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At 17.00 BST Simon Henning’s Alice II, a Farr 45, and the longest, highest rated yacht in the race, was approaching the Owers turning mark, the easternmost on the course, while the chasing pack were spread five to thirty-nautical miles astern of her. It seems likely that Alice II will steal a march on her Class 1 rivals, as her rounding of the Owers should coincide with the tide turning westbound, while those behind will face a further hour or two punching into it. Already Alice II in the GBR White team looks to be leading the big boat class on corrected time.

The absent Géry Trentesaux, the Frenchman who was instrumental in his country winning the Rolex Commodores’ Cup in 2006 and 2002, would be proud. The First 40, Coup de Coeur, he co-owns with UNCL Commodore Marc de Saint Denis was leading Class 2 on handicap at 17.00 BST as part of the France Blue team. Meanwhile, in Class 3, it was the turn of the Hong Kong team to head the standings, with Christopher Opielok’s Corby 36, Rockall III.

The latest positions from the racecourse indicate that the Irish team is not only still leading overall in the 2010 Rolex Commodores’ Cup, but they have extended their lead albeit marginally. The 17.00 BST sched showed Anthony O’Leary’s Antix second among the big boats, David Dwyer’s marinerscove.ie second in the mid-sized fleet and Robert Davies’ Roxy 6 second among the small boats. With these results the Irish team would be on 44.5 points ahead of France Blue and Hong Kong tied in second on 71.5. GBR Red holds fourth on 86.5, followed by France Yellow in fifth.

In the small boat class, Marc Alperovitch’s A-35 Prime Time in France Yellow was holding fifth. Alperovitch said he had been pleased with their progress. Heading down the eastern Solent they had seen 20 knots but late in the afternoon the wind had dropped to 14 knots – less than forecast. “It has dropped earlier than planned,” he reported. “Normally when the wind drops we should have a clear sky, but that is not the case at all. But maybe there is less pressure.”

Just ahead of them, the crew on board Jim Macgregor’s Elan 410 Premier Flair, lying seventh on handicap, were contemplating the night ahead and the lumpy conditions this evening heading west with the wind against the tide. “It was quite unpleasant earlier: wet and windy and horrible – good British summertime stuff,” commented crew woman Jody Slater adding that on board they were seeing 16 knots from the southwest. “It is quite pleasant now. The wave action is a little uncomfortable, but apart from that is all right. It has stopped raining, which I am deeply happy about. Tonight hopefully won’t be too unpleasant. It is supposed to be wind against tide. Unfortunately as one of the people taking seasickness pills, I don’t look forward to the beating.”

Owner Jim Macgregor had not managed to achieve his plan to use his boat’s longer waterline length to shake off the smaller Corby designs. Macgregor, who pilots ships in and out of Poole harbour for a living and is father of the World Match Racing No.1 Lucy, said prior to the start that his crew, including Olympic 470 sailor Ben Saxton, comprised mostly inshore sailors. “Hopefully we’ll stay awake tonight!”

This morning Simon Shaw, skipper on Michael Williamson’s Summit 40 White Heat, the big boat in GBR Red, walked the course. “At around 5-6pm we get as far east as we are going to go and then it will be a long 12 hour beat all the way to Weymouth for us, around the back of the island. The tide is with us initially and then we are against on the mainland shore just under the Needles, so there will be a lot of tidal strategy in those areas and around Poole.

“It is going to be a really dark night. It is going to be wet – for us that beat is going to be the focus of the race really and the ability of crews to keep their boats trucking through the evening period. Our boat is a little tweaky so it will be doubly hard for us to keep it on the numbers in that environment.” Shaw reckoned that they might rotate the helm and the main sheet trimmer to ensure they remained alert. They are expecting the wind to veer from the southwest back into the northwest tonight before settling back into the southwest tomorrow.

This evening as the teams prepare for a sleepless night on the rail, the British crews will be picturing the French teams sitting down below for a lavish dinner. In fact, the British might be getting the better deal. On White Heat they have a casserole to heat up for dinner, which will be eaten from dog bowls. On Prime Time Marc Alperovitch says they will be eating less palatable freeze-dried. “I love it – it reminds me of the Rolex Fastnet!”

Two yachts have retired to date: Cracklin Rosie (Class 1) and Artemis (Class 2) both from GBR Black.

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Compact, practical, high-performance. MARINNO’s external bow and stern thruster “EXTURN” – an innovation combining functionality and luxury beyond any comparison.

A well-known problem
Since ever, bow thrusters have been a practical and popular steering aid to facilitate maneuvering in narrow ports or under difficult conditions. The purchase of a bow thruster, however, is mostly connected with substantial expenditure and numerous disadvantages. How much space is needed in the interior of the ship? What assembly work and costs to expect? How long is the downtime of the boat while the bow thruster is
being installed? Does the boat have the necessary hull shape to install a bow thruster at all? These are only some of the questions which often lead to only one answer: The boat owner decides against the installation of a bow thruster. Up to now. Because the Austrian enterprise “MARINNO maritime innovations” specialized in innovative boat equipment, offers a simple, economical alternative for more safety and comfort: EXTURN – The
external bow and stern thruster.

External bow and stern thruster EXTURN
The term “external bow and stern thruster” already suggests the fundamental advantages of this new
technology. The complete thruster mechanism was reduced to a minimum size and moved to the outside;
ideally streamlined. Instead of – as before – putting a transverse channel in the bow of the ship, which is cost-intensive and takes up much room, the EXTURN thruster is mounted by one threaded bolt which is designed as a hollow shaft and serves as the cable run. An enclosed mounting kit for any kind of hull gives EXTURN the necessary stability. Thus, the required space in the interior of the boat, the assembly work and assembly costs are reduced to a minimum.

Unique flexibility
With its cross section starting from 6.5 inch, with 22 inch length, the EXTURN thruster is mountable onto every place of the hull and every hull shape (v-hull, fl at hull, etc.) in only a few hours, even during the season. This provides unprecedented flexibility to both sailboats and motorboats. Optimal efficiency is reached by the extremely short transverse channel of the thruster. The engines are cooled and protected against overheating
as they are in water, which also keeps engine noise to a minimum. MARINNO offers models starting from 44 lbf to 265 lbf, in 12V and 24V variants and for boats up to a length of 66 feet. The EXTURN thruster can be controlled optional by touch panel, joystick or radio remote control.

Unequaled safety and comfort
“The external bow thruster was originally developed for our own needs, to guarantee more safety and comfort,” reveals boat freak Hubert Holesz, MARINNO shareholder and responsible for R+D. “However, it worked so well that we wanted to also offer it to other boat lovers and hobby sailors. All tested boats kept course much more easily and ran at higher levels. Also, any kind of port maneuvers, no matter in which weather, represented no more problems,” says Holesz. Thus, the EXTURN bow and stern thruster bridges
perfectly functionality and luxury for affordable expenditure. This combination of safety and comfort remains unequaled by all other well-known systems.

Maritime Innovations
With its external thruster EXTURN, MARINNO begins a whole series of new and convenience-oriented products, which, in the near future, will provide much joy for sailors, not only at sea, but also when easily and independently rigging their “jewel”. Further information, all technical details and current news, can be found at
www.exturnusa.com

The Department of Natural Resources, DNR, receives approximately 500 to 700 gator complaints per year, but roughly one out of five of the alligators pose a threat to residents and or their pets. 

Fortunately, there has never been a fatal alligator attack in South Carolina. Even though the density of alligators in South Carolina coastal wetlands rivals that in Florida or Louisiana, there have only been eight attacks in the last 28 years.  Nearly all were provoked by people trying to feed or catch one of the retiles.

Please keep in mind the following laws regarding coming in to contact with alligators:

– It’s illegal to feed an alligator.

– It’s illegal to harass an alligator.

– Only DNR-approved trappers are permitted to catch alligators.

Inshore fishing locally, I find, is a lot more enjoyable and flexible for everyone. There are a variety of fish you can catch around the scenic Charleston harbor, intra-coastal waterway, and the surrounding barrier islands. Depending on the season, you can expect to catch Redfish, Speckled Sea Trout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead, Black Drum, and a variety of tough fighting sharks to name a few. And usually just a short boat ride away, you can always take a break or wind down your day at one of the many watering holes along Shem Creek, the intra-coastal, or wherever you might find yourself around Charleston. Of course, don’t forget to bring your valid saltwater fishing license.

I think it’s very likely that DNR, the Department of Natural Resources, will stop you at least once while on the water.  Well, the probability of being stopped, boarded, and checked by DNR is a lot more likely if you are perhaps a little bit younger looking, have many people on the boat, and look like you are having a “good time.”  I learned this lesson early on growing up in Charleston, SC.  Flashing sirens, guns in holster, the boarding of the boat, and the questioning while potentially having a mini buzz used to make me cringe just thinking about it. 

I’m been stopped a total of 3 times by DNR, and like always, I had my registration, life jackets for everyone on board, flares, fire extinguisher, and whistle ready for inspection.  It’s necessary to have all of the above mentioned on board at all times while on the water.  And if you are salt water fishing, then you must have a valid salt water fishing license, valid!  If you have fishing poles in the boat, you have to have your fishing license.  For a lot of people, these checks can seem like a real hassle, but we should always keep in mind that it’s for our own safety, and it discourages improper fishing practices. 

I expect to get checked every time I’m on the water or at the boat landing.  Especially if there is a storm approaching like Tropical Storm Hanna or Hurricane Ike.  In fact, I make the most of it and take pictures. Thanks DNR.

One afternoon, I explored a waterway far away from the intracoastal for quite a while.  Before I realized how far into the creek I was and how much time had passed, I began to hit bottom.  It was by then too late.  The tide was rushing out of the creek to fast, and I simply didn’t have enough time to get out into deeper water.   I not only had to wait almost 6 hours until the tide came back in, I received the sunburn of my life and clogged my engine with pluff mud.  Luckily, I was able to blow out the mud, saving my engine from overheating, and I motored home with having learned a valuable lesson.  Always know the schedule of the tides and be aware of how that my effect you when boating in shallow waters.

stuck in the mud..

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong
- Murphy’s Law -

Here are some tips to help you how to prepare your boat to get on to the water.

Life jackets: The life jacket is the single most important piece of safety gear for any boater. Life jackets are designed to keep the wearer to float with there head above the water. Never compromise your personal safety. For this reason do not use inexpensive and uncomfortable life jackets that create physical discomfort and resistance.

Charge batteries: Before setting your boat on water always check out whether the batteries are charged and if they hold the charge. The best bow or stern thruster won’t do you any good with an empty battery. A fully charged battery also comes in handy when you try to start your engine.

Registration check: To avoid any violation rules and conflict with the law check the expiry date of the boat registration.

Fire extinguisher: Fire is one of the most feared words in a boater’s vocabulary. There is no such thing as an insignificant fire on a boat. US Coast Guard regulations require that you have a fire extinguisher on board depending on the size of your boat you may even need more than one.

Hull: Make sure there is no damage cracks or holes the boat before setting on the water.

Medications: Make sure you have a fully equipped first aid kit with you. Take some of the antihistamine and antibiotics with you. Insect repellent, sun lotion, band aids should also never be missing on a boat trip.

Boat landings can be a dangerous place if you don’t know what you are doing and not paying attention. I usually like to put my 17 foot outboard in at Remley’s Point in Mt. Pleasant, SC. There are three ramps so a space usually becomes available soon even if it’s a busy weekend. I’ve never personally had any issues there, except for this summer: on two different occasions, my boat was hit by another boat right at the boat landing.

The first accident didn’t cause any damage, however, the second one put a serious ding in my stern’s hull and gave my girlfriend quite a scare. Once I put my boat in the water, I usually back up and pull to the furthest spot away from the ramp. Once I secure my boat, I park my car, and return.

On my return this time however, I was surprised to see a 25 foot boat right up against my stern, bobbing against my boat in the wake, and my girlfriend shouting for help. Apparently, this gentlemen attempted to launch his boat by himself, tried to hurry up as many boats were waiting in line to launch, and accidentally backed up right into my boat, clipping the stern and nearly hitting my engine. I quickly helped him secure his boat in a safer location and then assessed the damaged.

The damage was rather cosmetic and the gentleman was very apologetic. He would never attempt to launch again by himself with such a large boat in busy conditions. Luckily that incident didn’t disrupt our boating for the day, and I was later reimbursed by the gentleman for the damages. Incidents like these happen daily at boat landings. If you’re not paying attention, not familiar with your boat, accidents can and do happen very fast.

Luckily, it was only a little fender bender.

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