By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie
Double zero is the term we have used in this business for as long as I can remember. It stands for owner/operator, or boats with no crews. Having a boat without a dedicated crew doesn’t make sense. The owners of these boats may think they are saving money by hiring a wash down and wax crew to keep their boats shiny two days a month. Some owner/operators think that’s all there is to it!
By Winslow Taylor
Maybe you’ve worked on boats—put in your time, mated for some folks all the while learning what to and what not to do. The result of your journey? You’ve finally been offered a job to run a boat. Or maybe you are a seasoned vet running an established program throughout the world.
It seems that my boat checklist never ends. The checklist is a valuable tool for me which I use religiously. I always keep it handy. If you are like me, and don’t write down what you’re thinking, it most likely will be forgotten. During any given week, my mate and I work off of a checklist that is continuously updated. The list consists of everything, such as supplies needed, metal that needs waxed or repairs that need to be made. One would think that you could run out of things for a checklist, but if you keep a top-notch boat and stay up with all the systems that should not happen.
By Piet Van Alder
We were less than 100 yards from the fuel dock when the second motor died. In a futile gesture, I tried to restart it, but the reality was quite clear. We were out of fuel. The wind was from the southeast at 20 knots and we were now dangerously adrift, heading into unknown waters of unknown depth, and approaching other docks and vessels like a wayward pinball. I looked towards the bow to check the anchor, and there wasn’t one. An otherwise happy day had turned to sh*t in a hurry. We kept our cool and sprang into action.
The Seabrook Harbor & Marine team recently installed a Seakeeper 35 on an 82’ Viking with new teak decks. Seabrook CEO Jeff Montz provides a quick breakdown of what went into the install.
The first step of cutting open the deck to access available space. Note the fuel tank has not been moved.
Work in progress. Machinery and fuel tank has been moved, fiberglass mounts to hold the Seakeeper has been installed, priming and painting has started
Finished Seakeeper 35 install with new teak decks and custom deck hatches
The 82’ Viking with the Seakeeper deck hatch closed after the installation.
Did you miss us at the Viking VIP last month? No worries, you can see the latest watermaker innovations from Blue Water Desalination in Palm Beach this month with their partners at Beard Marine of the Palm Beaches.
The Palm Beach International Boat Show is back and will be organized in accordance with Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standard to ensure the safest boat show experience for all staff, exhibitors and attendees. All who enter the show will be required to have their temperature checked and it will be mandatory to wear face masks. You must purchase your tickets in advance to attend the show—no physical box office will be present during the show.
Be sure to mention this special promo when visiting Booth M-7 at Palm Beach to receive 25 percent off any Blue Water Desalination advanced marine desalination systems.
By Elliott Stark
“You know, that’s something that’s really, really important. Sometimes, it just doesn’t cross people’s minds,” says Capt. Jimmy Waller of Orange Beach, Alabama. Waller, whose nickname is “PeeWee” runs his 60’ Big Adventure. The topic of fishing etiquette touched off something special for Capt. Jimmy. “We have been cobia fishing, spotted a fish and had people on jet skis pull up to the boat and ask us what we are doing. One time it happened in a tournament. We were working a fish and had a guy and a girl come up to us on a jet ski. They pulled up to us and said, ‘Ahoy!’ You can’t make this stuff up. This will be my 36th year in the charter business. I’ve seen everything from pornos being made in the salon to just about whatever you can imagine.”
By Dale Wills
Most of today’s captains earned their shot at the helm only after spending years working under the watchful eyes of veteran skippers. Each of those mentors had certain techniques and practices that were passed down to the younger generation, things that formed the foundation of their careers as professional mariners. So what are some of the individual practices, habits and distinctions that are being passed down by the veteran captains today to the future captains of tomorrow? [Read more…]
