Barnacles Bee Gone - Underwater Boat Cleaning

Thing change :(

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:44:28 +0000

The Miami Herald has narrowed its search for a new home to roughly a handful of locations that include the former Florida Power & Light headquarters in west Miami-Dade and the Bertram Yacht yard on the Miami River, according to sources.

The Herald has been seeking between 80,000 and 100,000 square feet of office space for its administrative, editorial and other newspaper-related staff.

The scenarios publisher David Landsberg and the business staff at the newspaper are considering include relocating the administrative, editorial and other newspaper-related staff to be separate from the printing operation.

The company is also considering a joint …

Sounds like GOOD News

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:36:12 +0000

5:34 PM, Sep. 9, 2011|

BASS RIVER — The factory floor at Viking Yachts is humming –

not the trumpet blast of full-throttle production, but the exuberant tempo of an upswing.

Since October, the boat builder here has brought back nearly 300 of the 1,000-plus workers it laid off when an economic tsunami scuttled demand for luxury vessels.

“We are selling boats again,” said Peter Frederiksen, communications director. “We aren’t back to where we were, but things are certainly improving.”

Viking didn’t take for granted its force of highly skilled workers would still be available when the call to return came. During the down time, the company tried to make laidoff employees feel as if they were a part of the fold, with such benefits as

free health care for displaced workers and their families at the boat builder’s in-house medical clinic.

“Everyone who has ever worked here is part of a larger family,” Frederiksen said. “The company cares about them and wants to treat them right, in good times and

bad.”

In the United States and Europe, yacht sales have sunk 70 percent since 2008,

according to a Forbes market analysis. The only place where sales are improving significantly is Brazil, where yacht purchases have risen 30 percent and the number of millionaires is expected to triple by 2020.

In 2010, buyers sank $183 million into
new powerboats, motors, trailers and accessories in the Garden State, down from $414.7 million in 2006, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

But losses have been slowing in recent years, NMMA notes. In 2010, state sales were down 19 percent compared with 2009 figures, which were 24 percent lower than 2008. At the peak of the yacht boom, in fiscal 2004-05, Viking launched 108 yachts. In fiscal 2009-10, only 29 boats sold.

During the same period, the boat builder’s work force shrank from 1,400 to about 400. The administrative ranks also were thinned through layoffs and reduced hours. Frederiksen and a number of others went

2 of 3

For fiscal 2010-11, Viking ticked up, filling orders for 51 yachts. International sales helped to buoy business, with yachts motoring off to Dubai, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Sales totaled $88.2 million, according to the Hoover’s business registry.

In the past month, orders for 18 more vessels have come in. Frederiksen attributes the increase to Viking’s strategy of introducing a new model every year to generate excitement among prospective buyers.

“The people who buy yachts are very competitive,” he said. “If there’s a boat that is faster, they have to buy it.”

Still, even wealthy people voice concerns about the volatile stock market, unrest in the Middle East and the high cost of the fuel it takes to fill a yacht’s 3,000-gallon tank. “When there was the revolution in Egypt, you could feel the market hit a bump,” he said.

In 1964, when brothers Bob and Bill Healey took over the foundering company then known as Peterson-Viking, they didn’t know much about yachts. But they had good business sense and built Viking into

prescriptions for medications to help workers who want to quit smoking. On a recent afternoon, he examines the sprained shoulder of a worker who has just come in from the factory floor. Bridgette, the shepherd who is Viking’s unofficial therapy dog, wags her tail.

“We can look at people immediately, so there is no reason to put off care,” Marks explained. “We can take care of a child’s ear infection before it becomes something more serious.”

Viking’s sprawling 810,000-square-foot plant is located on 52 acres on the Bass River in the outermost reaches of Burlington County, just over the boundary from Little Egg Harbor in Ocean County.

3 of 3

About 90 percent of each yacht is made in-house, with such niceties as surround sound, pop-up, flat-screen TVs and air- conditioned decks. In 2009, Viking introduced a tri-level yacht, the 82m model, its largest offering to date.

On the factory floor, there is a computerized, $1 million saw that will carve the molds for fiberglass hulls. Stacks of teak will be crafted into gleaming, streamlined compartments. In one section, the ceilings are 60 feet high, in order to accommodate sky bridges atop the tallest yachts.

“I call this Disneyland for grownups,” Frederiksen joked.

Jimmy Perkins, a machinist from Pemberton Township, came to Viking 11 years ago
after he was laid off from a pharmaceutical company. He is making aluminum parts for dashboard components.

“I love my work here,” he says. “There is nothing like working with great people.”

Viking continues to bring back workers in small groups, 15 one month, perhaps 30 the next. Ultimately, the market will dictate how many employees will return to the fold.

Pearson Composites has changed its name to

admin — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:07:58 +0000

Pearson Composites has changed its name to Pearson Marine Group. Just in case any of you are not familiar with the boat brands built at this RI company, we have the Alerion, which I have written about here on several occasions, the True North, which is a really unique power cruiser. New to the line-up is the North Rip center console line. I’m impressed with all of these brands and you all should really look at the boat within the line up that fits into your dream boat category….I’ll take one of each please.

So, follow the link below to their new website and give these boats a closer look.

The change is intended to draw attention to Pearson’s “long and remarkable history of innovation, its emergence from the marine industry’s downturn and its focus on the smart luxury brands of boats the company is building and selling,” the company said in a statement.

A new website was launched to unite Alerion sailing yachts, True North expedition powerboats and North Rip sportfishing boats and demonstrate the advantages of their shared corporate origin. This site also links to the separate sites for each brand.

Pearson said the company is enjoying interest from overseas markets in addition to sales and market-share growth in North America.

BOSTON WHALER and COSTCO

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:18:34 +0000

Boston Whaler Joins With Costco

It was announced earlier today that Boston Whaler has cut a deal with Costco that will offer buyers an opportunity to save up to $2000 toward the purchase of one of Boston Whaler’s small boat models.

You won’t actually find the boat sitting on the floor at a Costco store. The company will be working with nearby dealers as a part of this promotional effort and will offer cash certificates that can be turned into the savings as I understand it.

This is not the first boat company to team up with Costco. Sea Ray has had a program in place with them for some time.

The Whaler deal is being run on a trial basis through this September so if you’re interested in one of Boston Whaler’s great small boats, get to a Costco and check it out.

Radio check service eases traffic on VHF 16

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:51:36 +0000

By BETH FEINSTEIN-BARTL
Waterfront Times Writer
Twenty-seven is a number that’s becoming increasingly popular with boaters.
It’s the VHF marine channel now used for a new free automated radio check service offered by Sea Tow Fort Lauderdale, easing up usage of the VHF 16 frequency that’s traditionally reserved for distress calls.
Checks are open to the boating public at large, covering an area that spans from the Bahamas and Florida Keys, up to Jupiter, depending on the strength of the vessel’s radio, said Capt. Tim Morgan, owner of the Broward-based franchise.
About 1,765 checks were requested in the first three days after the automated system’s unveiling in early June, and that number continue to surge, mostly due to an aggressive advertising campaign and word of mouth, Morgan said.
“It’s almost constant now.”
Sea Tow initiated the checks, partnering with the MariTEL marine operator system, at franchises around the country in 2009, including nearly a dozen sites in Florida.
Morgan jumped at the opportunity to implement the system after hearing about it during Sea Tow’s annual meeting in December. He believes the service will greatly assist in making boating safer in South Florida.
“Radio checks are necessary, but not on channel 16,” Morgan said. “We need to keep it clear for the people who really need it. It’s like the 9-1-1 on the water.”
When boaters make mayday, distress or assistance calls, there’s sometimes so much traffic for requests for radio checks that it can interfere with serious situations, delaying response.
“People aren’t doing it nefariously,” Morgan said. “They might not be close enough to hear the vessel in distress when doing their radio check. Our ultimate goal is to have all boaters request their radio checks on channel 27, leaving channel 16 open and available to be used as it should, for hailing and distress.”
Using the automated service is simple. It’s available 24/7, 365 days a year. Turn to channel 27, key the microphone and ask for a radio check, just as you would normally do. The system will record the person’s voice, then replay the transmission back, allowing the boater to hear how well his or her radio is working, Morgan said.
“I love it,” said Capt. Neil Hodder, owner of Safely Moored, a yacht management, boat training, dockside service and brokerage company in Fort Lauderdale. “It’s a good thing. It’s unique.”
Hodder has become hooked on the system after learning about it through the waterfront grapevine.
“When it first came out, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness,’” he said. “As much as I think it’s a nuisance for people to be constantly on 16, it’s equally important to check your radio. This is an excellent alternative. It’s impressive.”
He intends to keep spreading the word. “This is something we’ll use in our company and in our hands-on boat training. It’s a no brainer. We’ll direct them to channel 27.”
As a member of the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Pompano Beach, Hodder said he also plans to ask leaders in both groups to promote the service.
Gene Cain, commander with U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 37 Lighthouse Point, said he and several auxiliary members use the system.
“It’s great. It’s very easy and quick.”
Currently, the Fort Lauderdale Sea Tow operation is receiving requests and sending out checks from its 400-foot-tall antenna on the beach, located at Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
It took about six months to obtain the FCC licenses and install special equipment to get the service up and running. The franchise shelled out initial costs of $5,000 and will continue paying license and maintenance fees, Morgan said.
The system is expected to get a large boost before the end of this year when Morgan said he intends to install the same special equipment at the franchise’s second, 800-foot-tall antenna on the Miami-Dade-Broward county line.
Offering the free service has been part philanthropy, part good exposure for the Fort Lauderdale operation, Morgan said.
Hodder doesn’t mind the marketing aspect. What matters is that this is a good thing for the boating community, he said.
The check system has had a huge positive response, said Capt. Charlie Zaloom, vice president of business technology for Sea Tow’s franchise-based, international marine assistance organization headquartered in Southold, N.Y.
Fort Lauderdale is one of 11 active sites in Florida. The others are in St. Augustine, Sebastian, Key Largo, Fort Myers and Charlotte Harbor, St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, Horseshoe Beach, Carrabelle and St. Marks and the Pensacola and Orange Beach areas. Each area uses a dedicated VHF channel between 24 and 28, Zaloom sad.
Nationally, the service is available through Sea Tow franchises in Portland/Midcoast; Maine, Boston and South Shore, Mass.; Rhode Island; Huntington, N.Y.; Manasquan, N.J.; Northern Chesapeake and Central Chesapeake, Md., and Hampton Roads, Va.
Checks are also available from Sea Tow operators in Wrightsville Beach and Ocean Isle, N.C. In California, the system is offered in Newport Beach/Los Angles
and San Diego. Additional locations are on a waiting list for activation.
The system is expected to spread, with more operations waiting for activation.

Join us for a social event to learn more about Constitutional Amendment No 4

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:15:09 +0000

Join us for a social event to learn more about Constitutional Amendment No 4

WHEN: Tuesday, July 13, 2010

5:00 – 7:00 pm
WHERE: Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Inc.

1555 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, Suite 950

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.Invite others concerned about Amendment No. 4
Amendment 4 would require each of us to vote on every local comprehensive land-use plan change. If passed, it would have a devastating effect on our economy at a time when our economic situation is tenuous and when attracting new business to Florida is essential for recovery and prosperity.

Passage of the amendment will cost more than 260,000 jobs in various sectors. National and regional companies will steer clear of Florida’s disruptive business climate, choosing to relocate to other states. Our ability to attract industries with diverse, high-paying jobs will be dealt a death blow with the addition of new layer costs and uncertainty regarding approvals.

Please R.S.V.P. to kwoodson@economiccouncilpbc.org or 561-684-1551 ext. 222.

Help us spread the word.

Floridians should vote NO on Amendment 4.

JFK’s yacht getting makeover in Riviera Beach

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:35:01 +0000

JFK’s yacht getting makeover in Riviera Beach

By Eric P. Newcomer

Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer

RIVIERA BEACH — The Honey Fitz, a former presidential yacht, has called many ports home, but this elegant boat, constructed in 1931 and later adored by President John F. Kennedy, is sitting on dry land as craftsmen try to return it to its former glory.

Over 30 metal supports are holding the ship in place, while James Moores and his crew try to realign the hull and replace much of the underside of the 93-foot yacht, which served five American presidents.

“This boat has been cut up so much over the years, it’s like: ‘What was this boat like?’ ” Moores said. The yacht is undergoing repairs at his Riviera Beach shop. “It’s a beautiful boat though.”

In a June 1932 article in Yachting magazine – written before the boat became a presidential vessel or was renamed Honey Fitz – the Lenore II was labeled a “characteristically American” vehicle, because of its ability to travel for extended distances and reach 24 mph.

“She is the busy man’s yacht, able to lop off the miles in short order – a fast cruiser in which to go places in hours snatched at week-ends and on short vacations,” reads the article by Reginald Crowly.

The Lenore II was commissioned by Sewell Avery, a wealthy businessman, but when World War II broke out the ship was commandeered by the United States and equipped with larger engines, gun turrets and rocket launchers.

After the war, President Harry Truman and subsequent presidents used the ship as a transport vessel until Richard Nixon decided it was an extravagance in April 1970 and put it up for sale.

But it was Kennedy who made the boat famous, renaming it after his grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, known to many as “Honey Fitz.”

Kennedy and his family would spend time basking on the boat’s deck, enjoying their time atop the yacht which was considered too small to hold members of the Secret Service, according to documents from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

William Kallop, a businessman who keeps the boat docked in Florida, now owns the boat. Kallop originally commissioned Moores and his team to fix a section of the boat’s hull, but the project has since expanded into a large-scale restoration effort.

Before they began to restore the yacht’s underside, it was “all lumpy and it was disfigured,” Moores said.

The vessel, which sold at auction in 1998 for $5.9 million, is undergoing serious repairs.

Much of the aft side of the yacht remains exposed, revealing the metal pipes and wires. They realigned the hull, twisting it about 15 degrees, Moores said.

Workers are trying to strike a balance between restoring the ship to its specifications when it was a presidential vessel and ensuring its long-term durability.

The crew is using strategies, such as laminating the wood panels so they fit tightly together, that had not been developed at the time of the yacht’s construction, Moores said. But the modern technology won’t be noticeable to the naked eye, he said.

“If I didn’t tell you that, you wouldn’t know that,” he said.

Moores, who contacted presidential libraries in his quest to learn everything he could about the history of the boat, was able to obtain the original blueprints from Bowling Green State University.

“These boats are disappearing at such a rapid rate and once they’re gone, they’re not going to come back,” Moores said. “We’re losing our maritime history.”

Moores, who said he has worked on over 100 restoration projects, called this project “the pinnacle point” in his career.

OLD PORT COVE holdings looking for a new dockmaster for NORTH PLAM BEACH MARINA

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:33:39 +0000

Old Port Cove Holdings, Inc. of North Palm Beach, Fl. is seeking New Marina Manager for its North Palm Beach Marina facility.

Candidate must have five years Marina Management experience.

Knowledge of Dockmaster Software System, Excel, Word, and Clean Marina program a plus.

Excellent benefit package.

E-mail resume only Please: marinabiz84@gmail.com

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` About North Palm Beach Marina:

*Key-hole shaped basin featuring hardwood decked floating docks

*Vessels 45-150′ – 107 Slips

*10-year Clean Marina Designated

*No storm evacuation required

*Minutes to Inlet – No Drawbridges

*Marine Store

*In-Slip Pump Out

*Premium Gas & Marine Grade Diesel Fuel

*Cable TV – Wi-Fi

Viking Developers won approval

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:01:46 +0000

RIVIERA BEACH — Viking Developers won approval from the city council Wednesday to oversee a $59 million redevelopment for the city marina and surrounding property.

But the council had not voted as of late Wednesday on a proposal to lease the southern part of the marina to Rybovich Portside LLC for a megayacht repair yard.

Wednesday’s unanimous vote to make Viking the master developer for the redevelopment plan followed three hours of discussion punctuated by requests by Councilman Shelby Lowe that the agreement somehow ensure public access to the water for residents.

Following a 10-minute recess, City Attorney Pam Ryan said Viking agreed to add language that states the boat company will make efforts to ensure that the parking garage, a new Newcomb Hall and a community boating building are built.

Lowe has long pushed for a community boating program at Bicentennial Park similar to the one operated on Biscayne Bay by Shake-A-Leg Miami where adults, youths and the disabled learn about boats and go sailing.

“If you can’t enjoy the water, you might as well live somewhere else,” Lowe said.

Residents also spoke of the need for a marina plan that will benefit them.

“Keep it for the citizens,” said William Burrs, suggesting that the city rebuild the marina on its own using grant money.

New Jersey-based Viking operates a boat service business just north of the marina and owns property around the marina. Under the master developer agreement, Viking could transfer or assign development rights for any of the 19 marina project elements.

Future phases of the redevelopment plan include a public market, restaurant and retail space and a hotel or condos.

But the plan cannot proceed until state and county officials agree.

Palm Beach County commissioners must approve the use of $5 million in waterfront access bond money for the revised marina plan, and the state must approve the use of submerged lands at the marina for the megayacht service yard proposed by Rybovich.

County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor noted that Boynton Beach and Lake Park rebuilt their marinas without the help of outside developers and said the $5 million county grant for the city marina is for public access, not commercial yacht service.

The lease to Rybovich can’t happen unless the city resolves the state’s stipulation that submerged lands at the marina be used “for municipal park and recreational purposes only.”

A letter sent to council members Wednesday by Deborah Poppell, director of the state’s Division of State Lands, states the submerged lands used for marina slips belong to the state, not the city.

“The state of Florida has not been included in any negotiations between the city and Rybovich Portside LLC regarding the lease agreement and has not consented to the lease,” Poppell wrote. “Any lease between the City of Riviera Beach and Rybovich Portside LLC will violate the State of Florida’s dedication to the city.”

Negotiators for the city have said the city will not give up its submerged land dedication.

Council Chairwoman Dawn Pardo said the lease agreement is subject to state approval for the use of submerged lands.

“Ms. Poppell doesn’t have the last say,” Pardo said, noting that the state’s submerged lands are ultimately controlled by the governor and cabinet. “I just look at this as another piece of correspondence.”

Riviera Beach council to vote next week on $59 million marina plan.

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:12:30 +0000

RIVIERA BEACH — The city council is expected to vote May 18 on agreements with Viking Developers LLC and Rybovich Portside LLC that would launch a $59 million plan to rebuild the marina and surrounding property.

But the marina deal will not move ahead until the city gets approvals from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that would allow submerged lands at the marina to be used for a megayacht service yard proposed by Rybovich. And the city will need Palm Beach County commissioners’ approval to use $5 million in waterfront access bond money for the revised marina plan.

The council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, will take up the agreements first at the meeting. A special city council meeting has been scheduled following the CRA meeting for the council to vote on the agreements – including Rybovich’s proposal to lease the south end of the marina for 25 years for a megayacht service yard.

As proposed, the Rybovich facility at Riviera Beach Marina would service big yachts, generally 125 feet long and longer, that are too large or require too much water depth to be serviced at the company’s West Palm Beach marina.

Terms of the deal call for Rybovich to pay $60 a square foot to lease 2.8 acres at the south end of the marina. That’s about 35 percent of the upland property at the marina. The boat company also would lease 3.4 acres of submerged land for docking megayachts.

The city and the boat company are still working with state regulators to determine whether submerged lands at the marina, which were dedicated to the city for “municipal park and recreation purposes only,” can be used for a commercial yacht service yard.

Rybovich has agreed to pay the city $2.2 million up front to cover the first five years of the lease. Money would be held in escrow to make bond payments due on the marina for the next three years. Beginning in the sixth year, Rybovich would pay the city $217,890 annually, or 6 percent of gross revenue, whichever is greater.

Will Beck of Riviera Beach’s Seatow Services helps with Gulf oil spill cleanup
By Michael LaForgia

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 7:00p.m.Sunday,May9,2010

Posted: 4:02p.m.Sunday,May9,2010

As spilled oil lapped at the shores of Louisiana islands last week, Will Beck was pointing a supply truck north out of Riviera Beach and stepping on the gas.

Ahead of him was his older brother, Richard, floating somewhere out in the Gulf of Mexico, making long, slow passes over the site of what was shaping up to be the worst environmental disaster in American history.

Behind him, for the moment, were his obligations in Palm Beach County, where he runs Seatow Services of the Palm Beaches, Inc., a company that specializes in salvage, towing and cleanup efforts.

On contract as a first-responder, Beck’s company is paid to speed within an hour to the aid of damaged or stranded vessels, but on this Thursday afternoon, his mind was miles north and leagues offshore.

Gripping the steering wheel of a truck loaded with extra boom, pumps and cleaning gear, Beck imagined what was going on at the site of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded April 20 in a disaster that has sent at least 200,000 gallons of oil per day coursing into the Gulf of Mexico.

As BP officials tried to fit a giant containment dome over the rupture, oil-skimming ships were sweeping back and forth, trying to corral fast-spreading crude.

“It’s exhausting work. You’ve got so many vessels working in the area, you’ve got to constantly pay attention to what’s going on. You get worn out just from the ongoing stress level,” Beck said. “It’s hot. The stench from it is just overwhelming.

“Your eyes are completely bloodshot and your sinuses are just going nuts,” he said. “That’s every day, all day long.”

The scene was familiar to Beck, who started his Riviera Beach salvage and towing company with his brother 24 years ago. Richard and Will Beck first specialized in pulling disabled or wrecked boats to safety but soon mastered techniques for cleaning up spills that accompanied maritime emergencies.

On a far larger scale, those techniques were being used in the gulf by workers racing against wind, tide and wave action, Beck said.

Cleanup vessels tow booms, floating devices designed to capture oil, tied in a U shape behind sterns. As the ships travel back and forth over a spill, oil pools in the bottom of the U, and deck hands use a skimmer to vacuum the crude into tanks submerged along the boat. When tanks fill up, they surface and are off-loaded onto barges, and the process continues.

Richard Beck, who now runs a boat-selling business, and a deckhand made it to the gulf last week. The equipment Will Beck was hauling Thursday will help them and other contractors in the Herculean effort.

After unloading in Destin, Beck sped back to Palm Beach County, where he was readying local fishermen to protect beaches if the spill spreads down and round the Keys and into the Gulf Stream. If that happens, he’s hoping the crews he’s aiding in the gulf will return the favor.

“I’m trying to get ready for the eventuality,” Beck said. “If the oil does come to South Florida, they will come.”