Life Floating By

Tor Viking Rescues Bulk Carrier Golden Seas

2010-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Deadliest Catch - You have no doubt seen a few episodes of the fishing reality show highlighting the perils of crab fishing in the Bearing Sea north of Alaska's Dutch Harbor.

Over the weekend a rescue tug called Tor Viking had set out to catch something a little bigger than a crab pot. On Friday a distress call went out from a bulk carrier named Golden Seas as she was being pushed steadily south by gale force winds. The 738-foot ship had lost power and was adrift while battling 30 foots seas and winds in excess of 50 mph.

KODIAK, Alaska - The 738-foot tanker Golden Seas makes 3.5 mph through 20-foot seas 50 miles north of Adak Island Dec. 3, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

KODIAK, Alaska - The tug Tor Viking II moving at 12 mph through 20 foot seas and 46 mph winds 48 miles from the 738-foot cargo vessel Golden Seas in the Bering Sea Dec. 4, 2010. The tug rendezvoused with the vessel Golden Seas about 5:30 p.m.Saturday and was able to begin towing the ship toward Dutch Harbor at 8:30 p.m. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

The bulk carrier Golden Seas is towed through rough seas in the Bering Sea by the Tor Viking II Dec. 5, 2010. The vessels are en route to Dutch Harbor transiting about 8 mph and are expected to arrive Tuesday if they are able to maintain their current speed and weather conditions remain favorable. Photo courtesy of Tor Viking II

At last report the tug and ship were being escorted but the USCG Cutter Alex Haley in route to Dutch Harbor. More details at the Alaska Dispatch which is here.

Sector Charleston Rescues 2 Marine Pilots

2010-03-10T17:20:00.001-08:00

Two Marine pilots returned safely Wednesday night to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort less than two hours after their two-seat F/A-18 Hornet crashed into the Atlantic Ocean during a training mission.

The pilots, whose names were not released Wednesday, were about 30 miles east of the St. Helena Sound at about 5:30 p.m. when the fighter jet experienced dual engine failure, according to a news release Wednesday night from the air station.

The pilot and the jet’s weapons system officer ejected from the plane and were plucked from an inflatable survival raft less than an hour later by a search and rescue team from Coast Guard Station Charleston, said Gunnery Sgt. Chad McMeen, air station spokesman

Charleston Wine and Food Festival

2010-03-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday brought clear skies and warm temperatures to the Charleston water front as yachts Southern Comfort and Eurilla hosted one of more than a dozen events all part of Charleston's 5th Annual Wine and Food Festival.

Nothing like 50 guests and red wine on a yacht to get the captain's attention.

Top chefs from the Daniel Island Club, Duvall and New Dream Catering complimented wines offered by MacMurray, Lolonis and Bodega Sur de los Andes wineries, as guests were invited to tour yachts, Southern Comfort, Eurilla and Jennifer Ann.

Phillip Lolonis was a hit with the girls.

As with most charity events success is often in the luck of the draw. Southern Comfort drew Kate MacMurray and New Dream Catering while Eurilla hosted Duvall Catering and Phillip Lolonis.

Kate MacMurry and the author's wife.

MacMurray, famous for a very highly rated Pinot Noir is now introducing an excellent Chardnoay, owner Kate MacMurray is the daughter of actor Fred MacMurray.

The two hour event brought out 150 guests who paid $100.00 per person with the proceeds benefiting Louie's Kids.

Louie's Kids is a non-profit dedicated to the mission of fighting childhood obesity. Louie's Kids provides support solutions in cases where a child is in desperate need of behavioral, nutritional or specific one-on-one intervention due to being clinically obese. Founded in 2001, Louie's Kids provide individualized solutions in the form of treatment for pediatric and adolescent obesity. Louie's Kids has developed an individualized program, Fit Club to address childhood obesity in Charleston and the surrounding communities. Fit Club was designed to provide a free obesity treatment program for low income youth who are already identified as obese.

Super Sized MSC Rita Calls on the Wando Terminal Thursday February 25, 2010

2010-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

File this under go big or go home.

Thanks to a lot of work by the South Carolina Ports Authority and the US Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District a new contract was signed back in December to bring Mediterranean Shipping Company's MSC Rita to Charleston Harbor. Rita at 1065' LOA is the largest container ship yet to tie up on the U.S. South Atlantic Coast.

From the Post and Courier:

SPA chief executive officer Jim Newsome shared the news at a Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce membership breakfast meeting today. Showing a photograph of the MSC Rita on a projector screen, he said: “This is a picture of a ship, but it’s a very important ship.”

Newsome explained that the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in 2014 will change the container industry, as harbor depth becomes more important than ever. The Rita is set to arrive at the Port of Charleston, the deepest natural harbor along the U.S. South Atlantic coast, on Feb. 22, Newsome said.

The Rita can transport the equivalent of about 8,100 20-foot-long shipping containers.

The SPA announced just before Christmas that Charleston would receive a weekly call on MSC’s Golden Gate service from Asia by way of the Suez Canal. The Rita comes as part of that new service.

“This is the only port in the South Atlantic that this ship can call today,” Newsome said.

But none of this would be possible without the US Army Corps of Engineers who keep the channels deep enough to bring container ships the size of Rita to the Wando Terminal.

The above video courtesy of Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District.

Sail Boat Photo in Lieu of Church Attendance

2010-02-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

Sail boats find light air in Charleton Habor, in the distance St. Phillips on Church Street downtown Charleston.

Captain Phil Harris Dies

2010-02-10T01:22:00.000-08:00

Capt. Phil Harris of the Discovery Channel show "The Deadliest Catch" died Tuesday of complications from a stroke suffered late last month. He was 53.

Harris, the tattooed and gruff captain of the Cornelia Marie, was a fan favorite in the reality show about crab fishing off Alaska.

"Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and colleague Captain Phil Harris. He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him," a statement from the network said. "We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart."

Harris suffered a massive stroke on January 29 while his crew offloaded crab at St. Paul Island, Alaska.

"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad -- Captain Phil Harris," said a statement from his sons, Jake and Josh Harris. "Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end."

More details can be found in the AP report posted by the NY Daily News here.

Charter Yacht Slang

2010-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

As a crew member of a large motor yacht, I have found many words that describe everyday tasks and challenges.

Here are some on the more PG rated ones.

On the hill - Having your yacht on land in a boat yard for major service.

Captain Morgan – An intoxicated guest who needs to be watched closely while out on deck for fear he/she might fall overboard.

Splash – Putting a yacht back in the water after being on the hill. Use: “We hope we can splash the boat tomorrow.” Also used to describe the last know whereabouts of Captain Morgan.

Bimbo Pad – Any sunny area used by female yacht guests for sun bathing.

PC - in yacht speak means the Principle Charter, the person picking up the tab.

Mystery Guest – Normally a female friend of the yacht’s owner or PC who is not introduced to the crew for obvious reasons. Normally found on a Bimbo Pad.

Roger That – Used between crew members. As in ok or I agree. Never used between crew and the PC or guests.

Coasties - United States Coast Guard used as often in distain as in admiration and respect.

Dock Gawkie – Dockside non guests who ask endless questions about how fast, how much fuel, and stare into your shower window from the dock.

Britney’s Boat – The standard answer when a Gawkie asks who owns the boat.

Captain Stubing - A derogatory term used to describe a crew uniform fashioned after Gavin MacLeod’s white uniform on the Love Boat television show. A totally unacceptable uniform. Use: I would have taken the job but, I don’t do Captain Stubing.

Boat Bite - Unexplained bruises and cuts that yacht crew discover on themselves, never knowing how or when the injuries were acquired.

Nav-Gnat – A charter guest who repeatedly asks a crew member to see the yacht’s location on a chart computer. Similar to a small child asking “are we there yet?”

Nasties – Crew working dirty jobs on a yacht. Often used to describe certain crew members who are not to have contact with guests. Use: Get the Nasties out of sight.

Salad Bar – The vegetation growth on the bottom of a boat hull so bad that it requires a diver to clean.

I know I've missed a dozen or more comment to add as many as you like.

LFB

Bertram 63' Sinks and Bertram Responds

2009-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Bertram Dealers, Employees, and Friends,

As part of my ongoing commitment to provide you with fact-based information regarding the November 6 sinking of a Bertram 63, I offer this update.

Our main consideration in examining this complex matter – where all the facts are not known – has been to avoid jumping to conclusions. Clearly, once information is presented as “fact” and later shown to be wrong, it is nearly impossible to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

That is why we at Bertram are being very careful to say only that which is verifiable and fact-based. And it is why we are concerned that on some internet sites others have published as “fact” statements that are not verifiable.

For example, some people are saying that Bertram alleges the yacht that sank hit the Bill Perry Jr. buoy. What we in fact believe is that the yacht sank because it collided with something, possibly the buoy. It has also been stated that this buoy “could not” have caused the damage. They are saying this without the benefit of having physically inspected the buoy closely following the incident or - it seems - knowing much about the physical properties of the buoy.

The buoy in question weighs 200 lbs and has a heavy-duty steel frame. It is 24 inches in diameter with an overall height of 13 feet 5 inches. A total of 6 feet of the buoy is out of the water. A preliminary analysis indicates that the impact between the Bertram traveling at cruising speed and striking the top of this specific buoy in the manner described by the boat captain would occur with between 7,000 and 12,000 lbs of force.

It has also been confirmed that the bow geometry and buoy height would result in the first point of impact occurring above the waterline in the cored section of the hull. Bertram, as most sportfish manufacturers, uses cored hull construction above the waterline for the weight and stiffness benefit while maintaining the impact resistant solid glass below the waterline. Although a hole puncture above the waterline itself does not alone cause a vessel to sink, ensuing extreme hydraulic pressures created by coming off a wave at speed and into another (as described by the captain) would almost certainly open the puncture further resulting in the breach of the hull.

Attached is a photograph of the buoy shortly after the incident occurred. The paint on the buoy has since washed away but we were able to gather samples of the paint from what was obviously a fresh strike on the buoy. Independent laboratory results confirmed that the paint type on the vessel hull was found to match the paint transfer from the buoy to a high degree of scientific certainty. Also attached is the buoy manufacturer’s sketch of the full buoy and a description of its construction.

In short, Bertram continues to believe that the description of the incident made by the captain – who it should be noted did not report to the Coast Guard that he had seen the buoy despite his proximity to it – is consistent with a collision. Examination of the buoy showed matching paint, some damage from impact, and an apparent propeller cut. Preliminary inspection of the boat seemed to verify a hit. Given the force of impact on the cored hull several feet above the bow’s waterline and the captain’s own description of events, collision with this buoy is clearly a possibility.

The assertions we have seen - that the buoy in question could not have caused the damage - do not consider the potential impact on the hull if it was punctured at cruising speed by a metal structure followed by (as described by the captain) burying the bow in a wave. We believe such assertions to be mere speculation and irresponsible.

We also would like to point out that the on-line suggestion that the owner’s attorney had to get a court order to keep us from salvaging the boat is entirely false. A copy of the Judge’s order, to which we consented, is also attached.

I intend to continue to provide verifiable fact based information as we learn more about this incident. As always, if you have any questions on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Michael W. Myers
President
Bertram Yacht Inc.
(305) 633 - 8011

Photos of the sunken vessel here

USCG Crashes Into Charleston Tour Boat

2009-12-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

A US Coast Guard "small boat" crashed into Charleston's Thriller tour boat just after the completion of the annual Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday.

From and Charleston Post and Courier:

A 25-foot Coast Guard boat and a commercial catamaran collided in Charleston Harbor on Saturday night.

Three people (maybe more) from the catamaran Thriller were reported injured, according to the Coast Guard.

The extent of their injuries was not known.

A 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat crew from Station Charleston evacuated the 24 passengers aboard Thriller and transported them to Charleston Harbor Marina to await emergency medical personnel.

"The Coast Guard's primary concern right now is the condition of the passengers who were injured in the incident," Capt. Michael F. McAllister, commander, Coast Guard Sector Charleston, said in a news release.

The Coast Guard vessel sustained no damage, and Thriller sustained moderate above-the-water-line damage, according to the Coast Guard. Conditions at the time of the incident were clear, with winds at 10 mph to 15 mph. The collision is under investigation.

More Post and Courier Coverage Here.

This is not the first time the Coast Guard Small Boat has collided with a "Thriller" type boat. Back in 2002 a USCG boat running at high speed hit the Bayside Blaster and two crew members where thrown overboard. The Bayside Blaster is a sistership to Thriller.

From the Sun Times:

U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat CG242513, which was on a routine patrol of Biscayne Bay, Florida, and the small passenger vessel Bayside Blaster, which was on a sightseeing tour of the area. The accident resulted in no deaths or serious injuries. However, both Coast Guard crew members and 2 of the Bayside Blaster’s passengers were taken to a hospital for examination. Damages to the patrol boat (which was a total loss), the Bayside Blaster, and a moored recreational boat totaled $184,722.

The full NTSB report is here.

Update:

The Coast Guard News corrects a couple of press releases released by Coast Guard Sector Charleston. Mainly changing the number of injured passengers to 5, and correcting the statement that the USCG small boat was not damaged and adding that most of the passengers stayed aboard to return to Ripley Light Marina.

Cedar Posts has talked with two USCG members while not wanting to pass judgement, admit it doesn't look good for the crew of the small boat.

Now there are a lot of people at the P&C web site faulting me for coming down hard on the Coasties as if there is "no way" these highly trained professional would run over another boat.

So I submit the following:

FAA Begins Probe of Yacht's Helo Crash

2009-08-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

LITTLE DEER ISLE, Maine — Four people escaped injury late Saturday afternoon when a small helicopter unexpectedly landed in the water near Little Deer Isle, an island off the Maine coastline.

According to Chris Barry, a search and rescue coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard, the helicopter originated from the Lady Christine, a 185-foot luxury yacht that was docked in Bangor Maine all of last week and is spending the summer in New England.

None of the passengers was identified, but Barry said the owner of the yacht was the pilot. The owner was identified last week as Irvine Laidlaw, a Scottish billionaire and member of the British House of Lords.

Each passenger suffered only minor bumps and bruises, Barry said, and the helicopter was not significantly damaged.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the internationally registered helicopter made what it called a controlled landing using flotation devices shortly before 5 p.m. FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said a lobster boat towed the undamaged helicopter to shore.

Baker said she doesn’t know where the helicopter was going or why it had to land in the water but the incident is under investigation. It wasn’t clear if the vessel was trying to land atop the yacht, which was in the nearby waters of Penobscot Bay and is equipped with a helipad.

Lady Christine is a frequent visitor to Charleston's Mega Dock during the bi-annual transit season push north in May and then south in October.

The Coast Guard also said several gallons of fuel spilled from the helicopter. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was called to clean up and investigate the spill.

USCG Eagle Departs Charleston Harbor

2009-06-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, the 2009 Harbor Fest came to a close on Monday June 29th as the tall ships departed Charleston Harbor.

The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, departed Charleston headed for sea and Boston continuing its participation in Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009. The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 is a trek around the North Atlantic Ocean of more than 7,000 nautical miles following the traditional route taken by sailing ships of the past.

Eagle is an 1800-ton steel hull, three-masted sailing ship with more than 21,000 square-feet of sail and more than five miles of rigging. The 295-foot Eagle is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in the U.S. military service and is home ported at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Hilton Head's Harbourtown

2009-05-15T02:19:00.001-07:00

Many years ago I stood along the docks of the Harbourtown Yacht Basin and wondered what it would be like to guide my own boat past the wonderful red and white lighthouse.

Harbourtown Lighthouse Circa 1970 Photo By The Author

I marveled at the wonderful yachts docked safely inside the harbor and the pure beauty of the lighthouse and its simple design. I climbed the stairs to have a look from up high in the lighthouse and remember looking down on all the boats, wondering how hard it would be to dock one of those "big ones" in what from above looked like a really small slips, with little room for error.

Now having the pleasure of gliding past the famous red and white lighthouse in my own boat so many times that I just count the years, I know there is nothing quite like it in the world.

The low country has a feel all its own, and with it comes a welcome home feeling of harbourtown on a warm and sunny spring afternoon. The habor is alive with activity, the dock creaks and adjusts to the weight of the 75 foot Hatteras motor yacht I've just brought in from Charleston.

Visitors gather to watch as I adjust our boat inside the slip, just a spring line and even without a bow thruster she eases against the dock. I've learned over the years to make my docking look good even when its not.

Watching me with wide eyes are two young boys about 10 and 12 along with their father, our crew has much to do, yet I can't help but offer to give the three of them a quick tour.

Suddenly I am young again as the boys scamper ahead of their father and the youngest one exclaims "wow this boat is sooooo big, we are so lucky to get to go on this huge boat".

Me too kid Me too....

Custom Canvas Writes a Manifesto

2009-05-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote the Better Business Bureau about the Bimini that Custom Canvas of Charleston installed on Southern Comfort.

As I expected Jim, who is one of those angry Yankee transplants got completely whacked and wrote the following unreadable response to my complaint.

My gripe is and has been since he installed the bimini is that it is not the right color and doesn't fit.

In my letter to the BBB I simply asked that he either fix it, replace it of refund 50% of what I paid him.

What I've learned is Stamoid is a great product with many uses. A open bimini is not one of them, because it stretches.

You have to dig through Jim's reply, but buried in there is his statement that "the bimini should not be subjected to steady winds of more than 30 mph (26 knots)" and there dear readers is my case.

Southern Comfort is a Motoryacht that routinely travels at speeds of 18 knots or better. So according to Jim I'll need to take the Bimini down anytime the wind blew across the bow at more than 8 knots and we were underway. Sometimes we are underway for 29 hours or more depending on where we are relocating the boat.

Custom Canvas was hired to replace the worn bimini not to get all creative, change the fabric and the color. Now confronted with his product not preforming he wants to blame the boat owner.

What do you think?

Does Southern Comfort have a case?

Looks like small claims is my next stop.

But what do you think is fair?

CUSTOM CANVAS WRITES A MANIFESTO

On May 06, 2009, the business provided the following information:
Contact Name and Title: Jim Perillo
Contact Phone: 843-767-1573
Contact Email: jim@customcanvasofcharleston.com
Custom Canvas of Charleston
7187 Bryhawke Circle
Suite 100
North Charleston,SC 29418

May 5, 2009
Better Business Bureau
Re: Case # 34018898 Chris McIntire

In responding to this complaint, I will provide some background information as well as copies of 2006 and 2008 invoices. On April 2,2006 we provided Mr. McIntire a quote for a new bimini top for a price of $1100.00. He told us he didn't want to spend that amount of money at the time, and proceeded to hire another canvas fabricator to do the same job for about $600.00. (This is according to Mr. McIntire). A copy of that quote is enclosed. After some time, that bimini top had stretched and thread had rotted out and Mr. McIntire asked us to restitch it so that he could get some more life from it. That fabricator had stopped returning Mr. McIntire's phone calls, according to him.
In September of 2008 Mr. McIntire wanted to replace his bimini. We agreed to use the same rate we had quoted in 2006, $1118.50. We advised the customer that our materials were better than those used by the previous fabricator. Our thread does not rot, and the Stamoid material is considered the industry standard for this type of vinyl-coated product. This is all dependent upon the proper care being given to these materials. The old canvas was so dirty and gray, that we could not make an exact match of it with any shade of white. We then brought all of our samples to the boat and matched the canvas to the color of the boat itself. ''White'' is the actual color name, as opposed to ''Snow White'', ''Cream'' or ''Ivory''. We then gave the customer a written quote specifically stating the name of the material and the color to be used for his approval. At the same time, we pointed out that his framework was bent, the bows were too far apart, it was not adjusted properly and in fact had garden hose clamps holding parts of it in place. The customer told us that he really couldn't afford to buy a new frame and asked us to do the best we could with what he had. We told him that we couldn't be sure of how things would turn out, but we would give it a try. The first thing we had to do was spend about 2 hours trying to straighten out his frame and make it as symmetric as we could. We only charged him for the replacement of the garden hose clamps using stainless steel marine fittings. Even with that amount of work, it still wasn't up to our standards, but that is what the customer wanted.
When we installed the canvas itself, it was the same color as the boat, and it was tight in all directions. Upon final payment we instructed the owner on the proper care of the canvas. The physical properties of a bimini are such that while it is fine and sturdy on its' own, wind can still get underneath it and push it up like a sail, unless it is held down by an enclosure of some type, which the customer did not have. An enclosure will not only help secure the top on all four sides, if it is closed up, it will also prevent the wind from getting underneath the top. As a matter of instruction, we tell all of our customers who have biminis with no enclosures, that the bimini should not be subjected to steady winds of more than 30 mph or so. We tell them that if the wind is forecast to be more than that, or gusts of more than 35 mph are predicted, they should take the bimini down. Our bimini tops are specifically designed with zippers at various places that make this removal a process that should not take more than 10 minutes at most. We have had an extremely windy winter and there have been days with steady 30 mph winds at the harbor and gusts of over 45 mph. At no time that I have been at the marina have I seen the bimini down. Since the area of complaint is on the far side of the top, I did not see it whenever I walked passed the boat. I had no idea that there was a problem until a few weeks ago when the customer called and told me of it. I then took notice, and it is indeed stretched, but I determined that this didn't happen all of a sudden. It appears that the frame was not correct at some point. I am not sure if it happened because the frame was bent to start with, or if sometime after we installed the canvas, the frame was moved or incorrectly adjusted. That would be a customer related problem. When the canvas got loose due to the wind at the marina, it was not taken down in a timely manner. Again, a customer related issue. If the customer had tightened the canvas at the first sign that it was loose, it wouldn't have gotten stretched out of shape. Under normal circumstances and with proper care the material we use does not stretch. In this case proper care was not taken.
In summary, we stand behind our work, which is reflected in the numerous National and International awards that we have received over the years, and our high standing in the Marine Fabricators Association and the Virginia-Carolina Canvas Products Association. We do not however, give a guarantee because we have no control over what happens after we install a product. In this case we used the best materials available after the customer approved a written quote. We educated him that his framework was not very good and it eventually might affect the finished product and we told him how to care for it. It appears that the frame did cause problems, and when those problems weren't corrected in a timely manner, things got worse. We do not feel that we are responsible for any of this.

As a side note, the customer complained a number of times about the cost of the project, even though he agreed to it at the same price that is was over 2 years earlier. Our policy is to get a deposit up front with the balance due upon completion. As I have noted on the final copy of the paid invoice dated 9/17/08, the customer did not pay us until 10/20/08. He did not return phone calls or emails and said that he had been out of town. At the time, to my understanding, his business required that he be accessible to his customer all of the time, so I find it hard to believe that he never got a message, or ever thought of calling to see what the progress was, which he had done on a routine basis until then. That is why we have a note in his file, as marked on the invoice of '' DO NOT WORK FOR''. I could be wrong, but it appears that the customer has never accepted the fact that this job cost him money he didn't want to spend ( he had already purchased another bimini that didn't work out). When the job was finished, he waited a month to pay the balance, and I am sure that he looked the finished project over completely before he did pay. He then neglected to care for his bimini properly and wants to recoup some of his money. Even the amount that he states he paid for the job is inflated by $500.00. Therefore we will not refund any monies, not replace any materials nor work for him again. This is not an easy decision for us, since we try to be fair to all of our customers. In fact, I am not aware of any other complaints made about us to your organization. That would be for a time period of 10 years, with approximately 300 jobs a year, resulting in very satisfied customers who become repeat customers, and continue to refer us to other boat owners along the South East coast. We have done everything we could to deliver a good product at a fair price, but it appears that this might not be enough for this customer.
Yours Truly,

Jim Perillo,V.P.
Custom Canvas of Charleston

A Brave Little Sunfish

2009-05-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

It's early evening on April 27, 2009 and a very brave Sunfish crew without life jackets sail out the Mt. Pleasant Channel just off of Fort Moultrie.

The telephoto lens makes it appear that this boat is only yards from shore.

In a very light breeze and out going tide these Sullivan's Island sailors just creep along the main channel heading towards open ocean.

The tiny sunfish (Sail Number 51480) continued for several minutes with their backs to the harbor unaware that a 900 foot container ship was fast approaching from behind.

Eventually the sailboat tacked towards Fort Sumter and out of the main channel. Minutes later the Container Ship Evergreen Challenge passed without incident. Ending the suspense and our chance for a Pulitzer prize winning news photo.

Myrtle Beach Area Wildfires Close ICW for 24 Hours - Snow Birds Jam Area Anchorages

2009-04-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday Morning the USCG Sector Charleston Captain of the Port Issued the following Order.

Marine Safety Information Bulletin

MSIB (18-09) – Safety Zone: ICW Closure Between HWY 501 to Little Ri. Swing Bridge in Horry County

Issued: 10:15 a.m./23 Apr 2009 Expires: TBD

Captain of the Port Charleston is establishing a Safety Zone on the ICW between the HWY 501 Bridge on the South and the Little River Swing Bridge on the North. No vessels may enter the zone without permission of the Captain of the Port Charleston. Vessels are able to exit the zone. This is due to a land-based fire infringing on the ICW in Horry County. For further information, contact the Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center at 843-724-7616 or VHF Channel 16.

Fires and dense smoke could be seen for miles around the North Myrtle Beach area as ocean breeze and gusty winds fanned the flames and made travel along the ICW hazardous and uncomfortable.

The safety zone was lifted Friday morning but Sector Charleston continues to monitor the situation and may close the ICW again it conditions change.

The Myrle Beach Sun News Photo Essay

Spring Thunderstorms Along the ICW

2009-04-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

We watched the approaching squall line for the better part of an hour. Both the radar on Sara Rose a 72' Hatteras Motoryacht and my ATT equipped lap top showed we were loosing ground to the weather and the accompany lighting strikes.

The trouble with traveling the ICW is sometimes there is no where to run and often you run out of water, escape choices or routes.

On this day we pressed on. Familiar waters along Young's Island and high tide made the choice easy and soon we were back in the joyous warmth of a spring afternoon in the Low Country.

Custom Canvas of Charleston

2009-04-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Finding good marine work in Charleston is often a pretty frustrating experience. So I was a little concerned about using Custom Canvas of Charleston to replace a twenty year old bimini on one of three charter boats I'm running.

I should have stuck to my plan of going to Ft. Lauderdale last spring and I might be writing about fuel filters, South Beach or the value of sunscreen, rather than shoddy canvas work.

It took Jim and Jeri the owners of Custom Canvas of Charleston nearly three months to quote the job and another six months once I paid them the deposit of $800.00, to get the work finished. When Jim finally showed up with the new bimini it was the wrong color and a completely different fabric from what we had discussed.

So I listened to Jeri's song and dance about how the "Stamoid" Fabric is some new "space age" super fabric that will never fad, crack or stretch and that the color was the best match for the boat and so on, After much discussion, I chose to pay them the balance of the agreed price, another $800.00.

The choice was not attractive, either I pay Custom Canvas the balance and accept the shoddy work or start over with another canvas shop and loose the $800.00.

Now six months latter the canvas is loose on one side, flapping like a wounded mud duck in even the most gentle of winds. Worse, the loose side beats the hell out of the boat when the wind blows hard like it has the past few days or the boat is underway.

It is clear to anyone who walks past the boat, that the canvas is not right, yet Jim refuses to even look at the job he finished less then six months ago, even when I ask him as walks down the dock in front of Southern Comfort at the Charleston City Marina.

Calls to Custom Canvas about the issue resulted in a rude return call where Jim blamed the fabric "you are not supposed to leave it up all the time or in strong winds" and the fact that he "had to use our old frame".... etc, etc....

Why in the world would I want a "new frame" on a 63 foot Hatteras? The old frame has held up over the years just fine, it is without rust and simply needs a canvas that fits.

Jim and Jerri have plenty of work so my bad "review" will not hurt their wallet.

But consider this..... In the month since I have asked Jim to fix my bimini or at least look at it and offer some advice as how to correct the problem, I've talked to at least a dozen people all who used Custom Canvas of Charleston "once".... and the key word is once.

So today as Jim walked past my boat I asked him to look at my canvas and address his workmanship. He just shrugged shook his head and walked on by, so I'll add my name to all the other ripped off Custom Canvas Customers.

I hope I have saved you some money with this review. I could have saved myself $1,600.00 if I had just asked around, as I don't need to walk far down the dock to hear tales from other one time Custom Canvas clients.

Over and over the dockside scuttlebutt is the same, "Don't expect Jim to provide any service after he gets your check" and watch out for his "good enough" appearance suggestions.

Don't expect Jim to follow directions, to match colors or do the job right even if it is a standard fabric or simple design as Custom Canvas of Charleston has a habit using scrapes to "get it close".

Check out Custom Canvas of Charleston at the Better Business Bureau of Charleston.

Custom Canvas of Charleston, Inc
Phone: (843) 767-1573
Fax: (843) 767-1573

7187 Bryhawke Circle
North Charleston, SC 29418

Ms. Jerilyn C. Perillo and Mr. James N. Perillo
This company is not a BBB Accredited business.

Self Appointed No Wake Cops

2009-04-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Spring bring warm weather, boaters out on the water and the self appointed wake police who love to spend hours blasting away on the emergency and hailing channel 16.

The Isle of Palms is home to one of the loudest of the self appointed Wake Cops, he's relentless in his verbal VHF attacks on anyone who dare create even the smallest wake near his dock just a few yards into the "NO WAKE ZONE" centered on the IOP Marina.

His endless admonishment of violators attacked my ears all summer long last year and I've had enough.

Saturday evening he was at it again, calling out a captain of some commercial boat moving north on the ICW. The captain of the alleged violating boat elected to give the NO WAKE COP at little mouth and that began a five minute back and forth discourse that locked up channel 16 for the duration.

Normally these exchanges are entertaining or annoying depending on your perspective, but Saturday the endless attack of the NO WAKE COP became dangerous.

Wind blowing out of the West at 14 knots is not a problem even with a following current pushing 80 tons of fiberglass down the fairway making 4 knots at dead idle.

But my efforts to raise the Charleston City Marina dock staff are thwarted by the NO WAKE COP blasting away nearly six miles across the harbor.

The NWC was going on and on about the wayward captain's auto driving skills and his belife that the captain never stops at 4 way stops sign after midnight, when Coast Guard Sector Charleston came over the radio with the familiar admonishment and request to take their conversation to a working channel.

Much to my shock the idiot NO WAKE COP began a conversation with Sector Charleston about the apparent offender and how he was video taping the whole event, with my hands full of boat and wind, and a good crew on deck I elected to turn off the radio.

Today safely back at the dock, I'm going to make a point of ending the IOP NO WAKE COP's career. I have no idea what drives WAKE COPS, perhaps they are afflicted with some physical ailment, their boating life was cut short by a wayward wake now confined to a deck side seat as the rest of us sail by. Victims of the economic slowdown who have lost their boats to foreclose. Or just bored with their small lives and obsessed with the need to yell at people.

I have no idea why he insists of broadcasting at 25 watts rather than 1 watt which would keep most of his yapping on the other side of the harbor.

I not sure what drives these idiots, but I've had enough. If someone wakes your dock and you don't like it file a claim in court but stay off the airways you are a nuisance and a danger to the marine community.

I'm going to file a formal complaint with the USCG and with the FCC is hopes of banning the IOP NO WAKE COP from the airwaves. I'm also asking the SCDNR to enforce the no wake zone around IOP.

If you know the identity of the IOP NO WAKE COP drop Life Floating By an email at CedarPosts@gamil.com

What's it Like to Live on a Submarine?

2009-03-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

The death of two British submariners has highlighted the extreme conditions endured by those who man the Royal Navy's underwater fleet. What is it like to live and work hundreds of feet under the surface for months on end?

Just the bald numbers tell some uncomfortable truths. Eighty-five metres long, 10 metres wide and about the same again in height - the dimensions of one of the Royal Navy's Trafalgar class submarines. Aboard which, for several months on end, live and work a crew of 130 men.

HMS Tireless, on which mechanics Anthony Huntrod and Paul McCann died in 2007, is just such a sub. On Tuesday a coroner ruled the men's deaths from an on-board explosion, had been caused by "systematic failures" of procedure.

Bunks are at least now a little more spacious than they were

The Navy has said it will learn lessons from the incident, but for many the most perplexing question is how people can willingly spend weeks at a time without glimpsing daylight, gasping fresh air or speaking to their loved ones - cocooned in a vessel about as long a football pitch and a fifth of the width.

Britain has a fleet of 12 submarines - all nuclear-powered. With the old diesel-powered subs, patrols could last as little as a couple of weeks. But today their range is effectively unlimited, meaning operations are often six months at a time.

Life on board is structured by an intense working pattern of six hours on, six hours off, for an entire operation.

Stifling claustrophobia is a clear occupational hazard, and likely sufferers are usually weeded out in the selection process. If not, they may need to be grabbed and sedated until they can be landed ashore, says Ted Hogben, a warrant officer who worked on nuclear-powered subs for 20 years.

Mentally, life on a submarine can be challenging and suits only certain temperaments.

Daily threat

"The Brits are well known for their phlegmatism which tends to help," says WO Hogben. "If you don't get on, you move on." This usually means transferring to the surface Navy."

FOOD, DRINK, TOBACCO

Much of the produce is frozen, bread is baked daily and most submariners agree the quality depends entirely on cooks' abilities. Four meals a day are served but most will only eat two because of shift patterns. Some say lack of exercise means submariners tend to put on weight.

Until 1970s, submariners enjoyed tot of rum at lunchtime and beer in the evening
Rum ration is no more but a half-a-pint is allowed.

Smoking used to be allowed in designated compartments but is now completely banned

To many, life on a submarine would seem not unlike prison, trapped in a confined space for a six-month stretch with 100 or so other men. Worst still, you are living with the daily threat of attack, drowning or fire.

"The first week is a bit of a drag, as is the last week when you are thinking about getting home. But in between, time flies by. You sleep, work, watch movies and so on."

Yet space is clearly at a premium, personal space all the more so. Most crew members have their own bunk, but juniors tend to have to take whatever's free - known as "hot-bunking".

The only personal possessions might be a family snap, books and DVDs. And there is a mess room for relaxation and recreation.

In the past, crew would wear civilian clothes to work in and sleep in, so they could be ready in the event of an emergency. They were allowed to remove their shoes at bedtime. Inevitably there was a strong smell of oil and diesel mixed with body odour.

Submariners today, by comparison, wear a uniform similar to that of a sailor. Bunks are a little more spacious and there are showers, toilets, and a small laundry.

Yet while efforts are made to preserve the normality of life in some quarters, in others it couldn't be more stark. Communication with families ashore is one of the chief examples of this disconnect.

Information blackout

A submarine can be reached anywhere in the world via satellite or through encrypted radio messages. But a submariner cannot.

Living and working conditions mean submariners form close bonds.

No matter whether a crew member's father is dying, his daughter is seriously ill or his wife has run off with another man, it is likely he will be the last to know.

While a family can get a message to the commanding officer on board, he may decide not to pass it on.

Captain Mike Davis-Marks, commanding officer on HMS Turbulent from 1996 to 1999, says he often had to make just such tricky judgement calls.

"If you are deep on patrol and can't be surfaced, I would invariably sit on it until we arrived in the next port of call," says Capt Davis-Marks.

"There's little point in telling someone bad news and making them fret about it. Sometimes they get annoyed with you, but you have to take a bigger view."

The pressure of being away from home for so long can take its toll on relationships.

Marriage breakdowns are not uncommon, and these days there are fewer marriage quarters at base ports, making it harder still.

TRAFALGAR-CLASS SUB

Guide to a Trafalgar-class fleet submarine (2.43Mb)

Opens in a PFD docuement.

The average age of a submariner is about 21. All are male and most are of an age when they are still single. But married crew members say it takes a special woman to be a submariner's wife.

"She has to be a very different sort of lady. When I was away my wife used to do everything, from the electrics to the painting and decorating," says John Cumberpatch, a submariner from 1955 to 1964.

Jim McMaster, a submariner from 1965 to 1986, says you "have to learn to be satisfied within yourself and have peace of mind and confidence in your family."

So what does a submariner crave most during the long stretches away at sea?

"What any young red-blooded males crave," Mr McMaster explains, without elaborating.

Mother and Daughter Die When Boat Capsizes Off SC Island One Adult Still Missing

2009-02-19T11:28:00.001-08:00

The United States Coast Guard is reporting the following:

GEORGETOWN, S.C. - The Coast Guard, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Georgetown County Sheriff's Office and the Midway Fire Department are continuing their search for one person on the Waccamaw River, S.C., Thursday.

Four adults, one child and one infant were in a 15-foot boat when it capsized near the shore of the Waccamaw River in the vicinity of Sandy Island, just north of Georgetown, S.C. One of the adults swam to shore and dialed 911 for assistance from a cell phone. 911-dispatch relayed the phone call to the Coast Guard and other agencies to assist in the search.

Rescuers recovered the infant from the water and a 5-year old child also made it to shore safely. The infant is in critical condition at the Medical University of South Carolina. Two adults have been recovered deceased by search and rescue personnel during the search. The search continues for the remaining adult.

The release of names is being withheld following proper notification of next-of-kin.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to family members and friends of the victims of this tragedy," said Capt. Michael McAllister, commander of the Coast Guard Sector Charleston. "We will continue to use all our resources to find the remaining crewmember."

Addtional Details by the Myrtle Beach Sun News"

Divers and emergency crews are searching the Waccamaw River near Sandy Island where a mother and her daughter were killed and a 17-year-old man remains missing after an overnight boat accident, officials said.

Six people were in a 14-foot fiberglass boat near the shore when it sank about 9:45 Wednesday and two women died, police said. Five of the people on the boat were family members.

None of the six was wearing a life jacket or knew how to swim, according to Sheriff Lane Cribb of the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.

The search continues for Rishard Pyatt, 17, a senior at Waccamaw High School, who remains missing from the boat, officials said.

Sandy Island residents Shaquatia Robinson, 19, and her mother, Lou Ann Robinson, 47, died in the boat accident and were found earlier today, officials said.

Shaquatia Robinson was pronounced dead at 12:38 a.m. today and autopsy was completed this morning, but the results would not be announced until later today, Georgetown County Coroner Kenny Johnson said.

Robinson graduated from Waccamaw High School last year and grief counselors are at the school today to address any needs from students, faculty or parents, said Ray White, spokesman with the Georgetown County School District.

``Our prayers go out to the family and friends,'' White said. ``This is a horrible accident.''

Robinson's mother, Lou Ann Robinson, was found dead at 8 a.m. today about 300 yards from where the boat sank, Kenny Johnson said. An autopsy for Lou Ann Robinson is scheduled for Friday.

When asked if this was the most tragic boating death in Georgetown County history, Cribb said, "All of them are bad. But lately, this is the most tragic we've had because of death and a family lost."

A woman, who has not been identified but was also in the boat, was treated and released this morning at Waccamaw Community Hospital, officials said. A 9-month-old baby boy, who was riding in the boat, was flown by helicopter to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston soon after the accident. The child's conditions has not been made available.

A 5-year-old boy, who was in the boat when it sank, was not hurt or treated, according to Sgt. Neil Johnson with the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office. The boat carrying the family members started to take in water about 30 yards from Sandy Island's shore and sank, officials said. The boat was headed from the mainland to Sandy Island, Cribb said.

"They could see the island," Kenny Johnson said.

A woman who was operating the boat made it to shore with a child and went to a neighbor’s home and call for help, Kenny Johnson said.

Sandy Island, is a small residential community that is only reachable by boat. Its residents must come to the mainland for groceries, shopping and work. Twenty-one families live on the island.

In addition to searching for the missing teen, divers from the state Department of Natural Resources will search for the boat today to try to determine what caused it to sink, said DNR Lt. Robert McCullough. Officials are using a side scan sonar to search the water and river bank areas and will be at the scene until dark, he said.

``We're starting boating season and we can't emphasis enough how important life jackets are around the water,'' McCullough said.

Among the family members waiting Wednesday night was Jerome Weathers, who said he learned about the incident on his way home from work. He said police told him his daughter and girlfriend were dead.

"I have to get down there," said Weathers as he pleaded with police to past the police barricade to the landing.

At about midnight, an ambulance took Shaquatia Robinson to Waccamaw Hospital where they attempted to revive her with no success Johnson said.

Rescue workers with DNR the U.S. Coast Guard, Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol and Midway Fire Department called off the search around 2:30 a.m. as the weather started to worsen. Officials resumed the search at dawn this morning.

Windy weather conditions were observed by the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C., at the time of the boat accident, but the bulk of the storm arrived about 30 minutes after the incident, Meteorologist Ron Steve said at 7:15 a.m. Thursday.

``The storms didn’t really get into the Georgetown area until 10:30, but it was windy ahead of those storms,’’ Steve said. ``Observations at the Georgetown County airport at 10 p.m. were winds at 17 mph and gusts at 25 mph. It may have been a little stronger than that over water without as many obstacles in the way.’’

The bulk of the wind and rain from the storm moved through Georgetown County between 10:30 p.m. and 3 a.m., Steve said. The windiest conditions were recorded in North Myrtle Beach where gusts peaked at 44 mph just before the storms arrived around 11:30 p.m., he said.

Water temperatures along the Waccamaw River were recorded in the 50s, Steve said. A weather service gauge in Winyah Bay at Hobcaw Barony showed the water temperature there at 10 p.m. was 54 degrees.

``When you’re in shallow water up the river like that it can vary some certainly more than the ocean,’’ Steve said.

Sea Fog

2009-01-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

The night is black like an eight ball. Looking down the 1500 foot mega dock at The Charleston City Marina every light has a fuzzy gray halo, the air thick and damp.

Over head the night sky is covered in stars. You can see up for billions of miles, but the James Island connector less than a quarter mile is only an eerie glow.

Welcome to the world of "Sea Fog".

In Charleston and along the southeastern coast during the winter months, sea fog is a frequent visitor, as warm moist air from the gulf and Caribbean flows over the cooler Atlantic coastal waters.

You may have noticed that Sea Fog can happen at anytime. The past few days the fog has come and gone, with off shore breeze pushing the fog out to sea, only to return with the on shore breeze later in the day.

Today's fog is expected to lift somewhat before 5AM, but may continue to present a problem while winds remain light and temps remain in the mid fifties.

Mariners traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway, may encounter sea fog far inland in many areas. It is a good idea to monitor both channels 16 and 13, paying close attention to sécurité calls and position reports, as well as reports concerning low visibility.

Two 65' pleasure boats departed the City Marina yesterday after the fog cleared, only to find themselves back in the soup two hours later, in route to Beaufort, SC.

Should you find yourself suddenly in sea fog, promptly reduce speed. Unless you are very familiar with the operation of your radar and GPS, it's time to find anchorage out of the channel.

If you must continue make sure you are using all your resources, up to date charts, radar, VHF, GPS, fog signal, and most importantly keep your speed down.

Coast Guard Searches for Missing Kayaker

2009-01-27T01:01:00.000-08:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Coast Guard is searching for a possible missing kayaker in the St. Johns River Sunday evening.

A member of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville observed a person fishing in a yellow kayak at approximately 2 p.m. today near Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. Approximately an hour later, the Coast Guard member observed the same kayak overturned with no one in or around it.

Coast Guard Station Mayport, Fla., immediately launched two boats to search for the possible missing fisherman. A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Savannah, Ga., and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has also searched.

A baited fishing pole and soft cooler with alcohol inside was found inside the kayak.

If anyone has any additional information about the possible missing kayaker they are asked to call Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville at 904-564-7511.

A Dogs Life

2009-01-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

A man as many dogs during his life, and a walk in the park can bring back fond memories of canine friends long since past. So many dogs that sometimes we expect a passing dog who looks like a old friend to turn his head and say, "hey I know you"!

Yes, I'm a dog lover.

Ken Burger a Post and Courier Columist relates a story "Beware of Becoming a Pet Talker" and a women with a small dog in her purse.

A dog that might just look like this:

The furry face belongs at Pooh Bear a 3 pound rescued Yorkie, who came to our charter boat with the idea of finding her a home. Three years later she's still here.

Can you guess why?

More dog tales:

Dock Dogs

Sometimes You Just Got To Go

A Cold Grey Day and One Happy Dog

US Airways Flight 1549 Ditches in New York's Hudson River All 155 Passengers and Crew Safe

2009-01-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

CNN and many other media outlets are reporting the following:

Emergency officials are responding to a downed plane in the Hudson River in New York City, according to the city fire and police departments.

The plane entered the water after a failed takeoff, the FAA says.

The FAA confirmed US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 headed from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, was down in the river following a failed takeoff.

Passengers stand on the rescue chutes and wings of US Airways Airbus 320A aircraft as a ferry pulls up to it after it ditched in New York's Hudson river. Photo Reuters

The U.S. Coast Guard said units were also responding, and a ferry on site was dropping life jackets into the water.

The plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash, according to a witness watching from an office building.

"It wasn't going particularly fast. It was a slow contact with the water that it made," the witness, Ben VonKlemperer, told CNN.

As of 4:28 Eastern Time Flightstats was reporting in error the following.

15 Jan 2009 - New York (LGA) to Charlotte (CLT) - 26 minutes late
Departed: 3:03 PM, Estimated arrival: 5:16 PM
15 Jan 2009 - Charlotte (CLT) to Seattle (SEA) - On schedule
Departure: 6:10 PM, Arrival: 8:56 PM

Hudson River water temp was reported to be 41.2 degrees F. The air temp was 20.9 with a strong wind.

Update:

A US Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River in New York.

The Airbus A320 aircraft came down in the river having taken off from New York's La Guardia airport.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown says the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia airport enroute to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in New York city.

A US government official said the plane had been involved in a bird strike that disabled both of the aircraft's engines. It is not thought to be a terrorist-related crash.

"There is no information at this time to indicate that this is a security-related incident," Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We continue to closely monitor the situation which at present is focused on search and rescue."

Local media reports suggest the pilot was attempting to return to La Guardia after the bird strike. New York City firefighters are responding to the accident.

Stranded passengers were awaiting rescue on the rescue chutes of the stricken aircraft. It was not immediately clear if there were injuries.

"I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water," said witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher at Associated Press.

The plane was submerged in the -6C waters up to the windows, and rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats surrounded the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking.

"I saw what appeared to be a tail fin of a plane sticking out of the water," said Erica Schietinger, whose office windows at Chelsea Piers look out over the Hudson.

A passenger told CNN: "I was standing on the left wing for a little while. I hope none of us ever have to experience it again. I think everyone got out of the plane. I think everyone survived and that's miraculous."

US Airways Flight 1549 Amazing Photos

2009-01-15T01:57:00.000-08:00

2 die, 4 Rescued as Small Boat Capsizes

2009-01-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Two people died and four were rescued after their 18-foot boat capsized Wednesday in cold and choppy waters on the Chesapeake Bay, U.S. Coast Guard officials say.

A Coast Guard helicopter and boat, along with local rescuers, responded to a distress call near the Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, said Brian Neilan, a Coast guard spokesman.

Neilan said the four survivors showed signs of minor hypothermia after being pulled from the water. They were taken to local hospitals

Authorities continued to investigate the incident.

The National Weather Service reported the water temperature was 46 degrees at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It also issued a small-craft advisory, with waves up to five feet high and strong winds.

Two SC Women Rescued from Small Boat

2009-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Deniece Donnafield and Marsha Beatty are thankful to be alive after the women, another friend, two dogs and a one-winged seagull were tossed from their boat into the Atlantic Ocean.

Donnafield of Conway, Beatty of North Myrtle Beach and Jim Manning, also of Conway, had planned a quick boat trip Dec. 17 to Waites Island off the coast of North Myrtle Beach.

But the Horry County residents soon found themselves clinging to the 18-foot aluminum boat they had been riding in. A strong current had pulled the boat out into the ocean, and waves turned it over.

“It was only going to be a short little trip. It was misty, and we couldn't find the island so we were trying to get back, and we hit a sandbar. We go boating all the time,” Donnafield said. “There was no control over this. The ocean just claimed us. The more we fought the more it claimed us.”

“When the boat went down I had 911 on the phone, but the waves were just coming over us,” Beatty said. “We tried to stay with the boat and keep our dogs safe. We got out far enough to where the waves were behind us and the water was smoother.”

Beatty was able to call 911 on her cell phone. They were in the water for two hours, about a half-mile off the coast of North Myrtle Beach, before the Coast Guard arrived to rescue them, the women said. All suffered from hypothermia .

Donnafield's 16-year-old Maltese, Gordia, died soon after they were rescued. The other dog, a Manchester terrier that also wore a life jacket, survived.

Donnafield's one-winged rescued sea gull, named Tide – which was also on the boat when it capsized – drifted away from the group while they were in the water.

Coast Guard officials warn that boaters should take precautions before going on the water this time of year.

“Although air temperatures are in 70s, boaters must be cognizant that the water temperature is in the 50s,” said Brian Hampton, a Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator.

Another Deadly Boating Accident

2008-12-29T00:57:00.000-08:00

The Post and Courier is reporting another deadly night time boating accident:

A 23-year-old Summerville man died from head injuries Saturday night after a boating accident at Wapoo Cut boat landing.

Andrew Evans was pronounced dead at 8:28 p.m. Saturday at the Medical University Hospital, Charleston County Deputy Coroner Brittney Martin said.

Evans was one of four men aboard a 16-foot boat that struck a marker pole while heading back toward the landing, said Lt. Robert McCullough of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

McCullough said Evans fell into the water upon impact with the pole.

McCullough said they're still investigating how he was injured. No charges have been filed, he said.

Other reports state that the boat hit a dock rather than a mark, just east of the cut on the ICW.

Over at News Channel 4 they ran this photo along with the reporting of the accident.

Sometimes I wonder who suffers from the lack of intelligence more, the boaters who kill, injure and destroy families through their recklessness or the news media who report the story.

Here is a link to a comprehensive study on boating safety that was published in May 2007. Unsafe Boating's Deadly Toll

The Christmas Founder

2008-12-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

Carolina holiday customs date back as far as anyone remembers. In Brantonsville and Guilford County they fire 18th century muskets Christmas Eve, in Cherryville (pronounced properly as Chair'vul) North Carolina they do the same thing only on New Years day.

According to Jack Betts who blogs for the Charlotte Observer, over in Rodanthe they celebrate Old Christmas on Jan. 6, after the 12 days of Christmas, a custom that dates to days before the revision of the Julian calendar.

And in Wilmington, or so as Jack tells it and this old story goes, some old timers still revere The Christmas Flounder.

I dunno how much credence to attach to this story -- or the notion that some impecunious youngsters once hung Flounders on the mantle in hopes that Santa would stuff them with goodies. I think our someone's pulling our dorsal fins, if you take my meaning.

But here's a piece that for years has appeared on Christmas Eve in the Wilmington Star, its editors used to say, in "an effort to keep this grand tradition alive."

Here 'tis:

Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the sound

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even a flound(r). --- Anonymous

If there is an old-timer in your house today, he probably is not reminiscing about the grand old tradition of The Christmas Flounder. It is practically forgotten.

The Christmas Flounder is a Yuletide custom unknown outside Southeastern North Carolina, according to Paul Jennewein, the veteran newsman who is the world's only authority on the matter.

As is the case with many traditions, the origin of The Christmas Flounder is obscured in the mists of memory, but according to Mr. Jennewein it apparently began during the Great Depression, when people in this area were even poorer than usual.

Buying and stuffing a turkey for Christmas dinner was out of the question for many. Something else was needed, something that poor folks could procure in the days before food stamps. And so it came about that one Christmas Eve in the reign of Franklin the King of Four Terms, the merry glow of kerosene lanterns and - for those who could afford the Ray-O-Vacs - flashlights gleamed over the waters of the sound.

Westward wading, still proceeding, went wise men who knew that dull-witted fishes would be sleeping in the mud at that time of night. Suddenly the sharp splash of steely gigs shattered the starry stillness.

Next day, the unfortunate flounders, lovingly stuffed with native delicacies such as oysters, crabs, collards and grits, graced Christmas tables all over the area. Non-Baptists who knew a reliable bootlegger accompanied the humble dish with a jelly glass of high-octane cheer.

It was a tradition born of hardship, but it is unique and deserves to be remembered as part of the folklore of the Lower Cape Fear.

Merry Christmas!

Hilton Head Island

2008-12-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Carolina Currents has posted a through review of Hilton Head Island. It provides top shelf coverage of all things yachtwise and many things for the landlocked as well.

While Jeannette Pucella does a good job covering the island, she fails to note two important facts, first entering Harbour Town Yacht Basin from the ocean is tricky at best, and given certain wind and tide down right dangerous.

Second while Tybee Roads, may be the starting point to enter the Calibogue Sound it is by no means all you need to know.

She further states: "This inlet can be quite a harrowing experience for the visiting boater due to the large number of container ships that move in and out by day and often moor around the outside of the inlet overnight waiting for daylight to ensure a safe passage".

Well not really, most container ships anchored offshore are simply waiting for clearance or a pilot, as the Savannah River is a 24/7 operation. Don't mistake a container ship at night as not being a hazard, as chances are they are making way and you don't want to be in the way. Monitoring channel 13 and 14 will give you a good idea of the ship traffic.

Once you have sight of the red and white Harbour Town Light 32º 08' 20" N 80º 48' 40" W you can line up a course with Tybee Island Light on your stern and trust your depth to stay steady around 13 feet or better. But be aware of shoals and bars to the northeast and jetties that remain submerged except at low tide.

Port Royal has a marked channel but adds at least two hours to your trip from offshore, however transiting from Tybee Roads to the Calibouge Sound is not marked and you can get into trouble unless you're paying attention, especially at low tide.

High Winds, High Hopes and Ducks

2008-12-11T22:35:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, it's been rather windy here in the Carolina's the last 24 hours. I know this as fact having been tossed out of my rack in the middle of the night due to very sudden move to port.

It takes quite a bit of wind to push 63 feet of motoryacht around while tied to the dock. Wind, as in steady at 18 with gusts to more than 24 knots.

Speaking of weather:

Coast Guard Sector Charleston is reminding duck hunters to exercise caution while on the water throughout South Carolina for the upcoming five-day duck season which begins today due to expected inclement weather along the coast.

Sector Charleston also reminds boaters that they should file a float plan before leaving on their boat and let friends or family members know where they are going and when to expect them back.

Boaters are also reminded to know the limitations of themselves and their vessel before heading out during inclement weather. Boaters should ensure their VHF marine radio works properly and that they know how to use it; boaters should also ensure they have properly working signaling devices aboard, such as, flares or sound producing devices. Life jackets and warm clothing should also be brought along.

This all sounds like pretty dull advice, but the fact is every year someone gets injured, even shot during the oh so short duck season in the Carolina's. So don't get in a boat with a loaded gun, and clear your weapon before you get underway.

I for one won't be hunting ducks during the next five days. I'll thank Ducks Unlimited for that. Years ago ducks along the "Eastern Flyway" aka Atlantic Flyway numbered in the millions, but Ducks Unlimited raised a bunch of money and exploited the "Mississippi Flyway" by convincing farmers to leave vast sections of their fields for the ducks.

Ducks not being dumb, looked at the two routes south and elected to go the route that offered the better meal plan along the way.

I know you might think I'm crazy but years ago the ducks around Seabrook and Kiawah this time of year used to be so thick they would block out the sun during the late afternoons.

Without the large farms and vast expanse of "feeding grounds" along the east coast Ducks Unlimited has altered nature while trying to "do good".

But I have high hopes that the future of ducks in the Carolinas will be brighter as more and more conversation land is set aside and we become more aware of how delicate the balance of nature really is.

USCG to Review Placement of Shipping Lanes to Protect Right Whales

2008-12-06T06:13:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON — Shipping lanes around East Coast ports might have to steer clear of endangered whales.

The U.S. Coast Guard agreed Friday to evaluate, in consultation with federal scientists, the rerouting of shipping lanes and the placement of new ones to insure the safety of the endangered right whale.

The species, which migrates annually between breeding grounds in the southern Atlantic to feeding areas off the Massachusetts coast, is in danger of going extinct and collisions with ships are one of its last remaining threats.

The settlement ends a lawsuit brought by environmental groups in 2005 over plans to relocate existing shipping lanes in Delaware Bay on the New Jersey-Delaware border, Chesapeake Bay and Cape Fear in North Carolina. They claimed the Coast Guard was not seeking the input of wildlife experts on the impacts of shipping lanes on the right whale, as the law requires.

"This is about where the ships go. There are places where you could move the lane a little bit" and save right whales, said Howard Crystal, the attorney representing Defenders of Wildlife, the Ocean Conservancy and other groups in the case.

The Coast Guard had argued that it did not have to make such evaluations because final decisions about shipping lanes were made by the International Maritime Organization, which is not covered by U.S. endangered species law.

The Coast Guard declined to comment on the settlement.

Sailboat Recovered from Charleston Harbor

2008-12-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Charleston, SC - The US Coast Guard Sector Charleston is reporting the removal of S/V Ryota a 63 foot Cheoy Lee motorsailer that sank last week on Thanksgiving Day, after running into the Charleston Harbor jetties.

News Channel 4 Charleston

The 63- foot sailboat was re-floated and removed this afternoon by salvage crews, that included divers, two cranes, two barges and a number of other water craft.

Harbor traffic was restricted during the operation that may cost upwards of $100,000.00

The Florida couple who own the yacht and their dog were rescued from the sinking boat by sportfisher "Pay Dirt" around 7:30 AM on Thanksgiving day.

News Channel 4 Charleston

News Channel 4 Charleston

News Channel 4 Charleston

Weather delayed the removal during the past week but the submerged vessel was well marked with buoys, pennants and a flashing beacon. Once the weather cleared the operation began in earnest on Tuesday.

Sector Charleston is reminding boaters of the hazards of boating in cold weather. Boaters should always seek local knowledge before sailing into unfamiliar ports.

Watch the News 4 Charleston Video Report

Whose Hand is on the Button? A Look at the UK's Trident Subs

2008-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

The BBC had a story this morning that got my attention and unless you're a really early riser, and NPR listener you most likely missed it. We tend to forget that the Brits have missile boats out there, though only four to our 14 Ohio Class Submarines. The US also has 4 Ohio class subs that have been converted to carry conventional warheads. Just the same one wrong move and BOOM! End of the world as we know it.

From the BBC's Richard Knight

One of Britain's four Trident submarines is always out there, somewhere under the Atlantic, carrying more destructive power than was unleashed in the entire campaign of World War II.

It moves through the deep: silent, undetectable, untouchable.

This is Britain's nuclear deterrent and the logic is simple: whatever happens to the mainland, even if it's utterly destroyed in a surprise attack, that lone submarine will always be ready and able to strike back with overwhelming force.

For a BBC Radio 4 documentary, The Human Button, we were given unprecedented access to Britain's nuclear weapons infrastructure in order to answer three basic questions: How does the system work? What's it like to be a part of it and is it fail-safe?

Safeguards are built into the system from top to bottom.

'Lose it'

Two men (and so far they have always been men) are needed to authenticate each step of the process from the government emergency room somewhere under Whitehall, where the prime minister's decision to fire would most likely be taken.

It would be relayed to the CTF 345 bunker at the Northwood facility in Middlesex, through which the command is passed on to the submarine on patrol and to the missile control centre on board that submarine itself.

But what would happen if the prime minister requested a strike for which, in the minds of his advisors, there was no justification?

In other words, can the system protect against a PM who, in a period of rapidly escalating international tension, loses it?

Under our unwritten constitution that question has never been satisfactorily answered - until now.

Lord Guthrie, who as chief of the defence staff briefed the newly-elected Tony Blair on the system in 1997, says the ultimate fail-safe is the fact that the head of the armed services is not the prime minister, but the Queen.

"I think the chief of the defence staff, if he really did think the prime minister had gone mad, would make quite sure that that order was not obeyed.

"And I think you have to remember that actually prime ministers give direction, they tell the chief of the defence staff what they want, but it's not prime ministers who actually tell a sailor to press a button in the middle of the Atlantic.

"The armed forces are loyal, and we live in a democracy, but actually their ultimate authority is the Queen."

The prime minister can sack the chief of the defence staff. But only the Queen can approve the appointment of a new one. Is that the fail-safe?

"You could say that," says Guthrie.

"He might find a more pliable one, I suppose. I suspect during the time when he was hunting around for a new chief of the defence staff, common sense would prevail."

'Brave'

It's one thing for the chief of the defence staff to refuse to obey a prime ministerial instruction, but what if someone further down the firing chain felt they simply couldn't go through with it?

Toby Elliott was commander of the Polaris (the precursor to Trident) submarine HMS Resolution in the 1980s. He says he knew men who doubted their own resolve. They were, in effect, punished for it.

"I knew several of my colleagues who went through the commanding officers' course and who were then selected to command Polaris submarines who said they couldn't do it," says Elliott.

"They were very brave to do so. In some cases they lost their sea-going appointment and effectively ended their Naval careers."

Was that because there weren't other boats for them to command?

"No," says Elliott, "it was because they turned down the opportunity, or the invitation, to command a Polaris submarine - because they had doubts about their ability to carry out the ultimate act."

Commander Richard Lindsey is the captain of HMS Vanguard, the Trident submarine on patrol right now. He says his men would not be there if they couldn't go through with it.

"I'm sure that if somebody was on board who did not want to be here, they would have followed a process of leaving the submarine service or finding something else to do in the Navy," he says.

Doubts about the job, Lindsey explains, are more likely to focus on the rigours of the patrol.

"The doubt might not be placed just purely on the deterrent, the doubt can be placed in terms of the personal commitment by being away from home - the nil communication process.

Out of the armed forces, there are only going to be approximately 160 people who have no communication at all with their families."

Ultimately, the system - for all its complex mechanisms - relies on individuals to make it work.

Very few people in the history of the world have held anything like the degree of responsibility that those individuals hold.

The destructive power they could unleash, if called upon to do so, is unimaginable.

But be assured: the fail-safes are many and they are almost certainly fool-proof - even if the prime minister goes berserk.

Coast Guard Medevacs Another Cruise Ship Passenger

2008-11-30T04:05:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth City, North Carolina - The Coast Guard air lifted a cruise ship passenger off a cruise ship 130 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N.C on Saturday November 29, 2008

The Coast Guard received a call at 11:40 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the Explorer of The Seas reporting a 61-year-old passenger needed medical attention.

A rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., arrived on scene and hoisted the man and his wife aboard their helicopter.

The helicopter crew transported them to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City.

LFB - What is it with cruise ship passengers in poor health that makes them think they should go on a cruise only to have a coast guard helo come take them home? They know their health is poor and that they will be miles from shore at times. I just don't get it.

Sailboat Ryota Hits Charleston Jetties and Sinks

2008-11-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Once again, maybe for the eighth time this year, someone has tried to take a short cut into Charleston by trying to sail across the Jetties at the entrance to Charleston Harbor.

1984 Cheoy Lee Motorsailer Ryota Sister Ship

USCG Sector Charleston is reporting that two people are safe after their 63-foot Cheoy Lee sailboat, Ryota, sank near the jetties in Charleston Harbor around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Sailboat Ryota

Dewayne Wesley and Lynne Wesley of Jacksonville, Fla., were aboard their 63 foot 1984 Cheoy Lee Sailboat valued at nearly $600,000.00, when they mistakenly cut across the Charleston Harbor Jetties.

After striking the jetties, the vessel quickly started taking on water. Shortly after regaining control of the vessel they discovered the vessel was flooding. Unable to stop the flow of water into the boat they radioed for help.

A good Samaritan vessel, Pay Dirt was departing Charleston and promptly responded and safely removed the couple and their dog in good condition.

Within 30 minutes the vessel was at the bottom of Charleston Harbor.

A Coast Guard 41-foot rescue boat crew picked up the passengers from Pay Dirt and transferred them to Coast Guard Station Charleston.

Charleston Marine Services is in charge of the salvage and removal of the vessel. There are no reports of any pollution.

The entrance to Charleston Harbor remains open, and there has been no impact to vessel traffic in the area at this time.

The salvage company put a strobe light on the mast to alert other vessels. The sail boat remains submerged with about 15 feet of mast visible above the water.

Sector Charleston is investigating the mishap. Investigators said it's possible that the captain misjudged a turn during high tide.

Trawler Nanami on the Move Again

2008-11-27T02:42:00.000-08:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. - United States Coast Guard is reporting the removal of the grounded fishing vessel Nanami from Kiawah Island, S.C., Wednesday morning.

The vessel was fitted with 200,000 pounds of lift bags to assist with the re-floating of the vessel at high tide and a small channel was dug to help the trawler clear a sand bar. It was then safely towed out to sea by Tug "Island Trader" of Stevens Towing Company.

"We appreciated the cooperation of the Kiawah Island Beach Patrol and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Anthony Clark of Sector Charleston.

"Probably one of the tougher ones that we had to do in the last 20 years," said Joe Beasenburg, the owner of Charleston Marine Services, a salvage company that assisted the Coast Guard. "She had been driven all the way up on the beach on an extremely high tide."

The fishing vessel will be taken to Charleston where it will be moored at Charleston Marine Services the salvage company's dock.

No doubt that the Nanami will become the property of Charleston Marine Services as the owners of the trawler have a quite a history.

Your can read more about the trawler Nanami at The Charleston Post and Courier

and these as well:

The Long Strange Voyage of Trawler Nanami
Stuck Trawler Had Enventful Trip
Beached Trawler No Stranger to USCG
Trawler Leaves Town of Lewes, DE Holding the Bag and the Bill

Great White Shark on Morris Island

2008-11-26T02:59:00.000-08:00

Fishing Trawlers aren't the only thing washing up on South Carolina Beaches. The Charleston Post and Courier is reporting a Great White Shark has washed up on the beach near the abandoned Morris Island Lighthouse near Charleston.

Photo By: Josh Loefer SCDNR

Jon Geddings, a fisheries scientist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, examines the 13-foot, 2-inch female great white shark that was discovered washed ashore on Morris Island last week.

You can read all the details at the Charleston Post and Courier, and read more about shark sightings, beachings and attacks here: World Shark Attack Report

The Trawler Nanami was towed off the beach at Kiawah Island this morning Wednesday November 26, 2008 at high tide.

Details at: The Charleston Post and Courier

Prior Posts About the Trawler Nanami:

The Long Strange Tale of the Fishing Vessel Nanami Continues to Grow

Beached Kiawah Boat No Stranger to USCG

The Long Strange Tale of the Fishing Vessel Nanami Continues to Grow

2008-11-22T00:05:00.000-08:00

The Fishing Vessel Nanami continues as a tourist attraction on Kiawah Island this weekend, and may remain there until at least Tuesday according the USCG Sector Charleston.

Photo: Melissa Haneline The Charleston Post and Courier

Meanwhile more details of the Nanami's long odyssey have emerged.

Before running aground on Kiawah Island the Nanami was rescued by no less than four USCG cutters off the North Carolina Coast.

Days prior to that, she was ordered to dock at Lewes, Delaware by the US Coast Guard.

It was during a routine boarding and safety inspection off the Delaware coast, that the Coast Guard found several safety and maintenance issues.

Also, while in Lewes, the Nanami picked up a homeless women Tina Edwards who helped correct Nanami's manning deficiencies (US Flagged vessels are required to have at least 75% US Citizens as crew. With a crew of only Nora Kim and US resident captain Greg Cooper, of Cape May the ratio was only 50%)enough to allow Nanami to continue, a choice Ms. Edwards would later regret.

Photo Gavin Braithwaite - Nanami at the City of Lewes public dock.

The Nanami left the Lewes town dock without paying her $980.00 dockage bill and then caused another $400.00 dollars in damage to the docks as her crew of clowns departed.

When the Nanami made its unexpected visit to Kiawah the crew told the Coast Guard they were on their way to a fictional Cherry Point, South Carolina. Now the crew claims Rockville, South Carolina was their destination.

The eventual fate of Nanami will no doubt be an auction or scrap as the cost of the salvage operation will be in the thousands of dollars, money that the owner Mary Kim of New Jersey apparently has no intention in paying.

You can read more about the Nanami here:

Post and Courier
Life Floating By
The Cape Gazette story

2nd Annual Oyster Roast to Benefit Charleston Community Sailing

2008-11-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Second Annual Oyster Roast to Benefit Charleston Community Sailing will be held Nov. 22, 5-9 p.m., at Bowens Island Restaurant, 1870 Bowens Island Rd.

If you're a long time reader you'll know that LFB is a huge fan of Bowens Island Restaurant and of Charleston Community Sailing.

So dress warm, come early, come hungry and leave happy knowing you're supporting a great community organization and kids, while enjoying the best oysters in the Lowcountry.

Cost is $30 for adults in advance, or $35 at the door, and $15 for youth with children age 12 and under free.

The event helps raise needed funds for facilities and equipment to support the Charleston youth sailing organization while also increasing awareness of the importance of participation in a sport that brings young people in contact with South Carolina's waterfront, bays and ocean.

The event will include live music, beverages, plenty of oysters and a raffle.

Charleston Community Sailing Inc. is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve the community and promote the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities and sailing instruction to people of all backgrounds, levels, and physical abilities.

Through sailing, CCS engages the lives of children, ages 10-18 years old in unique learning experiences through innovative programs to build character and promote a healthy spirit, body and mind.

Lady's Island Swing Bridge Closed

2008-11-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

Thursday November 20, 2008 Beaufort South Carolina - USCG Sector Charleston is reporting that the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge known to marine traffic as the Lady's Island Swing Bridge, is closed to marine traffic.

Photo: The Beaufort Gazette

During an attempted bridge openning around 1:15 PM the bridge operator noted a massive shutter on the bridge. Later it was determined that a gear box had broken which forced the swing bridge to close to motorists and unable to open for marine traffic.

The bridge reopened at about 4:30 p.m. after the SCDOT declared it safe for ground traffic.

"It's not repaired. We've got it temporarily shored up," said DOT resident maintenance engineer Curtis Brice. "It's safe for traffic."

But it's unclear when the span -- one of two connecting Lady's Island to Port Royal Island -- will reopen to boat traffic.

The extent of the damage to the gear box, which broke as the bridge operator tried to open the span to let boats pass underneath, is unknown, Brice said. The operator will not attempt to open the bridge again until the DOT consults the U.S. Coast Guard sometime today to work out a new schedule for openings.

***

Sullivan's Island, South Carolina - The bulker MV Philippos departed the area early this morning after completing repairs.

***

Kiawah Island, South Carolina - The fishing vessel Nanami is still stuck high aground on Kiawah' East Beach. With progressively lower high tides the vessel may be grounded for sometime to come. Coast Guard Sector Charleston continues to monitor the situation.

Barq Caledonia Docks at the City Marina

2008-11-20T04:09:00.000-08:00

Crossing the James's Island connector this morning you might have noticed the very large three masted sailing vessel named Caledonia. Her proud blue hull at least from a distance beckons further discovery.

But up close the 245 foot square-rigged barquentine is not in such pristine shape. She's in need of some work, her hull is rough her flags well worn. The Canadian Sailing Expeditions web site shows a different ship, I'm sure from a few years ago.

Photos of guests enjoying their voyage in the Caribbean are scattered about the many web site pages. But there are no guests aboard Caledonia this week. While her web site shows an extensive list of cruise dates from November to March in the islands. The Caledonia has no plans to depart Charleston until at least February.

It appears the economic bust has hit the speciality cruise business as well.

Word has it that the ship will spend the several weeks tending to deferred maintenance items and other renovations.

Caledonia Specifications

Length: 245'
Breadth: 30'
Draft: 15'
Displacement: 984 tons
Sail Area: 17,000 Sq. Ft.
Propulsion: 1500 hp DeutzDiesel
Cruising Speed: 10 knots;
Passengers: 77

Nanami Reminds High and Dry

2008-11-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

We don't need to tell the folks over at Kiawah Island that the blue hulled Nanami remains an unwelcomed visitor. The fishing boat has enjoyed a steady stream of onlookers since her grounding on Friday.

Efforts to fee the vessel have been slow and at this point costly. Charleston Marine Services, which has been contracted to remove the vessel has successfully removed approximately 900 gallons of fuel. Approximately 250 gallons of fuel and oils remain aboard the vessel.

Contractors will attempt to remove the vessel from the beach and my need to did a small channel to refloat the vessel. Effort will continue on Wednesday.

Previous Stories: Beached Kiawah Boat no Stranger to USCG

and: Shrimp Boats at the Bailey Docks

November 20, 2008 - Update, as of this morning the Nanami was still stuck high on Kiawah Island's beach. With progressively lower high tide the vessel may be grounded for sometime to come. Coast Guard Sector Charleston continues to monitor the situation.

MV Philippos Remains Offshore

2008-11-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

The lights you see to the east off of Sullivan's Island are from the Liberian flagged bulk cargo ship MV Philippos. The bulker Philippos remains anchored off shore tonight, having failed to obtain clearance to enter Charleston Harbor from US Coast Guard Sector Charleston, it is not known when the ship might make port or depart the area.

The Port of Charleston does not list MV Philippos on their next 30 days list of expected arrivals.

We have no additional information as to why or how long the vessel might be at anchor.

Winds tonight are forecast to be out of the Northwest at 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots and sea running 3 to 5 feet. The Capers Island buoy is reporting winds at 21 knots and the temperature at 44.6 degrees. Making life not all that enjoyable floating at anchor in 40 feet of water.

While it is not unusual for vessels to anchor inside the harbor's quarantine zone, anchoring offshore of Charleston, unlike the port of Miami, is not all that common.

This reminds LFB of the cargo ship that became a fixture in the Charleston Harbor for months a few years back, while the courts figured out what to do about a law suit and injunction.

Coast Guard Rescues 6 Near Bermuda

2008-11-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth City, NC - US Coast Guard rescuers pulled six people, including a 4-year-old girl, from a stricken sailboat Sunday as the vessel foundered in 30- to 50-knot winds and up to 30-foot seas off the coast of North Carolina near Bermuda.

The 47-foot sailboat named "Panache" was heading from Annapolis to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, according to Petty Officer Andrew Kendrick, a spokesman for the Coast Guard's Fifth District office in Portsmouth, Va.

The boat lost its engine power and a suffered a broken rudder, but crew and passengers -- unable to steer -- were able to keep the craft from capsizing by using a sea anchor and a storm sail, Kendrick said. "We were notified with a call that came from a satellite phone about 11:30," Kendrick said.

"Someone aboard had that phone when they needed it, as the boat became disabled." An HC-130J Hercules aircraft crew from Elizabeth City, N.C., marked the position of the sailboat, vectored the Elizabeth City MH-60J Jayhawk helicopter in and used a Forward Looking Infrared camera to capture this video.

After being hoisted to safety the six people were taken to Bermuda. During the hoist, the winds were more than 30 knots and the seas were 15 feet. (U.S. Coast Guard video/Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.)

Two Coast Guard aircraft, an HC-130-J Hercules plane and a Jayhawk helicopter, were sent from Elizabeth City, N.C., to the site about 430 miles east of North Carolina, Kendrick said. Rescue crew members aboard the helicopter could not get closer than 50 to 100 feet of the damaged sailboat as a mast swung in the high winds.

Instead, a rescue swimmer helped the boat's passengers into the water to a hoist that delivered them to safety aboard the helicopter.

The high winds and seas apparently were produced by a weather front that moved through the area, Kendrick said.

The C-130 circled above the rescue site, relaying dramatic radio conversations between the two aircraft crews, the damaged sailboat and Coast Guard officials in North Carolina and Virginia, Kendrick said. "With the helicopter hovering at 50 to 100 feet above the sailboat, radio needed a boost," Kendrick said. Once aboard the helicopter, all six people were flown to a Bermuda hospital.

They were identified as Shannon, Mark and 4-year-old Makenzie Olden, along with Rachael Slattery, Samuel Stanton and Jeffrey White. Coast Guard officials said at least two of those aboard the sailboat are residents of the United Kingdom. Kendrick said the Coast Guard was unable to contact any of the victims to determine where they live.

The rescue helicopter was refueled today by the Coast Guard cutter Legare in the Atlantic allowing the aircraft to return to its North Carolina base.

Update: Tuesday November 18, 2008 The sailboat is still drifting in the water near Bermuda. The boat's emergency transmitter was disabled by the US Coast Guard so that it wouldn't emit distress signals and alarm other boats. A notice was sent out to mariners telling them the boat is still adrift.

Right Whale Survey Team takes Flight

2008-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2008 Charleston, SC - Today is the first fly-able weather day for the Wildlife Trust aerial survey team as they begin searching for the North Atlantic Right Whale off the South Carolina coast. The team took off at 0800 from John's Island Airport and is flying north to south from 32.20N to 30.01N, and from shore eastward to 79 06W, or generally speaking Cape Romain to Fripp Island.

The four person aerial survey team, includes a pilot and co-pilot and two spotters aft and on either side. Normally one spotter takes notes while the other photographs the target whale.

The team is aboard a white and orange Cessna 337. This is the same type of twin engine model Cessna that was used extensively during the Viet Nam War for ground support and reconnaissance missions.

Affectionately called the "push me pull you" after the Dr. Doolittle's Lama it's official designation is O-2 which was immediately earned the nick name Oscar Deuce.

The plane offers the redundancy of two engines with the high wing aspects of a single engine Cessna with unrestricted visibility below, perfect for this type of observation duty.

The team will be flying at 1000' traveling up and down the South Carolina coast line. Weather is key to the survey team's success. The four person crew will fly on days when the weather has at least 3 miles of visibility and a 1200 foot ceiling. Wind is also a factor as heavy wave action makes it harder to spot the migrating whales.

The team plans on flying daily weather permitting until April.

Previous story about the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale

Also a related story by Allyson Bird at the Post and Courier.

USNS Leroy Grumman Arrives

2008-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO-195) a Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler of the United States Navy arrived in Charleston Harbor this morning around 10:00 AM.

Leroy Grumman, the ninth ship of the Henry J. Kaiser class and first U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, was laid down at Avondale Shipyard, Inc., at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 6 July 1987 and launched on 3 December 1988. She entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service under the control of the Military Sealift Command with a primarily civilian crew on 2 August 1989. She serves in the Fleet Forces Command stationed in Norfolk, VA.

The fleet replenishment oiler recently returned from Scotland were she accompanied other ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron 24 as a part of operation Joint Warrior. USNS Leroy Grumman spent the entire exercise conducting underway replenishment with ships of both US and Royal navies, showcasing the interoperability between allied maritime forces.

USNS Leroy Gurmman's departure date is currently unknown.

Beached Kiawah Boat no Stranger to USCG

2008-11-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

KIAWAH ISLAND — United States Coast Guard Sector Charleston has reported the 78-foot scallop boat Nanami, homeported in Pennsauken, N.J., aground on Friday November 14, 2008. The vessel washed up near the east beach on Kiawah Island. S.C., after its anchor chain broke Thursday evening.

The two crewmembers aboard, Greg Cooper, 52, of Cape May, N.J., and Nora Kim, 47, of Pennsauken, are safe and remained aboard through a stormy Friday night.

Photo: USCG Sector Charleston, South Carolina

The boat is no stranger to the Coast Guard as they had previously towed the 78-foot fishing vessel off of Cape Hatteras, N.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 4 amid heavy wind and seas. There were three people aboard at the time and the salvage operation involved three Coast Guard cutter and one motor life boat.

During the first tow, a 47-foot motor life boat crew from Station Hatteras Inlet located the vessel and remained on scene until the Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous arrived to perform the tow early on November 4th.

"The (life boat) crew was in 20 foot seas and 40 knot winds. They departed the unit at 10 Tuesday night and did not return to the station until 8:30 Wednesday morning," said Chief Petty Officer Erik J. Watson, executive petty officer of Station Hatteras Inlet.

The Vigorous crew transferred the Nanami to the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island on Wednesday who towed it to the Cape Fear River.

While in the river, the crew of the Nanami was able to start the engines after determining that the cause of the casualty was bad fuel. The Block Island escorted Nanami to the mouth of the river, where a boat crew from Station Oak Island met and took over escorting the Nanami to Southport Marina in Southport, N.C., Thursday.

A week later the Nanami suffered engine trouble again and dropped anchor off of Folly beach on Thursday November 14, 2008. Wave action and wind was strong when the anchor chain departed the vessel and she went adrift, eventually beaching at Kiawah Island.

The boat's owners, with Coast Guard oversight, will attempted to re-float the vessel as Saturday but high winds and wave made the progress hazardous. The vessel has 400 gallons of diesel fuel on board and would be a pollution hazard if left on the beach.

It's the second time the Coast Guard has gone to the aid of the Nanami on this trip. The boat became disabled off Cape Hatteras on its way south from New Jersey and was towed to Southport, N.C., by two Coast Guard cutters.

The salvage crew will try again Sunday at high tide.

Right Whales Heading South

2008-11-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

Georgia and South Carolina State officials are warning boaters to steer clear of right whales as their calving season begins off the Southeast coast. Two whales have already been sighted off the South Carolina Coast. One whale was reported just east of Georgetown and another only twenty miles from the Charleston Harbor jetties.

Calving season for the massive, endangered species begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April.

Marine biologists will begin aerial watches of the animals December 1st in Georgia and November 15 in South Carolina.

There are only an estimated 300 to 400 right whales left in the wild and about half of those migrate to the warmer waters off the coasts of Georgia and Florida each winter to give birth to calves.

Hitting a Right Whale is easier than you think. Three years ago Captain James Tawney was part of a crew delivering an owner's Eastbay Express to Florida. It was bright sunny day with seas running 1-2 feet, just easy swells and light wind. There had not been any reports of Right Whales in the area, for weeks, but early in the afternoon with the sun in their eyes the boat named Blue Heron suddenly lifted and came to a jolting and abrupt stop.

Both crew members were knocked to the deck and amazed to find a massive North Atlantic Right Whale later identified as the 11 year old whale no. 2425, with a smaller whale only a few feet from the boat.

The damage to the boat's rudders and props was extensive, injury to the whale was pretty substantial but not immediately life threatening. The crew called the Coast Guard who instructed them to divert to Amelia Island Yacht Basin.

The vessel limped into port, and spent the next 24 hours dealing with interviews, and paper work. Divers determined the damage to be extensive enough to require the yacht to hauled out of the water until repairs could be made.

The above image shows the wounds caused by the port propeller and rudder. Photo By: Thomas D. Pitchford Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

Gashes from the Eastbay's prop are clearly visible in this March 10, 2005 Photo New England Aquarium.

Right Whale 2425 September 3, 2005, with the left tail fin completly severed. This was the last reported sighting of Right Whale No. 2425 Photo New England Aquarium.

NOAA and its rescue team partners off the South Carolina coast working to free a young endangered right whale entangled in ropes and buoys. The team successfully removed all of the ropes and gear from the whale's body. Photo by Alicia Windham-Reid.

The Georgia and South Carolina DNR is asking boaters to slow down and keep a vigilant watch on the water during the vital calving season.

By law, boaters must remain 500 yards away from whales.

Vessels should reduce speed to 10 knots or slower when in calving grounds and slow down to a minimal speed when a whale is spotted in open water.

Take extreme caution in times of low visibility, such as in foggy conditions and at night, when spotting whales is more difficult.

Wearing polarized sunglasses makes seeing the whales easier.

In recent years, boaters have gotten the message about taking precautions in calving season. Fewer reports of ships striking whales are being made.

During the 2007-2008 calving season, no dead calves were found on Georgia shores, although a few were found in Florida.

The main message is, just slow down and be careful. Look for those big gray spots in the water and avoid them.

Knowing what to watch for in open waters can help boaters avoid hitting right whales.

One thing for Southeastern boaters to remember is that North Atlantic Right Whales do not have dorsal fins, which can the 40 to 50 feet long whale harder to see from surface waters.

So remember you are not looking for a "Free Willy" Orca with a dorsal fin, simply a grey shape in the shallow waters off the Carolina Coast.

The World

2008-11-11T14:27:00.001-08:00

It's not that often that "The World" comes to your door step, but that is what happened this week as the cruise ship named "The World" made a port call on Charleston, South Carolina.

The World arrived from Hamilton Bermuda on Sunday Morning, and departed for Cape Canaveral, Florida just before 6 PM Tuesday evening, heading south for the winter.

The World is a floating residential community owned by its residents. The World flies a Bahamian flag and has a gross tonnage of 43,524 tons. The vessel is 644 feet long, 98 feet wide, and has a 22 foot draft, 12 decks, and a maximum speed of 18.5 knots. The crew numbers 250.

AIS Screen Shot of The World departing Charleston bound for sea on November 11, 2008

The ship has 165 residential units all owned by the ship's residents. The ship carries between 100 and 300 residents and their guests.

The World has many facilities similar to those on board a regular cruise ship but are unique due to the residential nature of the vessel. Her amenities include a small grocery store and delicatessen, a boutique, complete athletic facilities that include a golf simulator, putting green, casino, full-sized tennis court, jogging track and fully equipped gym.

There are five restaurants that supplement the full kitchens in all apartments and the ever-changing variety of dining ashore as the ship travels. For on-board entertainment there is a movie theatre, library and music performances. In addition to shore excursions, classes have been offered on board in dance, navigation, language, cooking, arts and crafts, music, computers, and photography. In addition, The World provides high-speed Internet access in each residence.

Planned upcoming ports of call are, Nassau, Ochos Rios, and Cartagena Columbia. But residents are fond of surprise ports of call, which are called "captain's choice" where residents are often surprised to wake up in a port or off an island they never imagined.

Christmas Eve 2008, will be such an event.

The World is for sale but with prices ranging from 1 to 8 million plus monthly fees, it is not your typical retirement home. In years past residents have argued among themselves regarding "temporary" guests who have rented homes owed by absent owners. The guest's who where often accused of being rude as they ran wild on a ship they treated as "just another cruise ship".

Author's Note:

The World is the idea of Knut U. Kloster Jr., whose family has a long history in the cruise ship industry. I had the pleasure of taking a trip aboard one Mr. Kloster ships the SS Norway years ago.

Mr. Kloster is a close friend of my father's and arranged an invitation to the bridge by Captain Odg Hodivick. As the SS Norway left St. Thomas, we had a close up view as he directed the departure from the bridge and side wing decks.

Sadly, the Norway has since be scraped on the ship breaking beaches of Alang India.

The Vendee Globe - Starts

2008-11-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

The BBC is reporting the start of the "The Vendee Globe" a sailing yacht race that is always won by French sailors, so let's just call it the - the French single handed round-the-world most of the other yachts don't make it race.

About 300,000 people waved off 30 yachts as they crossed the start line at Les Sables d'Olonne in France, including the lone American writer and teacher, Rich Wilson aboard Great American III. This is Wilson's first Vendee Globe.

Rich Wilson

More about Great American III.

The Vendee Globe is a non-stop event, covering an average of 27,000 miles.

Seven British yachts have entered the race, including one skippered by Dee Caffari - the first woman to sail single-handed the "wrong way" round the world (i.e. against the prevailing winds). Unlike the Velux Oceans Race - which breaks the event up into three legs - the Vendee Globe is a non-stop race across some very inhospitable stretches of ocean.

The event is the ultimate test of both skipper and equipment.

More than a third of the boats that entered the 2004/05 race were forced to retire, and there were fatalities in the 1992/93 and 1996/97 events.

Sam Davies - one of the two female British entrants in the race - is sailing on a yacht with a serious pedigree. It won the last two Vendee Globes under other skippers and a different name. The most important thing for me is to finish

Samantha Davies

"I'm really excited and relieved the race is finally here. I've been preparing for nearly two years and everything is pretty much ready. I now really just want to get started.

"The most important thing for me is to finish. There are 20 new yachts in this race and Roxy - my boat - is quite an old lady."

She added: "Realistically it will be really hard to win and I'm very humble about being in this race."

Although the skipper is alone on their boat, they do have considerable assistance from many different gadgets. This technology makes sailing the yacht easier; it also means that the skipper can be in contact with their team round the clock.

Demands to update blogs, video diaries, and calls to do live interviews with the media (including the BBC) mean that some of the equipment has to be pretty advanced.
It also has to be robust. Boats are frequently battered by the waves and salt spray will wreck any exposed electrical equipment.

Life Floating By will follow the progress of The Vendee Globe with updates and photos.

Park Service Takes Over Charleston Light

2008-11-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, S.C. (AP) -- The Coast Guard is turning over the keys of the last government lighthouse built in the United States.

Charleston Light on Sullivan's Island is being transferred to the National Park Service in ceremonies today Sunday November 9, 2008.

Charleston Light Photo US National Park Service

The light, obsolete because of satellite technology, was commissioned in 1962. Its land and adjoining buildings were transferred to the Park Service two decades ago and the agency plans to keep the light shining.

When built, Charleston Light was the second brightest lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere and could be seen 70 miles at sea. But island residents famous for complaining about the light, from everything from it's shape, color, and location also thought the light was too bright, so the light was replaced by one that could be seen only 26 miles at sea.

The National Park Service will celebrate the transfer of ownership of the Charleston Light on Sullivan`s Island from the United States Coast Guard to Fort Sumter National Monument this afternoon.

The event takes place at 2:30 pm on the grounds of the US Coast Guard Historic District at 1815 I`On Avenue on Sullivan`s Island.

The Historic District represents the evolution of events important in United States maritime history from 1895 to 1962.

Commissioned on June 15, 1962 as the last lighthouse to be built in the United States, the Sullivan`s Island Lighthouse replaced the original Charleston harbor light (otherwise known as the Morris Island Lighthouse), which was built in 1876. Several unique features make this lighthouse stand out from others:

Instead of having the traditional circular shape, it is three-sided, a feature meant to make it more wind resistant. The result is that it can withstand gusts up to 125 mph as demonstrated by its ability to hold up against Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

It is the only lighthouse in the country to have both an elevator and siding.

The light was the second brightest in the Western hemisphere with 28 million candlepower reduced to the current 1.5 million to accommodate Sullivan’s Island residents.

It can still be seen 27 miles out to sea on clear nights.

Originally painted white and red-orange (like that seen on Coast Guard helicopters), local residents petitioned the government to change the color to the black and white seen today.

The Coast Guard chose the location because of its historic importance as being the site of the only U.S. life-saving station in South Carolina.

Plans are in the works to get the lighthouse specifically placed on the National Register as it was declared eligible for such nomination in 2007.

The grounds, quarters and boat house will be open today to the public from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. The program begins at 2:30 pm with music by Ward & Joel of Sol Driven Train. South Carolina Poet Laureate Marjorie Wentworth and Msgr. Lawrence McInerny of Stella Maris Catholic Church join local officials at 3:00 pm for the symbolic key transfer.

Because of safety concerns, only the base of the lighthouse will be open to the public following the ceremony.

From 1:00 to 5:00 pm artists with Creative Sparks` Art on the Beach will display their work in the historic boat house.

From 2:00 to 4:00 pm authors Margie Willis Clary and Kim McDermott will sign copies of their recent book, South Carolina Lighthouses. The Arcadia book will be available for purchase.

All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, call the park at (843) 883-3123.

Idiots On The Water

2008-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Three people are safe after their 17-foot recreational boat almost collided with the container ship Sealand Atlantic Friday November 7, 2008 at 10 a.m. on the Wando River.

Container Ship Sealand Atlantic

The three men were aboard their recreational boat when it lost power in the shipping channel near Hobcaw Creek on the Wando River. The men jumped over the side of their boat as the Sealand Atlantic, a 940-foot container vessel coming from Bremerhaven, Germany, came within 10 feet of their boat. Following the near miss, the men made it back aboard their vessel with the help of a Charleston City Police Department small boat.

The three men, Larry, Moe and Curly were escorted to Remley's Point Boat Landing by the Charleston City Police Boat and a Coast Guard small boat. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Charleston County Sheriff's Office also responded.

There were no injuries reported, and the Coast Guard is investigating the incident.

You can track Sealand Atlanic at Sailwx.

In response to the increasing number of idiots on the Charleston Harbor, the Charleston Harbor Pilots Association has developed a new method (shown in the video below) for dealing with boaters who get a little too close.

Or you can read the State Ports Guide to Safe Boating in the Charleston Harbor

Historic Schooner Roseway

2008-11-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Charleston Post and Courier is reporting, the tall ship Roseway that was to arrive here early this week, has been delayed. I could assume that the unusual weather pattern that has created a month worth of bad weather offshore is the reason.

Photo World Ocean School

According to the P&C S/V Roseway is expected to arrive in Charleston Harbor on Sunday.

Unlike the South Carolina or even Schooner Pride, Roseway is the real deal, built in 1925 she's seen 80 years of blue water and some might say she shows it, but that is part of the charm, the well wore charm and feel of an old sailing ship.

The Roseway, which will be open to the public for free tours Sunday (if it makes it on time), provides the platform for the educational programs of the World Ocean School in Camden, Maine, and is on the way south to its winter port of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Charleston Maritime Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, but anyone wishing to see the Roseway should call first to see if the ship has made port.

More information can be found at the World Ocean School web site.

Phil Rubright - Eulogy

2008-11-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

When Phil Rubright, died during during the Great Atlantic storm of October 28-29, 2008, newspaper reports told of horrific waves, and winds, the loss of one sailor and the rescue of two Charleston area residents.

But as often in a micro second sound bite world, the real story is often over looked. In this case the real story was the life of Phil Rubright. So below is the eulogy read by Phil's Daughter Laura at his memorial service on November 3, 2008.

Close to 500 people came from all coasts to pay their respects to this very deserving man and Laura discribed the service as a magnificent and fitting tribute.

Laura's posted this eulogy and LFP felt it notable for it's insight into a man most of us never had the joy of knowing.

From Laura:

Dad always told us if a space ship landed and he could get on it that he would go, even if there was chance that he couldn’t return.

Mom would call out from somewhere in the house, "no you wouldn’t" and he would look at me and nod, ”yes, I would.” And I knew that he would, so I selfishly hoped there was no such thing as UFOs.

Dads favorite movie was Apollo 13, we jokingly found a lot of uses for the line “Houston, we have a problem”.

Of all Dads travels, one of his favorite places was the Cape Canaveral Space Center. His eyes just danced when he talked about that place. He told me that he could spend a week there just looking at those spaceships. “That place is just incredible, INCREDIBLE” he would say.

Dad could tell you exactly where he was when the first astronauts landed on the moon. He could tell you exactly how far they traveled to get there, the speed at which they traveled and how long it took them.

The hardest I ever saw Dad laugh was when I was about 10, watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind together. To this day the only thing I remember about that movie was how at the end, after the guy had spent nearly a lifetime trying to prove that there was life on other planets, a space ship finally lands and he forgets to turn on the video camera because he is so absorbed in the experience. That struck Dad as so funny that he literally cried.

For years afterwards I would bring that scene up to him just to watch how hard he would laugh. It worked every time.

Dad could,and did, tell us just about every numerical fact there is to know about the solar system, the universe and beyond. You really had to consider how much time you had before you asked Dad to help with math homework. You would start out asking how to find the hypotenuse of a triangle and before you knew it you were on the moon.

Many people live their entire life and never find their true passion.

Dad was lucky enough to have several passions in his life and one of them was space.
I think I broke his heart when I dropped my astronomy class in college.

People say Dad had 3 passions in life; his wife, his children and sailing. But I say Dad had a fourth passion, and that was space.

He would talk about the solar system with the same enthusiasm that he talked about sailing. I think Dad loved sailing on the ocean because it was as close to being in space as he could get. There were times he couldn’t tell where the horizon stopped and the water started.

“It was honest to God like floating in space Laura” he would say.

Dad’s heroes were people like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Chuck Yeager, Jacques Cousteau, John Wayne and fellow sailor Steve Pettengill.

When Dad really thought highly of someone he would make comments like “John Graham was a hell of a guy. He was a real class act.” “Charlie Gardner lives by his heart” “Dave Evans, now there is a guy who is just into LIFE” or “Lee, there is a guy who takes the bull by the horns”. Matt, nothing is going to hold him down” or “Jason, there’s youthful enthusiasm for you,” “Dave Cheney is a true friend”, “One thing about Frank”, he would say, “when he says he is going to do something, he is going to do it”.

Dad was a doer and he admired other doers. He didn’t stand around talking about it- he went out and did it and then stood around talking about it.

“Dock chat” as we termed it in our family.

Dad took risks in his “doing". “Calculated risks” as he liked to call them. He would never jump out of an airplane he explained to us many times, because he needed to have three options. “If you have three options and they all fail well, then, see ya on the other side" he would say with a gleam in his eye.

Mom always said that Dad couldn’t go to the store without coming home with a story.

Dad said he couldn’t survive another season of the Lions.

They were both right.

Most people hope to die peacefully in their sleep.

But that would have really ticked Dad off. People say Dad’s dying doesn’t make any sense. But I say it does.

It does make sense. There had a be a sensational ending to such a rich life story. Dad’s last chapter had to read like this.

What else WOULD make sense?

He was on his dream boat, a Swan, on an Atlantic voyage. On this trip he encountered 50 foot seas, rain, snow, incredible winds, electrical fires, flooding, mayday calls, coast guard ships, 2 helicopters, life rafts and rescue swimmers.

All the elements that legendary stories are made of, the stuff movies are made of.

Dad’s death made the news in almost every state in the country, was talked about on the radio and has sparked debate worldwide via the internet.

Dad died in Dad style.

This is a man who was chased by storms with his brother in a sailboat on Lake St. Clair at the age of 11.

He capsized a boat in the Bermuda triangle over 30 years ago.

He made 6 trips across the Atlantic ocean, 3 of them alone.

His adventures have made magazines, newspapers, television and radio for as long as I can remember.

A man who locked himself in a cockpit hatch under sail in heavy winds while heading towards shore, and he was all alone.

A man who was no stranger to rescues at sea.

A man who took many calculated risks and survived them, a fierce competitor, a pioneer, an inventor, a philosopher, an innovative man who taught his family that “sometimes you have to go around the system."

“Your dad was nobodies fool” my husband said to me the other day. How true. Dad believed in taking a stand, in having an opinion and voicing it, loudly, if necessary.

He was a man of principles, he respected tradition and if he thought something was wrong, he said so. He was honorable, he was a leader and it was those qualities that I respected most about him; and those qualities about him that I will emphasize to my children.

Dad took the saying about living on the edge seriously. He loved chaos, adrenaline and pressure, and that was his comfort zone.

Dad was my hero. I studied him my whole life.

People really respected him and they really liked him. He was charming. But let’s be honest part of Dad’s charm was that frequently he was not all that smooth. It was his bumbling, mad cap, nutty professor qualities that stole everyone’s heart.

You couldn’t help but love him for it. He was forever losing his keys and credit cards, dropping his glasses and cell phone in the lake, losing things overboard, spilling his drinks, cutting off phone calls, wrapping his head sail, madly searching for the tool or telephone that was in his back pocket.

Remember the stage when he got frustrated with never having enough light so he started strapping a miners light to his forehead? That became part of his daily wardrobe. He would go everywhere with that light on his head and it got to the point that none of us even noticed - that was just Dad.

I mean, how did we really expect him to go? A legendary man deserves a legendary ending. What else would we have wanted for him?

He was the kind of person we all wanted to live forever.

My friend Lisa said to me a few days ago, “Some people just get it right. Your Dad seemed to get it right.”

I immediately flashed back to an afternoon when I was 15. Dad took me out to practice my driving. We decided to drive down to the Boat Club. As we pulled into the parking lot Dad motioned for me to park in a space between two other cars. The parking lot was virtually empty but Dad wanted me to practice.

As I hesitantly turned this enormous Lincoln into the parking space I completely creamed the Honda next to us. I mean, I crushed in the entire side of the car. I stop the car. Dad says nothing. He just starts to get out. In panic I ask, “Dad, what do we do now?” He calmly turns around and says to me, “YOU are going to solve your problem and I’m going to the boat.”

I was so mad. But I went into the club, found the owner of the car, told him what happened and solved my problem. That was Dad and I get it now.

He taught us how to take responsibility and stand on our own two feet. He got it right.

Dad touched and inspired everyone who knew him.

I have childhood friends that I haven’t heard from in years but they would periodically stop in to see my Dad. He was the kind of Dad I wanted around my friends. I liked to show him off. He made my friends laugh. He made things fun. He was the kind of Dad that I wanted to have pick up my group of friends from the school dance and drive us all home. He was the kind of Dad my high school friends would bring their new cars over to show or just stop by and hang out in the driveway with, talking to him for hours. It didn’t matter if I was home or if I came out of the house because they came to see my Dad.

In college my friends always loved when Dad came to visit. He was the kind of Dad you took to the football game and then to the campus bar afterwards. He was enthusiastic and fun and no matter what stage in life we were at, Dad fit in, he could relate. Dad made us laugh, he made us think and analyze.

He inspired us to go for it.

I can assure everyone here that Phillip Lloyd Rubright lives on. It has just been in the most recent years that I have really noticed the “Dad” in every member of our family.

Linda is an adventurer. She is the only one of us brave enough to have sailed across the Atlantic with Dad and was a highlight in his life. Linda can do math in her head. Linda has a passion to see and experience the world and nothing is going to stop her. She recently moved to Amsterdam and in the first few weeks she was there she had her wallet stolen, dropped her passport in the airport and misplaced her ATM card. A familiar story.

Catherine is the competitor and the analyst. She actually followed half the stuff, Dad was talking about. Just a few weeks ago my friend Val and I did a half marathon walk with her. We signed up together for “the challenge of it”. No pressure, no times, we just wanted to finish.

Anytime someone passed us up you could feel the tension in Catherine rise. Remember how you could feel the tension radiating off Dad? Halfway through Catherine pulled away. It was not just a challenge for her, it was a race.

“Next year” she said to me, “I bet we can do it in 3 hours.” We called Dad as soon as we finished; and of course, he already had our times and places off the internet. Dad was going to do the walk with us next year but ”no bathroom stops” he said and Catherine eagerly agreed.

Diane is the philosopher, the listener. I swear she and Dad would have solved most the world’s biggest problems had there just been enough time. She and Dad shared many heart to heart talks. Diane knew Dad’s sensitive side better than any of us. There is nothing Diane and Dad loved more than a late night and a deep topic.

Mom is the family rock, we all lean on her. While Mom was in China this summer Dad would call with the updates and so enthusiastically say “I am so proud of Mom, she really has an adventurous spirit.”

Dads sailing buddies used to joke, "Hey Phil, where do your kids get their good looks from?” Dad would reply, ”oh, you have to see their mother.”

And Me? My friend Gale says that I can tell a good story like Dad did, I have his entrepreneurial spirit and maybe just a pinch of his hard headedness. My desk is always a mess but I know where everything is, I have strong opinions and I speak my mind. Lee accuses me of mumbling now and again, my speeches sometimes ramble on and I love my family more than anything.

Even at my children’s very young ages, I can already see Dad emerging from them.

Mom recently said to me “Faith isn’t afraid of anything, she is so brave“ Faith thrives on excitement and she is always up for anything.

Ben has these long moments of quiet thought, staring off in to space and then suddenly rejoins us with a burst of enthusiasm. He is passionate and enthusiastic and he wants to know how everything works.

He walks around the house throwing out numbers and his favorite foods are crackers, cheese, pickles and mustard. He wants black pepper on everything.

Alex is only a few months old but from the moment he was born you could see Dad’s twinkle in his eyes.

Dad lives on in them, and will live on around them. I know as a family that we will keep Papa alive for them, he will continue to be a positive influence in their lives.

I know that my children are safer now that Papa is watching over them and I know that Dad feels better with an overhead view from which he can protect them.

Dad told me just a few weeks ago, “parenting is a hard thing to stop doing Laura, you just never stop worrying.” He worried, he was a mother hen, but he was also our biggest cheerleader.

He was just as enthused about other peoples adventures as he was his own. He showed us all how it feels to be truly loved and respected and encouraged.

Family always came first.

I never remember a single moment of my life that I wanted or needed Dad and he wasn’t there. Dad never once let me down, not once, never.

The time has come to share Dad with other people who also love him.

I have no doubt Dad was met with tears and open arms by his mother. She has waited almost 50 years to hug her boy and tell him how proud she is of him. Dad had missed her so much.

I would guess next in the welcome line was his sister Jo and the grandparents that he so adored. Mr. Corsini rushed to the front of the line to give him a big kiss and pinch on the cheeks and Mrs. Corsini rolled her eyes and calls out “Lester, give him some space.”

Both Grandpas were there to pat him on the back. He was met with smiles and hand shakes by old friends like Norm Hoch and Dick McPhail. Sally Welemirov stood quietly and elegantly waiting with a warm smile. Ernie Butki and Peter Fisher, people who never knew Dad but had been watching him from above waited to introduce themselves. Hell, I’m sure Thomas Edison AND Albert Einstein waited in line to shake Dad’s hand.

And then came Gram.

Sauntering in, eyebrow a little raised - she handed him a martini before she said a word.

Go easy on him Gram.

And there they gather, Mr. Corsini made the first toast; tears streaming down his face, no one understood a word he said.

Dad in his glory. Loving the view. Enjoying a piece of his mom’s pie, holding court in a sky full of people waiting to hear his story.

Dad always joked that when the time came he would “take one last sail.” Dad said many times that he felt most alive, when he was on the water. Dad believed when your number was up, it was up.

On October 29, 2008, Dad’s number was up.

Kevin, I am eternally thankful to you for taking my Dad on his last sail. I am at peace knowing he died on the water, doing what he loved. I hope that you will sail again Kevin, Dad would want you to.

I told my kids that Papa went to the moon, because I know he did. Space is, his next frontier. The one passion he left unexplored in this lifetime. I can just see him now, calculator in one hand, a GPS in the other, the universe at his fingertips and no keys to lose.

That is Dad’s heaven.

Lee, Faith, Ben, Alex and I will start a new tradition of looking out at the moon and waving to Papa and I know he will wave back. That Dad wave.

We always opened Dad’s presents last because they were the best. Dad left us with one final, grand gift, the comfort of knowing that when our numbers come up, he will be waiting there for us, first in line, on the other side.

Fishing Vessel Lost 1000 Miles East Bermuda

2008-11-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating the search for four people who went missing from a vessel that reportedly capsized about 1,000 miles east of Bermuda early Thursday morning.

Seven other crew members from the “Jose Almuiña,” a Spanish-flagged fishing vessel, have already been rescued by commercial vessels that were in the region, a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard received the emergency signal from the vessel at about 2:30 a.m. Using an automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue system, the Coast Guard located, contacted and then diverted the two commercial vessels that were in the area.

At about 7:45 a.m. the “SKS Mosel” located the capsized and sinking vessel, but none of the 11 crew members were aboard, the Coast Guard news release said.

F/V Jose Almuiña Bow Down in Heavy Seas

The “Navig8 Stealth II” found a flare and then located a life raft with seven people aboard. All were reported in good health.

Those rescued said there were four other crew members who were separated from the group when the vessel capsized, the news release said. The two commercial vessels assisting in the search reported strong winds and 15-foot seas.

A C-130 airplane and rescue crew from the Coast Guard station in Elizabeth City was en route to assist in the search, the news release said.

Weather in the area has been reported as gale force winds and 15 foot seas. The above satellite image from NOAA shows a strong low pressure system off the east coast extending well past Bermuda

Vision Quest Sinks in Winyah Bay SC

2008-11-04T01:31:00.000-08:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Two people are safe after their 46-foot sport fisher, Vision Quest, sank north of the entrance of Winyah Bay, S.C., Monday at 10:15 a.m.

Gary Pache, 39, and Brent Burman, 35, of Cherry Hill, N.J., were aboard the vessel when they radioed for help and abandoned the vessel in a small Zodiac inflatable boat at 10:19 a.m. A nearby Good Samaritan vessel responded to an urgent marine information broadcast and rescued the two men shortly thereafter.

The two men were transferred to a Coast Guard rescue boat from Station Georgetown, S.C., at 11:30 a.m. in good condition. Coast Guard pollution responders are currently working with the vessel owner to secure and salvage the vessel.

Coast Guard rescue crews that responded this morning observed a diesel fuel sheen at the entrance of Winyah Bay. Coast Guard Sector Charleston dispatched pollution investigators from Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Charleston to make further assessments. The owner of the vessel, Pache, reported to Coast Guard that the vessel had approximately 500-gallons of diesel fuel aboard his vessel when it sank.

Photo USCG Air Facility Charleston

A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Facility Charleston observed the vessel partially submerged this morning. The Coast Guard will fly over the area again this afternoon to monitor the pollution sheen.

Coast Guard response coordinators have not received any reports of wildlife or additional environmental impact. The Coast Guard expects that boaters transiting through the area might smell the spilled diesel downwind of the vessel. Anyone who sees impacted wildlife should contact the Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center at 843-724-7616.

The entrance to Winyah Bay remains open, and there has been no impact to vessel traffic in the area at this time. However, boaters who are planning to transit the area should monitor VHF Channel 16 for up to date marine broadcasts.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources assisted in the response and will be leading the recreational boating accident investigation.

Phil Rubright

2008-11-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Many readers and visitors to Life Floating By, have read the tragic account of the sinking of S/V Free Fall on Wednesday October 29, 2008.

The 44 foot Swan sailboat US 777, was recently purchased by Mt. Pleasant dentist Dr. Kevin Hogan from well known Long Island Sound racing sailor, Bill McFaul. It has been reported that McFaul maintained his boat in top shape and it was in excellent condition when Hogan purchased the boat last month.

On Sunday October 26 th, Hogan, fellow Mt. Pleasant sailor Teresa Gravie, 44 and Phil Rubright departed Rhode Island in route to Charleston when they encountered heavy weather and high seas.

Around 7:16 PM on Tuesday the 28th of October, the US Coast Guard received a EPIRB signal from Free Fall after the vessel was overcome and finally rolled in 40-50 foot seas and 50 knot winds. During or shortly after the initial coast guard rescue attempt Phil Rubridge would die.

Phil Rubright

As with any marine causality there are a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks. Questions about the skill, and in some cases the sanity of the crew aboard sailing vessel Free Fall abound. Even one Charleston sailor Brad Van Liew used the tragedy for self promotion proclaiming in the Charleston Post and Courier newspaper that Phil "Rubright had been to races in Charleston and had been a fan during Van Liew's two around-the-world solo sailing voyages."

The comments at the Charleston Post and Courier on line edition, and message board sites like, Sailing Anarchy range from the polite "what happened?" to outrageous ridicule. The Press of Atlantic City ran an editorial on Monday November 3rd, titled "Reckless Sailors - Endangering Lives". One news story pointed to Hogan's lack in judgement by noting that the USCG had rescued Hogan on his way to Charleston during a storm last year as well.

There are many who will wonder why anyone would leave the comfort of the couch and the safety of cable television to live their lives on the open water. Sadly those poor souls will never witness the amazing beauty of a star filled night while drifting silently along, or the stunning brilliance of dawn's first light at sea. They can not possibly understand that it is about the journey and not the destination.

To question is understandable, but according to several web sites located by LFB Phil Rubright was anything but reckless. A very accomplished blue water sailor, having competed in numerous solo great lakes regattas, including the Point Huron – Mackinac Island Solo Challenge 18 times the first in 1983, as well as several trans-atlantic solo races. Phil Rubright was a heck of a sailor, and the kind of person you always looked forward to sharing a beer with, someone who was living the dream, a life of sailing.

Phil Rubright on the Left

According to Blair Arden, the above picture of Phil, Jo, and Dave is from June, 2007. "The reason they are all red is because they had all just completed The 29th Annual GLSS 2007 Point Huron – Mackinac Island Solo Challenge. Lake Huron in June is cold, and with elapsed times ranging from 55 – 78 hours, wind burn takes its toll."

The Michigan sailor cracked four ribs and dislocated his right knee during a knockdown while competing in the 2000 OSTAR transatlantic race from Plymouth, England, to Newport, Rhode Island. "I was one second from getting my nav-station belt on," Phil would report.

He would later say "Singlehanded sailing isn’t something you do, it’s something you are."

Phil Rubright concentrates on keeping the sails full while running downwind during the 2007 GLSS Lake Erie Solo Challenge.

Mark S. Gutteridge recapping the 2001 Lower Huron Solo Challenge told this tale of how deterimend a sailor Phil Rubridge was.

"Division "B" was about to start when we noticed a competitor whose shiny kevlar mainsail was split from the luff to the leech between the first and second reef points. John and Jean Chorestecki both commented that there was another boat that would unfortunately not be able to start.

I said "Hell, that's Captain Calamity Phil Rubright; that's not going to stop him. It is just another minor inconvenience."

As Phil passed close to the start boat he asked us if we had a spare mainsail and on hearing we did not he said, "oh well I think it will last to the first mark". I commented that Phil was one of the best sailors I have ever met and after all this was the Lower Huron Challenge.

Wally McMinn recalled that Phil Rubright once became locked in his own lazaret when the top closed on him during a solo race.

Phil Rubridge second from the right during the 2008 GLSS Lake Erie Solo Challenge.

You can find more details of Phil’s life by visiting the GLSS website.
http://www.solosailor.org/

Details of the rescue attempt, video from the USCG, links to accounts of the weather in the area and photos of S/V Free Fall at the earlier post: Coast Guard Rescues 2 Mt. Pleasant Sailors

Boating Accident Kills Man near Georgetown

2008-11-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Coast Guard Sector Charleston is reporting that the Coast Guard responded to a boating accident that left a boater unconscious on the Intracoastal Waterway between the North Santee River and Winyah Bay near Georgetown, S.C., Friday evening.

Ed Fountain, 68, of Timmonsville, S.C., was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Georgetown County Coroner, Kenny Johnson, says Fountian died suddenly as a result of neck injuries when the boat he was on collided with a fixed-aid-to-navigation in the Intracoastal Waterway Friday evening.

The Coast Guard was notified at approximately 8:24 p.m. Friday that a 17-foot boat with two people aboard collided with a fixed aid-to-navigation between the North Santee River and Winyah Bay.

A Coast Guard 25-foot boat crew from Station Georgetown launched and met the damaged boat crew in the vicinity of the South Island Ferry Boat Landing. The boat crew disembarked the injured passenger and transported him to medical personnel waiting ashore. Donald Spencer was also injured in the accident and treated for leg injuries.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will conduct an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Coast Guard Rescues 2 Mt. Pleasant Sailors

2008-11-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

Wednesday October 29, 2008 US Coast Guard reported that rescue crews from six different units, including three Cutters and three Air Stations, responded to a sinking sailboat with three people onboard approximately 102 miles southeast of Atlantic City N.J., Wednesday.

Rescued were Dr. Kevin Hogan, a 52-year-old dentist and Teresa Gravie, 44 co-owner of GLC Construction of Mt Pleasant, SC. Phil Rubright, a 65-year-old Detroit resident was recovered but pronounced deceased by the Atlantic County Medical Examiner Office in Atlantic City.

Dr. Kevin Hogan

The crew of Free Fall had been battling heavy weather and had just gone below because of the worsening weather when a rouge wave rolled the 44 foot sail boat, which after many frightening moments righted itself. During the roll the boat's EPIRB was activated and carbon fiber mast broke off just above the boom. The roll also filled Free Fall with up to six feet of water, shorted out the electrial system which made both radio and bilge pumps inoperatble. The crew would spend the next 12 hours bailing water.

The Coast Guard began its search after watch standers at the Rescue Coordination Center in Portsmouth received the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
alert now trasmitting from the severely damaged 44 foot Swan sailboat.

After obtaining the location and confirming the identy of Free Fall as well as location, Coast Guard rescue crews, aboard a C-130J and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter were launched from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.

(Questions remain as to why the Coast Guard didn't launch one of their helicopters from nearby Air Station Atlantic City in the first place. Further why the long delay from the time the EPIRB was active until, Air Station Elizabeth City launched the Jayhawk?)

Sailor Gail Bowdish recounts in her blog Shanti, building wind and seas 24 hours after she departed Mystic, CT. Bowdish was aboard Joy For All, a Farr 50 heading south as well and was approximatly 60 miles north of Free Fall when she first heard the USCG broadcast a PAN PAN PAN alert discribing an EPIRB signal indicating the vessel Free Fall in possiable distress.

At 21:00 on the 28th Sealand Pride was heading north for Europe on her regular bi-weekly run. She reported a position of 34.48N and 71.42W directly south of Free Fall. At the time she reported wind 260 at 52 knots and noted that a pressure reading of a very low 1000 mlb.

Upon hearing the same Pan Pan Pan hear by Gail Bowdish aboard Joy For All Sealand Pride altered course and began making way toward the stricken sailboat. It would take her another 9 hours to arrive on scene.

Around 1 AM, six hours after the rouge wave demasted Free Fall, the Elizabeth City rescue crews arrived on scene but were unable to hoist the three passengers from the FREE FALL due to the extreme weather conditions consisting of rain and 40-50 knot winds and 40-50 foot seas. Additionaly the pitching deck, which was covered with a tangle of rigging wire and lines increased the risk to an extreme level.

The rescue crew determined that in order to conduct a safe hoist the passengers and the rescue swimmer had to enter the water. The rescue swimmer and Mr. Rubright entered the water to attempt the hoist but the rescue basket and hoist cable were damaged by a large wave.

The helicopter crew then deployed a life raft and Mr. Rubright was placed in it. Reportedly another large wave hit and injured the rescue swimmer and tossed Mr. Rubright from the life raft. The injured rescue swimmer was unable to recover Mr. Rubright.

The helicopter crew employed the Emergency Recovery Device (ERD) to recover the rescue swimmer. This manual recovery device is only used during the most extreme circumstances and the person being hoisted must be trained and wear a rescue strap.

Without the means to recover Mr. Rubright, low on fuel after spending nearly 2 hours in the air the helicopter crew called for assistance and departed for Atlantic City to seek treatment for the injured rescue swimmer.

The Coast Guard then launched two MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crews from Air Station Atlantic City along with a HU-25 Falcon jet and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews from Air Station Cape Cod, Mass. The 270-foot Coast Guard Cutters Northland and Seneca, along with the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Mako were also dispatched to the scene.

At 06:00 on the 29th Sealand Pride reported the wind at 270 at 42 knots, but she was still 39 miles to the south of Free Fall but was making nearly 10 knots where she was only able to make and average of 5.3 knots in the heavy seas that held during the previous 9 hours.

Once on scene at 39.06N – 71.42W she was reported winds that had eased to 27 knots. Two hours later having drifted along with S/V Free Fall she reported a position of 39.06N – 71.36 33 knot winds out of 280 and resumed her voyage.

The Atlantic City helicopter crews were able to relocate the stricken vessels crew and relay the position to the incoming Cape Cod rescue crews.

Upon arriving on scene the Cape Cod helicopter crew recovered Mr. Rubright at around 5AM from the water and flew him to Atlantic City where he was pronounced dead by the Atlantic County Medical Examiner.

A second MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter USCG 6041 from Elizabeth City was dispatched to the scene and hoisted Hogan and Gravie. Rescue operation was completed at 8:15 AM, and Hogan and Gravie were flown to Air Station Atlantic City where they were turned over to local EMS crews and taken to a AtlatiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for treatment.

Below is video off the second rescue attempt shot from a USCG Doplin helicopter at 1000 AGL. The first part of the video is shot using nightvision and the second part in normal vision.

USGC Video of the second rescue attempt

Both Hogan and Gravie suffered from mild hypothermia, cuts, brusies and in the case of Gravie a possiable concusion but and are reported in good condition.

Hogan (standing) waits for paramedics to transport him to a waiting ambulance.

Emergency personnel transfer Kevin Hogan, 52, to an awaiting ambulance USCG Photo

Teresa Gravie, 44, is transported to a waiting ambulance USCG Photo

USCG Video of the USCG Jayhawk helicopter 6041 landing at Air Station Atlantic City

In addition to the rescue of the sailing vessel Freefall, the Coast Guard is reporting the rescue and assistance of 4 other vessels and and 7 sailors during the October 27 - 29 2008 storms off the east coast.

The death of Mr. Rubright, is tragic and no doubt the USCG will conduct an in depth investigation regarding the chain of events that happened aboard S/V Freefall and during the first rescue attempt.

It's not like the coasties to tell someone to enter the water and then leave the scene. I'm sure the rescue swimmer took one heck of a beating and was severely injured or he would not have left the water without Mr. Rubright.-LFB

Photos of S/V Free Fall a 44 foot Swan US-777 from YachtWorld.com prior to her being sold, the listing has since be removed.

Halloween Warning!

2008-10-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

A grim reminder that safety should be your first concern while out this Halloween.

This a sobering United States Coast Guard video of a young Coast Guard crewman given the task of trying to identify a water logged body.

Please be careful out there this weekend you never know what might happen!

Sometimes You Just Got to Go!

2008-10-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Photo By The Author

This Dalmatian had spent the better part of the afternoon on a small boat when his owner pulled up to the fuel dock in Beaufort, South Carolina. As soon as the boat came to a stop down the dock he went, but as you can see he just couldn't find a target soon enough.

Mega Yachts, Chilly Mornings and Allison

2008-10-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

The dock lines creak and the cold wind blows steady from the north. While Charleston’s summer lingers like an unwelcome relative, fall is often fleeting and may last only a few short weeks.

It seems as if only yesterday the sun rose at 5 AM and wouldn’t set until long after small children should be in bed.

But in October the sun slips over the horizon before the evening rush hour is complete, then darkness drags on until 7:30 each morning and with the extended darkness comes a chill to the predawn hours.

The transit dock at the Charleston City Marina is overflowing with “Mega” yachts fleeing winter's grip. Names like Traveler, Carpe Diem, Sun Chaser, Argyll and Chevy Toy, their New England summer behind them, the crews of these yachts are looking forward to summer all over again in South Florida or the islands.

Sun Chaser at Dawn, Charleston South Carolina Photo by the Author

The marina dock staff is happy to receive newly issued winter jackets, stoically black in color to hide the noticeable effects of handing diesel fuel hoses and wet dock lines. Yachts heading south consume outrageous amounts of pricey diesel fuel and dock work is hard and often dirty.

The Charleston City Marina's always smiling Allison stops to say hello. She's riding shotgun in one of the marina's many golf carts and her legs are covered with a thick fleece blanket.

As the sun warms the morning and the chill retreats, Allison discards the blanket and long before noon the jacket as well. It might be cold in the morning, but she’s not yet ready to give up on wearing her summer shorts. Such is the way of pretty southern girls like Allison.

By contrast a woman in her early forties, a cell phone pressed to her ear, paces the sidewalk along White Point Gardens at midday. She’s dressed in leather boots and a long wool coat. A coat that is as heavy as her Fran Drescher New Jersey accent. She’s oblivious to the fact that October in Charleston is heavenly and while the calendar up north says it’s time to break out the parkas, down south you must learn to be patient.

Patience always brings midday temperatures in the 70’s, absent is the smothering humidity, as are the tourists who clog East Bay and Market Streets during summer afternoons. White Point is full of neighbors this time of year, and so the park has once again become a friendly place for those who live South of Broad and the Citadel and College of Charleston students who run dutifully along Murray Boulevard.

The woman continues to pace, finally sheds her coat but not the phone, as male runners clad only in shorts and Nike running shoes rush by her. Her efforts to find Charleston Place have failed and all she can do is stomp up and down the battery while staring out at "some island with a flag." I consider offering that Charleston Place is a hotel and not a street, but she is too busy screaming at the poor soul on the other end of the phone, so I move on to chat with a friendly couple and their two dogs.

As the last days of autumn come to a close in New England, the sleek and shimmering 100 foot yachts begin to move south. The City Marina will be a busy place for the next few weeks, as the mega yachts and their snow birds head to warmer waters.

Those who arrive at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers before the end of November will without doubt enjoy Charleston’s wonderful fall weather and of course the always warm and friendly smile of Allison.

Charlestowne Landing S/V Adventure

2008-10-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Post and Courier is reporting the arrival of the ketch rigged Adventure.

Adventure is a 53-foot historic replica of an 18th century colonial trading vessel designed by the late William Baker. She will replace the replica that sank in 2004 at the Charlestowne River landing.

Adventure is built almost entirely out of oak, from her massive, double-sawn frames to her planking. She is rigged as a ketch, and will carry square sails on her main mast.

On Saturday October 25, 2008 Adventure departed the City Marina heading for her permanent home at Charlestowne River Landing.

You can check out all the action at the Charleston City Marina via their web cam:

Charleston City Marina Live

Sector Charleston Rescues Father and Son

2008-07-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Coast Guard rescued two people near the south jetties in Charleston Harbor around 9 p.m. Saturday June 28, 2008.

Peter Hyers, 54, and Christopher Hyers, 22, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., were boating when their sailing vessel ran aground at the Charleston Harbor jetties.

Coast Guard search-and-rescue coordinators at Sector Charleston received a report from a good Samaritan of the grounding around 8 p.m. and immediately launched a smallboat crew from Station Charleston. Once on scene, it was determined the grounded vessel could not be reached due to the shallow depth of water.

A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Facility Charleston was launched and safely hoisted both men from the grounded vessel.

"We're fortunate to have received the call from the good Samaritan," said Lt. Cmdr. Eric King, a search-and-rescue coordinator at Sector Charleston. "The Coast Guard encourages all boaters to have VHF radios so they can contact us if they're in distress."

So spread the word Charleston has jetties! They are not new and have been in use for nearly 175 years! Plus they eat boats!

City Marina's Flag Display Causes Confusion

2008-07-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's "The Fourth of July" weekend and across the Charleston Peninsula you’ll find our nation’s flag proudly flying. Nothing seems to stir emotions quiet like our country’s flag.

Flying a flag incorrectly also stirs up a lot of emotion. A few years back incorrectly flying the National Flag of Canada, nearly sparked an international incident in Ft Mill South Carolina. Seems the Knight’s baseball stadium crew thought the Canadian flag which features a “Maple Leaf” should look like a leaf hanging from a tree. The visiting team from Toronto was understandably upset when their normally proud Maple Leaf appeared to be rather wilted as it rose to the top of the flag pole upside down.

Such is the case of the gaff rigged flag pole at the Charleston City Marina, which has recently elected to fly the United States Flag also know as the National Ensign, incorrectly.

David Rodgers harbor master at the City Marina explains his reasoning behind finally giving into to calls they receive about the United States Flag at The Charleston City Marina.

“We receive calls daily complaining about the flag flying lower than the other flags”. David goes on to say “We’ve even had one gentleman threaten to bring his entire VFW unit down to the City Marina and protest.”

At issue is the placement of the United States Flag on the flag pole at the end of the dock. The trouble is that sea rules differ slightly from land rules and while the top of the pole would seem to be the correct location it is not the “place of honor” which on a mast is the “gaff” that being the pole extending outward.

The Charleston City Marina is not alone in the confusion and ongoing battle regarding a “gaff” rigged flag poles.

The National Park Service personnel at Biscayne National Park finally had to place a sign with the picture below and the following explanation at their front desk.

“Nautical style flag poles with yardarm and gaff are meant to represent the sailing vessels of our maritime history. On these flag poles, naval tradition requires that the United States Flag (or Ensign) not be flown from the top of the “mast”, but must be flown from the position of honor — the gaff.”

The "place on honor" on a gaff rigged poles is the same through the world:

“If the flagpole is fitted with a gaff the flag on the gaff has the position of honour, although the national flag is then lower than another flag flying from the peak. This tradition originated in the days of sailing ships and was designed to keep the flag from the ship's rigging.

Taken from the Australian National Flag Association flag etiquette manual.

Below is the National Flag of Canada, being correctly flown on a "gaff" rigged flag pole, notice the "Maple Leaf" is upright.

When the Black Rock Oyster Bar and Grill opened in Fairfield Connecticut a few years ago they bought a used gaff rigged flag pole to compliment their nautical theme.

Soon passers-by and customers were calling the Dana Loehn castigating him for what they thought was a disrespectful display of the American flag.

People have even, he said, taken to sending him printouts of proper flag etiquette.

The only problem is that people were confusing the gaff-rigged pole with the more traditional single flag staff.

While on a single pole, the American flag should be in the top spot, the place of honor on a gaff-rigged pole, with its seagoing origins, is different.

"I'm trying to extend the nautical theme," Loehn said. "It's not at all what we thought would happen; we expected people to say 'this is really nice." Instead, he said people have actually started swearing at him and vowing never to eat at the restaurant.

The same trouble was reported at the Corpus Christi City Marina when they installed a new $22,000.00 gaff rigged flag pole on their Lawrence Street T Head. As soon as they raised the flag to the gaff the calls started coming, as well as emails and letters to the local paper.

According to the United States Power Squadron: “The Palm Coast Yacht Club near St. Augustine, Florida had a continuing battle with a local veterans group which insisted the club was showing disrespect for the flag by flying it at the gaff of the club's flagstaff, a point physically lower than the club's burgee which is flown at the masthead. The matter was settled only after the club obtained a letter from the Secretary of the Navy confirming the fact that in the world of yacht clubs the highest physical point of a flagpole is not necessarily the place of honor”.

Illustration from the United States Power Squadron Manual:

So there you have it the official word as to why Yacht Clubs, Marina’s, Naval Bases, National Parks and even Oyster Bars are correct when the fly the United States Flag from the gaff and not the top of the flag pole.

Another Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue

2008-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Some more Coastie news you won't see in the Charleston Post and Courier.

A United States Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter evacuated a man aboard the 110-foot fishing boat Thunderstar while approximately 44-miles southeast of Charleston Harbor, on Tuesday June 18, 2008 at 1:39 p.m.

Below the approach to F/V Thunderstar in rough seas:

The Thunderstar is a head boat based on Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC that conducts daily trips The Thunderstar with a top speed of 26 knots normally makes the run to the gulf stream in about 3 hours and returns about 7 hours later.

Henry Mizell, 75, was a passenger aboard Thunderstar when he began experiencing chest pains. The ship's owner contacted Coast Guard Sector Charleston on VHF channel 16 to request assistance. Coast Guard Sector Charleston then requested assistance from a Coast Guard Air Station Savannah helicopter in the area to medivac the man.

Below the Air Crew Brings Mr. Mizell aboard:

The aircrew diverted to the scene and safely hoisted the man from the vessel in what was reported as 15-foot seas, not a easy job but all in the days work for the guys from Savannah. Mizell was then taken to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

US Army Vessel Robert Smalls

2008-06-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Post and Courier missed a pretty interesting story Tuesday but a search on the Internet turns up coverage from the Beaufort Gazette detailing the visit of the United States "Army" Vessel Robert Smalls.

Sitting on the 10,500-square-foot cargo deck of a massive Army transport vessel, more than 50 people remembered Beaufort's native son Tuesday morning and commemorated his daring escape out of the Charleston harbor almost 150 years ago.

The 314-foot, 5,412-ton USAV Maj. Gen. Robert Smalls came to port in Charleston on Monday afternoon, marking the ship's first trip to the Lowcountry since being commissioned in Baltimore in September. The $25 million support vessel is the Army's largest asset and the first Army vessel to be named after an African-American.

The ship, staffed by more than 30 soldiers, primarily is used to transport cargo and vehicles all over the world. The vessel can transport 19 A1 Abrams tanks or more than 100 shipping containers.

A ceremony Tuesday morning at the Port of Charleston's cruise ship passenger terminal commemorated the boat's return to Charleston harbor where, on May 13, 1862, Smalls famously commandeered a Confederate cotton steamer and piloted the boat to a Union blockade ship, freeing himself, his family and 12 other slaves onboard.

The ceremony, which included speeches from black leaders from across the state as well as local officials, was especially poignant for Kitt Haley Alexander, the founder of the Robert Smalls Legacy Foundation.

Alexander, an Alexandria, Va.-based writer and artist, has spent the last 12 years trying to get the military to name a ship after Smalls, following a chance encounter with his great-granddaughter, Janet "Dolly" Nash at a Savannah Black History Month event. Nash died from cancer in March 2004, just a month before the ship was christened.

It was Edward Miller's 1995 biography of Smalls, "Gullah Statesman," that prompted Alexander to petition the government incessantly for more than a decade to formally honor the Beaufort-born, slave-turned-Civil War Hero and five-term U.S. congressman, Alexander said.

"When I finished the book, I slapped it shut and said, 'This guy needs to be famous, somebody should do something.' Some months later, it occurred to me ... that I was the somebody," Alexander said. "Robert Smalls took over my life and the lesson that I take from him is that nothing ever stopped him, not even slavery. Given that, what could possibly stop me?"

The Rev. Kenneth Hodges, a member of the S.C. House of Representatives and pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, where Smalls was buried in 1915, said Smalls' meteoric rise should serve as an inspiration to all South Carolinians and all Americans.

"This was a man who was a slave on May 12, and three months later, we find that same former slave in Washington, D.C., with an audience with the President of the United States," he said.

Hodges said he has drafted legislation that will call for a statue honoring Smalls to be placed on the grounds of the Statehouse in Columbia, despite a state moratorium prohibiting any new statues on the grounds.

"That moratorium will be lifted and it is my hope that once it is lifted, one of the first monuments that will be added to the Statehouse grounds will be a monument honoring Robert Smalls," he said.

The vessel's first trip to the Lowcountry is not likely to be its last, said Chief Warrant Officer Steven Brown, vessel master of the USAV Maj. Gen. Robert Smalls.

"We're very humbled, the entire crew, to represent the Robert Smalls," he said. "The name, the history is incredible. The crew is very proud to carry that history into the future. When we pull into ports, it's very emotional to get on the radio and announce, 'This is the United States Army Vessel MG Robert Smalls.' That name is being projected out all over the world. This vessel will travel throughout the world."

Artemis Holds on to Win The 50th Big Rock!

2008-06-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Artemis, and crew spent the better part of this week wondering if 640 pounds would be enough. In the end no one else came even close.

Contrats to Bucky and the crew aboard Artemis, winner of the 50th Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament at Morehead City, NC

Next up Charleston Harbor Marina and then The Mega Dock in Charleston, SC

Artemis Lands First-day Big Rock Lead

2008-06-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

The warm dampness in the predawn hours of a Carolina summer morning covers the more than 100 sportfishing boats in a thick blanket of dew.

Tournament staff stand under a light at the end of the dock, handing out small cups of coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts by the dozens to boat crews that emerge from the shadows to collect the free caffine and sugar fix.

Welcome to Morehead City, North Carolina and the 50th "Big Rock" Blue Marlin Tournament

Monday started like any other tournament morning for ‘Bucky’ Copleston who captains Artemis, a 50 foot custom express based at The Charleston City Marina, it started early, way early, oh dark thirty, or "oh my God why am I up" early.

I've watched the guys aboard Artemis from the air-conditioned comfort of my boat's pilot house working tirelessly for the last several weeks, preparing for the Big Rock tournament and it seems all that hard work might just pay off.

At the Morehead City Docks on this Monday morning it's dark and damp, Artemis will fish today as will 169 of the 176 boats entered in the tournament. Boats have a choice of any four of the six days to fish. Sometimes picking the right day is the difference between big fish and no fish.

The Red and Green Navigation lights pierce the darkness and glow in dewy halos around dozens of boats. Radar antennas atop aluminum tuna towers spin as diesel engines toss spray at the docks every 20 feet or so with water soaked exhaust.

The sound of diesel engines is unmistakable, but each is distinct. Cats, make that clank, clank while Detroit's on older Hatteras have a different sound, somewhat of an odd bang bang sound. An experienced boat captain can tell a Detroit from a Cummimngs two docks away.

With a tournament morning comes hangovers, donuts, coffee, diesel exhaust and confusion.

"Who are we waiting On?" "Where's Jim?" "We Ready?" "Ya lets go!"

The captain of a boat at the end of the dock takes the helm at the fly bridge as the first mate races around the dock like a monkey chasing a banana being pulled on a string.

The mate drops a dock line in the water and the captain shakes his head in disbelief. Bow line, spring line and a final stern line and the sport fishing boat lurches forward sending a few of the onboard anglers and their coffee sliding backwards, catching themselves just before stumbling over the back of the boat. And in this confusion that is repeated on boats thoughout the marina Artemis starts her very long day.

On this day offshore conditions are near perfect for the 169 boats who elected to fish on the first day of competition. Blue marlin are caught to the north and south of Morehead City as anglers tallied 16 blue marlin releases, one white marlin release and six sailfish releases.

The "bite" is on and the radios are alive with reports of fish and success.

About 10 minutes prior to the 3 p.m. cut-off time Artemis, hooks into a fish and the battle is on. Charleston angler Darryl Reyna will fight the Artemis catch for 3.5 hours before bringing it to gaff. The crew will see the leader-wire knot come out of the water and disappear five times as Reyna tires the fish out.

"We just couldn’t get her anywhere near gaffing range" said Copleston. "We didn’t want to call it a (big) fish for the first hour or so even though we knew it was big."

Three other boats, Phat Man, Tuna Trappe III and Melina, each will hold the Big Rock lead during some portion of the day.

By 7PM word had spread throughout the marina, that Artemis had a "big" fish on the boat and were on their way back.

As darkness fell the size of the Artemis fish grew. By 10PM a the local fire department had sent a truck to light up the scales with several halogen lamps, bringing daylight back the marina where a sizable crowd had gathered.

As Artemis backed down to the dock a spectator yelled "how big?"

"Big I guess" someone shouted back from the boat, as the captain Bucky Copleston brought Artemis to a stop he just smiled. Bucky new it was big, he could tell by the way the boat handled with the additional load coming back to the marina.

How big? Well as the fish was hoisted to the scales it was apparent the fish was really big, in fact when the fish was finally hoisted it tipped the scales at 640 pounds, more than 100 pounds heavier than any other blue marlin weighed in Monday.

Bucky would later say "This turned out to be the biggest fish we’ve ever caught."

Competition in the 50th Big Rock continues through Saturday with competitors on each boat fishing any 4 of the 6 days. If the 640 pound Artemis fish holds, the boat will take the more than $700,000.00 first prize and receive their winnings June 14th at the Big Rock awards ceremony.

Artemis, a 50-foot custom express boat built in Charleston by Sea Island Boatworks, is owned by Charleston businessman John Darby and captained by Bucky Copleston. Darryl Reyna was the angler on Artemis' fish. Other crew members on Artemis on Monday included J.C. Darby, Eric Burn, Robbie Freeman, Jim Bryan and Michael Provow.

USCG Cutter Dallas Heads East

2008-05-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-05-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-01T03:56:00.000-07:00

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"

Charleston In Water Boat Show

2008-04-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

The Charleston "In Water" Boat Show is this weekend's big event. So put down the weed wacker, forget about Lowes and Home Depot, grab the kids and head to Brittlebank Park and the Bristol Marina.

Can you tell Life Floating By is big on boats?

The event kicked off Thursday afternoon and all I can say is WoW, what an improvement over past boat shows in Charleston. At this weekend's boat show you can step aboard million dollar boats like the Middleton 58' sport fishing boat below.

Middleton Underway

Middleton Cockpit with Beefy Teak Rails

Middleton Interior

In case you don't know, boaters dump their shoes before stepping aboard their boats and you'll be expected to do the same on all of the show boats. So I suggest wearing flops or slip on loafers or better yet boat shoes that you can slip off. (Yes, boaters even take off the "boat shoes" when they step aboard, odd isn't it but its common courtesy.)

There's plenty to do, a lot of food and drink and be sure to have the kids stop by the US Coast Guard Sector Charleston tent. Fishing demonstrations are held every two hours at The Charleston Angler Bass Tub.

More information about the boat show at this link Charleston In-Water Boat Show and check out the details on the Middleton 58' at Barrier Island Yacht Sales. Better yet visit the boat in person at the show this weekend and have Captain Lane Jefferies give you a personal tour.

Also at the Charleston "In Water" Boat Show you'll find the crew of Southern Comfort happy to tell you about life on the water and all the facts about yacht chartering. Just look for the White Southern Comfort Polo Shirts and ask them about taking a weekend cruise down the intercoastal waterway to Beaufort, Savannah or even Hilton Head's Harbortown Yacht Basin.

Container Ships You Don't Want to Pass

2008-04-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

More photos of the Ital Florida at Life Floating By Ital Florida

Coast Guard Rescues Four Near Charleston Harbor Entrance

2008-04-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Four boaters were rescued by the Coast Guard after their vessel ran aground near the jetties on the southern portion of the Charleston Harbor entrance on Monday April 7, 2008.

Anne Sinkinson, 52, from Gloucester, Mass., Elizabeth Sinkinson, 27, of Charleston, and Mary Taylor, 55, from Tennington, N.J., were on a 23-foot Regulator center console boat piloted by C. Lucas Drake, 43, of Charleston when the vessel ran aground on a sandbar near the south jetties. The Vessel was taking on water in the surf as the crashing waves pounded the vessel.

The four were reported to have left the Carolina Yacht Club earlier in the day, but spotted traveling on full plane towards Ft. Sumter but on the wrong side of the jetties.

A nearby boater called Coast Guard Sector Charleston for assistance for the four boaters on the foundering vessel. Sector launched a rescue boat from Station Charleston and a rescue helicopter from Air Facility Charleston to assist the boaters. A nearby Towboat US salvage vessel joined in the effort.

The 23-foot vessel was in water too shallow for the rescue or salvage boats to get to safely. The four were having difficulty getting to their lifejackets, so the aircrew was brought in to hoist the four to safety.

Video USCG Sector Charleston

The helicopter's rescue swimmer jumped into the harbor channel near the vessel and swam to the grounded vessel. Then one-by-one the flight mechanic in the helicopter and the rescue swimmer hoisted the four to the helicopter using a hoist basket.

The four were hoisted to safety and brought to Air Facility Charleston at Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island, S.C. The four boaters were not injured during the incident. The boat however was a total loss after completely capsizing during the salvage effort which took until 11:00 PM Monday night.

As with "Water Bug" grounding a few weeks ago a lack of "local knowledge" combined with poor seamanship nearly caused a fatal incident.

Major Props and Bravo Zulu to the Sector Charleston for saving some not so bright boaters.

Havana Day Dreaming

2008-04-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

I adjust the focus on the binoculars, less than a mile away a small Royal Bahamas Defence Force Patrol Boat that has been shadowing us for the last hour comes into view.

On the other side of the boat is the coast of Cuba. I’ve watched the long yellow image that marks the shore line on the color radar since about 3 AM, with a mental note to stay on course or go to jail and risk having the boat claimed by Fidel himself.

Should you think I’m kidding, there is the tale of the Cymar a 40 foot sailboat owned by a UK citizen, that ran aground on the Cuban coast and sustained only minor damage only to be plundered by the Cuba Coast Guard, to let you know otherwise.

In the predawn hours Cuba looks anything but hostile. In full daylight the island nation looks empty, deserted, completely inviting. Lush green forests and stark white beaches, a back ground of cobalt blue skies and gin clear water contrast drastically with the imagines of Fidel’s Cuba broadcast over the years by the US media. Over the next six hours I watch as pristine beaches and the untouched Caribbean forest pass by.

Miami bound traffic heading the opposite direction is the normal eclectic collection of cruise ships, fishing boats and small Caribbean freighters.

If there are large groups of pro-Castro supporters holding an anti-US rally I don’t see them. Yet, the image we have of Cuba is that of 1950’s era autos, crowded streets, decrepit hospitals, wide spread poverty and of course GITMO.

It’s sad that the only US Government backed effort in Cuba is a military prison. I can’t help but wonder what has been lost because of our half century long “cold war” with the Castro regime.

And so the days of Papa Hemingway holding court poolside in Havana are long gone. Fidel himself is fading into the past much like the sun drenched shoreline that is left behind in the wake of an 80 foot motor yacht heading east.

Still the island echoes the past and the memories and images that the mention of Havana brings to mind. Hemingway enjoyed these waters without the same concern I have on this early dawn. But soon after the photo below was taken, relations with Cuba would change.

Yet, I doubt anyone expected that change or Castro would be so permanent.

Shrimp Boats at the Bailey Docks

2008-04-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Recently the town of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina closed the Bailey Docks on Shem Creek because of safety concerns. To many this comes as no surprise as the docks have been in disrepair for a number of years.

Still it reminds us that our seafood industry has fallen on hard times, due mainly to imported farm raised shrimp and soaring fuel prices. But it’s more than a few boats being forced off the docks; it’s a way of life and part of our South Carolina heritage that is being erased.

Years ago the "fleet" at Shem Creek might have been nearly two dozen strong. A forest of outriggers reaching skyward; nets hanging in the humid summer coastal air, boats docked sometimes three abreast at Shem Creek.

Shem Creek Circa 1976 Photo by Don Burbidge

The summer sounds of shrimp boats unloading the day’s catch dockside, men at work on boats often mixed with dishes clanking together and joyous conversation at seafood restaurants less than 20 feet away.

Shem Creek was the center of the seafood business in Charleston for the longest time and a natural location for seafood restaurants, many of which are now also gone.

Across the Carolinas, shrimp boats have plied the coastal waters since the early 1900's. Port Royal was once home to one of the largest shrimp processors in the state. Beaufort was once home to several builders of shrimp boats. But since 2000 the number of active shrimp boats in the state has declined by 50% and this year the number of boats is expected to fall by half again.

On Seabrook Island back in the 80’s my brothers and I would rise before day break and count the shrimp boats, that passed by less than 100 yards from shore. The sound of diesel engines would fill the air, bright deck lights illuminated the boats like it was mid day as we watched the deck crews going about their chores, our shore side voyeurism unnoticed. Each boat would slowly pass and then disappear into the faint light of a summer’s dawn.

The Rockville Fleet would be joined by boats from Edisto and Beaufort, Folly and Mt. Pleasant and further up the coast, Georgetown and Murrells Inlet. The lights of shrimp trawlers would greet the day and pace back and forth hour after hour, while beach goers enjoyed a lazy day in the surf.

Offshore the shrimp boats were always a beautiful sight, spotless white hulls and brightly colored pilot houses of red and green and blue, with names like Miss Liberty, Tina Marie, Jennifer Ann and Lady Eleanor. Like girl friends from the past, at a distance beautiful, but often rusty, faded and of poor repair up close.

They are work boats, and the men aboard these boats take pride in what makes a shrimp boat sea worthy, a sturdy deck and a solid keel with plenty of diesel power to keep going straight under the strain of her nets in the water.

A plastic snow globe from Myrtle Beach features a shrimp boat on a blue plastic ocean. When shook tiny seagulls circle around the trawler like wild snow flakes and then descend to back to rest on the bottom, only to be shook again and again, a tacky plastic souvenir from our cultural past and our heritage that is now being lost.

If you close your eyes you and still hear the sounds of seagulls, as they compete for scraps sent overboard, the rumble of diesel engines hard at work going out for another day of casting nets, sounds that once echoed throughout the low country early each summer morning not so long ago.

Alaska Ranger Sinks 120 Miles from Dutch Harbor

2008-03-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Looking out on the tranquil Charleston harbor this morning it's hard to imagine the catastrophic tragedy that occurred early yesterday off the coast of Alaska.

Reports from CNN and others provide conflicting details, and few facts. What is known is that during the pre dawn hours Sunday the commercial fishing vessel Alaska Ranger with a crew of 47, sank abut 120 miles west of the remote port of Dutch Harbor. Forty two of the crew were rescued, and the bodies of four crewmen were recovered with one crew member still missing.

Sources identified those killed as ship's captain Eric Peter Jacobsen, chief engineer Daniel Cook, mate David Silveira and crewman Byron Carrillo.

The crew of the 184-foot Alaska Ranger, contacted the Coast Guard at 2:50 AM Sunday to report they had lost control of their rudder and that the vessel was rapidly taking on water. The entire 47-member crew is believed to have put on survival suits and abandoned the ship, according to the US Coast Guard in Dutch Harbor.

Transcript of Alaska Ranger mayday call.

More Coverage at: ABC News

Once only known to boat captains who made their living fishing for Alaskan King Crab Dutch Harbor has become synonymous with the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" hosted by Mike Rowe.

The series has gained national acclaim and a large following due in part to the dangerous waters and courageous crews that work the Opilio and King Crab seasons off the Alaskan Coast.

Known as the most hazardous occupation in the country, commercial fishing claimed the lives of 641 commercial fisherman between 1994 and 2004. Each year, an average of 127 vessels are lost.

The tragic events aboard Alaska Ranger yesterday are a grim reminder of the risks that those who go down to the sea in ships take everyday.

A reminder that even in the clam waters of Charleston Harbor all boaters need to be careful, knowledgeable and always prepared for an emergency.

More Photos

An unoccupied lone life raft from the Alaska Ranger adrift. Photo Credit: US Coast Guard - Kodiak

Footnote:

To add unexpected twist to the above statement Coast Guard Sector Charleston issued the following press release today.

Coast Guard Member Injured During Boarding

CHARLESTON, S.C. - A Coast Guard member was injured today during a vessel of interest boarding of a 793-foot container ship 12-miles east of Charleston at 10 a.m.

Ensign Rachael Perrot, 23, is assigned to Coast Guard Sector Charleston in the enforcement division and was boarding the merchant vessel Kamari when she lost her footing and fell 12-feet from a rope ladder.

Perrot was immediately picked up by a Coast Guard small boat. She was then transported by a Coast Guard helicopter from Air Facility Charleston to the Medical University of South Carolina for a head injury she sustained during the fall.

Perrot has been treated and released. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident. The seas were four to six-feet with winds of 20 knots at the time of the boarding.

Person of Interest in Calvert Case Dead

2008-03-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

A former business associate of a missing couple who live part-time on Hilton Head Island has apparently committed suicide tonight and left two notes, according to a news release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The body of Dennis Gerwing, deemed by the Sheriff’s Office as a “person of interest in the disappearance case,” was found today in the upstairs bathroom of a Sea Pines villa his company manages.

Top law enforcement officers, the coroner and the area’s solicitor converged on the Swallowtail of Sea Pines condo complex after 4 p.m. today. The body was removed around 7 p.m.

Gerwing left behind two notes that are being studied for statement analysis by forensic investigators with the State Law Enforcement Division, the release said.

The condos are managed by The Club Group, according to Beaufort County legal records. The Sheriff’s Office said earlier today that Gerwing, chief financial officer of The Club Group, was the last person to see the couple together before they were reported missing March 4.

Gerwing’s home, business and cars were searched Saturday by authorities in relation to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of John and Liz Calvert, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office reported earlier today.

Empty tank leads to 6-hour Rescue

2008-03-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Beaufort Gazette Reports:

An empty gas tank forced a Beaufort Water Search and Rescue Squad crew out on the water for an almost six-hour call Sunday night into Monday morning.

The squad received a distress call at about 7:45 p.m. from a 20-foot boat whose passengers said they were a "little more than a money" from Bolling Hall Landing in Jasper County.

The crew ended up finding the boat about 5 miles from its reported location, said squad Skipper Dick Jennings.

The three passengers were cold when found but otherwise unharmed, authorities said.
Fuel was provided and the boat was on its way at about 1:30 on Monday morning.

Vigil for John and Liz Calvert

2008-03-10T14:14:00.001-07:00

The Calverts vanished without a trace last Monday after leaving a business meeting to go to their live aboard yacht in the Harbour Town Yacht Basin.

Tomorrow night employees and friends will hold a candlelight prayer vigil at 7:30 p.m. at the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town, with representatives of Providence Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head Island leading the service.

Employees of the marina are inviting all to attend the vigil.

While many theories abound, nothing of substance has come of the speculation. Local bloggers have even weighed in, offering thoughts and suggestions for local police and the public to ponder.

Blogs commenting of the disappearance of John and Liz:

Crazy Lady Talk

Under Cover Brother

Posting Goddess at Crime and Justice

Meanwhile the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has issued a formal missing person bulletin and now even the mindless three word sentence Nancy Grace has gotten into the media frenzy.

Outside of the nut case comments, one theme I keep hearing and to misquote F. Scott Fitzgerald as one blogger has "The rich are different". This has been repeated over and over again using words like "wealthy", "prominent" and "well heeled", but let me assure you of three things;

First Fitzgerald said "the very rich are different from you and me" and Hemingway's famously dismissive response "Yes, they have more money" is still on target, lastly John and Liz are not what you could consider very rich and they are not so different at all.

They own a business, a very modest boat and modest home in Atlanta, a dog, a cat and average Mercedes, a Porsche and an small airplane to get them from Atlanta to Hilton Head without the headache of trying to get home via the back roads of Georgia.

John and Liz are wonderful down to earth hard working people, that don't live extravagant lives or beyond their means.

Yes, they were doing alright, which makes it all the harder for anyone who knows them to understand why they would just disappear.

USCG Cutter Rescues Water Bug Crew

2008-03-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Coast Guard reported rescuing three occupants of a boat that hit the south jetties in Charleston Harbor and began taking on water Thursday evening. According to the Charleston Post and Courier the boat's owner suffered back injuries while two others aboard the 48-foot boat named "Water Bug" home ported at Baltimore Maryland were not injured in the 7:51 p.m. crash, said Lee Bower, search and rescue coordinator with the Coast Guard's Sector Charleston.

The Coast Guard launched two small boats, the Cutter Yellowfin and a helicopter. A Coast Guard small rescue boat took the Water Bug's occupants from the stern and ferried them to the Charleston City Marina.

Charleston County EMS took the boat's owner to a local hospital for treatment. The damaged vessel was towed by Tow Boat US.

Apparently the Water Bug was en route from the south when they took a wrong turn heading directly for the Charleston Harbor entrance.

Talk about taking a wrong turn the ship ended up high and dry during a storm off the coast of France this past weekend. The crew is safe and the ship undamaged but now what? Even at high tide the water is only four feet deep along this beach.

Harbour Town Yacht Basin Owners Missing

2008-03-06T12:29:00.001-08:00

Thursday March 6, 2008
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

ABC News is reporting that Harbour Town Yacht Basin owners John Calvert, 47, and his wife Elizabeth, 45, have not been seen since Monday March 3, 2008 after a late afternoon business meeting.

A search of their yacht “Yellow Jacket” and a home in Atlanta have turned up no evidence of foul play, but also no indication that those places had been visited since Monday.

Photo: Members of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department use a K-9 to search the dock around the boat of the missing couple Thursday afternoon. Credit: Jonathan Dyer/The Island Packet

John Calvert failed to meet his employees for a morning meeting on Tuesday and his wife Elizabeth Calvert, a tax attorney in Savannah, also never arrived at work.

In Hilton Head the couple normally stays aboard their 45-foot motor yacht named Yellow Jacket. The boat is reportedly tied up and secure, in its normal slip at the Harbor Town marina. ABC news is reporting that it does not appear that the couple slept aboard the boat on Monday night and that they left behind their dog and a cat but that nothing seems to be missing.

What is missing is their silver 2006 Mercedes E320 with Georgia tags, but the vehicle's GPS system is not activated and calls to the Calvert’s' phones go directly to voice mail.

The Beaufort Gazette is quoting Sheriff P.J. Tanner that the disappearance is "raising eyebrows" and that he would not rule out that the couple may have been victims of a crime.

UPDATE:

Friday March 7, 2008

The Beaufort Gazette is reporting:

The Mercedes belonging to John and Elizabeth Calvert was found in a parking lot in Palmetto Dunes early this morning, but the car contained no clues to their whereabouts, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said.

The car was found in a commercial parking lot in the Hilton Head Island resort. The Sheriff's Office would not say which lot it was because it is part of the ongoing investigation, Lt. Col. Neil Baxley said. Nothing was found in or around the car that provided new information on the case, the Sheriff's Office said. The car was found at 3 a.m. after a search of every parking lot on the island. The car was impounded and searched throroughly, the Sheriff's Office said.

A dive team was scheduled to search Harbour Town Yacht Basin this morning, but the effort was rescheduled for Saturday due to the weather, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said.

The Calverts were last seen Monday night and were reported missing when they didn't show up for business obligations Tuesday morning. John Calvert, 47, owns the company that manages the yacht basin and Harbour Town Resorts, which has 125 rental properties. Elizabeth Calvert, 45, is a Savannah business attorney at HunterMaclean, the state's largest law firm outside Atlanta. The couple live part of the time in Atlanta and part-time on a boat, Yellow Jacket, docked in Harbour Town.

Authorities say they're still not able to say a crime has occurred with the disappearance.

Additional Coverage:

Beaufort Gazette
Hilton Head Island Packet

Chris’ personal note:

I answered my cell phone on Thursday night, calling was a polite reporter with the Island Packet. The line of questioning was not surprising, he wanted to know if I could think of any odd or strange business dealings the Calvert's might have had. The thinking behind this at least by someone doesn't know John or Liz is understandable, but as far as I'm concerned it's also going in the wrong direction.

I'm quoted in the Friday addition of the Island Packet as follows:

Chris McIntire, who runs a charter yacht called "Southern Comfort" that passes through Harbour Town a few times per year, said John Calvert was always there to offer a hand.

"He's like the world's nicest guy," McIntire said. "He'd always stop somewhere to help somebody."

As I explained to the reporter I only know John from a business relationship around the marina, but I regret my use of the word "like" besides my valley speak error, John is not "like" he "is" the world's nicest person.

I’m surprised that the Charleston Post and Courier has not picked up this story. I’ve known John for several years and he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, the kind of person who has never met a stranger. Like most boaters John's always ready to help anyone who asks.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of John and Liz Calvert please contact the Beaufort County Sheriff’s office at 843) 842-4111 or call 911.

John Calvert is 47 and 5 feet 6 inches tall with blue eyes and grey hair. Liz Calvert 45 and is 5 feet 4 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair possibly last driving their silver 2006 Mercedes E320 with Georgia tag GT821B.

William F. Buckley, Jr.

2008-02-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

Conservative author and columnist William F. Buckley Jr., passed away February 27, 2008 at his home in Stamford Connecticut. He was 82. His death comes at a time when the entire conservative movement seems to be at the abyss.

But I’ll leave the rants and raves about Buckley’s conservative views to the pundits, the talking heads of media that drone on and on in a time when every news anchor has an opinion yet still refer to themselves as reporters.

Buckley was an admitted editorialist, prolific writer and author, but he was also a sailor, and a well accomplished transoceanic sailor at that. While a member of many yacht clubs, his home was the New York Yacht Club. With all the traditions of a 150 year old club, NYYC cherished their renowned writer by treating him as an equal, he held no honorary directorship or committee chairman’s position and was simply noted as “member”.

Buckley’s sailing exploits are legendary; he authored several books chronicling his adventures as well as a numerous instructional books and videos.

First time students taking the US Coast Guard Captain’s course are often surprised to find themselves watching a safety video with none other than William F. Buckley, Jr. sitting on this sailboat in New England. His wonderful voice and unique New England accent expelling the virtues of “being prepared for any eventuality while upon the sea”.

Buckley was not without his eccentricity, when asked about provisioning a chartered yacht for a 30 day voyage from Hawaii to New Guinea, his only request was for 25 cases of vintage wine and unspecified quantities of peanut butter and Goo-Goo bars.

Once finding himself in heavy fog along the Massachusetts coast, Buckley and his guests smartly elected to put his sailboat “Patito” into Rockport Harbor and requested dockage via VHF radio at the Sandy Bay Yacht Club. Club staff were quite surprised to have a celebrity at hand and Buckley graciously offered to pose for photos with the thick fog as a back drop.

Patito by the way is Spanish for duck, a name suited for a small 36 foot yacht and a famous man without a famous ego. On April 15, 2007, his wife of 58 years, the former Patricia Aldyen Austin Taylor, died. While through the years Mr. and Mrs. Buckley often called each other “Ducky.”

In the July 2004 issue of The Atlantic Monthly Buckley reflects on his decision so sell his boat, the closing sentence is pure Buckley:

“So, deciding that the time has come to sell the Patito and forfeit all that is not lightly done, and it brings to mind the step yet ahead, which is giving up life itself”.

Bravo Zulu Mr. Buckley, well done.

Coastal Pollution

2008-02-23T06:45:00.001-08:00

A story in today’s Post and Courier "Pollution from Ships Big Worry" discusses the effects of ships that burn cheap heavy bunker oil on the environment.

Politicians and South Carolina Port Authority Officials have an amazing talent for trivializing the momentous and complicating the obvious.

A quote from Byron D. Miller, director of public relations for the S.C. State Ports Authority is a case in point:

"Unlike port cities in California, Charleston meets EPA goals for particulates, the small particles in diesel emissions that are blamed for lung disease and asthma. We are an attainment area, so we don't have some of the issues they have on the West Coast

In other words the ocean wind blows the diesel exhaust to Columbia so Charleston doesn’t have a problem.

Anyone who has traveled to Bermuda or the Bahamas has certainly noticed how clean and fresh the ocean breeze. While neither country has strict pollution regulations, many island streets are clogged with oil spitting smoking two and four cycle scooters and small cars and trucks that would make most state side tree huggers scream and the EPA to produce mounds of reports. Of course the reason the air is clear and clean is Mother Nature supplies plenty wind to give the islands a daily breath of “fresh air” but it doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem.

On days when the wind fails to blow it doesn’t take long and the air might as well be from Mexico City or Tokyo.

Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands had a local trash dump that was becoming a problem. Weekly burning was used to keep the amount of trash in check and a debate raged on for nearly two years as what to do with the expanding mound of trash.

Recycling is not unheard of, as island people reuse just about everything but the trash mountain continued to expand. That was until Mother Nature settled the “what to do” arguments and brought a Hurricane to the islands that swept the 3 acre town dump out to sea, along with many homes and the beer cooler from Niper’s Bar. Twenty years of trash gone at about 130 miles per hour and spread over a million square miles of ocean.

Today rather than build a suitable recycling center and garbage processing facility they just went back to business as usual. Such is the way of the Islands, but I doubt we have that luxury here in Charleston.

Breakfast

2008-02-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

A cool rain has come to Charleston this morning. The forecast that was calling for strong winds and thunderstorms has been down graded to a steady rain, perhaps the first of many spring showers to come.

Now in early morning darkness Charleston has slowly begun to waken, and traffic is still sparse for today is Presidents day. Banks are closed as is the Post Office and many government offices but everything else is up and running including the sprinklers at the Coastal Carolina Savings Bank despite the steady rain.

I’ve always found sprinklers running in the rain one of mankind’s oddest achievements, like stoplights that show red for a painfully long time without another car in sight.

Long before sprinkler systems and traffic lights a plenty, a day of steady Low Country rain was a day off from work in the fields. Rainy days meant a time to catch up on some tractor maintenance or pull that starter off the pickup and fix the front door that has been sticking since fall.

A Monday rain was even better since week long projects had yet to be started and some things could wait. Years ago breakfast on a farm was an amazing adventure and many times I witnessed this daily occurrence that was normal to my farm raised cousins.

By 5:30 a half a dozen pick-up trucks were parked in the yard of the main farm house. As headlights illuminated the down pour, rain coats dashed up the gravel drive and were left in a red and yellow pile of dripping wetness just outside the side door that was well lit by a single light under the covered porch.

As best I could tell half of the young men who dripped their way into the large farm house kitchen were true family the other half adopted, but each gave my great aunt a quick good morning kiss on the cheek before sitting down to breakfast while outside the steady rain continued.

Of course this event happened on sunny mornings as well since tradition held that my great aunt fixed breakfast at the Coleman Farm every morning. Sons who lived down the road and next door came as did the hired help; all were treated like family, so for me it was sometimes hard to tell who was who.

Sausage, grits, scrambled eggs, coffee, biscuits and toast made the rounds. As a chair was pushed back and an empty plate removed, someone else would quickly fill the void. Most who departed did so with coffee in hand and a warm biscuit wrapped in a paper napkin in the pocket, which went a long way to make working in the rain nearly enjoyable.

One by one or in pairs they left heading out the door after a quick hug from my great aunt, into the pre dawn darkness. The sounds of bacon frying subsided and rain came harder as the last of the pickup lights twisted around the drive and down the road, at just after six in the morning, signaling the end to one of mankind’s greatest invention, breakfast.

The Wind

2008-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

The wind has returned to the marina. The long hot lazy days of summer offer an enjoyable offshore breeze but wind in the rigging, howling, whistling wind always returns in the fall. Haunting, eerie and welcomed. I don’t remember when the wind stopped, sometime during the first week of June I’d guess, but the return of real wind is a wonderful reminder that fall is here, which made me think about all the other sounds I think are awesome.

Rain at Augusta National during Masters Week.

The Beach any day. You just got to be there.

Blue Sky Basin Vail, CO at 4 PM in January. The wind against the spruce and fur trees and the snow under your skis.

LAX International terminal at Midnight the silence.

Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the calliope of mankind’s drunkenness.

Turn 4 at Lowes Motor Speedway during the final lap of the Coca Cola 600 it’s hard to say whether the crowd or the cars are louder.

The Freight Apron at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International during the 2AM push. The rise and fall of jet engines on departing cargo and FedEx flights. There is something symbolic about that sound and then the stillness. I don’t know what but symbolic just the same.

Breakfast at the Fairmont in New Orleans during an early morning thunderstorm in July. It’s the sound, the feeling of the big easy, linen and china, a slower pace that’s even slower when there no reason to hurry. The hotel has since been silenced by Katrina.

The arches at Union Station St. Louis at Mid Day Christmas week. If you don’t know I’m not sure I can explain. If you do know I’ll let you whisper it to me.

Sea Buoy at Bar Harbor Maine on a foggy night in October.

An 800 foot container ship passing under you while standing on the Ravenel Bridge at high tide. If you haven’t done this you are simply missing out.

The marina is alive with sound, dock lines pull and creak against the tide, masts are slapped in a staccato beat by halyards, mast supporting rigging humm, and a palmetto flag stands straight before the approaching storm.

The wind is everywhere.

The Post and Courier Blog comes to a Close

2008-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

Sometime ago I started a blog on myspace. It was an “R” rated account of events and relationships in graphic detail and soon had a pretty large following of trashy novel starved single women, soccer mom’s and working girls. It even has comments from past girl friends some pro and some wow they hate me!

So in order to keep the family from going crazy I also produced a “PG” version blog over at Cedar Posts and Barbed Wire Fences.

Life Floating By was created at the request of the Post and Courier. Recently, the editors at the Post and Courier have elected to rein in the outside bloggers and so Life Floating By will move off the Post and Courier site to Life Floating By at blogspot.com

The Post and Courier experiment seemed like a good idea, have local folks comment on whatever came to mind, but the idea never got off the ground. I think there were 3 other bloggers who signed up.

But all is not lost, Post and Courier “Charleston.net” is still the best internet paper around, the reader comments are a great feature. I should know because I also write to the Charlotte Observer weekly in order to make Sunday’s print edition.

The good news is this allows me to divide the enjoyable waterfront stories from the rants and raves, and still keeps the “R” rated stuff over at myspace.com where it belongs.

Another cup of coffee?

Dockside Conversations

2008-01-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

In this age of internet blogs, cell phones with global access, text and on line instant messages there’s a nice casualness about a one on one dockside conversation.

At the Charleston City Marina dockside conversations come in many forms. Often it’s about an approaching storm, boating mishap, or the price of fuel. But just as often it’s a position report.

Years ago, word of sailing ships and loved ones at sea circled the docks with each new ship’s arrival in Charleston Harbor. Along the docks of the peninsula scuttlebutt would travel like wildfire, from ship to ship and into local pubs, late into the night. Tall tales and greetings from afar were of equal interest.

Even today among sailors the reports come in like the tide. Though with the internet I talk to my parents nearly every day, the joy of hearing; “I saw your parent’s boat in Green Turtle last week” is always pleasing and just another way we are reminded how small the world really is.

My parent’s boat is in the Abaco Out Islands of the Bahamas this month. Green Turtle Cay (pronounced key) is their favorite place to winter. If you’ve never heard of Green Turtle, well that’s the way Mom and Dad would like to keep it. In fact posting on this blog about “their island” will have me in a lot of hot water.

But I can’t think of a place closer to being true paradise than Green Turtle Cay.

When Southern Comfort makes the trip during the cold months of January and February often it’s tough coming home to a South Carolina that is covered with drizzle and temps that hover around forty.

Green Turtle is pretty much 80 degrees year around. The island is a real life Corona Beer commercial, with cobalt blue sky, pristine sandy beaches that stretch for miles and water so clear you can see a starfish 30 feet down and believe you can reach out and touch it just below the surface of the turquoise blue waters.

And so I’ll pass some time this morning listening to news I already know. That my parents are doing well, their ship though small is in fine shape, and that they send greeting from paradise with a quote from Jimmy Buffet:

“The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful”.

United States Coast Guard Cutter Dallas

2008-01-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Post and Courier reports that “Capt. Eric Brown relinquished command of the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas on Friday to Capt. Robert Wagner in a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ship at the old Navy base in North Charleston”.

Unless you have seen USCG Dallas slipping under the Ravenel bridge heading to her berth at the old navy base you might have an idea that she’s a about the size of the Coast Guard’s Yellow Fin that is routinely used in Charleston Harbor.

But Dallas is a 378-foot high-endurance cutter and its one thing to see her in the harbor, a totally different story to be surprised by her sudden unexpected appearance 75 miles off shore.

Late one summer evening aboard Southern Comfort, as we were returning from a routine charter in the Bahamas, we heard a radio (securite) broadcast that described a night time live fire exercise that would be conducted by the USCG Cutter Dallas.

The announcement gave the latitude and longitude of a prohibited zone approximately 40 miles wide and 60 miles long and was repeated every 30 minutes. We placed the danger zone on our chart plotter and noted that Dallas would be at least 100 miles to the south as we headed north on our trip home.

Several hours later in the early hours before day break a surprising call came across the VHF radio.

"North bound motor vessel heading 360 degrees, speed 14 knots 28.77 North 78.01 degrees West - This is the United States Coast Guard Cutter Dallas".

Certian that Dallas was 100 miles south, our first reaction was to laugh at the hapless captain that had aparently crossed in to a live fire exercise.

Again the call came over the radio “North bound motor vessel heading 360 speed 14 knots 78.40 West 86.00 North”….

The second call raised our interest and then much to our sudden shock and surprise, there silhouetted in the faint light of the early dawn was the very distinctive shape of a United States warship less than a mile away and closing fast.

Southern Comfort had strayed into Dallas’ live fire zone and Dallas was not very happy.
We both reached for the microphone hoping to convince Dallas not to fire at our suddenly very small Hatteras motor yacht.

Dallas asked us to turn left and change our course to 090 (due West) and to leave the area as quickly as possible. We immediately changed our heading, made an extensive apology and increased our speed away from Dallas just to be on the safe side.

On the hour the same call we had heard through out the night again came over the radio, as we listened intently, and again we heard the same coordinates we had noted before, placing Dallas more that 100 miles to the south.

They were in live fire zone directly across or course, while broadcasting the coordinates for a live fire zone from the week before that was 100 miles away.

An hour later Dallas again called Southern Comfort to advise us the we could return to our original course and continue on to Charleston.

At the point we called Dallas to advise them of the error.

“Dallas please be advised that your securite broadcast is stating an area of operation that differs by 100 miles to the south.” There was a long long pause and then … “roger that we will advise”.
Several minutes later came…

“Motoryacht Southern Comfort this is Coast Guard Cutter Dallas, gentlemen you are correct, we have noted our error and apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you this morning. Please accept our sincerest apology. Cutter Dallas out!”

With that we both had a good laugh but we were also impressed with the way Dallas handled the situation. Professional and courteous, and when presented with their error apologizing via the VHF for the entire world to hear.

Thank you Dallas and Bravo Zulu Captain Eric Brown.

Filed under: Marina Life, Yachts Boats And Other Things That Float

Charleston on a Sunday Morning

2008-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

There is something surprisingly satisfying about a good cup of coffee before sunrise on the water.

Long before dawn, while most of the peninsula is still sleeping, the traffic on the connector non-existent and the only sound is the running tide racing past the pilings of the docks, my coffee pot perks away. In the cold winter air the smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the morning stillness.

It is said that Thomas Jefferson our 3rd President was an early riser and that he considered the hour before sunrise “God’s Hour”. Without preaching, and accepting that there are plenty of reasons to doubt God’s existence based on current events, an early morning walk along the battery might convince someone otherwise.

There is this amazing calliope of sound before dawn. Birds both sea and land take wing, their calls rejoice at the coming dawn as dolphins break the surface less than 30 feet away.

The moving white over red lights far across the harbor racing towards the sea buoy identify Charleston Pilot Boat Ft. Moultrie cutting through the water on her way to meet an incoming containership. The low pitched rumble of the caterpillar diesel engines stirs my soul. It’s a sound that says there are things to be done, work to do, and new day has begun.

The sound of a sanitation truck backing reminds me that not all early morning jobs are as glamorous as a harbor pilot’s. The random thump of Sunday newspapers on the sidewalk announces the arrival of the Post and Courier Sunday edition, just as it has for over 100 years.

The faint line of the horizon slowly edges towards daylight, at first just a touch of brightness in the eastern sky then in progressive stages rather than a slow accumulation, the sun closes in on Charleston. It’s been daylight on the Atlantic Ocean for five hours before the sun’s rays streak over Sullivan’s Island and bathe rainbow row, perhaps the best time to take a photo of those wonderful pastel colors is in the early morning.

While tourists sleep the peninsula belongs to her residents, few I know by name most by their dogs or the funny gait they run. Before long the sounds of horse drawn carriages will echo along the narrow streets, they will ply the streets like shrimp boats running back and forth and will soon be joined by noisy tour buses.

Tourists who are wrongly convinced that the first shots of the civil war were fired from these very cannons displayed at White Point Gardens will soon pose proudly beside them as proof of their visit to Charleston.

Sunday’s come to life on the Peninsula, when the Holy City offers the sound of church bells to the coming day. Throughout the morning bells ring, never on time or at the same time (it’s a Charleston thing) calling the faithful and giving a delight to tourists who discover an early morning walk in Charleston holds many nice surprises.

And I think about telling someone what I have known about Charleston mornings for nearly 30 years and then again maybe I’ll just have another cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Christmas on the river

2007-12-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

It might come as a surprise to many who live along Murray Boulevard that just across the water are a group of squatters who have claimed as their homes, a half a dozen boats that have been abandoned in the Ashley River.

They are not the nomadic gypsys of the past, and for the most part just a group of young people who have shunned all forms of formal employment for a life of “getting by”.

The other day I talked with one of these temporary tenants his hair in dreadlocks his body piercing a plenty. All things considered, just your slightly left of center college aged kid. With a few major exceptions, he has no dreams or goals, no Christmas wish list. No need for the internet or an iPod and no plans for work any time soon.

The City Marina has threatened them with arrest for trespassing late at night. It seems they use the laundry from time to time and the marina showers should they find them unlocked. “We like hanging out here at night” my tattooed friend tells me. What do you do for money? I ask. “We collect bottles, the girlfriend waits tables sometimes, need someone to buy the beer the weed”, he replies with a laugh.

The headlights of golf cart start moving down the dock. He excuses himself; “Man, I got to go that’s po po”, of course he means police. He disappears into the night and his unseen girlfriend exits to the shadows as well, and they both climb into a small john boat. They silently push off letting the current carry them away from the marina lights before starting the boat motor.

The stillness is soon disturbed by the rumble of “po po’s” golf cart. The police are really just marina staff with red polo shirts that say “dock security”.

Security has their orders; to keep the squatters out of the marina. On the other hand, the staff at The City Marina recently arranged transportation to MUSC’s emergency room, when one of them developed a foot infection.

As far as Christmas goes, the group plans a Christmas Eve get-together, a kind of a neighborhood open house. For all I know it will be a progressive diner moving from boat to boat with caroling along the way.

Should you find yourself out on Christmas Eve and hear strains of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” and “Silent Night” wafting across the Ashley River, it might just be our local boat squatters.

St. Nick and Coco

2007-12-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Things have turned quiet at the Charleston City Marina. Gone are the mega yachts, those gleaming white ships made of spotless fiberglass, bright shinny chrome and their perfectly tanned crew members. The cruising crowd has gone south as well. Those retired couples, enjoying their life aboard fuel efficient trawlers that have become the floating equivalent of motor homes.

On the vast and now mostly empty mega dock a straggler of the snow bird procession arrives in a sailboat with a faded yellow hull, that chalks away in a yellow and white cloud of dust. The boat is a 1977 Erwin sloop 28 feet long named Elizabeth. A boat that has been floating since what appears to be time began.

Two week before Christmas and I'd swear that his name might as well be St. Nicolas or even Santa Claus. Nick or at least his near likeness is really named George, complete with a pipe whose smoke encircles his head like a wreath, a full neatly trimmed gray beard and a head full of thick silver hair tucked up under a red wool cap.

I guess that George is nearly 70 though he could be 100, he is an attractive man for his age, with strong weathered features and a crooked smile like that of Harrison Ford.

His only passenger is Coco, an overly excitable Chocolate Lab that bounds off the boat the second the first dock line touches the cleats.

Coco has spotted a dolphin and wants everyone to know about it. Running back and forth along the dock and barking endlessly with George yelling "Coco, Coco, CooooooCooooo"!

Finally Coco obeys and wanders with his head hung low back to the sailboat but still his tail wags nonstop.

I suspect that George has traveled a lot with Coco as they both seem well suited to each other. Coco knows his job is to be the dolphin spotter, and George over looks Coco's inability to truly fufill his role as first mate.

George doesn't offer many answers, not even a last name, not that he's unfriendly more so just private. His wife, Elizabeth passed away nearly 15 years ago, he has a daughter in Texas and a son in Florida, neither, I decide he is very close to.

To the question of where is home? George simply points to the boat. Where are you heading? And he points south.

Coco needs some private time on a little green terra firma and so George and Coco head down the dock.

I glance at the boat and discreetly try to appraise the boat's seaworthiness. Yellow, Red and Blue Plastic jugs are lashed to the life lines running along both sides. The hull hasn't seen soapy water, a brush or wax in at least a decade but it seems sound, except where the deck is cracked in three places. Elsewhere rust abounds, duct tape holds a port light closed and I determine that I'd not sleep on this boat even if I was wearing a life jacket and cradling a fire extinguisher.

But I should not judge, for one man's love of the sea and a life of travel is not always what another would wish or tolerate.

It's not long and George is back, "too expensive for me to stay here" he says. "They (the dock office) gave me an hour". "I'll do some shopping and I'll be on my way". "Might just anchor over yonder", George continues while pointing to the mooring area just off the mega dock.

He repacks his pipe as Coco spots another dolphin and of course he's off on a run barking with George in pursuit, a noticeable stiffness in his stride.

The last of the winters light has faded by the time George and Coco have moved off the mega dock and anchored on the other side of the Ashley River Channel.

After night fall, by the dim light of a Coleman lantern I can make out the silhouette of Coco and George and I imagine them enjoying a fine dinner of the beanie weenies and Miller Lite that I helped them load aboard upon their return from shopping. I wish to join them and simply listen to all the tales George would offer.

All I can think of is Captain Jack Sparrow singing quietly…

Yo Ho Haul Together Hoist the Colors High
Heave Ho Thieves and Beggars
Never Shall We Die.

Dawn and George and Coco have already pulled up anchor. The sea birds circle overhead and though the morning mist I can make out the two of them motoring slowly towards the connector to a destination not yet known but heading south non the less.

I suspect that Christmas Eve aboard Elizabeth will be spent like most every night, watching the stars and enjoying the quiet except when Coco hears a dolphin break the surface 100 yards distant. I fear that should something happen to George and Coco, no one will ever know, much less care. But then the song returns.....

Yo Ho Haul Together Hoist the Colors High
Heave Ho Thieves and Beggars
Never Shall We Die......

Pirates and St. Nick live on forever and so do dogs named Coco.