The 2nd Annual Hospice by the Sea Regatta
will be held on Saturday May 19, 2012 in Ft. Lauderdale Beach. This event is part
of the National Hospice Regatta Alliance racing circuit. In 2011 the overall winner
of the first Hospice by the Sea event was Magic Marine with Bret Moss at the helm.
The same boat and captain will participate in the 2012 National Hospice Regatta Championship
to be held later in SAINT PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. Hospice by the Sea promises to be a
great day of sailing fun for the whole family and you will be contributing to a very
worthy charity so why not call and become involved. There will be a very special Awards
Ceremony and Celebration at the end of the day at the Coral Ridge Yacht Club for which
tickets can be purchased for $50 per person. For more information about Hospice by
the Sea call Betty Pepper at 561-416-5007. 
There
are two schools of thought on bottom blisters. Some people absolutely refuse to accept
a boat with blisters. Other people feel they are a part of life when you have a boat
in saltwater and they don't effect the operation or performance of the boat. If you
have or are considering buying a boat with blisters and you want them gone the first
step is to blast off the thick layers of old antifouling paint. After the bottom is
stripped if there are obvious bumps in the gelcoat they should be examined to see
if any liquid is seeping from them. If there is, your yard should have recommendations
for more serious measures to repair them. Often blistering issues can be attributed
to the original fiberglass layup in which the layers of mat were not applied correctly
or inferior materials may have been used. This can result in a hull with a hidden
layer of mat that is full of dry spots that have not been saturated with resin. Over
time the gelcoat becomes permeable to water and the unsaturated spots may become blisters.
Often this results in just small areas of dry glass and not the more troublesome weeping
blisters. So where do you go from here if you want to get rid of those blisters? Usually
the yard will blast, machine peel, or grind until they reach healthy material. If
it is dry (which it often is) they will then coat with several layers of epoxy based
barrier coat to prevent the same problem in the future. However the yard should still
use a moisture meter to determine the moisture content of the remaining fiberglass.
If the yard you are working with doesn't do this then see if you can call in an expert
who can. Remember the hull should be completely dry before applying epoxy barrier
coats and if you end up working with blisters that are weeping be sure you are dealing
with a yard that has experience in this more troublesome situation.
Have
you heard about the problem with "lion fish" in some of our favorite cruising grounds
like the water along the eastern US Coast, Florida, Bahamas, and further down into
the Caribbean. The problem began a few years ago when this beautiful but venomous
and apparently quickly reproducing species was accidently introduced into these waters.
Not only are they dangerous to humans but they could potentially wipe out other fish
species. Even though we are experiencing an invasion of lion fish, it still appears
to be in its early stages so we are hopefully still in time to eradicate the problem.
One way to begin helping is by contacting The Reef Guardian program which has been
set up for voluntary responses in the BVI including the training and use of markers
for divers and tourists to mark the fish where they are sighted. You might think this
an overwhelming prospect but it may not be as difficult as you think because these
fish are extremely territorial and stay within feet of their territory as long as
they have a good food supply. The fish can simply be scooped up in nets and taken
to the surface. Of course in areas were the population has expanded to large numbers
the job may be more daunting. According to some reports the BVI has also relaxed certain
rules and is allowing certified dive instructors employed by BVI companies to kill
the lion fish with sling guns. One of the main objectives of the Reef Guardians is
to deal with the lion fish problem in the BVI. Monitoring and learning their techniques
could be educational for helping groups in Florida and Bahamian waters to deal with
the same problem. (Photo by Wolcott Henry) 
Being
a "green" sailor isn't really that hard...consider installing a wind generator. So
how do you begin to find the right one? First lets review the basic types of wind
generators. Lets start with the smaller quieter six or five blade units. These are
great for smaller boats and tend to begin generating power at lower wind speeds. The
power output varies but you can expect to get between 20 to 40 amp hours in a 24 hour
period. Not a great deal of energy but enough to keep the beer cold. Next we have
the larger diameter 3-blade systems. These units need a sturdy mounting system and
are usually a bit more noisy. The plus is you get a greater output especially in high
wind situations. You can expect to get up to 100 amp hours per day with these models
which can be a great power boost for operating your floating home. Finally you have
the big 2-blade generators which require a very sturdy mounting system. Some sailors
have gotten inventive and tried mounting these models on a staysail halyard in the
foretriangle where they will harness the wind better. Some of these generators will
put out 200 amp hours per day in a steady breeze. With one of these units you could
be self-sufficient for days. So the good news is there is sure to be a wind generator
to fit your needs and budget. Install a wind generator and be "green" and stay out
on the big "blue" longer