Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sunday, October 5, 2014

St. Pete's Island Nautical is the go-to place for sails big and small | Tampa Bay Times

St. Pete's Island Nautical is the go-to place for sails big and small | Tampa Bay Times
ST. PETERSBURG
The Royal Clipper harkens back to an era when an aristocratic elite traveled the Caribbean in style. With a waterline of 439 feet and an average speed of 10 knots, the Monaco-based Clipper line is for cruisers interested in an Old World experience.
But the Royal Clipper, the first five-mast, fully rigged sailing ship to be built since 1902, has 42 sails that require constant care and maintenance, and when one rips or needs to be replaced, the Clipper line turns to a New World sail loft, St. Petersburg's Island Nautical.
Located in an industrial park on the fringe of the city's burgeoning arts district, Island Nautical has a large and dedicated following, including everybody from high school dinghy sailors to blue water racers.
"We definitely fill a niche," said owner Robert Ingwall. "We are the place to come when you need something that is hard to make or difficult to find."
The shop, which recently moved to its current location at 2233 Third Ave. S, made all of the sails for the luxury flagship of the Clipper line when it first set sail in 2000. The Royal Clipper, and its smaller cousins the Star Clipper and Star Flyer, are owned by Swedish entrepreneur Mikael Krafft.
"We sail the Caribbean in the winter and Europe in the summer," said Bill Dwyer, director of sales and marketing. "We are constantly working with sails. We like (Island Nautical) services, so that is why we stayed with them."
The sail loft is currently working on a "spanker" for the Star Flyer, a 360-foot, four-masted ship that entered service in 1991. "It's a triangular sail, the most aft sail on the ship," said sail designer Bill Durant. "It basically helps the boat go straight … sort of acts like a rudder."
The sail, which measures 114 feet long and 51 feet wide, is made out of woven 17-ounce Dacron, and has to be built in stages. "We probably do 10 to 15 sails for them a year," Durant said. "It seems like we are always working on something."
But Island Nautical provides services to more than multimillion-dollar tall ships. "They are our go-to shop," said Olympic gold medalist Allison Jolly, coach of the University of South Florida's top-rated sailing team. "When something breaks, they can fix it or make a new one."
Jolly said her sailors are particularly hard on pintles and gudgeons, the hardware that attaches a rudder onto a boat. "They are always rusting out," Jolly said. "But they can fix them. It's not easy to find a place that can do stainless steel manufacturing."
And that is the key to Island Nautical's success, Ingwall said. "Manufacturing in the U.S. has been dropping off for years," he said. "But here we are in the center of St. Pete making sails, seat cushions, everything the boater needs."
Ingwall is new to the bay area — he bought the company that currently employs 42 people a year ago because, he said, "I wasn't looking for a job … I was looking for a way of life."
He grew up in North Carolina, where he was an avid sailor, but added, "Up north you have a racing season. The great thing about Florida is people race year-round."
Island Nautical is a little hard to find. "We've got a retail shop in a commercial space," Ingwall, 42, said. The company recently commissioned a colorful mural painted by the legendary Vitale Brothers, who started their downtown St. Petersburg art company in 1992.
Fred Bickley, an open ocean racer who recently completed several of the WaterTribe's small boat challenges (including last month's 300-miler along the coast of North Carolina), said he doesn't know what he would do without the shop.
"Big sails, little sails … they do it all," said Bickley, who's gearing up for a trans-Atlantic voyage in the summer. "They are the best shop around for the serious sailor."
St. Pete's Island Nautical is the go-to place for sails big and small 10/03/14 [Last modified: Friday, October 3, 2014 7:26pm]
© 2014 Tampa Bay Times

Saturday, October 4, 2014

How did this guy make this decision?

http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2371574/

News Release
October 04, 2014

Contact: 7th Coast Guard District
Email: D07-SMB-PAMIAMI@uscg.mil
Office: (305) 415-6683

**PHOTO AND VIDEO AVAILABLE** COAST GUARD RESCUES MAN 

FROM HYDRO BUBBLE EAST OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA.

Click on image below for video
The Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber arrives on scene off the coast of Miami  to respond to a report of a man aboard an inflatable hydro bubble who was disoriented asking for directions to Bermuda Oct. 1, 2014. The man was later rescued on Oct. 4, 2014, after he activated his personal indicating radio beacon upon suffering from exhaustion. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Click on image below for Audio
An MH-60 aircrew with Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater assists a man they medically evacuated east of St. Augustine, Florida, Oct. 4, 2014. The man was rescued after suffering from exhaustion from an inflatable hydro bubble while enroute to Bermuda. U.S. Coast Guard photo. 
MIAMI — A man was rescued from his hydro pod bubble 70 nautical miles east of St. Augustine, Florida, by a Coast Guard search-and-rescue crew from Air Station Clearwater Saturday morning.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 7th District command center received a report of Reza Baluchi, a U.S. citizen, floating in an inflatable bubble Wednesday.  Baluchi was reportedly disoriented and asking for directions to Bermuda. The Coast Guard Cutter Webber arrived on scene, conveyed the dangers of his voyage and requested Baluchi terminate his trip due to the lack of supplies on board to sustain him. 
On board, Baluchi had protein bars, bottled water, a GPS and a satellite phone.
After he refused to leave his vessel, the watchstanders continued to monitor his movements until he activated his Personal Locating Beacon (PLB) Saturday morning. Coast Guard HC-130 airplane and MH-60 helicopter crews out of Air Station Clearwater, Florida, were dispatched to Baluchi's position along with the Maersk Montana, a vessel registered with the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER)
Once the aircrews arrived on scene, a rescue swimmer from the Jayhawk crew safely hoisted Baluchi from his inflatable raft into the helicopter.  The MH-60 crew transported Baluchi to Air Station Clearwater where emergency medical services evaluated him. 
There were no reports of any injuries. 
Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. 
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Gemini Catamarans Now being built by Catalina Yachts in Largo, FL


GEMINI CATAMARANS ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CATALINA YACHTS IN LARGO, FLORIDA
September 25, 2014


Gemini Catamarans, a division of The Catamaran Group, is pleased to announce the selection of the internationally renowned builder Catalina Yachts of Largo, Florida to build the new 2015 and 2016 models of the Gemini Legacy 35.


Following 3 successful years of building the Gemini Legacy with Hunter Marine and subsequently Marlow Hunter in Alachua, Florida, Gemini Catamarans have moved the production of their flagship Gemini Legacy 35 catamaran to Catalina Yachts of Largo, Florida effective September 15, 2014. Catalina’s philosophy is straightforward: Design boats that stand up to real world conditions and sail well. They must be comfortable, easy to maintain and hold their value. A commitment to owner satisfaction, enhancing customer confidence and loyalty, has made Catalina one of the most prominent builders of sailboats in the world.


“The choice was easy as Catalina’s philosophy mirrors our own,” says Gemini Catamarans President Laura Smith Hershfeld. “The success of our Gemini has been the balance of tradition and innovation coupled with actively soliciting feedback from our owners and our dealers. She was designed to be what my father called ‘every man’s’ Gemini, and we strive to keep her as fast, fun and obtainable as she has been for the last three decades.”


This partnership between Catalina Yachts and Gemini Catamarans is expected to increase the strength of both brands. Catalina Yachts Vice President and Chief Designer Gerry Douglas has an outstanding reputation for ergonomically correct features that promote ease of sailing and effortless movement. Laura Smith Hershfeld’s most recent design influence can be seen throughout the Legacy model. From the cockpit to the salon to the master stateroom, she too has a strong understanding of use of space and the importance of light. Gemini Catamaran owners and enthusiasts should be on the lookout for great things from this dynamic duo in the months and years to come.


About Gemini Catamarans

Gemini Catamarans has been building catamarans since 1981. Original Performance Cruising founder Tony Smith moved his entire family across a temperamental Atlantic Ocean to build a better boat and further introduce the United States, specifically the Chesapeake, to multihulls. Gemini Catamarans’ history spans more than three decades, taking the company through water, fire and more than one economic downturn. Not only has the company survived but thrived now dotting the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers with over 1,200 Gemini catamarans from the 3000 model to the Legacy 35. Gemini Catamarans President, Laura Smith Hershfeld, carries on this legacy not only by keeping the family tradition of superior catamaran design alive, but also through her dedication of her first build, the Legacy 35. This Gem was a joint endeavor between Laura, her father Tony and the late Warren Luhrs of Hunter Marine. The Catamaran Company rounds out the strength of our group through vision, capital and marketing.


About The Catamaran Group

The Catamaran Group is the worldwide leader in all aspects of the catamaran market. Specializing in the sale of new and used catamarans, the worldwide chartering of catamarans whether for a day, a week, a month, either bareboat, with a captain or with a full crew, and all catamaran related services and repairs, The Catamaran Group offers a one-stop destination for buyers, sellers, owners and guests looking for a sailing vacation. The company offers a wide range of value-added services including catamaran insurance, documentation, delivery, dockage, financing, yacht management and charter yacht placement options. The Catamaran Group has 18 full time licensed and bonded catamaran brokers with over 250 years of catamaran experience between them. The Catamaran Group and its related businesses continues to be the world’s largest retailer of new catamarans, in addition to being the world’s largest retailer of used catamarans, achieving sales of over 100 used catamarans on an annualized basis over the last ten years.


For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Steve Long by phone at (954) 449-7644 or by email at steve.long@catamarans.com


Marketing Contact:

Steve Long

Tel: (954) 449-7644