USCG Cutter Dallas Heads East

The United States Coast Guard in Portsmouth, VA sent this press release out this morning.

The Coast Guard Cutter Dallas departed Charleston, S.C., Sunday for a four-and-a-half month deployment to conduct maritime safety and security exchanges with countries along the central and west coasts of Africa, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Under the direction of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Dallas will support the Navy's 6th Fleet by serving as the primary Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform to conduct activities and exchanges that bolster maritime safety and security as part of an ongoing support mission made up of multi-national governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations.

These agencies and organizations respond to requests from African governments to provide focused multi-national/organizational collaboration on a regional scale. The goal of the Africa Partnership Station is to help African nations improve their own economic security and stability thus enhancing maritime security and stability throughout the world.

The U. S. Coast Guard's multi-mission portfolio of maritime safety, law enforcement, and national defense more closely resemble the missions carried out by the navies and coast guards of the countries Dallas will work with.

Following the visits to Africa, Dallas will make numerous port calls in the Mediterranean and Black seas.

It's one of those things I haven't gotten use to, where Navy and Coast Guard leave on a deployment without any fan fair or advance notice.

We all wish the Dallas and her crew a safe crossing and a timley return to Charleston.



More about Dallas here: USCG Dallas

Shrimp Boats Back at Work Thursday

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources opened South Carolina's waters to commercial shrimp trawling at 8 am on Thursday. The commercial shrimp trawling season in state waters has been closed since January 23rd.

According to the DNR's web site, SCDNR conducts shrimp resource assessments in a number of ways, including dependent and independent monitoring. This allows for fisheries biologists and managers to analyze the resource from trawls conducted by DNR biologists as well as commercial trawlers. DNR crustacean biologist Mark Maddox conducts the dependent monitoring during the spring, which consists of a cooperative effort with commercial trawlers that allows for information to be obtained during some preliminary trawling along the coast through Maddox’s supervision and assistance. Maddox says that, "The roe shrimp numbers look good during the trawls that we have conducted thus far. The resource is in good condition."

Three seasons define the commercial shrimp calendar. The first, white roe shrimp season, opens this Thursday at 8 a.m. The brown shrimp season typically occurs during the summer months, and the larger fall white shrimp season, composed of offspring from the spring roe crop, carries out the remainder of the three seasons in the fall.

It doesn't take a whole lot of thought to see that this year holds little promise to be profitable for local shrimp boats. With diesel near $4.50 a gallon and shrimp around $3.00 per pound at the dock there's just not enough margin to break even.

According to the DNR, total landings for shrimp during the 2007 season, measured heads-off, was just over 1.5 million pounds. Total landings during the 2006 season was over 2.3 million pounds; during the 2005 season was around 2.5 million pounds; and during the 2004 season was around 3.6 million pounds.

Yet prices paid at the dock continue to decline in part to the vast amount of frozen shrimp brought into the United States by Asian shrimp growers.

The numbers of licensed shrimp trawlers to-date this season is 369 vs 555 in 200 and more than twice that number back in the 1980's.

More about the decline in shrimp boats in South Carolina's waters.

Radio reports Thursday and Friday indicated hit and miss success offshore for the shrimpers, but sport fishing boat are hitting the Dolphin pretty good.

More as the season progresses.

South Carolina Man Missing in St. Barts

The search for South Carolina Yacht Captain Brian Quinn was called off Wednesday May 7, 2008 nearly 48 hours after he was reported lost overboard by the crew of Tribal Attraction a 20 meter motor yacht anchored off of the coast of Corossol, near St. Barts.


Brian Quinn

St. Barts is the Americanized name of the island Saint Barthélemy best known as the long time hangout of singer, song writer and author Jimmy Buffett.

Facts surrounding Brian's disappearance are in question. While the Charleston Post and Courier reports a "three-day intensive air and sea search" local reports state that the search was in a well lit area that night and was scaled back after only five hours and was formally called off by local authorities after 18 hours.

The St. Barth Weekly has reported the following:

Search efforts to find a 42 year old American sailor missing since Monday evening were abandoned on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Cross Antilles-Guyana, responsible for rescue at sea efforts in the Caribbean and the local sector of the Northern Atlantic. “In spite of the great effort expended to find this man, the search was not fruitful,” said Cross director Aymeric De Marcellus on Wednesday. “The entire zone where he might have been found was swept by both aircraft and rescue boats, but without success. As of today, the chances of finding this sailor are extremely slim.

That is why we decided to abandon the search effort. Yet all boats in the area have been asked to keep an eye out just in case.”

The lost sailor was the captain of Tribal Attraction, a 20-meter motor yacht registered in the Marshall Islands. On Monday evening, the yacht was anchored in the port zone off the coast of Corossol, and the sailor jumped into the water when the yacht’s dinghy started to float away. It seems he suffered some sort of medical problem.

The crew tried to find him without success, before sounding an SOS. At 9:55pm on Monday, Cross Antilles-Guyane received the call for help and forwarded it to the Capitaine Danet, the rescue station boat in Saint Barth, and to the Notre Dame de la Garoupe, the rescue boat from the Dutch side of Saint Martin. The island’s gendarmes conducted a search on land, while the customs service boat, the DF 24, joined the maritime efforts during the night. Stopped at approximately 4:00am, the operation began again at dawn.

The search effort was conducted by air, by sea, and on shore, using the civil safety helicopter, a Dutch airplane, the SNSM boat from Saint Barth, the boats from the port and the gendarmerie, as well as fireman, volunteers, divers, and private citizens who all patrolled until nightfall on Tuesday.

The search continued on Wednesday morning but was abandoned by early afternoon on Wednesday. The Cross Antilles-Guyana estimated that there are between 10 and 20 such operations annually in the large zone it covers a surface of almost three million square kilometers.

There is also a discussion at St. Barts Talk an online forum.

Need a picture view of St. Bart's? Check out Steve and Lili's picture posts from the Annual Bucket Regatta here.

This is a developing story and is subject to change as more facts become known and clarified. Life Floating By would ask that anyone who can correct or update the above story please do so by posting a comment.

My prayers asking God's comfort for Brian's family and friends.

United States Navy Warship "7"

I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed the 100 foot US Navy warship running through the jetties, and then on to the Coast Guard Station Friday?

She was making 14 knots and blowing a storm surge size wake. The massive wake that washed over the battery and the decks of the pipe barge working off of James Island prompted no calls to the warship just side chatter asking what was up with the fast moving wake blowing grey boat.

The VHF radio calls between Charleston Pilot Unit 1 on a container ship leaving the Wando Terminal and the warship was almost comical.

On one side there's the veteran harbor pilot with a smooth southern accent moving a 900 foot containership outbound and on the other side of the conversation is a very young Navy almost cracking male voice replying with the hubris of "I'm a United States Navy Warship" and his arrogance was palpable as he barreled up the harbor.

The whole scene and radio conversations remind me of the old joke about the Navy Warship vs a lighthouse.

Harbor Fest Air Show Safety Zone Established

Boaters this weekend need to be aware that the Charleston Harbor Fest will have a "mini" airshow twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday. Don't expect the Thunderbirds to make an encore, but the folks at Michael Mancuso Airshows are expected to be on hand for a few low passes and loops.

The show is short only 30-45 mins, but it's free for Charelston's boaters at least.

Accordingly the the Coast Guard Captain of the Port of Charleston will establish a temporary safety zone on the Cooper River for the Harborfest Air Show Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, 2008

The safety zone will be directly underneath the aerial performance, which extends over portions of Horse Reach and Hog Island Reach on the Cooper River.

Marine traffic will not be permitted to enter the safety zone without permission of the COTP (captain of the post) or his designated representative. The COTP encourages all recreational boaters to anchor at the foot of Drum Island and at the northwestern tip of Shutes Folly to view the air show.

Traffic needing permission to pass through the safety zone can contact the representative for the COTP on VHF-FM channel 16 or via phone at (843) 724-7616.

The Coast Guard will be making broadcasts on the day of the performances to provide current information at the start and finish of the performances.

Safety Zone Enforcement Times:

Saturday - 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Sunday - 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Here is the chart showing the permitted anchoring zones for the airshow

Miss Rose Picks The City Charleston Marina

Miss Rose made her official debut back in late January half a world away in Taiwan.



This past weekend she made her first port call selecting The Charleston City Marina Mega Dock to prepare for her maiden voyage.



After traveling nearly 10,000 miles from Taiwan as cargo aboard a transoceanic ship, Miss Rose was towed to the Charleston City Marina, where she spent several days getting ready for her first voyage under the command of her captain and crew.

Her crew worked for three days washing and removing a protective layer of wax from the yacht’s pristine navy blue hull. Radars turned for hours on end as her engines were started and shut down again and again. Water tight doors checked and rechecked as she strained against her under sized 5/8 inch temporary dock lines. I guess a new mega yacht doesn’t come with a “new boat owner package” like a SeaRay.



But her visit was not without mishap as strong winds Sunday and Monday pushed the 132 foot yacht against a concrete piling giving her a “first” dent.



Yet there’s still nothing like that new boat smell, to get you excited about mega yachts and Miss Rose is one classy looking new boat.

It’s been reported that Miss Rose is the largest yacht ever built in Taiwan, and is designed to comply with the MCA LY2 code. Billed as the Horizon Group’s successful entry into world-class mega yacht builder status she'll be the flagship of several 132 foot yachts to be completed over the next two years.

Miss Rose is equipped with two Caterpillar C32 main engines, each rated at 1,825 horsepower. Based on the sea trials, the yacht’s top speed is 18 knots at maximum engine output. Cruising speed of 14 knots is achieved with 55 percent engine output.

Shocking is her surprisingly low 11,000-gallon diesel fuel capacity that will deliver a range of only 1,400 nautical miles at 14 knots, although it will increase to a reported 3,300 nm range at 11 knots. I’m not sure about these figures but perhaps this is why she was shipped to Charleston.

Electrical power is supplied by two 80kW generators featuring parallel operation.

In the wheelhouse, all the navigation and communication systems comply with international GMDSS requirements, which ensure safe operation across all oceans.

The onboard entertainment system is similarly modern and incorporates Crestron controllers. Utilizing a single remote controller, all the AV systems together with lighting and window shades can be operated at the touch of a button.

There is one big tender garage at the stern accessed by three hydraulic doors, a space large enough for one 16-foot jet tender and two Yamaha 375-hp Wave runners.

How much? Well like they say if you have to ask ….. but for a mere $194,000.00 per week, you and 9 of your closest friends can charter Miss Rose and live the life of the rich and famous.

Miss Rose departed The Charleston City Marina at noon on Tuesday May 13th bound for Palm Beach and the Rybovich yacht yard, for some final touches before the owner comes aboard and to repair the above mentioned scratch of course.

Horizon Yachts Miss Rose Specs:

Length 40.2m (132.0ft)
Beam 8.0m (26.2ft)
Draft 2.3m (7.4ft)
Engines 2 x 1825hp Caterpillars
Cruising Speed 14 knots
Guests 10 (1 master, 4 double)
Crew 8

4 Rescued 200 Miles East of Charleston

The United States Coast Guard office in Miami is reporting that, four people were rescued by the crew of a Coast Guard cutter after their 48-foot sailboat began taking on water approximately 200-miles east of Charleston, S.C., at about 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Video of the Rescue





Paul Doughty, Linda Doughty, both of Keyport, N.J., and sisters Berlinda and Antoinette Cole were sailing the Wolf when it began taking on water after the vessel apparently struck an unknown object in water. The vessel began flooding rapidly, and the group had no choice but to activate their emergency position indicating radio beacon to signal for help.

The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center at Atlantic Area Command in Portsmouth, Va., was the first to receive the distress signal from the Wolf's EPIRB. Rescue coordinators at Atlantic Area forwarded the call to Coast Guard District Seven Command in Miami to coordinate the rescue.

Rescue coordinators at District Seven diverted the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Reliance from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, to make the rescue. The Reliance was only six-miles away from the sailboat's position when they diverted to help the foundering sailing vessel.



The crew of the Reliance arrived to the aid of the sailing vessel just in time. The sailboat's cabin had filled with approximately four feet of water, and the vessel's bilge pumps had lost power and were no longer pumping the water off the boat.

A rescue crew from the Reliance piloted their ship's small boat through 8- to-10-foot seas to the sailing vessel and pulled all four of the sailors off the sinking vessel safely.

The four sailors are aboard the Reliance and are in good condition. They will stay aboard the cutter until the ship pulls into Cape Cod, Mass., Wednesday.

"This rescue illustrates the importance of carrying a registered Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon," said Cmdr. Webster Balding, the commanding officer of Reliance. "These devices are one of the best tools for a vessel in need of assistance, especially vessels operating this far from shore."

The crew of the Wolf was on their way to Beaufort, S.C., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when they began to take on water.



The crew of the Reliance was unable to tow the Wolf in port safely because it was taking on so much water and the seas offshore were too large. The vessel is adrift and its position has been marked in order to prevent it from initiating any false mayday calls.

Below, a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Cape Cod Canal passes the Sagamore Bridge as the boatcrew transports four survivors to shore Thursday, May 15, 2008, after an early morning rescue and three-day transit aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance.



Below, Paul Doughty explains Thursday, May 15, 2008, how an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon notified rescuers that he was in trouble when his 48-foot sailboat began sinking about 200 miles east of Charleston, S.C., at 5 a.m.



Below, Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Wilson from Coast Guard Station Cape Cod Canal helps Linda Doughty to shore Thursday, May 15, 2008,

Jimmy Buffett at Anguilla

So what's the best thing to wear to a Jimmy Buffett charity concert on Anguilla at the Dune Preserve with only 3500 tickets available?



What's that? A parrot? Well that's pretty tame....



How about a crazy hat?



Or shock your mother and wear not much at all?



Nope because there's nothing better that wearing a "Southern Comfort" Abaco Island Tour 2007-2008 T-shirt.



Major props to Jim P. for sending the above photos, wearing the Southern Comfort crew t-shirt and promoting Southern Comfort amongst all the parrotheads on Anguilla.

April Fool

April Fool has returned to the Charleston City Marina. The two year old Feadship (pronounced Fed-Ship) towers over nearby Themis and the many smaller vessels docked along the "mega dock" this morning.

The twin screw motoryacht built by the Royal Van Lent Shipyard and launched on April 1st 2006 is 200 feet long with a beam of 35'9" at her widest point. Her steel hull and aluminium superstructure offer classic Feadship lines ten feet of which is under water.

She holds 133 thousand gallons of fuel which at the current City Marina price of $4.25 per gallon for diesel equates to $566,000.00 fuel bill to "fill er up"!

She also carries 17,000 gallons of fresh water more than you could use in a year if you took six showers a day.

Powered by 2 Caterpillar 3516B-DITA, she moves at a max speed of 16 knots with a cruising speed of 13 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.



This gives me a chance to introduce Jean-Marc Monhart a dutch artist who I met several years back. Jean-Marc loves Feadship yachts and has made a hobby of drawing in a impressionistic style these wonderful yachts.




"Sea Flower"