Around The World Of Sailing

No Southern Ocean Meet Up

It had been thought that French lone sailors and record seekers Jean Luc Van Den Heede and Francis Joyon would literally see each other in the Southern Ocean. According to VDH this is not to be as, "In order to avoid some unfavourable winds, he headed up north, and with the WSW that I've had since the end of yesterday's gale, I didn't have any other choice but to head 250°, which means I'll be at a much more southerly latitude than he is. "

No worries for either though, Joyon is over 3000 miles ahead of record pace while VDH is nearly 2 weeks ahead of record pace.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Hobart Winners

News Key West Scratch Sheet. Tallest mast stepped. PDF reg doubts. Orange's 1st sail. Emma Richard's MBE

Great Lakes Duluth downer. Taconite Harbor

Rowing Review

Here's my watery year in review, a summary of what I saw, thought, read and did and photographed. Enjoy.

Begin the year in the Southern Ocean. Finish solo around the world race May. Have boat turtle in the Atlantic in June. July find boat in mid ocean and rescue it. In September have boat suffer damage during hurricane.

Since this is a year in review, I'll begin with Milwaukeean Tim Kent. That's his year above. You won't find a broader range of events or emotions.

Tim went from Lake Michigan sailor to world sailor in a compact period of time. As I've observed Tim's endeavours there have been many junctures at which I know I would have given up.

His present situation with a boat in Bermuda sans mast, sails and equipment is another predicament I wouldn't tackle. Comparing our respective track records Tim will probably go on and succeed proving me wrong another time.

It's been a year of ferry stories in Muskegon. At year's end we are just 6 months from the return of a cross lake ferry to Muskegon. Decades of effort have produced a high speed catamaran ferry that will run between Milwaukee and Muskegon.

Coming June 1 the Lake Express ferry name TBD.

The venerable Badger will continue to cross from Ludington to Manitowoc and a company with a good PR record but a poor record of accomplishments will try to make a go of a southern Lake Michigan ferry.

For the new ferry to be a success I think that customer service will be crucial. There is not a more pleasant travel experience than sailing the Badger. Employees are plentiful, and knowledgable. Sure the Muskegon ferry will have the technology edge, but serivce is timeless and a tough thing to produce.

Look for the Rowing reporter's 5 port travel piece this winter....

Our local newspaper summed up the Tall Ships fleet visit to Muskegon this way: attendance was down from 110,000 to 60,000. That's
the bottom line and just the facts I guess.

My dusk to dawn involvement makes me a partial observer. I can't help but think people who didn't attend missed much. They missed seeing a foreign naval ship visit. They missed seeing three schooners: Dennis Sullivan, Pride of Baltimore and Highlander Sea that show widely varying asepcts of maritime history. They missed a vastly improved system for ship tours. They missed an ontime and well run Parade of Sail.

Parade of sail spectators

My verdict is that the repeat visit of the Tall Ships and the lagging attendance shows that Muskegon may not be the most sophisticated market yet. Folks might have thought that they'd seen it all in 2001 and skipped this year. Not true!

Now South Haven is getting a tall ship. I propose a trade- our ferry for your tall ship...

One of the best books I read this year concerned Muskegon Lake. What are the odds on that? Muskegon native Elizabeth Sherman took the limited resources available to the local historian and wrote a thorough and compelling history of maritime Muskegon.

Muskegon has had a varied maritime history from canoes, to lumber schooners, to passenger steamers right on up to modern freighters and one design racers.

The 1000 foot freigher Columbia Star exits Muskegon

The book came at a good time. Yes, Muskegon's maritime history is to be celebrated. Yet for those here now with a ferry coming, the tall ships visiting and thousands of boats docked on Muskegon Lake we are going to get to live through siginifigant events that will sometime warrant their own history book.

In February I had the chance to get a little blue water time, delivering a boat from Bermuda to Florida. This trip was multi-faceted and memorable. There was quiz nite at the Frog and Onion, then a ripped main. This led to the Sma Rig- a storm trysail with # 3. I remember a rather sketchy all hands event handling the # 4. Who could forget scrambled eggs and raman noodles for breakfast? I can now check off streaming warps over the stern in a gale from my lifelong to do list. We did have a cushy 3 on, 6 off watch schedule. I enjoy the at sea routine. Of course there was our rentering the country as the duct taped Code Orange occured while in New Zealand, Team New Zealand bailed while racing.

Fitted dinghy in the Bermuda Maritime Museum

While visiting the Bermuda Maritime museum I saw a sign that read "A man who went to sea for pleasure would be likely to go to hell for pastime." Parts of this voyage brought the meaning of this saying home. It's already in the past, I do hope there are more in the future.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Beneteau 40.7 is Sydney Hobart handicap winner. Skipper has also won line honors. Also a Melborune-Hobart. . Barney Walker. On board Skandia. Zana perspective. See you in the southern ocean.

News Business could be good for boat builder. More PFD requirements.

Great Lakes South Haven tall ship building in New York. Spring coming earlier?. Mayors want role . Bigger seaway needed ? Photo log updated

The Algoway approaches the Mart Dock

Inventory Resources- Tools

This is part of a series of articles on the subject of sailing safety. The articles will attempt to combine different ideas on safety from sources such as the Red Cross, personal experience, computer programming and other outdoor pursuits.

Inventorying resources is one of the first of the KISSWEP survival steps. One of the goals of these articles is to avoid survial situations. Taking a look at your tool situation ahead of time can be a big help. Anyone who has rounded a bolt with a pair of pliers should have already learned this lesson!

One way to handle your tool check is to break down different systems and situations. For instance look at your engine. You may have purchased an onboard spares kit with filters, impellers etc. However, without certain tools this kit might not be of any help.

Do you have a big pair of channel locks or a filter wrench for the oil filter? Do you have appropriate size sockets for adjusting belts, changing fuel filters etc.? If not you won't be able to do the minor things let alone the major things.

An example of a major thing is a dismasting. For instance all categories of all the Offshore regulations require and "effective means to quickly disconnect or sever the standing rigging from the hull shall be provided." Often times a pair of bolt cutters are carried to affect this.

An inventory of tools on board and tools needed can be a part of making your plan and avoiding a survial situation.

The Year In Records

Recently received is the annual list of sailing speed acheived broken. The list covers a period up to November 2003.

During that period 17 record attempts were successful, while 11 were not. The trimaran Geronimo was particularly unsuccessful. During this period they made an unsuccessful attempt at the Jules Verne around the world record, and 3 unsuccessful attempts at the Round Great Britain and Ireland record.

The race class cat Orange/Kingfisher 2 made one unsuccessful attempt under each name. Orange missed the Around Britain and Ireland record in August of 2002, and then dismasted as Kingfisher 2 while on a Jules Verne attempt.

As usual Steve Fossett has a record setting year. In October of 2002 they took the Around Britain and Ireland record, and in February of this year set the Cadiz to San Salvador Discovery Route Record.

Another Race Class cat Maiden II shows up on the list with the Cowes to Dinard English Channel mark.

Finally two of the longer records are Tony Gooch on Taonui who received a performance certificate for sailing round the world Victoria BC and return in 176 days and the trimaran Great American II which set a Hong Kong to New York mark of 72 days.

Featured Brokerage 2000 Sydney 38

This world class racer is now available. "Copernicus" can be ready for racing in 2004.

The sail inventory, by Doyle, is current with the boat set up for one design or handicap racing.

The full options list make this a desirable racing yacht. The fact that the annual Sydney to Hobart race has a Sydney 38 division speaks to the boat's offshore suitability.

Copernicus looking quick

Contact the Torresen Marine Sales Dept. for more information

Speed Seal Installation

Written by Tim Lackey of Triton381.com
Used by permission of author

Note: The author was working on a 3mg30-yeu engine.

You can purchase a Speed Seal for many engines from Torresen Marine's online ships store at shop.torresen.com

Through a brilliant feat of design and engineering, the fine folks at Yanmar decided that it would be entirely inconvenient, difficult, and--basically--unsafe if they cleverly installed the raw water pump on the engine so that the face place faces backwards. My hat is off to them. At least the pump is located at the front of the engine where it can be reached, but sheesh...why did they decide to install it so that you can't service it without removing the whole pump? May such marvels never cease.

Water Pump Location

Note: Yanmar has addressed this issue on their new 3YM30 engine. The sea water pump, oil dip stick, oil and fuel filer will all be on the front side for easy access and maintainence.

For this reason I decided to install a Speed Seal safety cover on the raw water pump. This is a truly clever design, intended to allow rapid removal of the face plate on the pump for inspection or emergency purposes. From all I have read, these are well made and actually work as intended. They feature a custom cover plate, fitted with an o-ring gasket, that is secured over the top of your existing pump with knurled thumbscrews--making it easy to remove. Making it even easier is the fact that only a couple of the screws need be completely removed--the cover is slotted on one side, so that the opposite screws need only be loosened, and the plate can slide right off.

Although made in England, Speed Seals are available from Torresen Marine in the USA. When ordering Speed Seal's you need to know which Yanmar you have. If you have a 2gm20(F) or 3gm30(F) you need to determine if it is a 'YEU' engine. If you engine is post 1997 or if it's serial # begins with E then you have a YEU engine with a different water pump and will need a different Speed Seal.
Removing the pump (that's it behind the small pulley on the left in the photo) was easy, although it still would be a better design if you didn't have to unbolt it to check the impeller. There are two bolts that hold the pump in place, one of which is installed through an adjustment bracket, used to tension the engine belt that drives the pump. I removed the two bolts and pulled the pump out. .

When I removed the existing cover plate on the raw water pump for inspection (6 tiny screws), I found that the impeller, which had been in place all winter, would not spring back to shape when I removed it--the vanes that had been compressed at the top of the pump took a few days to regain their normal shape. The practical problem behind this is that the pump would not likely have worked properly if I had used it this way--the vanes would not have sprung back against the bottom of the pump housing. The lesson here is that your impeller should probably be removed for long-term storage to prevent this "vane memory". Note: impeller removal is not part of standard winterizing at Torresen Marine but available at request.

While I have the pump off, I will be installing a brand new impeller. The old one looked OK after a few days, so I'll keep it as a last-ditch spare (I will also have brand-new spares on board).

We stock Speed Seals for many Yanmar engines so delivery can be as fast as you desire. It's a nice looking piece of gear--simple though it is. It's basically a machined brass plate that is designed to reproduce exactly the original face plate from a water pump, combined with knurled screws to fasten it. The picture shows the inside of the Speedseal--the side that the impeller will bear against. I ordered extra screws along with it--it only needs four, but I figured it would be possible to lose one somewhere along the way, so it made sense to order spares.

Typically, the Speedseal comes with its own O-ring gasket, which is an additional improvement for most water pumps as it eliminates the need for an annoying paper gasket. As mentioned above however, my Johnson pump on the Yanmar already had an O-ring gasket, so the Speedseal is just a basic smooth plate designed to seal against the existing O-ring.

Speed Seal Parts

Final installation calls for some waterproof grease on the threads and gasket. For demonstration purposes, I reassembled the pump without the grease.

I have to say I'm impressed so far--amazing how such a simple thing can be so precise. The new Speedseal fits the pump beautifully, and seems to seal well. The four knurled screws are very easy to turn, and easy to tighten properly--which had been a concern of mine. But the diameter of the knobs is large enough to get a good grip on, and they crank right down. I'm sure that the new cover plate will seal properly when water is introduced--something just feels right about the way the screws thread down.

The cool thing is that two of the knobs fit into slotted holes, so removing the Speedseal for impeller access requires complete removal of only two screws--the other two stay in place after loosening them slightly. This is a time saver. There's a demonstration available on the Speedseal website. I marked the direction of impeller rotation on the back of the cover to make it easier to install the impellers in the future; the original Johnson Pump cover plate also had this marking.

Removing the Speed Seal

The Hobart Match Race

In one corner hailing from Australia measuring in at 98 feet Skandia. She's blue, Aussie designed and built, sporting a canting keel.

Skandia 1st to Finish
Photographer : Daniel Forster/Rolex

In the other corner the white hulled Zana, also 98 feet, Kiwi designed and built with a fixed keel. That was the pre race tale of the tape, and the hype was justified over the 628 mile course.

Sail Change for Zena
Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

After nearly 3 full days on the water Skandia's winning margin was 14 minutes, in doubt all the way. Skandia's Grant Wharington, "“We could see them (Zana) the whole way, except for 30 minutes this morning." Early reports had Skandia ahead by 2 boat lengths, meaning not much changed the whole race. Zana then had a brief lead the first nite out.

Official times were 2 days 15 hours 14 minutes and 6 seconds for Skandia, 2 d 15h 28m and 30S for Zana. Over the 628 mile course this means Skandia's advantage was 1.6 seconds per mile.

On the patriotism front Skandia is the first Australian first to finish winner since 1997. Wharington hails from Victoria in Australia. He was the first Victorian skipper to take line honours since the 1950's

Was one boat faster? Not really said Skandia's Barney Walker, "“It was more mentally tiring than any race I have done; it was crucial that we stayed on their line, there was nothing in the boatspeed,."

Zana owner Stewart Thwaites was disapointed, but sportsmanlike in 2nd saying, ""I am definitely happy with second, but I was after line honours."

Further he said, ""Probably the difference was a canting keel." Inexorably canting keels are becoming nescesarry gear of winners.

Hype and expectation is a constant phenomenon of the 21st century. Always good to see expectations met.

Note: In addition to line honours there are handicap winners. These are to be determined and can be tracked online.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Skandia by 14 minutes. Zana close 2nd. During the race report. Wrap up. Close to the end.

News Bermuda NOR. Cheyenne Code Red. NZL 470 switch

Great Lakes More snow in the future?

The 650 foot Algoway steams by Hartshorn Mooring Area on Friday.

Skandia by 14 minutes

Grant Wharington's Skandia collected line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart this morning when the Australian yacht crossed the finish line just 14 minutes and 24 seconds ahead of Stewart Thwaites' New Zealand-registered Maxi Zana. Skandia finished at 04:14:06 on Monday morning with an elapsed time of 2 days, 15 hours, 14 minutes and 6 seconds.

The 98-foot Super Maxi from Melbourne has lead the 59th edition of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's flagship race for most of the 628-mile course. Tough upwind conditions for much of the course have meant that the race record was never in any danger, the two giant boats finishing almost 20 hours behind the reference time.

The Super Maxi pair has been locked in a match race from the start, Wharington making the first move to engage the opposition shortly before the start gun fired on Boxing Day in Sydney. The two boats have only had eyes for each other over the past two and a half days. As a result Wharington and Thwaites have often concentrated on their own personal match race leaving the way for Sean Langman's much smaller Grundig to surprise them frequently with bold initiatives elsewhere on the course. With the leaders approaching Tasman Island, just 40 miles from the finish the wind dropped leaving no serious options left for Grundig to pass Skandia or Zana, but the line honours race was far from over.

Skandia and Zana still had plenty of fighting to do in the light winds of the early morning. At one stage the pair came to within four boat lengths of each other before a break away move by the Australian crew with a masthead Code Zero sail allowed them to slip away across Storm Bay with a slim lead.

The last ten miles of the course up the Derwent River saw the pair tacking frequently in the light and patchy breeze. The pre-dawn approach to the finish attracting a significant number of spectator boats onto the water. Just before 0415 Wharrington took the crew of Skandia into the history books by crossing the finish line ahead of everyone to the delight of a welcoming committee of family, friends, Hobart fans and media.

At the dock the crowd was entertained by the Australian humour of the victorious Skandia crew for nearly an hour. Thanking his crew for a magnificent effort Wharrington said:

"628-miles is a long way to sail only to see the hardest part for the finish. We tacked I don't know how many times in the Derwent River in the light winds. All the time we had our eyes over our shoulders watching Zana. I didn't believe we had the race until I heard the gun fire at the line. It really could have gone either way. The crew did a magnificent job and I can't thank them enough for this great victory."

Cheyenne Crew

Steve Fossett's Cheyenee (formerly Playstation) will make her first attempt at setting the Jules Verne record. The current record is 64 days. Fossett has nearly set his crew. The 12 listed below will be joined by one more person. They will assemble January 2nd in England ready to start when a weather window appears.

Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
Stan Honey (navigator) USA
Brian Thompson GRB (Watch Captain)
David Scully USA (Watch Captain)
Mark Featherstone GB
Damian Foxall IRE
Nick Leggatt ZA
Guillermo Altadil ES
Jacques Vincent FR
Thomas Colville FR
Paul Van Dyke USA
Mike Beasley NZL
Fraser Brown AUS

Linky Sailing News

Racing Sydney Hobart After spinnaker start Zana leads with Yendy's handicap leader . Grundig gambles

News Yachtsman of the year possibilities. Isler on the venue

Great Lakes Hall of famer John Nedeau. Last saltie. Ferry audio. Detroit Boat Show

Zana & a dolphin after Sydney Hobart Start
Copyright : Daniel Forster/Rolex

Linky Sailing News

Racing Sydney Hobart outlook and weather

News Orange II splashes Olympic sailing site. Zana's designer. Bowmen. Carrier pigeons. Endurance search

Great Lakes Mooring bill

Launch of Orange II
Photo : Ch.Guigueno / Pipof.com/voile

Mac Moons

In 2004 the Mac races start on the 17th and 24th of July.

There will not be a full moon during the races. In July 2004 the new moon will occur on the 17th, with the waxing quarter on the 25th. The desired full moon falls earlier in the month on the 2nd.

Looks like a good year to have a plentiful supply of strobes and flashlights.

What Time Is It?

What time is it? A simple and frequently asked question. With at least three answers.

The New York Times named the Time Gap one of its ideas of the year. The time gap is the difference between time as represented by the rotation of the earth and various man made standards.

A little googling here and there helped me learn about the time gap and the different ways the world keeps time.

Up until the 1960's time was kept on an astronomical scale based on the mean solar day aka the length of an average day. Pendulum clocks were used. So one answer is that it's the time the earth's rotation says it is.

A second answer is that it is what time the atomic clock says it is. Atomic clocks are really an atomic oscilator which measures the resonance of a given atom (cesium) to produce seconds and then minutes etc.

The atomic time scale is based on the atomic definition of a second. "Elapsed time is measured by counting cycles of a frequency locked to an atomic or molecular transition."

Coordinated Universal is an international atomic time scale based on about 200 atomic clocks at 50 different locations.

Here's where we encounter the time gap. When atomic clocks replaced the rotating earth as the time standard a gap developed. Basically the earth rotates inconsistently and slightly slower. Since 1972 the atomic clock has been paused 31 seconds, in effect adding leap seconds.

The purpose of adding leap seconds is to keep atomic time (UTC) within ±0.9 s of an older time scale called UT1, which is based on the rotational rate of the Earth. Without leap seconds over the course of thousands of years, noon would fall back to mid morning.

The third answer concerns GPS time. Here's the scoop on GPS time, "GPS time is not adjusted and therefore is offset from UTC by an integer number of seconds, due to the insertion of leap seconds. The number remains constant until the next leap second occurs. This offset is also given in the navigation (NAV) message and your receiver should apply the correction automatically. As of January 1, 1999, GPS time is ahead of UTC by thirteen (13) seconds. " That's the third answer.

Taking atomic time as a baseline you can say you're on GPS time or 13 seconds behind or astronomical time- up to 30 seconds behind.

This is not just of interest to time fanatics. Time is an integral part of navigation, as shown by the various permutations of speed, time and distance. Without accurate time it's pretty simple- you'll get lost.

You can get the official time US time on the web, it'll be within nanoseconds of Coordinated Universal time which is figured in France. Here you'll also see the atomic time scale without leap seconds, showing the current extent of the time gap.

Sailing Review 2003 Part IV

The formidable Mari Cha IV set her 1st record in October.

By this point we had to face haul out and winterizing.

The Mumm 30 and Melges 24 worlds were held.

Whilst this was going on we redesigned our website.

As October ended we previewed the Jacques Vabre which concluded in mid November.

November also saw the initial US olympic sailors chosen. Can they top the 1964 team?

Maybe this is the winter for new sails?

We began covering a pair of french sailors hoping to set new around the world records?

Visitors to the site named the sailors of the year, with an Aussie winning the drawing.

In December we announced that you can buy Speed Seals from us.

Winter arrived and we thought back to the friendly flashing buoy.

We hope you'll continue to visit for the best in sailing products, services and news.

Featured Brokerage 1982 C&C 37

Whether you want a cruiser racer or just a cruiser "C-Varmint" fits the bill. Words to describe this 37 footer include: seaworthiness, and stability.

"C-Varmint" has been raced sucessfully at the club level and has enough gear to still be a trophy taker.

Contact the Torresen Marine Sales Dept. for more information

Linky Sailing News

Racing Sydney International Results. Hobart weather. VDH + 8 days although, "For the time being, everything is holding out...but sometimes it's a little tough."

News Old salts. New US Sailing Prez. Peyron with Orange again . Butterworth update. Drop race returns. The design team approach

Great Lakes State of the lakes. Christmas ship celebration. Photo Log Update

The J.A.W. Iglehart is in Muskegon for winter layup

Eat Now- Nutirtition-Testing Use winter to test foods

This is part of a series of articles on the subject of sailing safety. The articles will attempt to combine different ideas on safety from sources such as the Red Cross, personal experience, computer programming and other outdoor pursuits.

The Army/sailing crew marches/sails on it's stomach. The longer the voyage the more crucial the food is.

In a survival situation the saying is eat now. The 10 essentials list gives us nutrition, while we take testing from computer programming.

If you're on the water most/all of the day eating now almost no matter what, is a good idea. Pass up that meal now and you may not get it later during a squall.

Obviously food made in the galley of a boat while underway may differ from that made in a land bound kitchen. There are specialized
type foods made for such situations. These include energy bars and freeze dried foods.

Should you decide that cold cuts, leftovers and that steak on the stern hung BBQ grill are not going to do the job you may want to consider stocking Power Bars, and freeze dried lasagna in the galley.

This decision to change the onboard diet maybe met with resistance. Change is not always your freind! The off season can be a good time to test new foods out. Have a crew party and see how the food tastes. Does the crew like it? Better to learn in February than the first night out w/ nary a Meijer in site!

Water Level Update

Below you'll find water level info that pertains to Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Reference Point- Measurements in Inches

Difference from Chart Datum -5
Difference from last month 0
Difference from last year 0
Difference from long term average for December -19
Difference from Record High -54
Difference from Record Low +11
Forecast for 19 January 2004 -1

Click for information on other lakes.

1964 Olympians

Recent discussion in Scuttlebutt has centered on the USA's 1964 Olympic sailing team. That Olympiad US sailors won medals in all 5 classes, 3 bronze and 2 silver.

The sailors on that team are noteable. Heck they're historical even legendary. Amongst the Bronze medalists were sailmaker Lowell North skippering a Dragon, and legend Buddy Melges in the Flying Dutchman class. Melges and crew sailed Lake Geneva through an iceless winter. Bronze was also won in the 5.5 meter class.

A look at the 1964 results shows North beat a member of Thailand's royal family, while Keith Musto finished ahead of Buddy Melges.

Silver medalists included Richard Stearns and Lynn Williams sailing Star and then later Peter Barrett in the Finn.

Durward Knowles the Star gold medalist represented the Bahamas as late as 1988. In the Finn class Barret finished ahead of Bruce Kirby- designer of the Laser.

In addition to the status of the sailors, many were from the Midwest. Buddy Melges is known as the Wizard of Zena and still sails on Lake Geneva. Stearns and Williams were from Chicago. Barrett was from Wisconsin. It's been quite some time since Midwest sailors impacted the Olympics.

A 3rd note is that all the classes the USA won bronze in are no longer Olympic classes. The Silver medal classes Finn and Star are still in the Olympics.

For all of these sailors you could look at other successes. Just a couple will suffice here. Buddy Melges won Olympic Gold in 1972 in Soling and won the Star World Championship in 1978 & 1979.

Lowell North teamed with Peter Barrett and won Olympic gold in 1968 after finishing 2nd at the 1966 & 1967 Star Worlds.

It'll take another article to discuss the 1992 US Olympic team which was medal heavy. Kevin Burnham and Paul Foerster from that team recently won the men's 470 trials and will sail in the 2004 games. Success begetting success will hopefully continue for US Olympic sailing.

Sydney to Hobart Who Will Finish First?

Boxing Day is day for the racing fleet to head from Sydney across the Bass Strait to Hobart. The 600+ mile race has always had a tough reputation, enhanced by tragedy a few years ago.

Perhaps the most compelling story of this years race is the competition for first to finish honours. There are a number of boats that could be 1st to Tasmania, and they are not necessarially similar.

Alphabetically the first contender is Brindabella a 10 year old Jutson designend 81 footer. She was 1st to finish in '97, but will need a superior performance to repeat that this year.

Grundig started life as an Open 60. She's now 6 feet longer, and optimized for downwind sailing. If it's on the nose rule her out. Owner Sean Langman is not afraid to tweak, push or modify in anyway at any stage.

Nicorette racked up line honors in 2000. The 80 footer has undergone an appendages upgrade including a canting keel. Skipper Ludde Ingvall always ships a professional crew. Combined with some new technology Nicorette may take honors again.

Skandia is the first of 2 new 98 foot maxis that are entered. An Australian effort she's a canting keel design.

Zana is the 2nd 98 footer slated to be on the line. She's a New Zealand project and it the top rated boat in the fleet.

Also entered are 4 Volvo Ocean race 60's, including both of the Djuice Dragon boats from the last VOR and the boat that won the 98-99 round the world race as EF Language. Since speed is length these boats are likely not up to par with the bigger boats. However, if rough conditions are felt then these boats' structural pedigree could show.

Both the IRC rating system and Sean Langman give Zana an edge over Skandia.

I'll give Skandia an edge over Zana due to more time on the water and more races sailed in preperation. I also think Skandia will benefit from her canting keel. I don't think Grundig is enough of an all arounder. Nicorette should be improved, but won't compete with the all new bigger maxis.

So, here's my predicted first to finish order: Skandia, Zana, Nicorette, Grundig.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Sydney International Regatta. Joyon rolls on 400 miles. Sail problems for VDH?

News Ellen's tri launchedCanting keels. Olympic throwouts to be allowed. USA VOR team

Great Lakes Toronto wind power

Linky Sailing News

Racing Zana arrives. Sydney International Regatta

News Alighni team of the year. Ocean racer of the year. British news.

Great Lakes 2004 a key year. Plant gets stay. Michigan changes

98 foot maxi Zana

Sailor of the Year Drawing Winner

The winner of the 2004 Ultimate Sailing Calendar drawing open to Sailor of the Year voters is James Richmond of Richmond, Victoria, Australia. He says he's never won anything on the Internet before. Glad to help James!

For those who still need holiday gifts including the Ultimate Sailing Calendar visit our online ship's store.

Torresen Marine website visitors named male and female sailors of the year in voting that ended December 17, 2003.

Defi Atlantique to Brit

The last time the term defi was heard it was in reference to the unsuccessful French America's Cup challenger. This time it's the name of a race, a west to east transat heading north to Europe in December.

The race had a couple of functions. One was to allow skippers to sail a solo race to qualify them for the upcoming Vendee Globe. The other was to deliver boats home from the Jacques Vabre.

For a race not having main event status it was eventful and interesting. Among the events were the dismasting of Virbac and Alex Thompson's new solo mono hull record.

As with the Jacques Vabre, we saw a new boat on top, Mike Golding's Owen Clarke design Ecover. Once again Alex Thompson had a solid finish, this time 3rd, sailing Sill, formerly Roland Jourdain's boat. This means that each time, there were two British programs in the top 3. The lone French top 3 finish in the Defi was PRB. The way looks open for the first non French winner of a Vendee Globe.

Perhaps the most negative peformance was by Team Cowes, the ex Kingfisher. The British boat finished 6th in the Jacques Vabre, and will be 5th in the Defi. Nick Moloney is now qualified for the Vendee Globe, but certainly unhappy with his results.

Virbac and skipper J.P. Dick are over 2003 miles from the finish. If Virbac finishes within 10 days of Golding he will still qualify for the Vendee Globe. The only other qualifying opportunity is next spring's Transat.

Golding is in a good place. He has a new, fast and reliable boat. And surely Alex Thompson's performance should merit sponsorship?

Linky Sailing News

Racing Golding wins Defi. Conditions and issues for VDH . 480 miles for Joyon. Tornado Nationals

News Dalton thoughts

Great Lakes May 1st for Ontario ferry. Rescue award.

Torresen Marine Sailor of the Year Winners

Voting for the Torresen Marine Sailor of the Year Awards was close in both categories. The Male Sailor of the Year as voted by Torresen Marine website visitors is British Dinghy Sailor Ben Ainslie. He received 44% of the votes edging out American solo sailor Brad Van Liew who received 33%.

2003 Male Sailor of the Year Ben Ainslie

The women's voting was even closer. Tied for 2nd were American Olympic hopefuls Hannah Swett and Sally Barkow with 22% of the votes. They were bested by French offshore Multi Hull Sailor Karen Fauconnier with 33% of the votes.

2003 Female Sailor of the Year Karen Fauconnier

Fauconnier's 2003 achievments included: Winning the Grand Prix D'Italie and a 3rd place in the Jacques Vabre Trans Atlantic & 3rd in the ORMA Open 60 trimaran season standings.

Ainslie's 2003 accomplished included a 1st at the Athens Olympic Test Regatta and a 2nd consecuctive Finn Gold Cup.

James Richmond of Australia won the drawing for a free 2004 Ultimate Sailing Calendar.

Record Chase: Separate Oceans

There are currently two experienced French sailors attempting to set around the world sailing records. Francis Joyon is attempting to set the record for fastest solo circumnavigation. Jean Luc Van Den Heede is making another atttempt at the solo circumnavigation record against the prevailing winds.

After the duo of (crazy?) Frenchman sailed down the Atlantic they are now in separate oceans. Van Den Heede is in the South Pacific, while Joyon sails the Indian Ocean.

Joyon is still showing excellent form on his solo trimaran voyage. His time at the 2nd reference point-Cape of Good Hope- was 19 days 20 hours. This is nearly 2 days faster than when the same boat sailed the same course with crew. According to the Daily Sail, Joyon is 3350 miles ahead of the record.

VDH rounded Cape Horn for the 10th time, in 32 days with a lead of nearly 6 days on record pace. Since then he's been becalmed, sailed thru a low pressure, contrasting ends of the weather spectrum.

Both are headed for Cape Leeuwin on the SW tip of Australia. Joyon will be heading east when passing it, while VDH will be on a westerly course.

WIG Craft

A recent Notice to Mariners brought a list of changes to the COLREGS. These are the rules of the road while at sea.

The changes overall were pretty minor. There was one oddity. This was about WIG craft. We're all hip to WIG craft, no?

Turns WIG craft means "a multimodal craft which, in it main operational mode, flies in close proximity to the surface by utilizing surface effect action." In more common language- a hovercraft.

The good news is if you see one the WIG should "keep well clear of all other vessels."

Safety Navigation Methods

This is part of a series of articles on the subject of sailing safety. The articles will attempt to combine different ideas on safety from sources such as the Red Cross, personal experience, computer programming and other outdoor pursuits.

The 10 essentials begin with navigation- in the form of a map and compass. Certainly all forms of navigation have gone beyond this with GPS technology. GPS' are in every conceivable form from permanently mounted in boat interiors to forming part of a hand held computer.

Before GPS there were other forms of navigation. Over reliance on GPS can bite you should you suffer an electrical failure or forget spare batteries.

Little Sable Light FL W 6 S

Learning should always be part of safety and seamanship. A good navigator will work on learning all the forms of navigation he doesn't know. If you know GPS nav, try dead reckoning on a paper chart. If you're familiar with dead reckoning try celestial navigation and it's accompanying mathematical gymnastics.

Your odds of getting from place to place (ie navigation) are enhanced by learning as many methods as you can.

Sailing Review 2003 Part III

A slow Queens Cup began July.

The trimaran Lucretia finishes the Queens Cup.

Mac season began and we brought you unofficial, independent coverage of the Chicago Mac.

In Muskegon August was Tall Ships month.

In 2003 the Port Huron Mac was 2nd with a record set.

After the Mac's come the four Sail Michigan regattas.

In Muskegon August was Tall Ships month. Everything from a visit from the Indian Navy to desertion happened at Tall Ships.

The Indian Naval Ship Tarangini docks in Muskegon

In August we discussed Biodiesel and summed up the summer in photographs.

The Governors Cup concluded Muskegon's summer racing season.

We took a look at sailor of the year candidate Ben Ainslie's outstanding record.

Racing wise September was a month for Cup's- Moet and Canada's.

With our new ATWOS format we headed into fall which we'll review in Part IV next week.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Golding leads defi. VDH's 10th Cape Horn. Zana arrives

News America's Cup Class Rule. Bermuda race's new class

Great Lakes Great Lakes governors newsletter. Water removal ban stands.

Ellen Macarthur helping with the graphics of her new tri
Image © DPPI

Winter Arrives

A little over an inch of snow has fallen in Muskegon. Yes winter has arrived.

This doesn't mean Torresen Marine stops work. Projects such as dock repair are performed outside. Others such as repowering and painting are done inside.

Stop in and see us or visit our online store to finish your nautical holiday shopping.

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Linky Sailing News

Racing 4 way fight for Defi. Sydney racing. VDH + 1 week. Joyon does 388 miles

News AC designer news & salaries. US Sailing Athletes of the Year include Torresen Sailing Sailor of the Year Candidate Hannah Swett. Alignhi AC event. Delay for Edwards team. Quebec-St. Malo

Great Lakes Tunnel explosion anniversary marked. The Spirit of Ontario. Water Case. Ferry building.

Winter arrives @ Torresen Marine

Linky Sailing News

Racing New 24 hour solo monohull record for Alex Thomson. . Way to use the barometer Alex! Postions: VDH , Joyon who is around Good Hope in 19D 20H. Emma outside. Star training.

News 2005 Farr 49 WC's. Tallest Yacht Mast. Yard fire. New Z86 Morning Glory. Olin Stephens

Great Lakes Ontario ferry

98 foot, canting keel maxi Skandia.

Photographer : Ian Mainsbridge/Rolex

Water Level Update

Below you'll find water level info that pertains to Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Reference Point- Measurements in Inches

Difference from Chart Datum -4
Difference from last month +2
Difference from last year 0
Difference from long term average for November -18
Difference from Record High -53
Difference from Record Low +11
Forecast for 12 January 2003 -2

Click for information on other lakes.

Linky Sailing News

Racing VDH rounds the Horn. Riou leads Defi. Dick to race on. Joyon does 400 miles. Big boat challenge

News Trial winner interviews including Paul Foerester French SOTY . Yendys, hint the boat is named after a city... DC's AC report

Great Lakes Retired freighter captain perishes Lake Leelanau $. Dune $. Levels up.

College Sailing Iowa State- you can sail there?

Sailing Review 2003 Part II

Over the winter Torresen Marine did more than just store boats. We rebuilt a trimaran that had pitch poled.

In April we found out Gary Jobson had lymphoma.

In May Bernard Stamm and Brad Van Liew clinched their Around Alone victories. What'd they think after Around Alone?

We reccomended that you go beyond required gear . Use our online ships store to upgrade.

The Olympic Star class visited West Michigan in the spring.

Boat Smart began another year of advice and wisdom.

A series on pets on boats was offered in June.

College sailing's spring nationals were held in Detroit and dominated by Boston based teams.

Chicago saw the 2nd NOOD regatta sailed.

We'll cover July thru September in the next installment.

2004 Great Lakes Sailing Calendar

Torresen Marine produces an annual Great Lakes Sailing Calendar. We attempt to include more than just races. Events such as: boat shows, light house events, and summer festivals are included so that the cruising sailor can make plans too. Also, each year we try and include one design classes that bring their championships to the Great Lakes.

Just drop us an email so we can include it on the 2004 Great Lakes Sailing Caledar. You'll be able to pick up your copy at the Chicago Strictly Sail Boat Show.

1 Week To Vote

On Wednesday December 17th the Torresen Marine Male and Female Sailors of the year will be announced. This means you have just a week left to vote!

To date both categories have tie votes. Brad Van Liew and Ben Ainslie are tied for the men's award, while the women's vote is in a 3 way tie between Sally Barkow, Karen Fauconnier, and Hannah Swett. No question when you vote it will count!

After voting you'll have a chance to enter a drawing for a 2004 Ultimate Sailing Calendar.

Record Chase Report

There are currently two experienced French sailors attempting to set around the world sailing records. Francis Joyon is attempting to set the record for fastest solo circumnavigation. Jean Luc Van Den Heede is making another atttempt at the solo circumnavigation record against the prevailing winds.

Both are currently comfortably ahead of the records they are seeking to break. Van Den Heede has a 5 day lead as he approaches Cape Horn. Joyon is approximately 2000 miles ahead of record pace to be expected when sailing a 90 foot trimaran v. the 60 foot monohull that set the record.

Despite the lead Van Den Heede reports some less than ideal progress. In his latest log he writes, "I should have been in the Lemaire Straits by the time I was writing these lines, but the wind just wasn’t with me."

Joyon has sailed into the eastern hemisphere and will pass the Cape of Good Hope in the coming week. He's reeled off daily mileages of 380 to 430 miles.

Joyon's big tri solo voyage serves as a reminder that early in 2004 Ellen Macarthur will launch her own solo record breaking trimaran.
Her tri will be 75 feet, with a 100 foot tall Southern Spars mast v. Joyon's 90 foot length and 108 foot mast.

At the current rate Ellen will have some good records to break!

Linky Sailing News

Racing Virbac dismasts, PRB leads. VDH not to the Horn yet. 423 miles for Joyon

News Boating Accident Report released. Spray circumnavigation

Great Lakes Lake Ontario Hall of Fame . Michigan water suits.

Questions to Ask

This is part of a series of articles on the subject of sailing safety. The articles will attempt to combine different ideas on safety from sources such as the Red Cross, personal experience, computer programming and other outdoor pursuits.

Part of being safe is being prepared. Part of being prepared is asking questions that help you anticipate needs and situations. Here are some questions I like to ask and answer before sailing:

1. What is the weather forecast? The conditions you'll experience determine everything from whether to leave the dock to what clothes to pack. Leaving without this knowledge is foolhardy. As a corollary you might ask what type of weather information gathering equipment is on board. At the very least a VHF radio with weather band should be carried.

2. Are the proper charts on board? Although you may be going from Point A to Point B and not plan to make a stop you may have to. If in between there's an unfamiliar harbor not having the correct chart onboard could put you aground, or on the rocks.

3. What spares are on board? If it looks like a long motor sailing voyage are spare fuel filters, oil filters, lube oil and impellers aboard? If you are doing an offshore passage is there enough stove fuel and drinking water?

What are key questions you ask in preperation? Let us know in the comment area below.

SAR Card for Water

The State of Colorado originated the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) Card program. Cards cost $ 3.00 for one year, or $ 12.00 for 5 years. Money raised goes to the Colorado Search and Rescue Fund which then provides reimbursment for search and rescue missions. Coming across this program was interesting in light of PLB's and being charged for rescue. Payment is at the county/sheriff level.

Two thirds of funds go to the state fund, one third is reatined by card sellers. Funds are used to remburse for expenses such as: " rental, repair, and operating costs for motor vehicles, aircraft, snowmobiles, horses and boats, necessary equipment, reimbursement of mileage, meals, and room rentals for volunteer searchers and the cost of helicopters or fixed winged aircraft deployed in a search. " Costs for the people being rescued, such as medical bills, are not coverd. If actual missions do not soak up the funds, then they can be used for equipment and training. Since 1996 $ 500,000 + has gone for rescue reimbursement, while $ 2.9 million has gone to training. Annual sales of the card are 8,000+ cards. Another source of funds is a 25 cent surcharge on things such as boat registration, fishing liscences etc.

In 2002 this program funded exactly 0 rescues of boats. In Colorado rescues tend to center around mountains and other high altitude back country.

If such a program was to be implemented in Michigan I would think that funds would go more towards boating rather than land rescues. Payments could go to groups like the Muskegon County Sheriff's Marine Division . Another organization that could benefit from this would be Coast Guard Auxilliary units.

A $.25 charge on 1,000,000 registered Michigan boats would generate $ 250,000. The Colorado program funded 53 missions. According to Chief Tom Rau there were 72 fatalities on Lake Michigan in 2002-2003. At the very least a Michigan Marine Search and Rescue card could purchase many gallons of fuel for boats participating in searches.

Of course such a program would require political maneuvering in a climate where government dollars at all levels are ardently sought. Perhaps it's more realistic for Great Lakes Yacht clubs, one design fleets etc. to think about taking up a collection for search and rescue groups.

Perhaps voluntary S&R funding, another of a million good causes, could orginate at a private grass roots level in the sailing community.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Golding's narrow Defi lead Star report. Blake memorial. Joyon=388 miles. VDH passes the Falklands

News New Pyewacket . Grundig tweaks .

Great LakesWater demand. Water case stay requested. Sub Surface museums

SpeedSeals Now Available

The Torresen Marine Ship's Store now offers SpeedSeals for Yanmar and Universal engine's. Speedseals make impeller changes simple! You never know when an impeller will fail. There'd never be a good time for a failure, but certainly a bad time such as when entering a harbor, or in a crowded channel.

Changing a typical pump cover can require tools, removing and tightening half a dozen screws, and changing a gasket.

A Speedseal is a brass pump cover that includes an o-ring to replace your pump gasket. Speedseal is attached with large knurled hand screws eliminating the need for fine work with a screwdriver. At most you'll have 4 hand screws and will need to remove only two to change your impeller.

SpeedSeal for Yanmar 1gm10

SpeedSeal for Yanmar 2gmf,3gmf, 2gm20f, & 3gm30f fresh water cooled engines.

SpeedSeal for Universal Engines with Orberdorfer Pump

SpeedSeal for Yanmar 2gm20f-yeu & 3gm30fyeu engines which have serial #'s beginning with E and have been produced since 1997.

SpeedSeal for Yanmar 2gm,3gm,2gm20 & 3gm30 raw water cooled engines

If you're still not certain have a look at your engine's sea water pump. Note it's location. Imagaine changing the impeller at night in a busy channel. Then consider a Speedseal.

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2004 Sailing Calendars

The Torresen Marine Ship's Store has a selection of over a dozen 2004 Nautical themed calendars available. These include the ever popular Ultimate Sailing Calendar, the Sailing World Dr. Crash calendar featuring wacky sailing photos, & Thad Koza's 2004 Tall Ships Calendar.

Sailors definitely need one of these calendars. I received an email from a customer who noted that there are exactly 143 days to his 2004 launch. Other sailors have race dates to note, the starting date of the annual cruise etc.

Head to our online ships store to painlessly complete of some of your holiday shopping.

Linky Sailing News

Racing 1D numbers. Golding leads Defi. VDH anticipates Cape Horn and talks to the Prime Minister. Joyon sails on. Star Commodore's Cup

News Costs of Safety. Palmer Johnson news. British awards. Tool list

Great Lakes Levels up. Ferrry group to try again. Chicago Christmas Ship. Dune impressions.

College Sailing Rankings: Harvard # 1 co-ed, Brown # 1 womens.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Riou leads Defi. 431 miles for Joyon. Albatrosses for VDH. Note to VDH: it's dyanmic soaring.

News 201 KWRW entries. AC stuff. Mari Cha plans. Sailing extra

Great Lakes Canada's water supply. Ohio lake protection effort. Water ruling

Linky Sailing News

Racing VDH + 5 days. A 432 mile day for Joyon. Star rankings. Thompson leads Defi.

News Windsurfing speed record Sponsorship tips. Ainslie to TNZL? Cayard cup team. Forecaster profile. The Armada

Great Lakes Night patrols. Burger Boat expands . Ferry grant. NY/ONT ferry

College Sailing Yale singles report

Part of Andrie Towing's Muskegon Fleet

Water Level Update

Below you'll find water level info that pertains to Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Reference Point- Measurements in Inches

Difference from Chart Datum -5
Difference from last month +2
Difference from last year -3
Difference from long term average for November -20
Difference from Record High -58
Difference from Record Low +10
Forecast for 28 December 2003 -2

Click for information on other lakes.

Record Chase Update

Well, you can see a million miles tonight But you can't get very far
- Counting Crows.

Jean Luc Van Den Heede is 26 days into his latest attempt at breaking Phillipe Monnet's record for sailing solo around the world against the prevailing winds. Currently sailing along the coast of Argentina heading for Cape Horn, VDH is 5 days ahead of record pace. Yesterday VDH was becalmed and had a main halyard problem.
He also mentions his Spectra mainsail has stretched. Currently he estimates his 10th Cape Horn rounding (4 more than Jacques Vincent!) 11 December.

Farther north in the Atlantic Francis Joyon is 11 days into an attempt at breaking the solo around the world record with the prevailing winds. He had a fast passage to the equator which is a first point of reference.

Sailing the big tri solo Joyon reached the equator in 9 days 8 hours. This is faster than the time of the same boat (by 1 day 18 hours) when she set the Jules Verne record fully crewed.

Joyon's first great cape will be Good Hope. Fastest passage from the equator to Good Hope by a Jules Veren Record Holder is 18 days 18 hours by Orange. Fastest from the equator to Good Hope is Sport Elec (the trimaran Joyon now sails).

It's possible that while VDH rounds the Horn, Joyon will be rounding Good Hope. Both frenchman have many thousands of miles to sail, but are doing something about getting far.

Linky Sailing News

Racing VDH becalmed. South Atlantic Express

News Coutts staying. Speed record to go? Super Skandia

Great Lakes Water Level History. Ferry Presentation Photos

College Sailing MCSA Tell Tale

Beginning in June visit us via Lake Express Ferry

As Complicated as You Like

Sailing...the simple sport...just read the wind and ride the waves. Or, maybe not. From an Offshore Challenges report on the Defi Atlantique, "information on the fleet's positions are proving irregular as the race organisers struggle to fix their technical problems in polling the fleet following a major communications cable under the Atlantic being cut in half!"

In a recent article, a weather expert said that if given one choice of weather information he'd take "satellite imagery"

Morals of the story: anything can be made complicated or sailing has gone broadband.

List of Satellite Weather Sites

NOAA satellites
Atlanctic Winds.
Earth Viewer.
Global Image.
Eastern US Satellite

Links for this article provided by Intersail

Sailing Review 2003 Part I

Beginning this week we look back at 2003 sailing and how it was covered in ATWOS. Part I covers January to March. You might want to use this information to cast your sailor of the year vote.

The Sydney Hobart is one of the first races every year. Later in January a cold Key West Race Week Concluded.

All through January you could learn about alternators.

At this point Van Liew and Stamm were each 3 for 3 in Around Alone.

A year of hopes and news about passanger ferries started with a possibility of three ferries on Lake Michigan.

February saw the America's Cup match begin and finally conclude in March. Believe it or not some favored Team New Zealand.

A new Jules Verne record was not set.

Torresen Marine became a Precision Boats dealer adding to an extensive line of new and brokered boats.

College sailing began their spring season.

College Sailing Report

In one of the final major fall intersectional regattas 14th ranked Boston College traveled to Chicago and won the Timme Angesten memorial regatta for the second year in a row. BC won both A division (by 7 points) and B division (by 17 points).

Their A division team won the 1st 5 races and later added 4 more bullets. Skipper was Frank Ustach '05 (Hull MA) w/ Caitlin Gill '05 (Charlotte NC) as crew. BC won B divsion by 17 points, winning 10 of 18 races. Skipper was Manra Winston '06 (Barrington RI), crew Leland McManus '06 (Marblehead MA). All were either freshman or sophomores. Further, the team is not the same as the one BC sent to the Atlantic coast championships. Overall BC won 17 of 36 races.

Wisconsin nipped Minnesota by 2 points for 2nd. This makes Wisconsin the MCSA fall champion. Wisconsin was led by their 2nd place finish in B division. Skipper was John Rather 04 and Kari Sachs 04 both seniors. Minnesota's best performance was by their A division which was 2nd.

The 'Timmes' serve an an end to the fall college sailing season. Most teams will not compete again until 2004 with their aim being to qualify for the spring North American Championship Regattas to be hosted by the University of Washington & Western Washington University on the Columbia River Gorge.

Linky Sailing News

Racing VDH + 3 days. Joyon sets Equator passage record. Defi Atlantique

News Coutts to stick with Alighni. Olympic funding. 245 footer launching.

Great Lakes Sturgeon Bay canal problems. Bottled water case ruling and implications

College Sailing BC wins Timme's

PLB's: Are they for you?

Personal Locator Beacon's (PLBS) have been several years in the coming. PLB's are personal-sized, GPS-enabled EPIRBS. Recently, for the 1st time, a PLB was used in a rescue situation. Although it was a land based rescue PLB's will also eventually be used in onwater rescues.

A key difference between a PLB and a standard EPIRB is portability. A sailor will be able to carry a PLB wherever he goes. If a boat is not EPRIB equipped, but a sailor is PLB equipped, the decision whether to trigger a rescue could occur on an individual level.

As with many new things, PLB's are a subject of controversy and discussion. An online backpacking magazine recently did a particularly penetrating article on the subject.

One point made is that the farthest point in the USA from a road is 30 miles. On Lake Michigan the distance from Muskegon to the other side of the lake is in the 80 mile range. That is, you can get 40 miles from roads, land and assistance.

The article also questions when it is appropriate to activate a PLB. If you're in the middle of Lake Michigan and run out of fuel on a sail boat, I don't think a PLB is appropriate. On the other hand if a catastrophic failure occurs closer to land, then using a PLB is appropriate. Just this past summer a boat sank just 2 miles off Muskegon. Use of a PLB would've raised none of my hackles.

Since 1982 EPIRBS have been used to rescue almost 16,000 people. While that is unquestionably a good thing, working out solutions short of summoning search and rescue assets might be a better thing.

The State of New Hampshire operates under a set of rules where people can be charged for resuce depending on circumstances. To help people prepare and avoid charges New Hampshire has rules and questions for people to review.

The Backpacking article ends with a question, "Are there 17.6 oz (the weight of the PLB used in this rescue) of gear/supplies that you would bring instead of a PLB that would have improved your ability to cope with the conditions Mr. Skalak was facing and avoid a rescue?"

What 17.6 oz of safety gear would you carry in place of a PLB? Comment below.

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2002 saw the following upgrades: new head and new cushion covers. In 1999 the deck hardware was pulled and refastened. The non skid was also renewed.

Rigging-wise the mast was new in 1998 and the halyards were replaced in 2002.

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November 2003 Weather Report

It was a warm November in Muskegon. Also rainy and windy. The temperatures were + 3.6 degrees. This took the year to date temperatures for Muskegon above the 0 level to +.24 degrees after 11 months.

The average temperatures was 42.3°. The monthly high was 64 on the 23rd with low of 20 earlier in the month on the 9th. That monthly low is similar to recent years. In fact November 2002 also had a low temperature of 20°. Most of the cold weather in November came in a compact range of days from the 6th to the 10th.

It was an exceptionally rainy month. 6.29 inches of rain fell, almost doubling the normal amount. The actual amount above average was 3.06 inches. 1.71 inches of the wet stuff came down on the 18th. Just .5 inches of snow fell.

Living up to its reputation, November was a windier than normal month. Average winds were 11.7 compared to a typical 10.6 knots. Windiest day was the 24th when the average wind was 21.2 knots. The 13th and the 25th also had 20+ knot average winds.

An angered up Lake Michigan November 23rd.

If you're a SAD sufferer November saw the light begin to receede. 17 days were categorized cloudy, 6 were partly cloudy and 6 were clear.

The winter weather outlook calls for normal temperatures. Normal for Muskegon is 28.7 degrees. Normal is also 2 feet of snow. Let's all remember that snow is typically positive for our lagging lake levels.

Everest Horizontal Update

The words of Tim Kent - Everest Horizontal

Today is a great day to look back at the year past and reflect on the many things that I have shared with all of you for which I am very thankful. We successfully completed the Around Alone in second place - a result that I would have been inconceivable to me just two years ago. My friend Rick McKenna and I survived a capsize at sea that could easily have turned out badly. Over the last two years I have met hundreds of wonderful people; some of them my competitors, the support crews and event staff, but most of all the supporters and volunteers who did so much to make Everest Horizontal a success.

I am grateful every day for my daughters Whitney and Alison, even when they gleefully slaughter their dad in five-day marathon Monopoly game.

It has been a while since our last update. "What's going on?", you might ask...

* Everest Horizontal is still sitting on her mooring in Bermuda, waiting for me to come and rescue her once again. I am trying to raise the few thousand dollars it will take to make her seaworthy for the trip to Charleston, SC. Once there, I have a friend in the boat business who has offered to truck her to Milwaukee so that I can oversee the refit first-hand. I must get her out of Bermuda in the next four weeks or I will run into tax problems down there.

* I have been doing a lot of public speaking to corporate and civic groups. I have used the race in order to focus on topics of interest to different groups; among the topics have been Risk Management, Goal Setting and Attainment, Motivation, and of course talks that simply tell the story of the race. If you are interested in having me address your company or group, drop me an e-mail at tim.kent@everesthorizontal.com .

* Check out the upcoming January and February issues of Cruising World Magazine for my articles on the rollover and recovery of Everest Horizontal.

* Many of you know that during the race my super-supportive former wife Cheri Kent left her job. She's back in business now, working with Realty Executives selling existing and new homes in the Milwaukee metro area. Check out her web site at .www.cherikent.com.

* My good friend and boat captain Gilles Campan has relocated back to his native France to be closer to the action. I will miss him when we begin the refit of Everest.

Someone recently said to me that I must be disappointed with the outcome of this year. Nothing could be further from the truth, I told them. We exceeded most people's expectations simply by finishing the Around Alone Race; I survived a capsize at sea that could have done me in; I recovered Everest in one of the most amazing needle-in-a-haystack stories ever. Having Hurricane Fabian cast Everest up on the rocks was a devastating emotional hit, but it was only this last event that truly marred this year.

I have learned a lot from my kids over the last year; who could forget Whitney's note to me in the cockpit in South Africa that read "The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude!" The girls had a gym teacher who would not let them leave the basketball court on a missed shot; they had to keep shooting until they sunk one so that they could leave the court with a success.

Everest sitting damaged on her mooring in Bermuda is a missed shot to me. I need to get her back here to Milwaukee to begin her refit - I will not walk off this court on a miss.

Happy Thanksgiving

Tim

Linky Sailing News

Racing Defi Atlantique. VDH's progress. Joyon at equator

News Coutts fired? Barker to try Finns. Winter boating tips. No cup for Conner. Changes to Cup rules. Cup venue wx. Sailors of the Month & Year- Cast your votes! 1st PLB rescue

Great Lakes December Great Lakes Cruiser Magazine.

College SailingBC leads Timme's thru 2 days

Eastbound Freigher on Muskegon Lake