TEST DRIVES
Sun Magic
Jeanneau 44
Rascal II, the newest Sun Magic Jeanneau 44 in the North South
fleet, is an impressive looking vessel, with teak decks, in-mast furling
system, adjustable back stays and sleek lines. The hull, designed by Andrieu,
who also designs around-the-world racing yachts, has a 6'6" modified fin
keel providing very predictable handling characteristics. Her powerful
dual spreader rig easily drives the 14'3" wide hull in even the lightest
breezes. As the wind increases, the mainsail can be reefed simply by furling
inside the mast.
Rascal II sleeps six, in three separate cabins, with 6'4" headroom.
Aft of the forward double berth cabin, there is a shower to port and a
head and hand basin to starboard. The main salon has a generous velour
seating area for eight, around a fixed wooden table. The galley area is
designed for easy food preparation, with a well insulated freezer under
the forward end of the seating area, a refrigerator adjacent to a double
drainer sink and a gamboled two-burner stove with oven beneath. If you
prefer to barbecue, a marine barbecue is fitted to the stern. Aft of the
galley is the navigator's seat, chart table and main electrical panel which
also includes a VHF radio and an AM-FM stereo cassette deck. The starboard
double berth aft cabin has a fitted hand basin and the port double berth
aft cabin has a separate entry to the combination shower/head, which also
serves the port cabin and main salon. Lady K carries 180 gallons of water
in five tanks and 35 gallons of fuel for her Yanmar 45 HP engine. On deck,
there is spacious cushioned cockpit with a large removable table for topside
dining at lunch and dinner and cocktails at sunset. The sugar scoop stern
has a four rung swim ladder. a compartment for storing snorkel gear and
a fresh water deck shower, encouraging even the novice snorkller or occasional
swimmer to venture into the azure Caribbean. The deck equipment is of the
highest quality, Italian made Barbarossa, with six self-tailing winches
and roller bearing blocks for the jib sheets. All of the sail controls
are led back to the cockpit, making sail setting and adjustment simple.
The electric anchor windless facilitates easy anchoring and the combination
of CQR and Danforth-pattern anchors makes for secure anchoring in all BVI
bottom conditions.
Rascal II feels sturdy and safe. She will cross oceans and will be
completely at home in all BVI weather conditions. With her 6'6" draft,
you can explore the many beautiful tropical beaches and coves throughout
more than 60 islands that make up the BVI. The delightfully laid out interior
combined with ease of handling will make your next North South charter
in the BVI the best sailing vacation of your life.
Sun Odyssey Jeannean 36
This review of North South's new Jeanneau 36 was kindly provided
by Madeleine and Deiter Bucher, first-time charterers from Cologne, Germany.
Madeleine and Deiter shared their charter with two other couples, all friends,
also from Germany. The Sun Odyssey 36 showcases the state of the art in
a performance cruiser design. "Buckpasser", the latest addition to the
North
South fleet, takes advantage of a broader beam and a long waterline
to combine performance with stability. Above decks, the Jeanneau 36 is
extremely well planned from every perspective, whether considering comfort,
safety or most important, sailing efficiency. However, while heading down
the Sir Francis Drake Channel towards Sopers Hole, with our four friends
sunning themselves on deck and with my wife and I in the cockpit, I couldn't
help but be amazed at how much room there was on this thirty-six foot boat.
And with all lines rigged back to the cockpit and with both main and jib
sails equipped with roller furling, "Buckpasser" is a great pleasure to
sail. Down below, Buckpasser features 6'2" headroom throughout, while sleeping
six in three large, separate cabins each with its own hand basin. Adjacent
to and forward of each aft cabin, there are two heads with showers. In
the main salon, a large oval settee and table was more than adequate to
seat all six of us most comfortably for many memorable meals. Opposite
the dining area, framing the walk through to the forward cabin, the galley
features a double sink, propane stove and oven, and a Seafrost refrigeration
system. With six people on board, we were concerned about adequate ventilation
during the warm BVI evenings and nights. However, with the combination
of the wind scoop we had on board and by opening all sixteen ports and
hatches, there was always plenty of fresh air down below. Overall, the
Jeanneau 36 appears to be very similar to the Jeanneau 44, "Lady K", featured
in the previous issue of North South News. However, considering
the abundant amount of room on board "Buckpasser", I imagine that "Lady
K" must be cavernous by comparison. During our vacation, we also made very
good use of the "sugar scoop" stern, since all of us are also active scuba
divers. Over a two week period, we visited various spectacular underwater
sites including the Rhone, the Chikuzen and the Indians. As I write this
report on our last evening of the cruise, enjoying a round of "painkillers"
and watching the beautiful BVI sunset, I would like to offer my strongest
recommendation of the Jeanneau 36.
Test Drives C&C
41
Since its inauguration some 20 issues ago, the
Test Drives Feature has mainly concentrated upon the newer and more unusual
boats which make up the North South fleet. However, for this report, Test
Drives focuses upon one of the more venerable and still amongst the most
popular vessels within North South fleet, the vintage C&C 41’s. The
original C&C 41 design was originally developed during the early 80’s
as a definitive statement to cement C&C’s competitive leadership in
the growing "racer/cruiser" sailboat category. At the time, the world demand
for sailboats seemed insatiable and the Canadian firm of Cassian &
Cuthbertson (C&C) was intent on reinforcing their well deserved reputation
for quality and performance. No sooner was it bought to market than C&C
41 began to far exceed its expectations both as a luxury cruiser and a
performance racer. Within the racing circuits, from the club level right
up to SORC, the C&C 41 soon forged a reputation as the one to beat.
While amongst the cruising crowd, the C&C 41 was envied for her expansive
and luxurious amenities, not to mention her ability for arriving at the
best anchorages first. Today, North South offers three C&C 41’s, the
last of an extensive fleet of 16 similar boats acquired in 1986. Both recently
refurbished, the rakish silhouettes of "Marlyn", "Mr. Bill" and
"Adventure" remain as
an accurate reminder that they are still the fastest boats in the fleet.
And with the benefit of frequent equipment upgrades, both C&C 41’s
reflect North South’s on-going commitment to product quality and reliability.
Each C&C 41 will accommodate up to six passengers in three separate
cabins, including the main salon. The full sized head/shower combination
is set up forward near the owners stateroom, providing a cavernous space
for the main salon and galley. And the practical design of the galley includes
a double sink, ample work counters, Sea Frost refrigeration and a three
burner propane stove/oven. From a sailing perspective, in addition to superior
hull design characteristics, C&C 41’s sailing performance stems from
two main features; stiffness, created by their triple spreader rig; and
stability, provided by their 8 foot wing keels.
Reversal Of
Fortunes: North South Guests Assist In BVI Rescue
Recently, a resident of the USVI was rescued by North South Charterers,
after a harrowing 30 hours drifting at sea in a life jacket. Originally
with a companion, James Ferguson managed to reach Salt Island west of Cooper
Island after their 24 foot launch capsized in heavy swells. His companion,
Farrel Ottley, was rescued separately off Cooper Island itself Ted and
Bonnie Johnson, on a North South 44 foot Jeanneau reported that their rescued
guest was understandably grateful. However, they said that their "guest"
was even more amazed and impressed at his abrupt change of circumstances,
from the inhospitable shores of a scrub island to the abject luxury of
a North South yacht. Since then, we've been wondering aloud whether VISAR
should consider installing some luxury amenities in their own rescue vessels.
As word gets out, distress victims could soon become very selective about
who rescues them.
Sea Turtles
In The BVI
Three specie of sea turtles feed and nest in the BVI. All are endangered
and threatened with extinction. The Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
once sought after for the shell which was used to make jewelry and combs,
can be seen around the reef margins where they feed on soft coral. They
take about 25 years to reach sexual maturity at around 18 inches across
and grow to 250 pounds. No one knows how long they live. Their only predators,
when fully grown, are man pollution and sharks. About 45 nest in the BVI
between August and January each year. Their nests are about 18 inches deep,
3 feet wide and are laid at the top of the beach, often into and underneath
the bushes. Sea Grape bushes provide the usual nesting sites often 50 yards
from the sea. An average of 120 eggs are laid with 90% hatching successfully.
The hatchlings are of the size of a matchbox with legs. They swim out to
sea for the first two days after hatching. Then, no one knows where they
go until they re-appear five years later, at about 8 inches long.
The Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) has been extensively caught for food.
Prior to 1986, over 400 greens were killed every year. Their numbers have
dwindled to fewer than 30 as they have become harder to catch and kill.
Green turtles grow to 40 inches across and attain 500 pounds. Green turtles
feed on turtle grass. They nest from June to September each year and lay
about 140 eggs in each 3.5 feet deep nest. The nests are almost 6 feet
around and are dug on the beach in sand just above the wave wash. There
are only three beaches left in the BVI where these magnificent creatures
still nest. You can, however, watch them swim and feed (and swim with them)
in any of the anchorages around the BVI.
The Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) are the most rare of the sea
turtles. They nest in May and June with only 5 or 6 nest each year. Leatherbacks
are huge, weighing up to 1100 pounds. They feed on jellyfish in water up
to 3000 feet deep and regularly cross the oceans in their travels.
Did you know that each turtle returns to its natal beach to nest, or
that only 2% of the hatchlings survive to breed? There is now a closed
season in the BVI for all turtles, from the 1st of April to November, and
it is against the law to "have in your possession any part of a turtle".
It is also against the law to bring any turtle produce into the USA or
Canada at any time. You can help prevent more damage to the marine environment
by observing the following guidelines. Do not throw any plastic into the
water. Do not barbecue on sand beaches during nesting season. Do not buy
any turtle products from anywhere at anytime. Do not eat at any restaurant
that has turtle on the menu. Do report any harassment of turtles in the
water or on the land to the conservation Department. Finally, when you
arrive for your sailing vacation, please don't hesitate to ask for a chart
briefing on turtle spots.
Notes From
Caribbean Travel
For most people, traveling to the Caribbean is a very relaxing experience.
However, for others not used to its idiosyncrasies, traveling in the Caribbean
can become at best an interesting experience, especially where several
plane changes are required. Over the years, Caribbean Travel has sent its
agents to the islands in order to understand first hand, the experiences
and frustrations that our clients go through. For the most part, those
experiences can be described by the sudden shock of confronting what is
known as island time. For most of us who come from a world where everything
is rush, rush, rush, it's often difficult to adjust to the Caribbean tempo
of don't expect anything to happen in a hurry. So, our best advice for
all people traveling to the Caribbean is to get into that relaxed holiday
mindset right at the beginning, as you leave your house on the way to the
airport. Whether it's a flight delay in San Juan or on one of the smaller
islands enroute, think of it as yet another opportunity to wind down. The
sooner you decide to start your holiday, the sooner you'll enjoy your well-deserved
rest.
Caribbean Travel is a North South affiliated travel agency located
in Miami offering special knowledge, experience and understanding of the
opportunities and advantages of traveling in the Caribbean area.
Book Your
Next Sailing Vacation Through Cyberspace
Recently, North South assumed "global" presence through the establishment
of its new Internet address. "Getting an Internet listing makes a lot of
sense for us", says North South President, Brian Rose. "Most of
our regular clientele are highly computer dependant, with more and more
joining the Internet everyday. In particular, an Internet listing will
also facilitate the needs of our rapidly growing European charter market
segment". Brian continued, "Within a week of joining the "net" we were
able to correspond with a client who is hearing impaired. We were able
to answer his questions and confirm his booking with much greater ease
than "snail mail".
North South's new internet address is www.nsyv.com.
IT'S BEST ON A BOAT
