Jan/Feb 2007 - Carolina Currents

FREE

January/February

2007

Current Destination:Elizabeth City - Harbor of Hospitality

Winter Boat Show Preview

Frostbite and Hot Toddy Race Series

Sailing with EmOcean

How Naval Stores Built the Tar Heel State

T H E B A L D H E A D I S L A N D R E G A T T A

www.bhiregatta.com

The Bald Head Island Regatta is perfectly positioned in both time and space to attract boats traveling from Key West, Miami, and Charleston Race Weeks to the NC Leukemia Cup, NC State Championship Regatta at NCYRA and Southern Bay Race Week on the Chesapeake.

A premiere vacation destination, Bald Head Island (www.bhisland.com) offers offshore and www.bhisland.com) offers offshore and www.bhisland.comprotected inland racing less than 20 minutes from the marina while the BHI staff provides a fi rst class experience at the tent site.

Visit www.bhiregatta.com and plan to sail www.bhiregatta.com and plan to sail www.bhiregatta.comBald Head Island in the spring.

April 20-222007

14

22

On the CoverEarly morning at Mariner’s Wharf, Elizabeth City, N.C. Photo by Jeff Linn from Manteo, N.C., e-mail [email protected]. His works are displayed at the Pasquotank Arts Council Gallery and other locations in Elizabeth City, Manteo and Nags Head.

T H E B A L D H E A D I S L A N D R E G A T T A

www.bhiregatta.com

The Bald Head Island Regatta is perfectly positioned in both time and space to attract boats traveling from Key West, Miami, and Charleston Race Weeks to the NC Leukemia Cup, NC State Championship Regatta at NCYRA and Southern Bay Race Week on the Chesapeake.

A premiere vacation destination, Bald Head Island (www.bhisland.com) offers offshore and www.bhisland.com) offers offshore and www.bhisland.comprotected inland racing less than 20 minutes from the marina while the BHI staff provides a fi rst class experience at the tent site.

Visit www.bhiregatta.com and plan to sail www.bhiregatta.com and plan to sail www.bhiregatta.comBald Head Island in the spring.

April 20-222007

Jan/Feb 2007 Carolina Currents 3The North and South Carolina Sailor’s Magazine

Current Contents

Departments

Features

Coming Next Issue

Elizabeth City, 14

Feature Coverage This Issue:

7 Year in Photos: 2006 Sailing Action Across the Carolinas

8 The Pickle Dish: Sailing with EmOcean

10 Sailor’s Life: Defeating Common Boat Noises

12 Currently Aweigh: Tackling the Everglades Challenge

14 Current Destination: Elizabeth City - Harbor of Hospitality

19 Regatta Roundup: Hot Toddy and other Ch-ch-chilly Races

20 Preview: Wind Slackens in Boat Show Sails

22 Portal to the Past: Naval Stores - The Industry that Built the Tar Heel State

23 Cruising Through: Equinox Arrives in Style

27 Casting About: Guide Shares Fishing Tips and Hot Spots

4 Publisher’s Ponderings5 Current News

11 EcoBoating18 Current Calendar20 Mail Buoy21 Club Corner24 New Products - Cool Boat Stuff25 Mystery Marker

26 Emily Coast28 Marketplace/Classifieds

• Spring Race and Boat Show Previews

• Current Destination: Georgetown, S.C.

• Another Serving of The Pickle Dish

• Classifieds Space Deadline: Jan. 25

(Mar/Apr ’07)

Havelock, 21

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Happy New Year!

4 Carolina Currents Jan/Feb 2007 www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Publisher’s Ponderings

PO Box 1090, Oriental NC 28571(252) 671-2654

www.CarolinaCurrents.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR/PUBLISHER Rob Lucey, E-mail [email protected] SOUTH CAROLINA EDITORWill Haynie ART DIRECTOR/OFFICE MANAGERJo LuceyWEBSITE DESIGN AND HOSTINGJohn T. BeresfordCONTRIBUTING WRITERS Graham Byrnes, Dave Corbett, Susan Goldsworthy, Geoff Bowlin, Elizabeth D. KnottsCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ART Jeff Linn, Gordy Hill, Mike McCulley,Sam Sharpe, Kate Cosby, Jim Kransburger

ADVERTISING For advertising information, call, e-mail [email protected] or visit our website for our media kit.COPYRIGHT 2006 Reproduction of any part of this pub-lication is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of the publisher. Carolina Currents is published bi-monthly and is distributed free at over 250 marine establisments in the Caro-linas. E-mail [email protected] if your organization would like to be added to our distribution list.Carolina Currents is available by subscription for $15 per year ($25 for two years); back issues are available for $5. Checks or money orders payable to Carolina Currents.For news stories e-mail [email protected]; letters to [email protected]; club corner updates to [email protected] story or photo contributions, go to www.CarolinaCurrents.com/guidelines.php for our submissions guidelines.This magazine is proudly printed in Easley, S.C. on paper with recycled content. Please give to another sailor or recycle after use.

For most people, sailing in January and February isn’t a high priority. But for a

few hardy salts, there’s no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing choices. We look at a few of these frostbite events in this issue’s Regatta Roundup.

~ ~ ~February also means Valentine’s Day

is coming, which gets me to thinking of my first date with the Admiral, who held no rank at the time. In fact, she had no inkling that her destiny would be so inter-twined with things nautical.

I’d convinced this lovely British lass to join me for a sail aboard my Endeavour 32 named Libertine. The day in question happened to be blustery. In fact, it was blowing like stink. I normally wouldn’t have been tempted away from the dock by Blackbeard’s treasure on such a day, but I’d made a date and needed to impress the lady.

Before we even cast off, my faithful cat Bobbie Sue licked her paw, stuck it in the air, meowed something like “crazy people!” and abandoned ship.

We backed out of the slip and the wind instantly pushed the bow down the channel toward a low bridge. Some vigorous reverse and forward thrusts and maniacal spinning of the helm brought us about and blew us into a neighbor’s pier, bending a lifeline stanchion. With a good shove from the neighbor, we were finally off in the proper outbound direction.

As we entered the bay, the full extent of the weather became evident. We began to bob over the tightly grouped four-foot swells. It became clear why so few boats were out on the bay enjoy-ing that early spring weekend.

Having come that far, I asked Jo to take the helm while I went to raise the sails.

With a smile on her face, she clamped her white-knuckled fingers around the wheel.

I scampered amidships yanking the sail ties off along the way, hauled on the halyard and the mainsail flogged up the mast. Jo kept the nose into the wind and soon I was back by her side. We cut the engine, picked a course and Libertine heeled over, slashing through the chop.

We only stayed out long enough to get a taste of what this sailing thing was all about. An uneventful, easy landing pro-vided slight redemption for the wayward departure. After stowing gear and welcoming Bobbie Sue back aboard, we headed out for dinner and well-earned margaritas.

We’ve had a few waves under our keels since then,

but after such a bumpy start I always knew we’d pull through to smoother waters.

~ ~ ~Speaking of romantics, what lady

doesn’t like a rose? At our northern border, Fred Fearing heads up the Rose Buddies, welcoming visiting sailors to the Carolinas with wine and flowers. We meet him this issue in our Current Destination feature on Elizabeth City - the Harbor of Hospitality.

We also look through the Portal to the Past at the Carolinas’ naval stores industry, catch another edition of Will Haynie’s Pickle Dish, and grab a preview of what you’ll find at the upcoming boat shows.

~ ~ ~We hope you enjoy these stories and

all the others we’ve packed in this issue. Don’t forget to support our advertis-ers who make it possible. And a special thank you from us to our subscribers who already span seven states and counting.

Rob LuceyEditor and Publisher

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For complete News coverage, visit www.CarolinaCurrents.com.Current

Howell Passes SAYRA Helm to HowellSAVANNAH, Ga. - Burton Howell,

commodore for the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association, doesn’t have far to go for advice from the past commodore. He recently relieved his wife Judy at the helm of the organization that oversees US Sail-ing racing in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Sailing author and rules expert Dave Perry will speak at the SAYRA general meeting Feb. 2-4 in Augusta, Ga. about racing rules and tactics.

Piwinski Heads Spirit Education CHARLESTON, S.C. - South Caro-

lina Maritime Foundation directors named Sarah Piwinski as the organization’s educa-tion director in charge of developing and administering the educational component aboard the new tall ship, Spirit of South

Carolina. The first student voyages aboard the schooner this fall will involve fifth and six grade students chosen from schools in the Lowcountry. A biological oceanogra-pher and College of Charleston graduate, Piwinski was until recently the assistant science coordinator at the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Mass.

Boaters Say They’d Pay for WaterwayCAROLINA BEACH, N.C. - A

survey floating the idea of a user fee for boaters to pay for maintenance of the Intracoastal Waterway was one topic discussed at the annual conference of the North Carolina Beach, Inlet and Water-way Association in November. The 1,500 coastal boaters surveyed said they would be willing to pay an average fee increase of $90 per year for assurances of open water-

ways and inlets. That would generate about $18 million annually from the more than 350,000 registered boats.

Pamlico Boat Show Moves to 2008WASHINGTON, N.C. - The inaugu-

ral in-water Pamlico Boat Show has been re-scheduled from May 2007 to 2008, due in part to the loss of organizer Kent Fulton of Carolina Winds Yachting Center and ongoing construction along the waterfront.

North Carolina Requires Vessel TitlingRALEIGH, N.C. - Anyone who pur-

chases a motorized vessel 14 feet or longer, who owns a personal watercraft or who has a lien on a vessel, regardless of size, will be required to title the vessel effective Jan. 1. Existing vessel owners will not be required to obtain a title certificate.


The $20 title is effective until the owner sells or transfers the boat, and provides a common form of proof of ownership. Mandatory titling will also align North Carolina with surrounding states, which require a vessel to be titled, and make it easier for owners to sell their vessels out of state or move to another state.

Tall Ship Aftermath in ArbitrationBEAUFORT, N.C. - North Carolina

Maritime Museum Director David Nate-man said in early December that lawyers were still sorting through a disagreement between the Friends of the N.C. Maritime Museum and the America’s Sails umbrella organization over how to divvy up proceeds from the Pepsi America’s Sails event in July - or even if there were proceeds to divvy.

West Marine Stores ClosedCHARLOTTE, N.C. - Stores in

Charlotte, Atlantic Beach and Savannah are among nearly 40 shuttered nationwide by West Marine, the nation’s largest marine supply retailer. “Our store closing program is proceeding on track and our cost struc-ture has been reduced,” said CEO Peter Harris. In October, the chain also cancelled its policy of matching the prices of prod-ucts found on the Internet, including prices found on its own website.

Frasch Coaching Special OlympicsCHARLESTON, S.C. - Charles-

ton sailor Meta Frasch has been selected as assistant coach for the U.S. Special Olympics sailing team that is headed to China in 2007. She also had the honor of opening and closing the recent games at Lake Tobesofkee in Macon, Ga., to which six teams of Charleston Special Olympians traveled with their unified partners.

Fishing License Needed in N.C.RALEIGH, N.C. - It now costs $15 to

troll a line while sailing the North Carolina coast. A license is required for anyone 16 and older to harvest finfish in the sounds, coastal rivers and their tributaries, out to three miles into the ocean. Anglers fish-ing from three to 200 miles offshore will

require this license to bring fish back to the shore. In 2005, North Carolina ranked third for the amount of saltwater fish caught. License fees will support habitat protection, public access and resource enhancement. Cost is $15 annually or $5 for a 10-day resident’s license, or for non-residents, $30 a year or $10 for 10 days.

Survey Seeks Ramp SitesRALEIGH, N.C. - The N.C. Wild-

life Resources Commission conducted an online and mail-in survey of boating access needs in coastal waters to identify the best locations for future boating access areas.

The Commission currently manages 202 boating access areas. Among the new-est is a boat ramp in New Bern’s Lawson Creek Park with access to the Neuse River.

For information on boating access areas, visit the commission’s www.ncwildlife.org online or call the Division of Engineering Services at (919)707-0150.

Streep Narrates Cape Lookout FilmHARKERS ISLAND, N.C. - Acad-

emy Award winning actress Meryl Streep has lent her vocal talents to “Ribbon of Sand,” a new film for the Cape Lookout National Seashore that premiers mid-Janu-ary in a new theater at the park’s Harkers Island Visitor Center. In the film, Streep reads quotes from natural history writings about the seashore’s coastal ecosystem, primarily drawn from the work of environ-mental pioneer Rachel Carson.

“Rachel Carson asked us to regard the natural world with a sense of wonder,” said Streep. “Her writings about the edge of the sea are an inspiration.”

Oriental, Washington Moorings?ORIENTAL, N.C. - Local govern-

ments in the popular boating towns of Ori-ental and Washington, N.C., are mulling over planting mooring fields. The Wash-ington Parks Department held a hearing in October and is seeking further input before making a recommendation. Oriental officials have also gathered opinions about mooring fields as part of a long-range planning project.

New Marine Industry Courses OfferedMOREHEAD CITY, N.C. - The N.C.

Marine Training and Education Cen-ter at Carteret Community College has introduced three new courses for students interested in entering the thriving marine industry, or for those wishing to advance their knowledge and repair their own sys-tems. Classes teach cold molded construc-tion, marine diesel repair and maintenance, and marine DC electrical installation, in addition to the program’s outboard class. Visit www.ncmartec.org for info.

Belle Isle Marina RenovatedGEORGETOWN, S.C. - Belle Isle

Marina now boasts 81 new Brazilian hard-wood floating docks and is in the process of finishing out its completely gutted and renovated marina building. While the marina primarily serves homeowners in the Belle Isle development, they do welcome transients, providing a convenient stop along the ICW just outside of Georgetown.

N.C. Marine Patrol Hires, PromotesRALEIGH, N.C. - Sailors on lakes

Norman, Wylie and Mountain Island can congratulate Russell “Rusty” Byerly who was recently promoted to lieutenant after 22 years with the N.C. Marine Patrol, the law enforcement branch of the Division of Marine Fisheries. Byerly will manage and supervise platoon operations for hunting, fishing and boating regulations in one of the state’s most popular recreational boating destinations. Recently hired were Gene Maready as a field officer working in the Tyrrell County area and Shane Bryan as a field officer in the Hatteras/Buxton area.

Trident Opens Carolina Loan OfficeNEW BERN, N.C. - Trident Funding

Corporation, which specializes in yacht financing, opened an office in New Bern in November. Vice president and regional manager Lynda Schulze Kemppainen had opened the company’s Annapolis, Md. office before moving back to the Carolinas to open the new location in offices above the new Galley Store marina office, 300 E. Front St.

Current News/contd.

Above: Offshore PHRF Class Yacht Racing, Bald Head Race Week, N.C., April.Top left: Brazilian tall ship Cisne Branco at Pepsi America’s Sail, Beaufort, N.C., July.Below: Zephyr, a Cape Dory Typhoon at the Whortonsville Cup, N.C., June.

Above: A Tripp 26 fights 25 knot winds at the CORA Charleston Race Week, Charleston, S.C., April. Below: Starting line at the Sunfish World Championships, Charleston, S.C., October. Local sailor David Loring was the winner.


2006 Sailing Action Across the Carolinas

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Thanks to our contributing photographers!

EmOcean is in a familiar position on the starting line.

Owner Bill Hanckel is hiking, at left. Will is at the helm

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By Will Haynie

CHARLESTON, S.C. - If you’ve been on out on the water anywhere from the Carolinas down to the Keys in the past

two years, chances are you’ve seen the sleek J/120 EmOcean that belongs to the Hanckel family of Charleston. That’s because in the short period of time they’ve owned it, they’ve campaigned EmOcean in Key West Race Week, Miami Race Week, Charleston Race Week, the Gulf Streamer Race from Daytona to Charleston, and almost every inshore buoy race Charleston Ocean Racing Association has put on.

“We’re getting a lot of bang for our buck,” owner Bill Hanckel told me. Hanckel grew up in a sailing family - his parents raced in regattas all over the country - and now Bill, wife Susan, and their children Will and Emily are carrying on the sailing tradition, and they’ve got the pickle dishes to prove it.

In June, Will, who is a recent College of Charleston graduate, won the Y-Flyer National Championship held in his homeport of Charleston, and he seriously campaigns an E Scow as well. He’ll be gearing up for the E Scow Nationals to be held in Charleston next June. Recently, he finished in the top half of the fleet in US Sailing’s Championship of Champions, in which all of the dinghy national champs raced against each other in Y-Flyers.

Meanwhile, back on the keelboat, EmOcean was at the top of its class at 2006 Key West Race Week before having a breakdown on the last day, was boat of the day on its course the last two days at Miami Race Week, won their class at Charleston Race Week, was first in class in the Gulf Streamer, and is consistently at the top of the highly competitive “A” Fleet racing PHRF in Charles-ton Ocean Racing Association.

Before getting the J/120, Bill was a co-owner of a Melges 24, and Will sailed a J/24. The whole family had a say in choosing the boat.

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National Champion Will Hanckel at the helm of hiswinning Y-Flyer

The Hanckels also enjoy cruising on EmOcean with family and friends

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“Susan wanted head room, something you could stay on, air conditioning and hot water. Emily wanted something with a wheel rather than a tiller and that was comfortable. Will wanted a large cockpit, an asymmetrical spinnaker, something that could be raced inshore and offshore, and that friends could be entertained on. Me - I just wanted a boat,” Bill says.

Given their racing performance and the fact that EmOcean is constantly spotted pleasure cruising around the Lowcountry, it looks like everyone got the boat they wanted.

Successfully campaigning a boat the size of a J/120 takes committed crewmembers as well. Racing with the Hanckels are mainsail trimmer Brian Zimmerman and bowman John C. Skin-ner, a cousin of the Hanckels. Both of them and many of the rest

of the crew grew up racing together in Optimists.

Bill Hanckel was one of several members of the Charleston sailing community who saw the need for

a community sailing program to provide local high schools and others the opportunity to take sailing to the next level. Along with five other avid local sailors, he founded Charleston Community Sailing (CCS).

“Charleston Community Sailing came about because when they outgrew the Optimist class, there was nowhere for these kids in our area to continue pursuing their desire. Community sailing became the vehicle that provided the boats and facility for the high schools to use,” Bill said.

CCS also provides support for Special Olympics sailing as well as the Buddy Sail program that helps underprivileged youth experience the joy of sailing. CCS now has 13 420’s and several powerboats, and it is looking to expand its role in the very active Charleston sailing community.

“I have been sailing and traveling with all the kids from an early age until today,” Bill says. “It just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait for the next adventure.”

Can’t you just sense the EmOcean in his words?

An example of a halyard “spiral wrap”

Strategic padding to prevent “anchor thud”


The Sailor’s Life

My wife relieved me at the helm as we sailed north up the ICW toward

the Virginia border, and I went below for a few well-earned moments of shuteye. The gentle rocking rhythm had just lulled my eyelids closed when I heard the noise: ka-thunk! ka-thunk! ka-thunk! Then a mo-ment of quiet. Then it recurred. Ka-thunk!

Sleep was not possible with this going on, so I headed out of the companionway and up to the bow. This was a sound I knew – the anchor thud. Our Bruce tends to rock in its roller. Sometimes the shank hits the sides of the roller channel making a small thump. Then it rocks the other way and the fluke strikes beneath our starboard anchor roller. That’s the louder thunk.

After tying it down with small stuff at the crown eye and wedging pieces of rubber along either side of the shank, I gave it a wiggle. It didn’t budge.

In the science of sounds, motion equals noise. The lack of motion equals blissful silence. The hull moving through water is a soothing sound. Most other noises are annoyances to be tracked down and elimi-nated. There are some benign boat sounds that are easy to stop. Then there are the unidentified noises.

Some are just new creaks that emerge as boats age or seas get rough, but others are warnings of emerging problems that

require attention. That line banging the mast might also be chafing against your spreaders, slowly sawing itself in two.

Back below, my head became reac-quainted with the pillow. My eyes closed. My mind began to cast adrift. Then my ears picked up the rattling click. It was a steady sound emanating from somewhere aft. Knuck, knuck, knuck, knuck, knuck…

I sat up and aimed my ears around the cabin. This was a new one. I opened lockers in the galley to check if something was rolling around. Loose cans, tools and jars often make annoying sounds. This problem is one of the easiest to fix – just stow them

a bit more securely. This time, no obvious suspect presented itself. The sound continued, and so did my search.

A skilled sound sleuth can tell a wood knock

from a metal click or a fiberglass thump. The interior of a boat is like the inside of a giant percussion instrument. Every sound is amplified. The hull is like the side of a drum, and the deck is the drumhead. An aluminum mast is a giant wind chime, ready to sound off whenever a line knocks against it.

On board our Morgan 382, Sea Spell, we have several halyards that bang the mast like a gong if we don’t secure them. Our solution is to tie them off to the lifeline stanchions, well away from the mast. Just

make sure to find a point with a fair lead to avoid chafing against the spreaders or standing rigging.

We also have a three-part line on the front of the mast used to raise and lower the spinnaker-pole mount. It sets up its own chorus of clatter-ing when the winds blow, particularly when we’re at anchor. But this line can’t be tied off to the stanchions. We

tried pulling it away from mast toward a stay with a bungee (as a sailing tool, bun-gees are right up there with duct tape, 5200 and WD-40), but that didn’t work well when the wind picked up. I ended up using a short piece of line to twist the offending lines in a tight spiral around the mast. That did the trick.

This newest noise seemed to be aft of the mast, so it wasn’t a line banging. Since the sound seemed to disappear when I poked my head out of the companionway, it was most likely something below decks.

As I made another round through the main cabin, I pressed down the pieces of teak trim near the joints. Recently, I’d tracked an elusive click to a couple of pieces of trim rubbing as the hull twisted. Tightening the screws a bit fixed that one.

Another suspect related to the nor-mal twisting of the hull underway is the foam insulation we’d installed above our headliner. As well as helping to regulate temperatures below, the insulation helps dampen the sound of feet tromping around on deck. But if two pieces rub together, the result can be an annoying squeak.

My latest mystery noise was too steady and seemingly unrelated to the rise and fall of the boat. One possibility was the wind

By Rob LuceySounding Off...…

Defeating Common Boat Noises

“ The interior of a boat is like the inside of a giant percussion

instrument. ”

Locker contortions while underway


Sounding Off...…Defeating Common Boat Noises

generator, which was turning steadily in the breeze. Since it is mounted on a pole on the starboard side of the transom, its sounds funnel through the quarter berth and into the cabin.

Noises from wind generators are hard to stifle. We put a piece of rubber under the pole mount when we installed it, hoping to dampen some of the sound transmitted to the deck. Keeping the blades smooth (a light sandpaper can take off barbs) and keeping it lubricated are the only other things we’ve found that help. The best solution is to compare different models before buying one. Some of them really are quieter than others, but there may be trade-offs in efficiency.

I flicked the switch to turn the wind gen off. It groaned to a stop, but the annoy-ing noise continued.

Finally, the answer came to me. The only other thing that was moving regularly enough to cause the steady click was the propeller. Sure, we were sailing, but the transmission was in neutral so the prop could turn as we moved through the water. Some argue that this practice can cause unneces-sary wear and tear on the gear, but we’ve decided it’s worth it for the quarter-knot or so we gain in boatspeed.

I pulled the companionway stairs aside and, sure enough, the sound was louder in the engine compartment. I called up to the admiral and had her shift into reverse. Voila! The sound instantly stopped. That narrowed it down to the prop or the shaft.

I dropped the swim ladder off the transom and hung off the back, peer-ing through the wash at the prop. If we’d snagged a fishing line, perhaps a hook or weight was banging the hull as the prop spun. But I could see nothing obvious.

Next, I emptied everything out of the sail locker and descended into the engine compartment to examine the shaft. It took a moment to find the loose nut on one of the bolts holding the shaft coupling together. After tightening it and snug-ging down the others, we shifted back into neutral. The prop swished into motion. The click was gone.

If I hadn’t heard the click, perhaps the bolts would have worked their way out. The result could have been a wildly wobbling prop shaft, which in turn could have caused expensive damage to the cutlass bearing or

transmission.With the crisis averted, I returned to

the leeward settee to settle into my sadly abbreviated nap. Satisfied that all noises were normal, I inserted the ultimate cure for all boat sounds – a pair of earplugs. Blanketed in quietude, I closed my eyes and drifted ashore in sleepland.

EcoBoating

With more than 22 million registered recreational boaters and 10,000

marinas in the United States, if we each did a little, it would go a long way in protect-ing our valuable water resources. Here are a few easy things you can do today to be an ecoBoater.

• It’s hard to believe that some slobs still mistake a river or a roadside ditch (which leads to a river, which leads to the bay) for a trashcan. Yet we’ve seen it with our own eyes. Always keep your trash on board. That includes cigarette butts, too.

• Once back ashore, head for the nearest dumpster.

In Dorchester, S.C., a group called Keep Dorchester County Beautiful launched a new program in 2006 called Boaters Baggin’ it for the Environment by setting up litter collection stations with signage and distrib-uting brochures asking boaters to collect one bag of litter whenever they are on the water. Kudos to them!

• Better still, take advantage of shore-side facilities to recycle plastic, glass, metals, and paper. The energy saved from recycling goes a long way toward reducing air and water pollution, as well as our dependence on Middle East oil. Yes, recycling is patriotic.

• Frustrated with that tangled fishing line? Take it ashore. A group called North Carolina Big Sweep in Zebulon, N.C., is installing monofilament line recycling receptacles at 50 marinas in North Carolina, taking a positive step to help prevent wildlife entanglements that they’d noticed during statewide beach cleanup events.

The Zebulon and Dorchester groups were among 18 organizations that received 2006 grants from the BoatU.S. Founda-tion for Boating Safety and Clean Water for innovative ideas about good stewardship of our waterways.Thank you for doing your part!

to Reduce Litter on the Waterways

Pitch In

Running down the Gulf of Mexico at 10 knots


Currently Aweigh

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Everglades Challenge (www.watertribe.com) is among the toughest small boat races, covering 300 miles from the Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico. It pits sailboats against kay-aks, canoes and other small vessels. North Carolina-based naval architect Graham Byrnes of B&B Yacht Design (www.Band-Byachtdesigns.com) competed in the 2006 event aboard his Core Sound 17 with crew Fred Van Rensburg. The 2007 race will be held March 3-11.

TAMPA BAY, Fla. - We were at the beach on Mullet Key by 5:30 a.m.

with about 50 other compet-itors fussing over boats of all shapes and sizes. At 7 a.m. we launched Green Heron off the beach with 10-knot northerly winds.

The sailboats headed into the Gulf while most of the paddled boats went inside to the Intracoastal Waterway.

The 18-foot G-Cat was first out into the Gulf and the Hobie 16 passed us as we cleared the Tampa channel. They dropped over the horizon and the few sails visible astern slowly faded away. We amused ourselves by seeing who could reach the highest speed while surfing, peaking at 11.8 knots.

Gasparilla Pass: 4:30 p.m. I’d hoped to take the shortcut through the shoals we’d used in 2005, but we didn’t know what the past year’s hurricane had done. At 100 feet from the breakers in shallow water, we concluded that it was impassible.

The powerboat channel was safer. We were rehearsing our mast-lowering plan to get under the Boca Grande swing bridge when I spotted a sport fisherman await-ing an opening. He waved us ahead. Then I blew our time gain by taking the wrong channel. As we beat back I scolded myself for trusting my memory instead of reading

the chart.We unrigged and Fred rowed while I

steered toward Checkpoint 1. The tide was with us up to the narrow span of the first bridge where we shipped oars to squeeze through. At the next bridge we annoyed the fishermen above by getting caught up in their lines. Check in: 6:41 p.m.

It was getting dark by the time we got back into the Gulf. The Boca Grande chan-nel looked like a black hole; surf booming on the north side reminded us that this was serious business with no room for mistakes.

We attempted to rest, but the motion and noise made sleep impossible. The rhumbline to Cape Romano took us about 10 miles off the coast.

We reefed to slow down. I’ll never forget the view as I lay across the foredeck, my head two feet from the bow, to shift the downhaul from the main tack to the reef tack. We’d surf down a wave and the bow would lift just before it would dig in and shoot a jet of water down each side.

The sun rose behind the high-rise condos at Marco. I said we might make Chokoloskee by lunch but, just as I lay down to sleep, the wind went light and dead ahead.

We rowed a while and trimmed the sails for the few cats’ paws. Close to Indian Key we found a sea breeze and could sail at last. A cruising boat came by and got

excited by the NC on our stern. They turned out to be acquaintances of Fred’s.

Chokoloskee: 4:45 p.m., arrived second. We got back out as quickly as we could, desperate to get clear of the Ten Thousand Islands area of the Everglades before dark.

The high tide helped. Rabbit Key Pass is shallow with twists and turns marked only by the occasional stake. We reached the Gulf without mishap, cleared Pavillion Key by dark and set a course for Northwest Cape. As I just lay down again for my first sleep since the race started, the wind again

went light and ahead.Off of the mouth of

Little Shark River: Mon-day, 8 a.m. We’d made a paltry 25 miles since dark, but we did get some sleep.

Had the cats slipped past in the night? We scanned the horizon but saw no one. We later learned that the Hobie crew had stayed on the

beach overnight, putting us in first.We beat around Cape Sable then lay

course for Flamingo, arriving at 3:16 p.m. I located the lock box to sign in and found that no one had yet signed in. We were still first.

We faced a night passage across the shallow remainder of Florida Bay, the trickiest part of the course. The labyrinth of deeper channels are sometimes marked by pipes or metal fence posts, but no Coast Guard day markers or lights.

We hustled to get as far as we could before dark.

In the setting sun I spotted the silhou-ette of the G cat. I guessed that they hadn’t yet reached Flamingo and maybe we had two hours lead.

Fred steered while I navigated. We put the centerboard down to just deeper than

We invite Carolina sailors who are sailing outside of our home waters to share their adventures with us via e-mail to

[email protected].

Carolina Boat Designer Tackles Everglades Challenge

By Graham Byrnes Photos by Gordy Hill

The crew have a well earned sleep


the rudder to act as a shallow depth indica-tor. The wind was aft and not heavy, but we took in a reef to slow the boat down, giving me time to find marks.

We had just passed between Dump Keys when I couldn’t find any more mark-ers. We thought there should be more and decided to put the anchor down and fix our position before we took any wrong turns.

I told Fred to “round her up,” but he had a mental lapse under the stress and jibed us instead. I ducked, anchor in hand, as both sails flew over me with a loud bang.

With two splints (a piece of sail batten and a table knife) and some duct tape, we repaired the sprit and were back in the race.

After navigating the Twisty Mile and Jimmy channels, Fred said, “Look astern, this is what I go to sea for. You could never get a picture of this.”

The new moon gave enough light to show our wake trailing more than a hun-dred yards. I was glad that he’d brought me back into the moment, as one can get too absorbed in a race.

We had clear water to the ICW and it was just a matter of following the channel to the finish.

Key Largo: Tuesday, 1:01 a.m. We anchored and I waded ashore to sign in two days and 18 hours after the start. I found the lock box and discovered that we were first.

We had averaged just over 4.5 knots for the 300 miles and managed to break the course record by just over nine hours.

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1306 Neuse Drive • Oriental, North Carolina 28571(252) 249-1180 • VHF 16

Whittaker Creek - Mile Marker 180

[email protected] • www.deatonyachts.com

Nestled in history. Steeped in charm.

There’s a reason we’re called the “Harbor of Hospitality.” Walk in the footsteps of history. Revel in the discovery of art. Paddle your kayak on the water. Simply put, there’s so much to see and do in Elizabeth City. Outdoors, indoors, shopping, dining, it’s all here. We’re just a short drive from Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks, so why are you waiting? You’ve found what you’re looking for in Elizabeth City.

Come viSit elizabeth City. The attraction is mutual.For more information, call the Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-252-335-5330 or toll-free at 1-866-324-8948.

For economic development opportunities, call the Albemarle Economic Development Commission toll-free at 1-888-338-1678.

DiscoverEC.org


Current Destination

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - With the busy cities of the Chesapeake

to the north and the wide expanses of North Carolina coastal estuaries to the south, Elizabeth City sits on a bend in the Pasquotank like the crossroads of two worlds, combining Old South charm with modern Carolina convenience.

Sam Vanderslice, the dock master [call on VHF 13 or (252)335-1424] proudly wearing his WWII ball cap, assists our attempt to back into a narrow slip at Mariner’s Wharf. A crowd of locals gathers to watch our progress and shout advice.

During the busy spring and fall migra-

tions, Sam has squeezed as many as 35 boats in the 22 slips along the free city docks by rafting some. Approach and dockside depths are 10 feet or better. Water is available, but no power. On rare nights when the docks are full, some boaters will drop a hook in 6-8 feet of water in Forbes Bay along the southern bank of the Pas-quotank River and dinghy to the Wharf.

The docks are best known for the Rose Buddies, a group of locals that formed in 1983 to welcome boaters. Before we even have the dock lines tied off, Fred Fearing, who at 93 is an original member of the Rose Buddies, arrives via golf cart to

deliver a fresh cut rose along with a gam invitation.

At 16:30, fellow cruisers and local characters wander down the lane to Fred’s yard for wine and cheese, beer and chips under a spreading canopy of trees as old as

Elizabeth City: Harbor of Hospitality

Fred Fearing presents a rose to a visiting boater

Always a Welcome in this Northeast N.C. Haven

Fred, whose roots in the town stretch back several generations. Rose Buddies John and Louise greet us with hearty smiles. They arrived by boat decades ago and tell tales of the last 30 years on the river, along with a joke or two and some useful advice for our forthcoming transit of the Dismal Swamp Canal and its locks.

“We just like to make people feel wel-come,” Fearing says with a smile. “And it works. Look at all these boats!”

After a welcome like this we know we’ll stay to experience more of Elizabeth City.

The morning brings more interesting

Pasquotank River

Mariner’s Wharf

Pelican Marina

Elizabeth City Shipyard

ICW

The Pasquotank County Court House, East Main Street


Elizabeth City: Harbor of HospitalityNOAA Chart extract showing the Elizabeth City area. The Dismal Swamp route continues to the north, while the Pasquotank River leads southeast to Albemarle Sound. NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

visitors to the nearby museum can avail themselves of their facilities.

For those who staying longer than the 48 hours permitted on the public docks at Mariner’s Wharf, or for those who prefer the convenience of shore power, water and shower houses, the floating docks at Pelican Marina on the northeast shore of the harbor provide a great alternative for $1 per foot per night. The marina, which changed hands in 2006, includes a well-stocked ship’s store, and the Marina Restaurant in the adjacent parking lot is a popular dining option. It is an easy stroll to town across the US 158 bascule bridge marking the southern terminus of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Approach depths average 12 feet plus with dockside depths of 5-8 feet. Call (252)335-5108.Lamb’s Marina, located three miles

north of the US 158 bascule bridge in Camden, provides the third option. While it is a bit too far to walk conveniently into downtown, the facility includes a fuel dock, convenience store and seafood market, and a couple of restaurants are located across the road. Approach and dockside depths average 5-6 feet. Call (252)388-1957.

By Susan GoldsworthyPhotos by Jo Lucey

Downtown Elizabeth City from the water

For trailerable boats, a ramp is available at nearby Charles Creek Park.

For repairs requiring a haul out, the historic Elizabeth City Shipyard on the southwest shore of the harbor is the place to go. The large metal building built in 1920 at 722 Riverside Ave. is the final rem-nant of a once thriving local boat building industry. Owner Lloyd Griffin III is in the midst of renovating his docks, so slip space is limited until completion expected some-time in 2007. Call (252)335-2118.

townspeople: A young girl walks by with her pet rabbit on a leash. Another local informs us that we had better hurry to the nearby bakery if we want fresh bread today.

About the only true deficit at the city docks is the lack of public restrooms. Boat-ers visiting the Convention and Visitors Bureau can use the facilities in that water-front building, 500 S. Water St. Likewise,

The city offers free dockage for 48 hours at Mariner’s Wharf

Your Friendly Neighborhood Shipping Center

Goin’ Postal Elizabeth City1010 W. Ehringhaus St.Suite BElizabeth City, NC 27909

Phone: 252-331-1181Fax: 252-331-1187

Open: M-F 8.30-6.00Sat 9.00-1.00

[email protected]

The Museum of the Albermarle

Moth Boat exhibit inside museum

ALL YOUR GALLEY NEEDS!


The pedestrian friendly downtown with a small town feel is just off the wharf, featuring a library, Post Office, free wire-less Internet, coffee houses, a bookstore, laundromat, plentiful restaurants, a few lively watering holes, pharmacies and a hardware store.

SoHo Organic Market, 101 East colo-nial Ave., is great for healthy provisioning. Call (252)338-8378. And Farm Fresh Supermarket will give cruisers a lift to and from the dock. Call (252)331-1301.

Current Destination

The Charles O. Robinson House on East Main St. is still a family residence

to catch a current film and enjoy dinner. Call (252)337-7600 for showtimes.

Should you prefer live theater, check out the latest offering at Encore Theatre, 613 E. Main St. Call (252)338-3382.

If you need to brush up on locating Polaris to assist your celestial naviga-tion, walk less than a mile from the docks to the Elizabeth City State University campus for a free show at the ECSU Planetarium, 1704 Weeksville Rd. Show times vary, so call to see what’s scheduled: (252)335-3SKY.

Elizabeth CityThings to do in Elizabeth City

Most cruisers know about the Rose Buddies parties, but there’s a lot more to do while visiting Elizabeth City than just enjoying wine and cheese.

The massive Museum of the Albemarle, 501 S. Water St., is hard to miss. While some exhibits remain in the works,

it officially opened in 2006 after years of off-and-on construction. The restored shad boat hanging above the lobby with full sails flying is dramatic, and a Moth Boat exhibit gives a small history of the popular racing craft devel-oped by Captain Joel Van Sant during a 1929 visit to Elizabeth City and once produced locally.

Racers still gather in the harbor for the Classic Moth Boat Regatta, traditionally held the third Saturday in September, and the State Championship, scheduled this year for May 5. Visit www.mothboat.com.

Stop by the friendly Visitors Center to grab a walking tour guide, then set out to explore the city’s six historic districts featur-ing impressive commercial, public and residential structures in a variety of styles.

If you’ve been cinematically deprived on your voyage, the Carolina Grille and The-ater, 115 N. Poindexter St., offers a chance

The Pasquotank Arts Council Gallery, 609 E. Main St., provides an opportunity to see a variety of works from dozens of local artists. They also carry a line of “Har-bor of Hospitality” merchandise.

• Fresh Produce

• Homeopathic Remedies

• Bulk Foods

• Organics

• Special Diet

101 E Colonial AveDowntown Elizabeth City

Mon – Sat 9am – 6pm 252-338-8378

Dismal Swamp DoorstepAmong the early settlers along the harbor were Adam and Elizabeth Tooley, who

opened a tavern (no doubt serving wine and cheese) near the present town docks in 1790 - the same year construction began on the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.

The Tooleys hospitably provided the land for the founding of the town of Redding in 1794, and it was renamed Elizabeth Towne in 1794 - perhaps in gratitude to Mrs. Tooley - later growing into Elizabeth City.

The canal opening is historically connected to the economic rise of the town from a small agricultural, lumber and fishing center to a major shipping hub. The canal’s continued management remains vital to the health of the city ‘s waterfront district, as almost all of the transient boaters at the city’s docks are beginning or finishing a transit of the canal.

No visit to Elizabeth City can be complete without contemplation of the fate of the country’s oldest man-made waterway. Some accounts claim the George Washington, a subscriber to the Canal Corporation, surveyed the route. Slaves built the canal, and it first opened to commercial traffic in 1804 bringing an era of prosperity to the town.

During the Civil War, the canal served as a vital link in the Underground Railroad. Many escaped slaves hid in the dense swampland while awaiting passage aboard passing watercraft. Today, the canal provides access to a superb natural area harboring more than 200 species of birds. In 2006 almost 2,000 boats transited the canal.

Unfortunately, funding to keep the canal open to boating traffic is constantly at the whim of Washington politics, forcing supporters to campaign annually for enough money to keep the historic locks operating. To close this National Historic Landmark would be a true loss to the Carolina boating community. Visit www.dismalswamp.com.

Historic downtown

Pasquotank Arts Council GalleryOriginal paintings, prints, photography and handcrafts. Large line of Elizabeth City items,

• Harbor Nights: June 1, July 4, August 3 - Entertainment on the downtown waterfront

• Taste of Elizabeth City: June 30 - Our signature event. Food from over 20 restaurants and music by the Nationally known band The Embers

• Harbor Arts Festival: June 30 & July 1 – A celebration of fine arts and crafts on the downtown waterfront

609 East Main StreetDowntown Elizabeth City, NC252-338-6455 • www.pasquotankarts.org

Don’t Miss Our Summer Events:hats, shirts, Tervis Tumblers, cooler bags and much more.

The Pelican Marina43 Camden Causeway, Elizabeth City, NC 27909

Tel: 252-335-5108 • Fax: 252-333-1848

Transient Slips • Hot Showers • Clean Restrooms • 60 Wet Slips Pump-Out Facilities • Boat Ramp • Well-Stocked Ship’s Store Watersports & Fishing Supplies

on the Pasquotank River

Planetarium Show

If you have kids aboard, a great new stop is Port Dis-cover, 613 E. Main St., a free hands-on science center.

Stroll in the footsteps of Orville and Wilbur Wright.

The brothers stopped through town on their way to their historic first flight, char-tering a boat to haul them and their gear to the Outer Banks. Several historic markers along the waterfront describe their visit.

While cruisers are most common dur-ing the spring and fall migrations, those who visit in the summer get a treat with

the annual Harbor Nights free waterfront music sponsored by the Arts Council. Call (252)388-6997.

Take the guesswork out of launching a website for your sailing adventures!Simply access your site from any online computer and upload stories. Includes:

• Home Page & Web Address• Ship’s Logs• Photo Galleries• Complete U.S. Locator Maps

Visit www.BoatTales.com for more information on launching your website, or e-mail [email protected], or call (405) 388-BOAT (2628).

• Guest Book • Journal/Blogs• E-mail Accounts• Boat and Crew Pages

Got Web?

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Current

DECEMBER 2006

30 Laser Series #3 (Lake Norman, N.C.) www. lakenormanyachtclub.com31 New Years Eve Countdown and Fireworks (Kure Beach, N.C.) Features lowering of a lighted beach ball. Live music precedes a fireworks display to welcome in the New Year. Cape Fear Coast CVB. 31 Running of the Dragon (Oriental, N.C.) The Oriental Dragon comes out at 8 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. www.pamlicochamber.com

JANUARY 2007

1 Ice Bucket Invitational (Lake Norman, N.C.) www. lakenormanyachtclub.com1 2007 Hangover Regatta (Columbia Sailing Club, S.C.) Pete Olmstead (957)-3790, e-mail [email protected]. www.columbiasailingclub.org2 Fred Latham Regatta (New Bern, N.C.) Neuse Yacht Racing Association. www.nyra.org6, 20 Hot Toddy Sunfish Series (New Bern N.C.) First and third Saturdays through March starting at 12.30 p.m. Contact Rob Eberle (252) 635-191210-14 Atlanta Boat Show (Georgia World Congress Center) www.atlantaboatshow.com13 Winter Series # 5 (New Bern, N.C.) Neuse Yacht Racing Association. www.nyra.org13, 27 Laser Series #4, 5 (Lake Norman Y. C.)13-14 S.C. Aquarium Community Appreciation Days (Charleston) Cost $1. www.scaquarium.org/16 Free Admission Day: N.C. Aquarium (Pine Knoll Shores) (252) 247-400316-28 Charleston Boat Show (Charleston, S.C.)www.thecharlestonboatshow.com18-21 Columbia Boat Show (Columbia Conv. Center, S.C.) www.boatshowfairgrounds.com

Organizers: Submit Calendar listings of interest to Carolina sailors online at

www.CarolinaCurrents.com.

24-25 Boatbuilding Carpentry see Jan. 20-2126-29 Watercolor Workshop (N.C. Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island) The workshop will concentrate on basic painting and drawing of small work boats and skiffs. Cost: $425. (252) 305-541130 Fifth Annual Savannah International Boat Show (Savannah International Trade and Conv. Center, Ga.) www.savannahinternationalboatshow.com/

APRIL 2007

12-15 Charleston Race Week (Charleston, S.C.) Three days of racing and true Southern hospitality. www.charlestonraceweek.com (843) 722-103014, 21, 28 Build Your Own Kayak (N.C. Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island) Cost: $600 members, $675 non-members (252) 475-175014-15 Sail Making (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731719-20 12-Volt Electric Systems Troubleshooting (N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731720-22 Bald Head Island Regatta (Bald Head Island, N.C.) www.bhiregatta.com26-29 S.C. In-Water Boat Show (Charleston Harbor Marina) Deidre Menefee (843) 345-0369 [email protected]

MAY 2007

17-20 Charleston Maritime Festival (Maritime Center) Includes tall ships, Spirit of South Carolina Celebration, Family Boat Building. (843) 722-1030. www.charlestonmaritimefestival.com/18 Charleston to Bermuda Race Start (Charleston, S.C.) www.charlestontobermuda.com18-20 2007 Laser Masters (Wrightsville Beach, N.C.) www.carolinayachtclub.org/lasermasters.html

See our website for complete listings including regattas and other events around the Carolinas.

Regattas listed are open to all sailors, although a PHRF rating or regional sailing mambership may be needed. If you plan on attending an event, contact the organizer ahead of time since details can change.

19-21 Grand Strand Boat Show (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) www.grandstrandboatshow.com20-21 Boatbuilding Carpentry (Round-bottomed) (N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731719-21 Grand Strand Boat Show (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) www.grandstrandboatshow.com/26-28 27th Annual Charleston Boat Show (Charleston Area Conv. Center and Coliseum)

FEBRUARY 2007

2-4 SAYRA Annual Meeting (Augusta, Georgia) www.sayra-sailing.com3-11 One-Week Boatbuilding Class (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort, N.C.) (252) 728-73177-11 Mid-Atlantic Boat Show (Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C.) www.ncboatshows.com10, 24 Laser Series #6, 7 (Lake Norman Y. C.)16-18 Carolina Power and Sailboat Show (State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C.) www.ncboatshows.com23-25 Central Carolina Boat Show (Greensboro, N.C.) (336) 855-0208 www.ncboatshows.com24-25 Boatbuilding Carpentry (Flat-bottomed) (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-7317. Also Apr. 21-22

MARCH 2007

10-11 Knotting/Splicing Class (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731715-16 Diesel Maintenance (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731717 Boat-in-a-Day Class (Watercraft Center, N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort) (252) 728-731724 Hot Toddy Sunfish Series Awards presentation and final party (New Bern, N.C.) see Jan. 6

Sunfish SeriesHotToddy

Bundled up to fight the cold on this December afternoon

Traditional Hot Toddy Recipe

2 oz of Scotch whisky, 1 tsp sugar, 5 1/2 oz boiling wa-ter, lemon, nutmeg. Place a sugar cube or equivalent into an Irish coffee cup or mug. Fill 2/3 full with boil-ing water. Add whisky and stir. Garnish with a slice of lemon, dust with nutmeg, and serve. Substitute rum for whisky to make a Sailor’s Toddy.


With Charleston receiving its first “thunder snow” ever in November,

this winter may shape up to be a particu-larly cold one. But that won’t keep some diehard Carolina sailors off the water.

In many areas north of the Carolinas, most boats are hauled out and winterized for the season. Here, there is no off season. Boats just keep rounding the buoys, albeit in slightly diminished numbers.

While actual frost is rare during mid-Atlantic winter races, the cold fronts do thin the racing ranks down to about half of what they are during warmer seasons.

Among the hardiest bunch of winter sailors are participants in the New Bern Sunfish Hot Toddy Series, now in its second year. Skimming just inches over the water on a sub-freezing day defines dedica-tion - even if water temperatures rarely dip below 48 degrees in the Neuse River.

Up to a dozen participants don full wet suits, neoprene racing boots (preferably with Gortex waterproof socks over a pair of warm wool socks beneath) and winter racing gloves to keep themselves toasty warm during the races, held the first and third Saturdays of each month November through March.

A potluck social dinner with plenty of hot food (and hot toddies) follows each race. The season ends mid-March with a

starting at 11 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

The Charles-ton Ocean Racing Associa-tion also kicks off their winter season with an annual Hangover Race on Jan. 1, followed by a four-race Frostbite Series in January and February.

A fleet of Lasers began a Frostbite series in early December that continues every other weekend through February hosted by the Lake Norman Yacht Club. E-mail [email protected].

LNYC will start the year with its 21st Annual Ice Bucket Invitational on Jan.1. The race serves as the Lake Norman Championship for J-Boats, Ensigns, MC Scows, San Juans, Ultimate 20, Highland-ers and Flying Scots.

For larger PHRF boats, a six-race Icicle Series organized by the Lake Norman Keelboat Council begins Jan. 7 and runs through March, pitting LNYC skippers against those from Outrigger Yacht Club and Peninsula Yacht Club.

The Carolina Sailing Club’s Winter Series began in November on Jordan Lake in North Carolina and continues on the first and third Sunday afternoons of each month through March.

If the temperature is below 45 degrees and the wind is over 12 knots, racing will probably be cancelled - but not the post-race pot luck social. Check the club website at www.carolinasailingclub.org for details.

Lake Townsend Yacht Club in Greensboro, N.C., kicked off its frostbite series the first Saturday in December with the Old Frosty Race and will continue with the Frigid Digit Race on Jan. 6, the Snow Flake Race on Feb. 3 and March Madness on March 3.

party and unique awards presentations such as the “Ice Man” and “Capsize” awards.

For more information on dates and location, call Rob Eberle at (252)635-1912 or e-mail [email protected].

For larger boats on the river, the Neuse Yacht Racing Association kicked off its six-race Winter Series on Halloween with winds gusting over 40 mph. The racing continues through Jan. 27.

And, as it has for more than three decades, the Blackbeard Sailing Club in New Bern begins the year with the 34th annual Fred Latham Regatta on Jan. 1.

Another hardy bunch of “wet pants” sailors who don’t mind getting close to cold water are can be found on Lake Murray where the Columbia Sailing Club holds its Hangover Regatta on Jan. 1 for Sunfish, Hobie Cats, Optimists and JY 15s. Call Pete Olmstead at (803) 957-3790 or e-mail [email protected] for info.

Competitors who thaw out in time can return on Feb. 18 for the club’s annual Frostbite Regatta. E-mail Curt Rone at

[email protected] for details.

Larger cruising boats can join the spectator fleet for either race.

Long Bay Sail-ing Club in Myrtle Beach tradition-ally holds a two-race Hangover Regatta in Little River Inlet

Regatta Roundup

and Other Ch-ch-chilly RacesBy Elizabeth D. Knotts

The Saiboat Company will bring Com-pac Yachts to the Raleigh show

Upcoming Shows


Mail Buoy – Your Letters

on Sailing in the Carolinas

Our Greeting to your New PublicationThank you so much for this great new publication. I had been

personally following the posts as they have been appearing in your online edition, and will continue to do so. However, I am sending you a subscription so we can have a hard copy of your publication. We lived (and sailed) in South Carolina until retirement in 1998 when we moved to Oriental, so it will be interesting for us to see what is happening in and around Lake Murray where we sailed for years as members of the Lake Murray Sailing Club, and to read reports from Charleston where we lived as well. What a great story by Will Haynie in your first issue, reporting on the “Dorade Connection.”

We regard Carolina Currents as a new vessel recently launched and so appropriately named, therefore our greeting to your new publication is, “Fair winds, and following seas!”

George Duffie, commodore,Sailing Club of Oriental, N.C.

Port Royal and Beaufort, S.C.I just finished reading your article in the November/December

issue of Carolina Currents titled “A Tale of Two Beaus.” I was dis-appointed that you did not mention Port Royal Landing Marina, 2.5 miles south of the Downtown Marina with room for about 20 visiting boaters. …

Our website is www.portroyallandingmarina.com. Dona Butler, dockmaster, Port Royal Landing Marina, S.C.

Thanks for writing; we are saving Port Royal for a separate future Current Destination story. If we’d have included you with Beaufort, S.C., we would have had to include the Morehead City marinas with Beaufort, N.C. We simply didn’t have space to do that.

Rob Lucey, editor and publisher

Long-Distance SubscriberPlease accept my check for a subscription. I found your maga-

zine online and enjoyed it.Jimmy D. Gray, Longview, Texas.

Keep Up the Good WorkI like the magazine. Keep up the good work. People have been

bringing your magazine to my yard and showing me your first issue. They are all impressed with your work.

Keith Scott, The Sailboat Company, Richlands, N.C.

Submit Letters by e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your phone number, which we won’t

publish. We may edit for space.RALEIGH, N.C. - Sailors will see fewer masts towering over

this year’s winter boat shows in Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. “Crazy” Dave Condon of American Marine and Sail Supply in

Zebulon, N.C., said in early December that he planned to anchor the sailing section of the Carolina Power & Sail Show in Raleigh again with his Hunter, Catalina and Precision lines, but did not expect to attend the Charlotte show this year.

Carolina Winds from Washington, N.C., is down a partner and remaining partner Capt. David Norwood has opted to attend a show in Florida.

• Atlanta Boat Show, Jan. 10-14, Georgia World Congress Center (mixed power and sail)• 44th Annual Columbia Boat Show, Jan. 18-21, State Fair Grounds (all powerboats)• Grand Strand Boat Show, Jan. 19-21, Myrtle Beach, S.C. (mostly powerboats)• 27th Annual Charleston Boat Show, Jan. 26-28, Charleston Area Convention Center and Coliseum (all powerboats)• Mid-Atlantic Boat Show, Feb. 7-11, Charlotte Convention Center (mixed

power and sail)• Carolina Power & Sail Boat Show, Feb. 16-18, N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh (mixed)• Central Carolina Boat Show, Feb. 23-25, Greensboro, N.C. (mostly fishing boats)• Fifth Annual Savannah International Boat Show, March 30-April 1, Savannah International Trade and Conv. Center, Ga.• S.C. In-Water Boat Show, April 26-29, Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina

Wind Slackens in Boat Show SailsBy Rob Lucey

“We’re kind of having an identity crisis with sailboats this year,” admits show organizer Les Gray of Southeast Productions. “The amount of product for sailors is pretty slim.”

Still, anyone looking for pocket sailors, trailerables or entry-level vessels should find plenty of options.

American Sail Inc.’s David Stanton of Charleston will be showing his Daysailers, Aqua Cat and Aqua Finn models - all great entry level boats - at both shows as well as Atlanta. For owners of larger yachts, Stanton will also show The Dinks, his popular line of rowing and sailing tenders.

Sail & Ski Connection of Myrtle Beach, will again show their Hobie Cats.

Keith Scott of The Sailboat Company in Richlands, N.C., will be bringing the new 16’6” Com-Pac Legacy to the Raleigh show, but is also opting out of Charlotte.

“At one time the Raleigh show was full of sailboats

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are looking for news from sailing and yacht clubs in the Carolinas. Are you hosting an open regatta? Has your club upgraded facilities, launched a membership drive, or hosted a charity fundraiser? Have you elected new officers or planned a public boating class? Send the information to [email protected]. We’ll fit as much as we can in our next print edition and put the rest online in our Club Corner Dept.

Colorful Calypso in the parade


Club Corner

CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Maybe it wasn’t as historic as, say, Armstrong

stepping on the moon, but a notable event nonetheless. Hancock Yacht Club, the old-est continuing private club at Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point, held its 50th Anniversary party on Oct. 29.

Led and largely organized by past Commodore Ted Goetz, the occasion kicked off with a boat parade, which herded itself together on the Neuse, then proceeded into Hancock Creek to be reviewed by onlookers crowding the marina’s docks. Decked out in “dress ship” fashion, everything from kayaks to 40-foot sail and powerboats participated.

What made this event special was that many of the vessels had “Wounded War-riors” at the helm. Eight recuperating wounded Marines from the naval hospital at Camp Lejeune were included in all the proceedings.

The parade a success, it was time to feast. Members volunteered as galley slaves to feed the 200-plus guests with lobster, shrimp and side dishes provided by members.

The day wrapped up with the installa-tion of new officers, the recognition of past members who took the time to gather for the celebration, and most importantly the wounded Marines were singled out for a

standing ovation. The 50th Anniversary demonstrated the club’s ability to throw a party.

By Dave CorbettPhotos by Mike McCulley

Club Celebrates Golden Anniversary on the Neuse

inside and outside,” recalls the 20-year show veteran. “Now we’re a big minority.”

The decline in sailboats at the inland shows may be attributable to manufacturers concentrating on larger models, which are difficult to display in out-of-water venues. Plus many dealers say they now sell more small boats on-line than in shows.

Others link the decline to a general softening in the entry-level sailing market due to fewer learn-to-sail programs and less promotion by sailing organizations.

Show goers who want to learn the ropes will find a few sailing clubs represented, even at shows with a strong powerboat tilt, such as the Grand Strand Boat Show. Sailing schools like Oriental’s School of Sailing, Ocean Sailing Academy and Sea School of Charleston will also attend the Raleigh and Charlotte shows.

One small boat loaded with big boat features returning to the Raleigh show is the MacGregor 26M. Scotts Yachts will again bring one to the Raleigh show, but they will miss Charlotte this year due to a scheduling conflict.

“A 26-foot trailerable boat is a big boat. A lot of people will never get one any larger than that,” says Will Scott, who has operated his Wilmington-based dealership with wife Sandy for three decades. “For many years, until Hunter started building a 25, ours was the biggest sailboat at the show in Raleigh.”

For those looking for a larger selec-tion of cruising or racing vessels, the best options are to run to the Atlanta Boat Show or wait for the April in-water shows in Savannah (“the greatest nautical event of the year”) and Charleston (“the largest in-water boat show between Annapolis and West Palm Beach”). Details next issue!

A 19th Century naval stores facility

Henry Mintz boxes a longleaf pine


to the Past

When early mariners sailed into the Carolina colony, one of the re-

sources that most impressed them was the trees. Ancient live oaks and other hard-woods were harvested to build ships, but it was the vast longleaf pine forests that had the most enduring impact.

The pines were sought as much for their sap - or resin - as their strong timber.

The resin was collected and boiled down into tar used to coat lines and rigging to slow decay aboard mer-chant and naval vessels. Even hulls were coated with tar as an anti-foul-ing coat. Boiled down further, it became pitch used to caulk between planks and patch leaks.

Turpentine, formed by distill-ing the resin, was used for soap and lamp fuel. Rosin - a tur-pentining byproduct - was used on decks for traction, forming an antiskid surface.

Initially, tar was collected from abundant deadwood in the virgin forests. Logs were stacked, covered with earth and slowly burned in these tar kilns or “tarkils.” The heat released resin from the logs that ran down a pipe or ditch under the pile and was collected in pits or barrels.

Later, resin was collected directly from live trees with a technique called “boxing.”

The harvesters stripped bark off of trees in the winter and a notch was cut in the wood to catch the gummy resin running down the tree when the sap began to flow

By Elizabeth D. Knotts

in the spring. Eventually, methods evolved to use tin resin collection containers hung on the trees, much as maple tree sap is col-lected to distill into maple syrup and sugar.

“You can still see old trees in many places today that are scarred from being boxed,” says Harry Warren, director of the North Carolina Museum of Forestry in downtown Whitesville, N.C. These scars are known as “cat faces.”

Pine resin formed the foundation of a huge naval stores industry born along the Chowan River in the late 17th century. It spread south along the coast. Prior to the Revolution, the colony shipped more than 100,000 barrels of tar and pitch annually to England.

“Pines were as important to the English Navy as the Middle East oil fields

are to us today,” Warren says.Hundreds of ships from all over the

world anchored in Wilmington and Charleston to load barrels of naval stores produced as far inland as current-day Fayetteville.

Naval stores remained the top industry in North Carolina, even earning its citizens their once derogatory nickname, Tar Heels, sometime before the Civil War. During the war, however, cotton overtook naval stores as the top industry.

The destructive methods of the turpen-tiners eventually killed trees and left others vulnerable to storms and fires. As wooden vessels gave way to metal hulls and sail power was replaced by steam, the impor-tance of pitch and tar waned.

Longleaf pine remained among the most sought after timbers. Its slow growth created lumber of great strength that was shipped all over the world as giant squared timbers for bridges, factories, wharves and railroad beds.

At the peak of the logging in the 1890s and the first decade of the 1900s, North Carolina’s longleaf pine forests provided millions of board feet of timber each year.

But what once had been thought to be the “limitless” virgin forests were essentially gone by the 1920s.

The lumber and turpentine industries moved to Georgia, Florida and even Texas

in the 1940s to exploit remaining stands of longleafs. “By the 1980s the naval stores industry was virtually forgotten,” Warren says. “People didn’t know why they were called Tar Heels.”

The industry is remembered by a few people who collect resin to preserve the old methods and in museum exhibits:• The Rankin Museum of American Heritage, 131 W. Church St., Ellerbe, N.C., has one of the last turpentine stills in the state.• The N.C. Museum of Forestry, 415 South Madison St., Whiteville, N.C., includes boxed trees from the naval stores era and the second copper still.• The N.C. Museum of History, 5 East Edenton St., Raleigh, N.C., includes a Naval Stores exhibit with a longleaf pine tree trunk showing two “cat faces” cut for resin extraction.

The Industry that Built the Tar Heel StateNaval Stores


Cruising Through

In the early ‘80s, Bob and Kitty Bennett thought it might be fun to build a boat.

They tested the idea by building a 12-foot planked dinghy and enjoyed sailing it with their then-teenaged sons, so they decided to proceed with a larger vessel.

Initially, the Bennetts consulted with a contemporary boat designer. He realized that they had more traditional tastes and pointed them toward L. Francis Her-shoff ’s book “Sensible Cruising Designs,” singling out his 1947 Nereia design, named for one of Neptune’s daughters.

“It’s a perfect boat for two people,” Kitty says.

The couple rented a space behind a business in St. Petersburg and expected to finish the project in a couple of years.

Starting from the keel up (“We col-lected tire weights for a year,” Kitty recalls) in 1985, they built Equinox over nearly two decades, launching her in 2000, finishing her rig and sailing her for the first time in 2002, and moving aboard to begin cruising fulltime in May 2005.

In mid-November they sailed into Ori-ental and secured the eye-catching result of their labors in a slip to weather a storm while they flew down to Florida to enjoy Thanksgiving with their two grandchildren.

During construction, they salvaged and refurbished many of the parts that went into the vessel - from the New Zealand pine spars abandoned behind a rigging

Equinox Arrives in StyleStory and photos by Rob Lucey

shop to bronze portals picked up at flea markets - but they still gave up on tallying the construction costs after a few years.

“It was too depressing,” Bob admits.While Hershoff ’s book provided basic

plans, the Bennetts designed the cozy interior themselves and made numerous additions and modifications throughout. One alteration came when Bob decided to extend the cabin aft by two feet, which meant that the steps had to spiral around the forward part of the engine compart-ment, which necessitated replacing the traditional rectangular companionway hatch with a custom circular design that rotates open, which allowed him to add a short pilothouse.

“Boat designs are so tight that if you make one change you end up having to make several more,” Bob observes.

The boatbuilding couple scored a

Corian countertop for their galley from a cabinetmaker’s shop next to their con-struction site, and nabbed a load of deck teak leftover from construction of a larger vessel at a boatyard where Bob took a day job between stints as a police officer and teacher.

Most of their gear is traditional, including the fixed brass bilge pump, wooden blocks, air horn mounted on the mizzenmast, kerosene stove and heater. Modern conveniences include a KISS wind generator, radar, a GPS, Sirius satellite radio, an Engel refrigerator and a Simrad Tiller Pilot named Sinbad.

While the hull and decks are wood, the Bennetts chose fiberglass to mold the

cockpit, which is tiny by modern standards. “That’s one of the things we liked about this design,” Bob says, explaining that small cockpits hold less water when waves break over the low decks. It also doubles as a bathtub while cruising and a beer cooler during the equinox parties they held at their old marina. “It fits 10 bags of ice and 10 cases of beer,” Kitty reports.

For philosophical reasons they’ve chosen not to put lifelines around the deck. Instead they have sturdy grab rails and repurpose mooring lines as jacklines while underway.

The couple, now in their mid-50s, have cut their ties to shore to enjoy the fruits of their labor fulltime, although

The nav stationEquinox’s traditional lines

A cool place to hide a refrigerator Desk prism and instruments

Bob and Kitty on deck


New Products

s/v EquinoxBuilt - St. Petersburg, Fla., 1985-2002Design - L. Francis Hershoff “Nereia”Length on Deck - 36’ Beam - 11’ Weight - 12 tonsRig - Ketch Engine - Yanmar 27 hpTankage - 50 gallons fuel, 60 gallons waterConstruction - Cypress strip plank over yellow pine frameSpars - Kauri pine Deck - Teak

Cruising Through - Equinox/contd.

For fixed locations (such as marinas) the MWB-220 includes the same receiver, but has a built-in 90-degree directional antenna. Custom install kits with a sepa-rate 9dB fiberglass antenna are available.

Prices include a standard 25-foot net-work cable; add $20 for a 50-foot cable.To order, visit www.portnetworks.com or call 877-4PN-WIFI (877-476-9434).

Cool Boat Stuff

Marine Wi-Fi Bridge

Is the wi-fi connection at your marina marginal? Or perhaps you’d like to

connect to the Internet while at anchor. Either way, the built-in wi-fi card in your computer may not pull in a strong enough signal to enable you to connect, particularly when you’re below decks.

For these situations, the Marine Wire-less Bridge from Port Networks is worth considering. This waterproof box has both a transmitter and omnidirectional antenna which look for any available wire-less networks. A single data/power cable then leads to a small power module inside your boat. This is connected via a standard ethernet cable to your computer. Both 110-volt and 12-volt models are available.

We tested the MWB-200 (above) and found it boosted signals that did not even register using a standard laptop wi-fi card/antenna system. Connection was straight-forward and, since the unit comes pre-configured for use, it connected to the strongest signal automatically right out of the box. With this unit, your computer doesn’t need its own wi-fi adapter or any special hardware or software. The MWB-200 is compatible with both 802.11b and 802.11g access points, so it will work almost anywhere wi-fi is available, at up to 54 megabits per second.

Compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, costs range from $349 for the 110-volt system to $379 for the 12-volt unit.

By Gadget Girl

Kitty returned to her newspaper career briefly during the mid-term elections to replenish the cruising kitty, doing research for the New York Times’ Washington, D.C., bureau with Equinox docked in the Potomac River.

Since they began cruising, the couple has crossed through the Okeechobee waterway and sailed up the Atlantic Coast, through the Dismal Swamp Canal and Chesapeake, continuing as far as Mas-sachusetts. They’ve seen two other Nereias along the way, including a pretty sister ship in Deltaville, Va.

“I just love the people in the Carolinas,” Kitty reports. “We should have built the boat here.”

“People really look out for you, and there are so many great anchorages,” Bob concurs.

Apart from continuing south for the winter, they are keeping their future cruis-

ing plans flexible.“When we started

building the boat, we didn’t know if we’d love to sail,” Kitty admits. “We’ve since

learned to love it.”

During an emergency situation at sea, SeaPack makes a survival drink from any available water supply - salt water, brackish water, even muddy water.

SeaPack works on the principle of forward osmosis. It uses a sugar/nutri-ent solution to create osmotic pressure and draw the water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane filter. No hand pumping or electrical power is needed. The conversion process takes around four to six hours, depending on temperature.

It is small enough to fit in a liferaft canister or in an emergency ditch bag and costs $100 per pack. Sealed in a waterproof pouch, the pack includes syrup charges for producing 2.5 liters of drink. Additional syrup packs cost $30.

The syrup packs have a three year shelf-life. For more information, visit www.sea-pack.com.

Emergency Desalination System on a Budget

Left: the mast-mounted horn


Mystery Marker

about the location, such as where the channel leads, a hazard in the area or some significant landmark nearby, or tell us about some personal sail-ing experience in the area around the marker.

• Include your name, the name and make of your boat, preferred e-mail and phone number.

Do you recognize this channel marker? If so, you can win a

prize.The first five people to prop-

erly identify this marker will win a free personal boating website for six months, courtesy of our contest sponsor, BoatTales.com. Simply e-mail the following to [email protected]:

• The name of the channel that the marker marks.

• Describe the location of the marker or give its coordinates.

• Describe a significant detail

Identify this Marker and Win!

Adventure on the High Sea!

Identify the location of this marker and win a BoatTales website for six months

Cool Boat Stuff/contd.

Susan Barry Blair’s book for readers age 8 to 13 narrates her family’s sailing adventures that began when she was

Abaco Gold - The Maravilla Connection

EDITOR’S NOTE: The red “40” marker from our Nov/Dec issue is located at ICW mile marker 480, St. John’s Island, just south of Charleston, S.C. near 32° 47’ N, 80° 07’W.

Capt. Martin Feuer of York Harbor Maine was the only reader to identify it.

David C. Corbett’s novel “Abaco Gold - The Maravilla Connection” throws salty ex-Marine pilot Jake Bottom into a hunt for a 350-year-old Span-ish treasure galleon with Jennifer Brewer, the beautiful sister of a brother-in-arms who is sadistically slain protect-ing the map to the treasure. The pair joins forces with Jake’s smuggling friend Mike Flynn in their efforts to recover the gold and jewels while fending off a murderous Columbian drug lord and his henchmen.

It’s a page-turning tale enriched by Corbett’s intimate familiarity with the Bahamas and their denizens. The ample sailing scenes woven into the plot add a further pleasure for boaters.

After retiring from the Marines in 1990, Corbett spent 13 winters cruis-ing in the Bahamas aboard a 41-foot sloop, spending summers most recently in

Minnesota. Readers may remember his contributions to Carolina Cruising and

Coastal Cruising magazine in the early 90s. After being boatless the past few

years, he’s finally come to his senses and returned to North Carolina

and bought a new sailboat.Hunt down a copy online

or e-mail David directly at [email protected] for a discount

autographed copy.Dog Ear Publishing, copyright 2005,

260 pgs. plus a 12-page glossary for non-sailors. ISBN 1-59858-072-8.

11. Setting out from the United Kingdom for “a year or two,” they endured seasick-ness, survived a hurricane in the Canary Islands, and their cat escaped a crocodile in Africa. They crossed the Atlantic in 19 days to reach the Caribbean.

After island-hopping up to Antigua, they continued north to Bermuda. Ini-tially the plan had been to then return to England. But after seeing the tall ships setting off for the U.S.A.’s Bicentennial celebrations, the family decided to follow them and instead of heading east they turned west.

Arriving in Maine (the only state they had a chart for) on July 4, 1976, the family finally settled in the Carolinas. Susan now keeps a sailboat on Lake Norman, N.C.

She wrote the book for her own chil-dren who are also avid sailors.

Available at www.xlibris.com. and other bookstores. ISBN 1-4257-2064-6.

?$

$$$


Emily Coast

Ahoy Ms. Coast,We recently purchased an Island Packet

and sailed into a dilemma when we reached our new slip. This is our first large sailboat, so we were a bit nervous. But the dockhand talked us in and the docking went smooth-ly with him helping to take our lines. That led to our dilemma. Should we tip dock-hands at marinas?

Signed,Seeking Tips

Gentle Reader,

In this age of so many levels of service, confusion reigns on the gratuity front. Even such once clear situations as tipping restaurant waiters grow murky.

Of course wait staff at sit down res-taurants should be rewarded for prompt, courteous service. But what do you do when you order at the counter and the waiter brings the food out to you? What about a buffet meal when a waiter brings your beverage and keeps it topped up?

On the other extreme, you must be vigilant these days to check if a gratu-ity has already been added to your bill in order to avoid tipping twice - although you are always free to leave additional money if exceptional service merits more than a restaurant’s automatic gratuity.

Marinas, however, are more like hotels or gas stations. There, too, norms have evolved over the decades.

Once it was customary to tip maids for services rendered during one’s stay at a hotel. Now, maids go about their jobs in a nearly invisible manner. Doormen, bellhops and the concierge also earned tips for pro-viding help hailing taxies, carrying luggage and making reservations for restaurants.

Submit Letters to Emily by e-mail to [email protected]. Ship-shape Advice from

the Etiquette Queen

NewOwnerSeeksTippingTips

When is a T

ip

Appropria

te?

Since the advent of motels, many trav-elers have never seen doormen or bellhops outside of movies. Rest assured, they still exist in upscale resorts and big city hotels, and it is still appropriate to reward these employees when you do encounter them and require their services.

Similarly, it is appropriate to offer a tip to a marina dockmaster or dockhand who provides exceptional services such as driving you to a market, assisting in track-ing down a spare part, helping to carry

groceries back to your boat or making a restaurant reservation for you.

Gas stations have also altered in the modern age. Full-service stations were once the norm. Today, having even a single full-service lane is a rarity.

For those with long memories, a stop at the gas station once included an attendant (often in a uniform) cleaning your win-dows, checking fluid levels and providing directions to wherever you were trying to get - all with a friendly smile on his face. Alas, no more.

Fuel docks, however, do retain a higher level of service in many places. It is not unusual for a dockhand to assist with your lines when you approach a fuel dock. Most

will stand ready to offer an absorbent pad for any stray drips. Some will even step aboard to fill your tank, saving you from suffering the odor of diesel on your hands for the remainder of the day.

We prefer to handle the fueling our-selves, since we use a baja-type filter at our deck fill cap and must monitor the tank level from below decks.

When you do receive superior service reminiscent of the gas stations of yore, do not hesitate to slip a dollar or three to the person who provided it. This is particularly appreciated in developing countries such as some Caribbean islands where a marina job is high-end employment and a dollar tip goes a long way.

As you stray from your homeport, you may also notice an intriguing phenomenon we’ve noted during our travels. In some marinas and fuel docks, the speed, qual-ity and amount of service is proportionate to one’s LOA. A 100-foot megayacht will quickly attract a flock of attentive atten-dants while an aged 25-foot sloop is lucky to get good instructions on the VHF. In fact, the larger boat might require greater assistance than the smaller one, but we suspect that savvy workers are following the best prospect for a larger gratuity. If yours is a well-maintained Island Packet, we expect that you will be well looked after in most marinas.

Finally, this is an appropriate time of year to consider the year-end gratuity. Just as you might remember a paperboy or other service provider during the holi-days, slipping a small gift to a dockhand or dockmaster who has looked after you attentively all year would be appreciated.

-Emily


Casting About

We sailors enjoy pulling on lines, but usually our efforts are geared

toward achieving that elusive perfect sail trim. But when it comes to fishing lines, we often could use some advice.

That’s why we were glad to find a help-ful new book, Rudow’s Guide to Fishing the Mid Atlantic, full of tips on how and where to catch fish.

Author Lenny Rudow is known as Boating Magazine’s “Ultimate Angler” and a contributor to many fishing maga-zines, so he is well qualified to give we sailing sorts a few tips on hotspots and techniques. The first third of his latest book provides specific “where-to-fish” advice for New York to North Car-olina, but South Carolina boaters should also benefit from subsequent two-thirds in which Rudow explores specific game fish and tactics for catching them.

Rudow describes North Carolina as unquestionably one of the “true world-class fishing hotspots.”

“Between the winter bluefin tuna and stripers, spring yellowfin tuna, summer mahi-mahi and billfish, and fall wahoo and yellowfin, coastal Carolina is visited by anglers of all types throughout the year,” he writes. “You should be one of them.”

He gives GPS coordinates for dozens of fishing locations and describes what can be expected at each of them. Many include wrecks in North Carolina’s Graveyard of the Atlantic.

“There are wrecks all over the place, some created during storms, some from hapless ships that ran aground on the shoals, and many that were torpedoed by

U-boats in World War II. All hold fish.”By marking these positions in your

charts, you’ll know where to drop a hook next time you’re sailing offshore, in the coastal bays or inlets. Even if you aren’t near a specific hotspot, Rudow recom-mends trolling a line in the water while sailing and keeping an eye out for such fea-

tures as the ubiquitous patches of weed:

“Weedlines are sort of a mix between solid structure and structure created by changes in the water. Weeds are solid, of course,

but the masses they form change and shift con-stantly. … wahoo will pop up under

them from time to time, but mahi-mahi are without question the most numerous predators found under virtually every weedline that circulates through the Mid Atlantic region.

“When you encounter a weedline, don’t zig-zag across it our you’ll just load up your baits with weeds. Instead, parallel it and cross

Rudow describes North Carolina as

unquestionably one of the “ true world-class fishing hotspots.”

Rudow’s Guide Shares Fishing Tips and Hotspots

only when you spot a clear opening. Look for solid items bobbing about in the weeds - tree branches, planks and the like - which tend to concentrate fish in the area. And make sure that each and every bait or lure you have in the water remains weed-free. Weed stuck on the hook is the kiss of death, and even a 1-inch chunk of weed is enough to keep the fish from striking.”

How to catch everything from trout to tuna is covered in a detailed, comprehen-sive fashion. The third section of the book focuses in on rigging, tackle and tactics, and describes both common and advanced angling techniques.

Salty sailors will enjoy learning such “must-know knots” as the Palomar and

Spider Hitch.Whether you want to try drifting

the bay for flounder, wreck fishing for sea bass, or trolling for marlin,

Rudow’s Guide will point the way.

And Rudow offers his personal guarantee: “If

this book doesn’t help you catch more fish,

I’ll eat my bait.”

Rudow’s Guide to Fishing

the Mid Atlantic, Geared Up Publications, soft cover,

265 pages, $19.95, www.geareduppublications.com or call

(800) 536-4670.

By Geoff Bowlin

43 Irwin Center Cockpit ‘87...... $107,900 36 Bayfield Cutter ‘88.......... $89,900 28 Beneteau First 285 ‘88 $23,900

42 Endeavour Center Ckpt ‘87 $140,000 36 C&C ‘81............................... $55,900 28 Ericcson Shoal Drft. ‘88 $24,900

42 Hunter Passage ‘95............... $159,900 35 Bristol 35.5 ‘79................. $68,500 28 Mariner ‘80....................... $22,900

41 Morgan Out Island ‘81........ $53,700 35 Wauquiez Pretorien ‘85 $89,000 28 O’Day ‘84.......................... $19,900

40 Gardner Sea Witch ‘71......... $19,900 33 Cape Dory ‘83 & ‘81........ $59,900 28 Pearson ‘84...................... $13,900

40 Hunter 40.5 ‘97...................... $109,000 33 Rhodes Swiftsure ‘59.... $10,900 27 C&C ‘72............................. $6,000

40 Linssen 40SE ‘88 (Pwr.)....... $164,900 32 Endeavour ‘82................. $24,900 27 O’Day ‘77.......................... $6,000

37 Fisher Pilot House ‘75.......... $58,900 30 Hunter Cheribini ‘83..... $17,900 27 Pacific SeaCraft ‘79....... $32,900

37 Tayana ‘88................................ $117,900 30 Soverel MkIII ‘74............. $8,900 24 Pacific Seacraft ‘96........ $69,900


Marketplace

Br oke r s !Advertise your listings here.

Call 252-671-2654

Special rates in our Marketplace sectionWeb site ads & classifieds available too

See our media kit at www.CarolinaCurrents.com

Brokerage, Marine Business & Classifieds

43’ Hatteras ‘79 $139,00040’ Heritage Nova ‘91 $185,00036’ Blackfin ‘88 $125,00036’ Prairie ‘81 $109,90030’ Sea Ray ‘94 $47,50028’ Cape Dory Trawler ‘89 $68,00025’ Mako ‘98 $35,50025’ Suncatcher LX ‘05 $18,50024’ Bayliner 2452 ‘02 $33,00018’ Chris Craft ‘64 $16,500

41’ Columbia ‘74 $32,00041’ Morgan Aft Cockpit ‘68 $49,00040’ Passport ‘82 $154,00038’ Cabo Rico ‘81 $74,50038’ Morgan 383 ‘83 $57,50036’ C&C ‘79 $34,90036’ CS ‘86 $46,50036’ Tiburon ‘76 $30,00035’ Gemini ‘96 $115,00035’ Bristol ‘76 $39,50034’ Pacific Seacraft Crealoch ‘87 $104,90034’ Pearson ‘86 $41,500

34’ Rival ‘76 $32,00033’ Freedom ‘82 $35,00032’ C&C 32 ‘80 $29,50032’ Ericson ‘86 $42,00032’ Hunter 320 ‘01 $71,50030’ Catalina ‘89 $33,50030’ Catalina C30 ‘86 $27,90030’ J-30 ‘81 $22,90030’ Pearson ‘72 $11,90028’ Cape Dory ‘82 $22,90028’ Catalina ‘91 $29,90028’ Tiara S2 ‘80 $11,00026’ Mac Gregor ‘01 $21,00026’ Seafarer ‘77 $6,50025’ B-Boat ‘91 $17,90025’ Catalina ‘86 $9,50025’ Catalina ‘84 $8,50023’ Seaward ‘95 $19,900

SAIL

Website: www.tritonyachts.comTel: 252-249-2210

E-mail: [email protected] at Sailcraft Marina, Oriental, N.C.

Boat storage, service & transportation at our boatyard on Midyette St., Oriental, N.C. Tel: 252-249-2001

Dealers for: Opti

POWER & TRAWLERS

40’ Heritage Nova East 1991 Clean, Spacious Trawler With Many Extras. Asking $185,000

Say you saw it in Carolina Currents!

Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor, Inc.

•Slipsales•Sliprentals•Brokerage•Charters•Fuel•Shipstore

P.O. Box 357 • Oriental, N.C. 28571

Office: 252-249-0666 • Fax: 252-249-2222 • Cell: 252-670-3759 • email: [email protected] • www.whittakercreek.com

Selected brokerage listings:

40’ Passport 1982 World Class Offshore Cruiser, Exc. Condition. Asking $154,000

THE SAILBOAT COMPANYDealer for Com-Pac Yachts

www.ipass.net/sailboat

• New Boats• Used Boats• Trailer Sales

P.O. Box 575Richlands NC 28574

(910) 324-4005Mon.-Sat.

Johnnie Scott • Keith Scott

• Sailing School• Sailing Software• Computer Racing



Classified Listings

McGraphics Assoc. Property Management

CUSTOM SAILSBUILT IN BEAUFORT NC

CALL FOR A QUOTE 800 533 3082www.omarsail.com

Sailboats Over 35 ft

RiverwindsTown House Style Condos & Private Marina

Large 3-story plan w/ elevator and boat slip

Model Open Call (252) 249-3010

Let businesses know you saw their ad here!

Oriental, NC Smith Creek

Cedar PegLog Homes

Cedar at pine priceswww.cedarpeg.com

Dealerships available

www.OrientalRiverWinds.comSpectacular Bird’s Eye Views …

Priceless Sunsets!

also available…

Specializing in Absentee Owner Property Management

Julia & Bob McDonaldPO Box 338Arapahoe, NC 28510

Phone 252-249-2601Mobile 252-617-9228Fax 252-249-6562

41’ Morgan Out Island 1979, re-cent survey, A/C, refrigeration, open-ing ports and screens replaced. Radar, GPS $59,900. www.carolinawind.com (252) 946-4653

40’ Island Packet 1995 Cruising in extreme comfort and safety! There is no question that the expression “ter-rific cruising boats” refers to the Island Packet series of well built, exceptional-ly engineered and beautifully appointed yachts. Offered at $199,999. Matthews Point Yacht Sales (252)514-7995.

40’ Morgan Ketch 1970 Perkins 108 New hull & bottom paint. Charlie Morgan design is refitted & ready to cruise. New sails, everything upgraded. $48,500. McCotter’s Marina (252) 975-2174.

36’ C&C 36 1981 Flag blue awlgrip hull, harken furling gear, dodger and matching bimini, new wood floor and central air system. $55,900. Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor (252) 249 0666.

Sailboats Under 35 ft

1978 Bristol 29.9 An adventuresome sailing craft which has plied the waters from Charleston to St. Michaels. Full keel, Yanmar engine, roller furling head sail, dinghy with engine. Great family boat. Asking $22,500. Call (919) 542-2795 or email [email protected] for photograph and boat specifications.

34’ Catalina 1990 (New listing) Tall rig, shoal draft, new Lectra-San. New teak/holly sole, sails & dodger/connector panel in ‘05 $59,700 www.carolinawind.com (252) 946-4653.

30’ Catalina 1989 shoal draft, davits and dinghy, autopilot, GPS, diesel, price reduction $32,500 www.carolinawind.com (252) 946-4653.

2001 Hunter 320 Probably the most thought out and engineered boat on the market today, featuring roller furling on both main and jib. Superb cockpit layout with traveler on the arch for unencum-bered seating for all; $69,900. Matthews Point Yacht Sales (252) 514-7995.

31’ Eastward Ho 1978 with lots of extras, $24,500, The Sailboat Company, (910) 324 4005.

27’ Com-Pac 1986 Very good con-dition with some nice modifica-tions. $29,000, The Sailboat Company, (910) 324 4005.

34’ Pearson 1986 “Vagabond” Bill Shaw design with keel/centerboard, new roller furling, Yanmar diesel, dodg-er and A/C. Asking $41,500 Triton Yacht Sales, Oriental, NC www.tritonyachts.com (252)249-2210.

40’ Linssen 40SE 1988 Double cab-in/flying bridge. $164,900. Whittaker Creek Yacht Harbor (252) 249 0666.21’ Cape Island Trawler 2005 Al-

most new, with trailer and 50 hp Honda. $32,000, The Sailboat Co., (910) 324 4005.


CLASSIFIEDS ORDERING INFORMATION

Sailboats >35’ Powerboats Sails & Canvas Real Estate ServicesSailboats 20’-35’ Dinghies Dockage/Slips Crew MiscellaneousSailboats <20’ Boat Gear Charter Boats Help Wanted Wanted

• Print ads are $1 per word ($20 minimum) per issue. Add images for $25. • Add any listing to our Web edition for just $3 for one month or $5 for two

months. Web ads will be posted online when the next print edition is distributed unless you request them to be posted upon submission.

• For a limited time and subject to available space, private party text ads for boat gear under $175 are FREE in our print edition if you e-mail the text to us. Limit 60 words total/two items per reader per issue. (You can still add your ad online for just $3 for one month or $5 for two months.) Tell your friends!

• Web Ads Only: If you prefer to reach only our online readers, you can place a one-month Classified Web ad for $5 for the first 50 words, $1 per additional 20 words. Add JPEG photos for $1 apiece. Extend the duration of any Web ad for $3 per month. (A 50-word ad running all year costs $38 or $40 with two photos.) Web ads can include one hotlink and must be e-mailed to us.

Send payment to:PO Box 1090, Oriental NC 28571

FREE print ads for Items under $175 when sent by e-mail.


Let businesses know you saw their ad here!

To place an ad:

Ad Costs: (FREE for items under $175)

• E-mail listings to [email protected] with words and JPEG photos; include ‘classified’ in the subject line.

• Add a $3 typing fee for ads sent by mail or phoned in.• Pay by check/money order to Carolina Currents, or securely

online to our Paypal account [email protected] (remember to let us know which ad the payment is for).

• Payment is required before processing.• Carolina Currents is published bi-monthly. Print ad deadline is

the 25th of second month preceding cover date (e.g. Jan. 25 for March/April). Payment due by ad deadline.

• Cancellations cannot be accepted once ad processed.

ClassifiedsCategories

30’ Catalina 1989 “Carpe Diem”, 23hp Universal diesel, self tailing winches, tall rig, 3’10” draft, propane stove, recent gel cell batteries, bimini, roller furling, A/C, dinghy, outboard included. Asking $33,500 Triton Yacht Sales, Oriental, NC www.tritonyachts.com (252)249-2210.

28’ Cape Dory 1982 “Trachelle” Carl Alberg classic designed full keel. New Beta Marine diesel, fresh paint, re-cent upgrades and sails, bronze open-ing ports, lots of extras. Asking $22,900 Triton Yacht Sales, Oriental, NC www.tritonyachts.com (252)249-2210.

Powerboats

42’ Grand Banks 1973 Shouldn’t you or your boat have some claim to fame? This beautiful example of the Grand Banks 42 line has her own Grand claim to fame. ‘Southern Voyager’ is the very last Woodie in the venerable Grand Banks 42 line. $79,000. Matthews Point Yacht Sales (252) 514-7995. Dinghies

42’ Grand Banks Trawler 1973 Twin 120 Lehman Diesels, 7.5 KW gen, two 16000 BTU reverse cycle heat & air units. She’s been kept under cover most of her life. Looks great and is ready to go. A beautiful boat. $89,500. McCotter’s Marina (252) 975-2174.

33’ Grady White 330 Express 2003 Twin 225 4-stroke Yamahas warrantied to 2009. 4.2 KW diesel gen. Great elec-tronics, TracVision Sat. TV. Like new in-side and out. $186,500. McCotter’s Ma-rina (252) 975-2174.

Caribe inflatables We offer great prices! From 8 foot to 20 foot in length, without a motor or with a motor pack-age. C9X and UB17 in stock and ready for inspection. Sailcraft Service, Oriental N.C. (252) 249-0522.

Boat Gear Edson pedestal steering, 20” wheel with elkhide cover, transmission and throttle controls, pull-pull steering sys-tem, stainless pedestal guard and navy wheel and pedestal cover $800; Ed-son single leaf teak pedestal table, teak cup holder and connecting hardware for both $160; E.S. Ritchie binnacle mount compass $80. In Oriental until mid Janu-ary. e-mail [email protected].

Dockage/SlipsBayside Marina at Hubs Rec Rd, Belhaven N.C. Newly renovated state-of-the-art deepwater dockage. Vast wa-terway, direct access to the ICW. Tiki bar, bath house, bait. (252)964-3550, cell (252)943-4175 or fax (252)964-3551.

ServicesThe Sharpe Image The finest in Nau-tical and Yacht Racing Photography. Edi-torial, Stock, Commercial, Artistic, Event Coverage and Personal. Photography of the Nautical, Sailing and Yacht Racing lifestyle. www.THESHARPEIMAGE.com (704) 655-7343.

MiscellaneousConsignments Wanted: Museum quality ship models, model kits (com-plete or partly finished OK); used mar-itime history books, ship plans, maps, charts; Maritime art: original paintings, prints, collectibles; Nautical artifacts (compasses, ships clocks, dioramas, binnacles, barometers, chronometers, ships lights, lanterns, etc.).Founders of the Charleston Harbor Society; Member of Nautical Research Guild, Gallery rep for the American Society of Marine Art-ists. Contact: Bill Thomas-Moore, Ship Shapes Maritime Gallery, 56 1/2 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401, (843)324-8792 or 805-5950 or E-mail: [email protected].

• WirelessInternet• Showers&Laundry• PicnicArea

SAILCRAFT SERVICEA Full Service Boatyard - DIY Also Welcome

New 55,000 lb TraveliftLocated 1.75 miles from ICW marker 180 in Oriental, NC

(252) 249-0522 • VHF Channel [email protected]

www.sailcraftservice.com

• Hauling• MechanicalInstallation&Repair• Engine,Transmission&Generator

Overhaul&Repower• CompleteRigging&Repair• CraneService• 70-ftBucketCrane

• Raymarine• BetaMarine• Volvo• NexGen• Onan

• CaribeInflatables• Westerbeke• Universal• Norpro

• CustomCarpentry&Refinishing• Peeling&BlisterRepair• EnclosedSprayBooth• BeneteauServiceCenter• Wet&DryStorage• MetalFabrication• Welding

FULL SERVICE FROM OUR FRIENDLY STAFF:

CERTIFIED DEALERS/INSTALLERS FOR:

FULL FACILITIES FOR DIY CRUISERS:

Alan Arnfast • PO Box 99 • Oriental, NC 28571 • Est. 1978

SPECIAL OFFER:FREE Rigging

Inspection when you mention this coupon

from Carolina Currents

Jan/Feb 2007 - Carolina Currents

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