyard in Italy. Catch up with the story at www.the-triton.com.

By Joel Antoinette

Italian drawings (pianos as they are called) are a bit different than what I am used to. They show the design and function of how the system will work, not the way the system will be installed and were all the piping or electrical operating devises will be located.

The drawing will show a manifold with three valves, which will be in that engine room somewhere, but not like you would expect from the drawings.

But if you look hard enough, you will find it, and it will work just the way the drawings intend it to. Using this

information to learn to operate this vessel was a problem. But I had an idea.

I suggested to the captain that I come in at about noon and work into the evening. That way, I could study the vessel plans in the office while the boat was full of people. Once everybody left, I could go aboard and do my research to get through the learning curve.

The captain told me to do whatever it took. That’s just what I did for the first month. After everyone had left for the evening, I ran through the engine room re-studying all I had studied that afternoon. I also made drawings of were everything was located.

By the end of the month I knew that vessel almost as well as the design engineers. In doing so, I also found a lot of small mistakes and faults that needed correcting. How was I going to convey these problems to the yard?

Penco was the Baglietto chief engineer. Technically, he could speak English, but you had to speak slowly and clearly for him to understand. I also quickly learned that using expressions was not a good idea. Saying “they move slower than Christmas” made absolutely no sense to him.

I told him that while studying the vessel, I had found small things that needed correcting. I asked to submit a punch list to him every week of things that needed work, and then he could translate these issues to the proper source to have them done.

He thought that was an excellent idea. He said it would actually help him in trying to complete this vessel and that small things turn into costly overtime projects that could be avoided

Engineer adds American touch to Italian build

See NEW BUILD, page 17

By James Barrett

Rhode Island’s Newport Shipyard is completing a three-and-a-half-month refit of the sailing yacht Rebecca.

Launched in 1999, the 139-foot yacht entered the yard the last weekend of March after having been delayed slightly by weather on her trip from the Caribbean. Rebecca had both masts removed before being hauled out by the yard’s 330-ton Travel Lift.

The two carbon masts – built by Marten Spars of New Zealand – were completely stripped of hardware and painted with an Awlgrip paint system.

The rigging by Ocean Yacht Systems (O.Y.S.) was stripped and serviced in accordance with O.Y.S. guidelines. It was recommended that all diagonal rods be re-headed and all Kevlar be replaced, even though the rigging was only five years old and in apparent good condition.

Various parts were shipped from the O.Y.S. facility in the United Kingdom. The Reckman furlers and the combination of Rondal and Lewmar winches all under went the same comprehensive inspection and service.

The yacht itself was subject to a similar process. All the deck hardware was removed. The seams to the margin boards on the teak decks were removed as were the seams on the cap rail and other places where there was an edge to the paint. The aluminium hull was sanded and sections of the bow faired and long boarded.

After priming with Awlgrip 545, the first of four top coats were applied. These topcoats were then allowed to rest for about a week to cure before

Rhode Island refit refreshes S/Y Rebecca

See REBECCA, page 16

Robots to improve yacht coatings process

Aside from painting, Rebecca’s crew handled much of the planning and work. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. PAUL FITZGERALD

By Lucy Chabot Reed

If anyone had told Steve Morton in 1974 that he would have a career as a yacht painter, he would have laughed.

The liberal arts graduate had just completed a year at the University of Madrid and he was headed back to his native South Florida.

But a few years later, Cable Marine in Fort Lauderdale hired Morton as a subcontractor to paint boats. Today, Morton has developed the technology to bring robotic fairing and painting to the yachting industry.

“They [Cable Marine] treated me well,” Morton said, explaining why he stayed in yacht painting. “I had an on-going education. If it hadn’t been for George [Cable] and Elmer [Strauss of BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply], I might be selling insurance today.”

Instead, after 27 years in the marine coatings business, Morton heads his third company, Fort Lauderdale-based Visions East. After nearly 15 years of research, design and development, his company has invented an automated robotic system for fairing and painting yacht hulls.

The prototype works, and Visions East has sold its first million-dollar system to a Swedish shipyard. If all goes as planned there, Morton said other potential customers are watching.

Don Kenniston, president of Feadship America, knows all about Morton and Visions East. Robotics is not new to Feadship; the company uses robots to cut steel and aluminum.

“It’s going to take a while” before Feadship uses robots to paint, he said, but he didn’t rule it out. “We’re waiting

for Steve’s venture to … see how it works.”

How it works is basically simple. With a laser at the end of an arm, a robot creates a 3D map of a hull. Then it mixes and sprays an epoxy fairing product created especially for robotic applications. Once the fairing material is applied, a milling tool is attached to the robot’s interchangeable wrist and the robot mills the surface to the ideal hull shape based on its mapping.

A sanding tool is then attached and the surface is sanded, with debris sucked through the sanding pad. Finally, coatings are applied with a spray tool, with minimal overspray.

Technologically, though, the system is incredibly complex. The system software works with the laser map to create the hull’s ideal shape from the

high points, limiting the amount of fairing.

The fairing compound is mixed in precise proportions using a plural component system. The compound itself is a technological advancement. Supplied by The Sherwin-Williams Company, the product – called Robofair in beta testing – is solvent-free.

“Our thought was, if you’re going to have technology of

this nature, you’ve got to match it with the technology of the product, too,” said Eric J. Bosanac, director of marine and offshore at Sherwin-Williams.

Using heat to lower viscosity, the elements meet at the gun head, producing “a very quick chemical reaction” that enables the material to be sprayed, Bosanac said.

Morton is only willing to offer the conservative estimate that robots can do the job 25 percent faster than people.

“We’re not prepared to promise more because people won’t believe it,” he told a workshop at SEAS2004 in France in May. “The aerospace and automotive industries have seen an improvement in quality and the bottom line through automation, and a tremendous

See VISIONS EAST, page 18

Visions East’s robot maps a hull; fairs, mills and sands it; and, above, applies coatings. PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIONS EAST

16 The Triton July 2004IN THE YARD

the final sand and the last coats of Endeavour Blue were applied.

All of the painting was carried out inside three 50-foot movable tents and supervised by the yard’s paint foreman, Bob Simmons.

Aside from the shaft removal, painting and some other work, much of the refit was done by Rebecca’s crew and a small army of extra crew and subcontractors.

“Be organized and prepare well in advance; that’s 70 percent of the job,” said Rebecca Capt. Paul Fitzgerald. “Once you have started, don’t change your mind.”

Planning for the refit started about a year before the yacht entered the yard, he said.

“We started out with a budget and worked from there.”

Working closely with the project management company Jon Barrett Associates, Fitzgerald said his crew identified every job, determined how much it would cost and how long it would take, then judged how practical it was within the allotted time.

The planning seems to have paid off. With the crew of 14 hands, including a couple engineers brought in specifically for the project, all accessible machinery was removed from the engine room and auxiliary machinery spaces, serviced, painted and re-installed. The deck hardware, which was removed for painting, was serviced and replaced.

Fitzgerald credited Simmons with keeping the painting on budget and on time, despite the yacht’s tardy arrival of a few days.

“Although I had painted the yacht before, I inspected her before she headed south for the season,” said

Simmons, who applied Rebecca’s final coats in the winter of 1998 at Pendennis Shipyard’s Falmouth, U.K., facility.

Four months before the yacht was due to arrive at the yard, “we checked all of the paint over and looked to see what there was in the way of corrosion and blisters,” he said. “It is important for the owner to have a good idea of what each repair is going to cost.”

The advance planning also allowed for three of Pendennis’ employees to be on hand during the project. Pendennis supplied two carpenters and an electrician as well as a service manager to assist with removal of the fireplace and major modifications in the library.

Updates to the navigation and communications systems included new computers, an AIS system, new SeaTel Dome, and a new Fleet55 installation.

“We knew how much we could

spend and more critically how much time we had,” Fitzgerald said. “We said ‘this is what we think we want,’ and started removing items from the wish list and simplifying the system until we had a high-quality, yet practical solution that could be attained during the refit period.”

When asked why Newport Shipyard was chosen for the refit, Fitzgerald replied, “Size is the issue, with a 4.5-meter keel and 175-ton displacement, that limits the number of places you can go. Besides, Bob had painted the boat before. He knew what was involved and was able to give us an accurate idea on the cost and time involved.”

Yacht manager Jon Barrett agreed.“The 330-ton Travel Lift and the

expertise of Bob Simmons sealed the deal. Our team could cope with the rest.”

Newport Shipyard can take yachts of up to 350 feet. It has 330- and a 70-ton Marine Travel Lift and can operate a 1,500-ton railway system. The lift pits have a draft of about 18 feet and were dredged this year.

The yard has three movable work/painting sheds, 50 feet long by 45 feet wide and 40 feet high. The yard is located in the heart of downtown Newport at the old American Shipyard facility.

Rebecca was expected to depart Newport for the summer season in Maine on June 28. Newport Shipyard’s next project is a 64-foot Alaskan Explorer, which is in for painting.

Fitzgerald had two tips for anyone managing a refit: “Know your workforce and know your limits.”

James Barrett is a director with Custom Yacht Consultants in Fort Lauderdale, London and St. Thomas, VI. Contact him at james.barrett@customyacht consultants.com.

REBECCA, from page 15

Crew’s refit planning started a year before yacht entered yard

July 2004 The Triton 17FROM THE TECH FRONT

with weekly reports. I had a few things already written down and asked if he wanted to start this process now. He said yes, and this was my first report:

1. Lighting transformer panels with circuit breakers on the port and starboard side of main saloon have no access with cabinets being installed.

2. Pipe insulation of chilled water lines for A/C system is bare in numerous places in engine room and under wheel house. Chilled water pump housing is also in need of insulation.

3. Engine room bilges need cleaning.4. No. 3 generator has no lift pump

for fuel priming in event of loss of prime.

5. Various valve handles broken.6. Starboard side roll dampening fin

under aft stateroom flooring has a loose protective stainless steel covering.

7. Davit on boat deck has chipped paint on top of the arm.

8. Alfa Laval fuel separator has leaks on or in fuel discharge sight glass area.

9. Breaker panels throughout the vessel need to be marked in English.

Every week, I submitted reports that grew longer and more complicated. I was impressed with how fast the yard moved on these issues.

All I wanted was a good, working engine room while underway to California. And all they wanted was that final check upon completing this vessel. It was a match made in heaven.

By the end of October, it was time for sea trails. The boat was not nearly complete. Only the vital systems were online. The tanks had less than 2,000 gallons of fuel.

The seas were a bit choppier than we would have liked but we headed for open water and put the throttles down for the first time. Not right away, of course, but at about 100 rpm at a time.

In each increment, everything was logged by the Baglietto engineers.

Finally, we got to 2,100 rpm and those new MTU 4000s were giving the boat all she had. We were planing on top of that water as perfect as could be. I saw a top speed of 32 knots, beating its design speed of 30 knots.

The sea trail lasted about four hours, just long enough to see how the vessel handled. It was a perfect sea trail. It seemed to defy the law of yachting, with not one thing going wrong.

There were many more sea trails to go with ABS surveys and equipment testing to be done. ABS testing was a blast. We did many things to this yacht you would never want to do.

My favorite part was the emergency breaking test. That was when we took the vessel up to full speed and flipped it in reverse at full load. A few times.

Then we had to test the steering and stability at full speed by throwing the rudder hard over each way. If that test had failed, we would probably all be dead. The boat took a mean list but she handled the way she should.

We traveled in reverse, dropped the anchor and chain all the way out in deep water, and did other small tests. I say small, but they were very important things if the vessel had not been able to complete them. She did well.

It was December now and the yard was scrambling to get done by Jan. 1. Things were hectic. I had to stock this boat of spares and supplies.

It was looking like we would ship out toward the middle of January. That’s when I would receive a great lesson in doing business the Italian way.

Engineer Joel Antoinette holds a U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited HP Engineer’s license. He is under way delivering the 125-foot Bellissima. Contact him at joelg31@aol.com.

Bellissima does well in sea trials, despite crew’s chance of death

Bellissima is put into the Italian waters for the first time as she gets ready for sea trails. She performed better than expected. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL ANTOINETTE

NEW BUILD, from page 15

18 The Triton July 2004FROM THE TECH FRONT

improvement in efficiency,” he said. “I predict you will see more and more of that in the yachting industry.”

There are reasons that robotic painting hasn’t yet made it to yachting. Yachts aren’t produced on an assembly line. For the most part, yacht builders don’t make 10,000 yachts of the same design. Quantity is what makes the technology affordable for car makers.

To Morton, however, the issue is not price, but quality. Robots won’t wipe a hull with a rag carrying traces of solvents. Robots won’t get tired five minutes before lunch and leave a pot of fairing compound, only to return to a compound that needs more solvent.

“Fairing and painting is a big issue in the warranty side of this business,” Morton said. “If you can remove the

human element from the situation, you can control the situation.”

Morton is targeting new builds and companies such as Hatteras with this first generation technology. Like the first cell phones, he said, the technology is expensive, but the people whose businesses depend on the time it can save will want it.

For yachts, the system focuses on large simple surfaces such as hulls. It can reach up to 180 feet in length and 20 to 25 feet vertically to operate on the hull and weatherboards. Second-generation technology already being developed will handle yachts up to 500 feet in length, Morton said.

Progress has come quickly at Visions East. Despite the years of planning and dreaming, Morton didn’t get the money to bring his idea to life until spring 2003, when his Swedish angel investor

gave him “seven figures” to develop the prototype, which the investor also would agree to buy, if it worked.

It did, and by December, that investor became Visions East’s first customer. In May, the company won an International Superyacht Technology and Innovation award at SEAS2004.

“Funding was the big thing,” Morton said. “If you knock on enough doors, somebody’s going to listen and say, ‘I like that idea.’

“Most success stories – and I’m hesitant to call us a success story yet, though I think we’re on the right road – most have that tenacity.”

Morton is just getting started. Though he’s starting in the yachting market, he’s knocking on the door of the U.S. Navy as well. In June, he made a presentation to the National Protective Coatings Association in Virginia Beach,

which he said was heavily attended by the Navy, the world’s largest user of marine coatings.

“Coatings automation is one of the technologies they are looking at,” Morton said. “And Visions East is one of the companies knocking on their door.”

Amid the conference circuit Morton is traveling to spread the word, Visions East has secured two U.S. patents and four foreign patents. More patents are pending all over the world, he said.

What has changed, Morton said, is that the industry is finally ready for his vision. Coatings in the marine industry have always been the stepchild when it comes to technology, he said.

“You have computer management of engines, you have global positioning systems in navigation, you have all the latest technology to design yachts, yet we still use the old way of applying coatings,” he said. “It’s a super inefficient process to manually rub a rock-covered long board over a hand-applied material. It’s like the Egyptians pulling blocks up a pyramid.

“Five years ago, three years ago, even two years ago, there was still the feeling of ‘That’ll never work’ or ‘That’ll take 10 years to develop.’ Now, it’s time.”

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Morton: Issue not one of cost, but of quality controlVISIONS EAST, from page 15

Visions East, from left: Robotic Sys-tems VP Tarmo Linna, President Steve Morton, Business Develop-ment Manager David Tolliver.

PHOTO/LUCY REED

July 2004 The Triton 19PRODUCT REVIEW

This spring, I had the pleasure to test out a new product, which lives up to its claims. The product is ZipSleeve. If you have not already seen it at your local marine supply house, you will.

The manufacturer claims the zippered sleeve will clean the tangled cable and wire mess on the dock, making the dock a safer place for everyone as well as more aesthetically appealing.

My crew and I found its No. 1 benefit to be just keeping the cords clean. By having integral Velcro straps sewn in, there was no need to chase down the loose Velcro straps we are sometimes guilty of leaving behind somewhere.

After 30 days of dock and shipyard grime, we just threw the ZipSleeve in the wash and it came out unscathed and ready to use again.

It is made from durable fabric, 600 Denier PVC, UV-treated nylon, and the featured zipper is YKK, a marine grade plastic. It is a rugged item wherein all fabric cuts are double stitched and folded over.

The ends also have Velcro straps to hold any extra cables in a nice loop at the end. We used them to hang the sleeve from lifelines, under the gunwale

rails and stanchions. The one we tested came

in black; hopefully some other color options are in the works. Ours was 24 feet in length, the idea being if you have longer runs they usually will be in 25-foot increments and you just zip on one after the other. For 12-foot cables, just cut the unit in half, there are two zippers in series.

The tested model was 4 inches wide unzipped and can accommodate several small cords or one 50 amp and a phone and video cable. We would like to see a model that would accommodate a pair of 50-amp cords and the cables.

ZipSleeve, manufactured by the Oregon-based company of the same name, is available at marine retailers at a suggested retail price of $29.95 each. For more information, call (800) 808-8711 or visit www.zipsleeve.com.

The Triton occasionally receives new marine products for review. We will always invite captains to test the products and offer their opinions.

If there are products you want to see tested, let us know at editorial@ the-triton.com and we’ll try to obtain a sample.

Cover keeps cords clean, tidy

Captain’s Call

Herb Magney

20 The Triton July 2004

Fuel pricesPrices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of June 15.

Region Duty-free*/dutypaidU.S.EastCoast

FortLauderdale,Fla. 310/NASavannah,Ga. 311/NANewport,R.I. 364/NA

CaribbeanSt.Thomas,USVI 450/NATrinidad 336/NAAntigua 407/NA

NorthAtlanticBermuda(IrelandIsland) 415/NABermuda(St.George) 459/NACapeVerde 305/NAAzores 362/NACanaryIslands 344/NA

MediterraneanGibraltar 330/NABarcelona,Spain 420/835PalmadeMallorca,Spain NA/845Antibes,France 362/1,017SanRemo,Italy 420/1,022Naples,Italy 520/1,019Venice,Italy 451/1,072Corfu,Greece 399/823Piraeus,Greece 387/802Istanbul,Turkey 317/NAMalta 323/NATunis,Tunisia 376/NA

OceaniaAuckland,NewZealand 351/NASydney,Australia 355/NAFiji 364/NA

*When available according to customs.

By Silvio Rossi

Dealing with bunkering operations for more than 20 years, I have faced different and sometimes difficult situations during the supplying.

Many professional marine engineers know how to organize their bunkering, but revising procedures can avoid problems and save precious time, especially considering that most bunkering operations are carried on in a hurry.

We have found that every ship has her own type of connections, and they are not always the standard ones.

This is of great importance, considering that a ship sails to many different countries and local suppliers all have different connections according to their system.

In general, cam-lock is the most common in the United States, and the most practical, too.

Unfortunately, in the Med, many trucks are not equipped with this type of connection.

That’s why it is always useful to keep on board a fitting that can temporarily adapt to the cam-lock ending with an international flange. Use this when a cam-lock is not available at the truck hose.

The international flange is a normal flange to which another flange is applied face to face. There is a gasket in

between joined by bolts or clamps.The international flange is an

economic option that can, in turn, save a considerable amount of money.

It is therefore sensible to have one on board ready to be used in case the supplier does not have the right connection.

Every commercial port compulsorily requires that each supply takes place via a closed-system circuit. No smoking or welding are allowed in the area of bunkering, and hoisting the red flag is advisable.

Prior to start of a delivery, both vessel and supplier must establish and agree on the following procedures:

• That oil spill-prevention safeguards are in place.

• The quantity of product to be

delivered.• Witnessing opening and closing of

the tank (barge delivery).• Initial/final meter readings.• Sampling.• Maximum and minimum pumping

rate.• How any pumping rate change will

be communicated.• How the ship is to notify the

supplier to stop.Every operation must be fulfilled

with the utmost care to avoid pollution or spilling on the deck.

Pollution fines are getting more and more expensive. In many countries, the captain can be taken to court and can face criminal actions for pollution on his watch.

In case of discrepancies between the quantity supplied and the delivery note, it is important to write down any remark on the delivery ticket before signing it.

These are just a few basic procedures that when followed thoroughly can prevent major problems and complications for captains and fuel companies.

Silvio Rossi is managing director of Rossmare International, a worldwide marine bunkering company based in Savona, Italy. Contact him through editorial@the-triton.com or info@rossmare.com.

Questions can save trouble when buying fuel

Keep a fitting on board that can temporarily adapt to the cam-lock ending with an international flange.

PHOTO/SILVIO ROSSI

July 2004 The Triton 21TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS BRIEFS

Four manufacturers of resins and gel coats announced in June that they will increase prices beginning this month. Each company attributed the price hikes to an increase in the cost of raw materials.

Tennessee-based AOC will increase prices 5 cents a pound on all products sold in the United States and Canada shipped on or after July 19.

Competitor Eastman Chemical Company, also of Tennessee, will raise prices about 4 cents a point on select ketones, and 8 cents a poind on NPG glycol and HPHP. All its grades of methyl acetate and most plasticizers will increase 5 cents a pound.

Reichhold will increase its unsaturated polyester resins sold in United States and Canada by 5 cents a pound.

“The unremitting escalation of key raw material prices continues to far outpace our ability to recoup these costs and has regretfully left Reichhold with little alternative but to make another pricing adjustment,” said Bruce Fawcett, a senior vice president. Reichhold had increased prices June 1.

“We are continuing to see upward pressures on styrene, glycols as well as saturated and unsaturated acids, all of which are key materials in the production of our products.”

Cook Composites and Polymers will increase prices 5 cents a pound for its gel coat and resin products shipped on or after July 12.

New ringed propeller called safer

RingProp plans to introduce a ringed propeller this month that promises to protect boaters and marine life with minimal impact on boat performance.

To be launched to the U.S. market at MAATS (Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show) in Las Vegas from July 8-11, the product is designed for outboard motors from 9.9 to 250 horsepower.

“The hydrodynamic design of the aluminum ring and blades provides increased thrust and reduces torque steer and ventilation, resulting in improved handling and maneuverability, while maintaining rapid acceleration and high top speeds,” said Don Hoult, chief executive officer of the U.K.-based manufacturer.

It has not yet been prices, but the company said it would be prices to compete with conventional open-blade propellers.

For more information, visit www.ringprop.com or call (703)495-8478.

Bunkerworld expands to Singapore

Bunkerworld, an online news and price information provider for the marine fuels industry, has opened a new office in Singapore, one of the world’s largest bunkering centers.

The move is part of Bunkerworld’s strategy to provide the bunker industry with news and price information for more than 220 ports in real-time.

“Access to Asia will allow us to grow and improve our online directory of bunker suppliers, brokers and traders, our online inquiry form service, archive library, events section, classified and additional sections on the site,” said Matt Cape, Managing Director of Bunkerworld.

Bunkerworld’s real-time price information reports deals – including size of stem, price, port and delivery dates – by buyers, brokers, suppliers and traders, ensuring prices are exempt from manipulation, the company said.

With 5,000 registered users, the company claims about 100,000 unique visitors to its Web site in an average month and 500,000 page hits.

For more information, visit www.bunkerworld.com.

Tool measures 3D shapes quickly

Three-dimensional objects normally require excessive time to measure precisely.

Similarly, it is almost impossible to measure complicated and irregular-shaped objects without mistakes.

Prodim has introduced Proliner, a mobile measuring device that records measuring points precisely and saves the collected information digitally. It can be connected to CAD systems for accurate drawings in minutes, the company said.

Proliner can measure straight, curved or complex shapes. It doesn’t matter whether the object is in a horizontal, vertical or slanting position.

It is also possible to measure a combination of these positions at once.

Measurements up to 10 meters can be made at one time and larger measurements can be made by combining drawings in a “leap frog” process, the company said.

It can be used in horizontal and vertical positions plus it can rest at any angle.

The device weighs 10 kilos and has a rechargeable battery, so it can be taken anywhere. The Proliner does not require calibration, so measuring can start immediately.

For more information, visit www.prodim.nl, contact e.tekelenburg@prodim.nl or call 31(0)493-690-336.

Four resin manufacturers hike prices starting with July orders

22 The Triton July 2004

Getting Under WayTechnical news for captains and crews

July 2004Pages 15-22

PULL-OUT

This is the second of three reports by Chief Engineer Joel Antoinette on the new build of the M/Y Bellissima at the Baglietto shipyard in Italy. Catch up with the story at www.the-triton.com.

By Joel Antoinette

Italian drawings (pianos as they are called) are a bit different than what I am used to. They show the design and function of how the system will work, not the way the system will be installed and were all the piping or electrical operating devises will be located.

The drawing will show a manifold with three valves, which will be in that engine room somewhere, but not like you would expect from the drawings.

But if you look hard enough, you will find it, and it will work just the way the drawings intend it to. Using this

information to learn to operate this vessel was a problem. But I had an idea.

I suggested to the captain that I come in at about noon and work into the evening. That way, I could study the vessel plans in the office while the boat was full of people. Once everybody left, I could go aboard and do my research to get through the learning curve.

The captain told me to do whatever it took. That’s just what I did for the first month. After everyone had left for the evening, I ran through the engine room re-studying all I had studied that afternoon. I also made drawings of were everything was located.

By the end of the month I knew that vessel almost as well as the design engineers. In doing so, I also found a lot of small mistakes and faults that needed correcting. How was I going to convey these problems to the yard?

Penco was the Baglietto chief engineer. Technically, he could speak English, but you had to speak slowly and clearly for him to understand. I also quickly learned that using expressions was not a good idea. Saying “they move slower than Christmas” made absolutely no sense to him.

I told him that while studying the vessel, I had found small things that needed correcting. I asked to submit a punch list to him every week of things that needed work, and then he could translate these issues to the proper source to have them done.

He thought that was an excellent idea. He said it would actually help him in trying to complete this vessel and that small things turn into costly overtime projects that could be avoided

Engineer adds American touch to Italian build

See NEW BUILD, page 17

By James Barrett

Rhode Island’s Newport Shipyard is completing a three-and-a-half-month refit of the sailing yacht Rebecca.

Launched in 1999, the 139-foot yacht entered the yard the last weekend of March after having been delayed slightly by weather on her trip from the Caribbean. Rebecca had both masts removed before being hauled out by the yard’s 330-ton Travel Lift.

The two carbon masts – built by Marten Spars of New Zealand – were completely stripped of hardware and painted with an Awlgrip paint system.

The rigging by Ocean Yacht Systems (O.Y.S.) was stripped and serviced in accordance with O.Y.S. guidelines. It was recommended that all diagonal rods be re-headed and all Kevlar be replaced, even though the rigging was only five years old and in apparent good condition.

Various parts were shipped from the O.Y.S. facility in the United Kingdom. The Reckman furlers and the combination of Rondal and Lewmar winches all under went the same comprehensive inspection and service.

The yacht itself was subject to a similar process. All the deck hardware was removed. The seams to the margin boards on the teak decks were removed as were the seams on the cap rail and other places where there was an edge to the paint. The aluminium hull was sanded and sections of the bow faired and long boarded.

After priming with Awlgrip 545, the first of four top coats were applied. These topcoats were then allowed to rest for about a week to cure before

Rhode Island refit refreshes S/Y Rebecca

See REBECCA, page 16

Robots to improve yacht coatings process

Aside from painting, Rebecca’s crew handled much of the planning and work. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. PAUL FITZGERALD

By Lucy Chabot Reed

If anyone had told Steve Morton in 1974 that he would have a career as a yacht painter, he would have laughed.

The liberal arts graduate had just completed a year at the University of Madrid and he was headed back to his native South Florida.

But a few years later, Cable Marine in Fort Lauderdale hired Morton as a subcontractor to paint boats. Today, Morton has developed the technology to bring robotic fairing and painting to the yachting industry.

“They [Cable Marine] treated me well,” Morton said, explaining why he stayed in yacht painting. “I had an on-going education. If it hadn’t been for George [Cable] and Elmer [Strauss of BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply], I might be selling insurance today.”

Instead, after 27 years in the marine coatings business, Morton heads his third company, Fort Lauderdale-based Visions East. After nearly 15 years of research, design and development, his company has invented an automated robotic system for fairing and painting yacht hulls.

The prototype works, and Visions East has sold its first million-dollar system to a Swedish shipyard. If all goes as planned there, Morton said other potential customers are watching.

Don Kenniston, president of Feadship America, knows all about Morton and Visions East. Robotics is not new to Feadship; the company uses robots to cut steel and aluminum.

“It’s going to take a while” before Feadship uses robots to paint, he said, but he didn’t rule it out. “We’re waiting

for Steve’s venture to … see how it works.”

How it works is basically simple. With a laser at the end of an arm, a robot creates a 3D map of a hull. Then it mixes and sprays an epoxy fairing product created especially for robotic applications. Once the fairing material is applied, a milling tool is attached to the robot’s interchangeable wrist and the robot mills the surface to the ideal hull shape based on its mapping.

A sanding tool is then attached and the surface is sanded, with debris sucked through the sanding pad. Finally, coatings are applied with a spray tool, with minimal overspray.

Technologically, though, the system is incredibly complex. The system software works with the laser map to create the hull’s ideal shape from the

high points, limiting the amount of fairing.

The fairing compound is mixed in precise proportions using a plural component system. The compound itself is a technological advancement. Supplied by The Sherwin-Williams Company, the product – called Robofair in beta testing – is solvent-free.

“Our thought was, if you’re going to have technology of

this nature, you’ve got to match it with the technology of the product, too,” said Eric J. Bosanac, director of marine and offshore at Sherwin-Williams.

Using heat to lower viscosity, the elements meet at the gun head, producing “a very quick chemical reaction” that enables the material to be sprayed, Bosanac said.

Morton is only willing to offer the conservative estimate that robots can do the job 25 percent faster than people.

“We’re not prepared to promise more because people won’t believe it,” he told a workshop at SEAS2004 in France in May. “The aerospace and automotive industries have seen an improvement in quality and the bottom line through automation, and a tremendous

See VISIONS EAST, page 18

Visions East’s robot maps a hull; fairs, mills and sands it; and, above, applies coatings. PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIONS EAST

16 The Triton July 2004IN THE YARD

the final sand and the last coats of Endeavour Blue were applied.

All of the painting was carried out inside three 50-foot movable tents and supervised by the yard’s paint foreman, Bob Simmons.

Aside from the shaft removal, painting and some other work, much of the refit was done by Rebecca’s crew and a small army of extra crew and subcontractors.

“Be organized and prepare well in advance; that’s 70 percent of the job,” said Rebecca Capt. Paul Fitzgerald. “Once you have started, don’t change your mind.”

Planning for the refit started about a year before the yacht entered the yard, he said.

“We started out with a budget and worked from there.”

Working closely with the project management company Jon Barrett Associates, Fitzgerald said his crew identified every job, determined how much it would cost and how long it would take, then judged how practical it was within the allotted time.

The planning seems to have paid off. With the crew of 14 hands, including a couple engineers brought in specifically for the project, all accessible machinery was removed from the engine room and auxiliary machinery spaces, serviced, painted and re-installed. The deck hardware, which was removed for painting, was serviced and replaced.

Fitzgerald credited Simmons with keeping the painting on budget and on time, despite the yacht’s tardy arrival of a few days.

“Although I had painted the yacht before, I inspected her before she headed south for the season,” said

Simmons, who applied Rebecca’s final coats in the winter of 1998 at Pendennis Shipyard’s Falmouth, U.K., facility.

Four months before the yacht was due to arrive at the yard, “we checked all of the paint over and looked to see what there was in the way of corrosion and blisters,” he said. “It is important for the owner to have a good idea of what each repair is going to cost.”

The advance planning also allowed for three of Pendennis’ employees to be on hand during the project. Pendennis supplied two carpenters and an electrician as well as a service manager to assist with removal of the fireplace and major modifications in the library.

Updates to the navigation and communications systems included new computers, an AIS system, new SeaTel Dome, and a new Fleet55 installation.

“We knew how much we could

spend and more critically how much time we had,” Fitzgerald said. “We said ‘this is what we think we want,’ and started removing items from the wish list and simplifying the system until we had a high-quality, yet practical solution that could be attained during the refit period.”

When asked why Newport Shipyard was chosen for the refit, Fitzgerald replied, “Size is the issue, with a 4.5-meter keel and 175-ton displacement, that limits the number of places you can go. Besides, Bob had painted the boat before. He knew what was involved and was able to give us an accurate idea on the cost and time involved.”

Yacht manager Jon Barrett agreed.“The 330-ton Travel Lift and the

expertise of Bob Simmons sealed the deal. Our team could cope with the rest.”

Newport Shipyard can take yachts of up to 350 feet. It has 330- and a 70-ton Marine Travel Lift and can operate a 1,500-ton railway system. The lift pits have a draft of about 18 feet and were dredged this year.

The yard has three movable work/painting sheds, 50 feet long by 45 feet wide and 40 feet high. The yard is located in the heart of downtown Newport at the old American Shipyard facility.

Rebecca was expected to depart Newport for the summer season in Maine on June 28. Newport Shipyard’s next project is a 64-foot Alaskan Explorer, which is in for painting.

Fitzgerald had two tips for anyone managing a refit: “Know your workforce and know your limits.”

James Barrett is a director with Custom Yacht Consultants in Fort Lauderdale, London and St. Thomas, VI. Contact him at james.barrett@customyacht consultants.com.

REBECCA, from page 15

Crew’s refit planning started a year before yacht entered yard

July 2004 The Triton 17FROM THE TECH FRONT

with weekly reports. I had a few things already written down and asked if he wanted to start this process now. He said yes, and this was my first report:

1. Lighting transformer panels with circuit breakers on the port and starboard side of main saloon have no access with cabinets being installed.

2. Pipe insulation of chilled water lines for A/C system is bare in numerous places in engine room and under wheel house. Chilled water pump housing is also in need of insulation.

3. Engine room bilges need cleaning.4. No. 3 generator has no lift pump

for fuel priming in event of loss of prime.

5. Various valve handles broken.6. Starboard side roll dampening fin

under aft stateroom flooring has a loose protective stainless steel covering.

7. Davit on boat deck has chipped paint on top of the arm.

8. Alfa Laval fuel separator has leaks on or in fuel discharge sight glass area.

9. Breaker panels throughout the vessel need to be marked in English.

Every week, I submitted reports that grew longer and more complicated. I was impressed with how fast the yard moved on these issues.

All I wanted was a good, working engine room while underway to California. And all they wanted was that final check upon completing this vessel. It was a match made in heaven.

By the end of October, it was time for sea trails. The boat was not nearly complete. Only the vital systems were online. The tanks had less than 2,000 gallons of fuel.

The seas were a bit choppier than we would have liked but we headed for open water and put the throttles down for the first time. Not right away, of course, but at about 100 rpm at a time.

In each increment, everything was logged by the Baglietto engineers.

Finally, we got to 2,100 rpm and those new MTU 4000s were giving the boat all she had. We were planing on top of that water as perfect as could be. I saw a top speed of 32 knots, beating its design speed of 30 knots.

The sea trail lasted about four hours, just long enough to see how the vessel handled. It was a perfect sea trail. It seemed to defy the law of yachting, with not one thing going wrong.

There were many more sea trails to go with ABS surveys and equipment testing to be done. ABS testing was a blast. We did many things to this yacht you would never want to do.

My favorite part was the emergency breaking test. That was when we took the vessel up to full speed and flipped it in reverse at full load. A few times.

Then we had to test the steering and stability at full speed by throwing the rudder hard over each way. If that test had failed, we would probably all be dead. The boat took a mean list but she handled the way she should.

We traveled in reverse, dropped the anchor and chain all the way out in deep water, and did other small tests. I say small, but they were very important things if the vessel had not been able to complete them. She did well.

It was December now and the yard was scrambling to get done by Jan. 1. Things were hectic. I had to stock this boat of spares and supplies.

It was looking like we would ship out toward the middle of January. That’s when I would receive a great lesson in doing business the Italian way.

Engineer Joel Antoinette holds a U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited HP Engineer’s license. He is under way delivering the 125-foot Bellissima. Contact him at joelg31@aol.com.

Bellissima does well in sea trials, despite crew’s chance of death

Bellissima is put into the Italian waters for the first time as she gets ready for sea trails. She performed better than expected. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL ANTOINETTE

NEW BUILD, from page 15

18 The Triton July 2004FROM THE TECH FRONT

improvement in efficiency,” he said. “I predict you will see more and more of that in the yachting industry.”

There are reasons that robotic painting hasn’t yet made it to yachting. Yachts aren’t produced on an assembly line. For the most part, yacht builders don’t make 10,000 yachts of the same design. Quantity is what makes the technology affordable for car makers.

To Morton, however, the issue is not price, but quality. Robots won’t wipe a hull with a rag carrying traces of solvents. Robots won’t get tired five minutes before lunch and leave a pot of fairing compound, only to return to a compound that needs more solvent.

“Fairing and painting is a big issue in the warranty side of this business,” Morton said. “If you can remove the

human element from the situation, you can control the situation.”

Morton is targeting new builds and companies such as Hatteras with this first generation technology. Like the first cell phones, he said, the technology is expensive, but the people whose businesses depend on the time it can save will want it.

For yachts, the system focuses on large simple surfaces such as hulls. It can reach up to 180 feet in length and 20 to 25 feet vertically to operate on the hull and weatherboards. Second-generation technology already being developed will handle yachts up to 500 feet in length, Morton said.

Progress has come quickly at Visions East. Despite the years of planning and dreaming, Morton didn’t get the money to bring his idea to life until spring 2003, when his Swedish angel investor

gave him “seven figures” to develop the prototype, which the investor also would agree to buy, if it worked.

It did, and by December, that investor became Visions East’s first customer. In May, the company won an International Superyacht Technology and Innovation award at SEAS2004.

“Funding was the big thing,” Morton said. “If you knock on enough doors, somebody’s going to listen and say, ‘I like that idea.’

“Most success stories – and I’m hesitant to call us a success story yet, though I think we’re on the right road – most have that tenacity.”

Morton is just getting started. Though he’s starting in the yachting market, he’s knocking on the door of the U.S. Navy as well. In June, he made a presentation to the National Protective Coatings Association in Virginia Beach,

which he said was heavily attended by the Navy, the world’s largest user of marine coatings.

“Coatings automation is one of the technologies they are looking at,” Morton said. “And Visions East is one of the companies knocking on their door.”

Amid the conference circuit Morton is traveling to spread the word, Visions East has secured two U.S. patents and four foreign patents. More patents are pending all over the world, he said.

What has changed, Morton said, is that the industry is finally ready for his vision. Coatings in the marine industry have always been the stepchild when it comes to technology, he said.

“You have computer management of engines, you have global positioning systems in navigation, you have all the latest technology to design yachts, yet we still use the old way of applying coatings,” he said. “It’s a super inefficient process to manually rub a rock-covered long board over a hand-applied material. It’s like the Egyptians pulling blocks up a pyramid.

“Five years ago, three years ago, even two years ago, there was still the feeling of ‘That’ll never work’ or ‘That’ll take 10 years to develop.’ Now, it’s time.”

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Morton: Issue not one of cost, but of quality controlVISIONS EAST, from page 15

Visions East, from left: Robotic Sys-tems VP Tarmo Linna, President Steve Morton, Business Develop-ment Manager David Tolliver.

PHOTO/LUCY REED

July 2004 The Triton 19PRODUCT REVIEW

This spring, I had the pleasure to test out a new product, which lives up to its claims. The product is ZipSleeve. If you have not already seen it at your local marine supply house, you will.

The manufacturer claims the zippered sleeve will clean the tangled cable and wire mess on the dock, making the dock a safer place for everyone as well as more aesthetically appealing.

My crew and I found its No. 1 benefit to be just keeping the cords clean. By having integral Velcro straps sewn in, there was no need to chase down the loose Velcro straps we are sometimes guilty of leaving behind somewhere.

After 30 days of dock and shipyard grime, we just threw the ZipSleeve in the wash and it came out unscathed and ready to use again.

It is made from durable fabric, 600 Denier PVC, UV-treated nylon, and the featured zipper is YKK, a marine grade plastic. It is a rugged item wherein all fabric cuts are double stitched and folded over.

The ends also have Velcro straps to hold any extra cables in a nice loop at the end. We used them to hang the sleeve from lifelines, under the gunwale

rails and stanchions. The one we tested came

in black; hopefully some other color options are in the works. Ours was 24 feet in length, the idea being if you have longer runs they usually will be in 25-foot increments and you just zip on one after the other. For 12-foot cables, just cut the unit in half, there are two zippers in series.

The tested model was 4 inches wide unzipped and can accommodate several small cords or one 50 amp and a phone and video cable. We would like to see a model that would accommodate a pair of 50-amp cords and the cables.

ZipSleeve, manufactured by the Oregon-based company of the same name, is available at marine retailers at a suggested retail price of $29.95 each. For more information, call (800) 808-8711 or visit www.zipsleeve.com.

The Triton occasionally receives new marine products for review. We will always invite captains to test the products and offer their opinions.

If there are products you want to see tested, let us know at editorial@ the-triton.com and we’ll try to obtain a sample.

Cover keeps cords clean, tidy

Captain’s Call

Herb Magney

20 The Triton July 2004

Fuel pricesPrices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of June 15.

Region Duty-free*/dutypaidU.S.EastCoast

FortLauderdale,Fla. 310/NASavannah,Ga. 311/NANewport,R.I. 364/NA

CaribbeanSt.Thomas,USVI 450/NATrinidad 336/NAAntigua 407/NA

NorthAtlanticBermuda(IrelandIsland) 415/NABermuda(St.George) 459/NACapeVerde 305/NAAzores 362/NACanaryIslands 344/NA

MediterraneanGibraltar 330/NABarcelona,Spain 420/835PalmadeMallorca,Spain NA/845Antibes,France 362/1,017SanRemo,Italy 420/1,022Naples,Italy 520/1,019Venice,Italy 451/1,072Corfu,Greece 399/823Piraeus,Greece 387/802Istanbul,Turkey 317/NAMalta 323/NATunis,Tunisia 376/NA

OceaniaAuckland,NewZealand 351/NASydney,Australia 355/NAFiji 364/NA

*When available according to customs.

By Silvio Rossi

Dealing with bunkering operations for more than 20 years, I have faced different and sometimes difficult situations during the supplying.

Many professional marine engineers know how to organize their bunkering, but revising procedures can avoid problems and save precious time, especially considering that most bunkering operations are carried on in a hurry.

We have found that every ship has her own type of connections, and they are not always the standard ones.

This is of great importance, considering that a ship sails to many different countries and local suppliers all have different connections according to their system.

In general, cam-lock is the most common in the United States, and the most practical, too.

Unfortunately, in the Med, many trucks are not equipped with this type of connection.

That’s why it is always useful to keep on board a fitting that can temporarily adapt to the cam-lock ending with an international flange. Use this when a cam-lock is not available at the truck hose.

The international flange is a normal flange to which another flange is applied face to face. There is a gasket in

between joined by bolts or clamps.The international flange is an

economic option that can, in turn, save a considerable amount of money.

It is therefore sensible to have one on board ready to be used in case the supplier does not have the right connection.

Every commercial port compulsorily requires that each supply takes place via a closed-system circuit. No smoking or welding are allowed in the area of bunkering, and hoisting the red flag is advisable.

Prior to start of a delivery, both vessel and supplier must establish and agree on the following procedures:

• That oil spill-prevention safeguards are in place.

• The quantity of product to be

delivered.• Witnessing opening and closing of

the tank (barge delivery).• Initial/final meter readings.• Sampling.• Maximum and minimum pumping

rate.• How any pumping rate change will

be communicated.• How the ship is to notify the

supplier to stop.Every operation must be fulfilled

with the utmost care to avoid pollution or spilling on the deck.

Pollution fines are getting more and more expensive. In many countries, the captain can be taken to court and can face criminal actions for pollution on his watch.

In case of discrepancies between the quantity supplied and the delivery note, it is important to write down any remark on the delivery ticket before signing it.

These are just a few basic procedures that when followed thoroughly can prevent major problems and complications for captains and fuel companies.

Silvio Rossi is managing director of Rossmare International, a worldwide marine bunkering company based in Savona, Italy. Contact him through editorial@the-triton.com or info@rossmare.com.

Questions can save trouble when buying fuel

Keep a fitting on board that can temporarily adapt to the cam-lock ending with an international flange.

PHOTO/SILVIO ROSSI

July 2004 The Triton 21TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS BRIEFS

Four manufacturers of resins and gel coats announced in June that they will increase prices beginning this month. Each company attributed the price hikes to an increase in the cost of raw materials.

Tennessee-based AOC will increase prices 5 cents a pound on all products sold in the United States and Canada shipped on or after July 19.

Competitor Eastman Chemical Company, also of Tennessee, will raise prices about 4 cents a point on select ketones, and 8 cents a poind on NPG glycol and HPHP. All its grades of methyl acetate and most plasticizers will increase 5 cents a pound.

Reichhold will increase its unsaturated polyester resins sold in United States and Canada by 5 cents a pound.

“The unremitting escalation of key raw material prices continues to far outpace our ability to recoup these costs and has regretfully left Reichhold with little alternative but to make another pricing adjustment,” said Bruce Fawcett, a senior vice president. Reichhold had increased prices June 1.

“We are continuing to see upward pressures on styrene, glycols as well as saturated and unsaturated acids, all of which are key materials in the production of our products.”

Cook Composites and Polymers will increase prices 5 cents a pound for its gel coat and resin products shipped on or after July 12.

New ringed propeller called safer

RingProp plans to introduce a ringed propeller this month that promises to protect boaters and marine life with minimal impact on boat performance.

To be launched to the U.S. market at MAATS (Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show) in Las Vegas from July 8-11, the product is designed for outboard motors from 9.9 to 250 horsepower.

“The hydrodynamic design of the aluminum ring and blades provides increased thrust and reduces torque steer and ventilation, resulting in improved handling and maneuverability, while maintaining rapid acceleration and high top speeds,” said Don Hoult, chief executive officer of the U.K.-based manufacturer.

It has not yet been prices, but the company said it would be prices to compete with conventional open-blade propellers.

For more information, visit www.ringprop.com or call (703)495-8478.

Bunkerworld expands to Singapore

Bunkerworld, an online news and price information provider for the marine fuels industry, has opened a new office in Singapore, one of the world’s largest bunkering centers.

The move is part of Bunkerworld’s strategy to provide the bunker industry with news and price information for more than 220 ports in real-time.

“Access to Asia will allow us to grow and improve our online directory of bunker suppliers, brokers and traders, our online inquiry form service, archive library, events section, classified and additional sections on the site,” said Matt Cape, Managing Director of Bunkerworld.

Bunkerworld’s real-time price information reports deals – including size of stem, price, port and delivery dates – by buyers, brokers, suppliers and traders, ensuring prices are exempt from manipulation, the company said.

With 5,000 registered users, the company claims about 100,000 unique visitors to its Web site in an average month and 500,000 page hits.

For more information, visit www.bunkerworld.com.

Tool measures 3D shapes quickly

Three-dimensional objects normally require excessive time to measure precisely.

Similarly, it is almost impossible to measure complicated and irregular-shaped objects without mistakes.

Prodim has introduced Proliner, a mobile measuring device that records measuring points precisely and saves the collected information digitally. It can be connected to CAD systems for accurate drawings in minutes, the company said.

Proliner can measure straight, curved or complex shapes. It doesn’t matter whether the object is in a horizontal, vertical or slanting position.

It is also possible to measure a combination of these positions at once.

Measurements up to 10 meters can be made at one time and larger measurements can be made by combining drawings in a “leap frog” process, the company said.

It can be used in horizontal and vertical positions plus it can rest at any angle.

The device weighs 10 kilos and has a rechargeable battery, so it can be taken anywhere. The Proliner does not require calibration, so measuring can start immediately.

For more information, visit www.prodim.nl, contact e.tekelenburg@prodim.nl or call 31(0)493-690-336.

Four resin manufacturers hike prices starting with July orders

22 The Triton July 2004