Sunday, December 20, 2009

In a dinghy at night, carry a light

Have you ever been stopped by the coastguard for failing to show a light while in you dinghy at night. Well it just happened to a friend of mine and he wasn’t too happy to be handed a fine. Having almost smashed into a couple of dinghies that were running through the lagoon without lights, I can tell you it’s a hell of a shock. And over the years, several people have been killed on the lagoon because someone wasn’t showing a light. I had this discussion with another friend of mine, a very experienced captain, and he suggested we take a look at what the regulations call for. So, for my piece of mind as well as yours, here they are. A vessel under oars or paddles of less than 7 meters / 23.0 ft must have an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which can be shown in sufficient time to prevent collision. Now this is where it gets interesting. A power-driven vessel of less than 7 meters or 23.0 ft with a maximum speed of less than 7 knots may display only an all-round white light. However, if practical, these should also show sidelights. Now, the way I read it is that a small dinghy with an outboard must show an all-round white light. What is unclear is what lights you need if your small dinghy and outboard is capable of speeds above 7 knots, and that would include a small inflatable with a 15 horsepower outboard. Does the speed lift you into the next category, which is a power-driven vessel of between 7 and 12 meters and if it does, then should you display an all-round white light and sidelights?

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

St. Maarten! What if they held a Charter Boat Show and nobody came?

Although you might not know it, as there has been little local rah rah rah this year, the MYBA St. Maarten Charter Show opens its doors on Friday. According to the MYBA website, 28 yachts are taking part and that’s down from the 38 that attended last year. The Concourse de Chef will again be a highlight along with the Taste of St. Maarten and the Yacht Hop. With high bridge and mooring fees still plaguing yachts entering St. Maarten, and the Charter Boat Show in Antigua cranking-up on the 7th, it will be interesting to see just how much support the SXM show receives this year. A poor turnout and bad press could sound the death knell for an event that started out with such fanfare and promise. There’s no doubt that the marine industry benefits from this show, and right now they need all the support they can get. But what about the local population, what would they think if the Exhibition should fold? Well, frankly Scarlet, they don’t give a damn, and that’s a shame. Poor local PR is worse than no PR and MYBA have only themselves to blame for that. The MYBA Charter Yacht Show runs from December 4 - 7