NEWS: Hinckley Talaria 43 Set For Spring

Hinckley Talaria 43 Set For Spring
In September, Hinckley President and CEO Jim McManus announced the Talaria 43 (T43), doing so from the cockpit of the full-scale mockup of the new vessel.

“Building a mockup like this gives us an opportunity to really see how the spaces work and to be sure we’ve got it right. Apparently, we have succeeded—we have five Talaria 43’s already on order,” said McManus.

This will be the third new Hinckley powerboat in as many years, and several notable features distinguish the new design. First, the boat has a rear glass pilothouse enclosure that can be put in place at the push of a button, satisfying those owners who like the openness of an express boat but want protection in case of inclement weather.

Second, while Hinckley offers the T43, and all its powerboats, with Hamilton waterjet propulsion as standard, the Volvo IPS 600 pod drive system is also an option for the boat.

“Our design team has worked closely with Volvo, and we’re confident the system will pair well with the boat. We are excited about offering boaters the choice between these two drive systems, each with its own advantages,” said McManus.

The cockpit features sociable seating and a hospitality bar with refrigerator and sink. The boat’s full galley is carried to port on a mezzanine level for easy access. Two Stidd seats are fitted at the helm station. Below decks is a foreward queen master stateroom, a double guest cabin, and a head with stall shower.

Like the rest of the Hinckley fleet, the T43 comes with the support of the company’s network of service yards, three days of onboard training, a lifetime hull and deck warranty, and the company’s signature brightwork and prized profile.

The first five hulls will be delivered to owners on the Chesapeake, in southern New England and southern California.

Suntex Acquires York River Yacht Haven
“Suntex is thrilled to add York River Yacht Haven to its network of marinas along the eastern seaboard,” said Chris Petty, president of Suntex Marinas. “With the change in ownership, York River Yacht Haven will soon see more amenities, improved services, and a new restaurant tenant to better serve our customers and make the boating experience the best it can be.”

York River Yacht Haven is a full service marina located near the mouth of the York River on the lower Chesapeake Bay, a few miles from the Intracoastal Waterway in Sarah’s Creek. The 14-acre site is in a natural ‘hurricane hole,’ and is storm-protected from every quadrant.

The marina includes 325 covered and open slips, a boatyard, ship’s store, pool, and marine and boat repair facility. The restaurant will be under lease to the owners of Riverwalk Restaurant and will reopen soon.

Martin Lucas has been chosen to lead the property as general manager. Lucas has decades of yachting and marina management experience and has most recently served as the director of customer service for an internationally acclaimed marina company.

Seacraft Gets New Marine Travelift
Seacraft Shipyard of Amelia, La., recently purchased a new Marine Travelift 400 C that will be delivered and installed in the spring of 2014. Seacraft is a 24-hour, 365-day-per-year full service shipyard that has been repairing, refurbishing and converting aluminum and steel oilfield vessels since 1955, and it’s been a Marine Travelift customer since 1980.

“We purchased our first Marine Travelift mobile boat hoist in 1980 and our second in 1996,” said Monty Cornes, Seacraft’s project manager. “We’ve been very satisfied with their quality and performance, and we’re confident that this relationship will continue into the future.”

Seacraft was able to purchase the new Travelift thanks to a $1.1 million grant from the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD). Until now, it has been using a 150-ton Marine Travelift, which can lift vessels up to 150 tons and 30 feet wide. The new machine will significantly expand the yard’s business, handling vessels up to 400 tons and more than 40 feet wide.

“Picking up the larger vessels with the 400 C will allow us to be safer and more efficient than using the drydocks,” he observed, “and it will provide our customers with quicker turnaround service. We also will not have to turn away work because our drydocks are full, since we’ll have plenty of room in our yard to place and work on vessels.”

Seacraft will continue to use its 150-ton Marine Travelift, as well as its 1,200-ton and 800-ton drydocks, to serve customers until the new 400 C is in operation.

Jacksonville Corpsmen Win Awards
Two officers from the Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District were presented with awards for their part in recovery efforts for Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debby at the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA) annual conference.

The Stan Tait Award, the association’s highest honor for “truly outstanding contributions” to Florida’s beaches, was presented to Jacqueline Keiser, chief of the coastal navigation section. She was instrumental in assisting local governments as they navigated a complicated recovery process after the storms of 2012.

The Richard Bonner Award was presented to Col. Alan Dodd, district commander, for outstanding service by an individual representing the Army Corps of Engineers. The award recognizes Col. Dodd’s leadership in overseeing his team and addressing the needs of Florida’s storm damaged federal projects.

Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debby brought an unprecedented amount of emergency projects to the Jacksonville District, all of which needed to be designed, advertised, permitted and awarded in just a few short months. These projects included 13 beach projects and 10 supplemental navigation projects with beach placement.

Jacksonville District delivered these projects in less than 30 days, which was earlier than required, and $20 million under budget. In the end, 8 million cubic yards of sand were placed on Florida’s beaches, totaling $145 million.

Guy Harvey Launches Expedition Outfitters
Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts has announced a new Expedition Outfitters designation as an expansion of its adventure-travel lodging business. The program will start with two membership categories — dive shops and guided or charter boat fishing — and is designed to save customers time in planning their next adventure.

“Our fishing and diving customers want the same level of quality service and ‘top of class’ experience they get at our resorts and lodges,” said company co-founder Bill Shedd, who is also the owner of the fishing tackle company, AFTCO. “At Guy Harvey Outpost, we’ve done the homework to make sure our Expedition Outfitters meet those expectations.”

Capt. Ned Stone, a sportfishing veteran of the offshore fishing circuit, will oversee the new effort as the company’s director of program development. The inaugural members of Expedition Fishing Outfitters include acclaimed Florida captains Ray Rosher of Miami, Billy Black of Stuart and Randy Towe of Islamorada. For legendary offshore action in Mexico, Anthony Mendillo and his Keen M Sportfishing team will be the company’s fishing outfitter in Isla Mujeres.

“These captains have the records and testimonials to truly be considered sportfishing legends,” noted Stone. “We’re honored to have them join the Guy Harvey Outpost system. And if we don’t have an Outpost resort or lodge nearby, you have a pretty good idea where we’re looking.”

The company’s two newest hotel additions include the Islander Resort in Islamorada and the Hotel Playa Media Luna in Isla Mujeres, just off the Cancun coast.

Seabird Conservation Project
A conservation project organized by long-distance sailors is looking to boaters worldwide to document ocean bird sightings. The SeaBC Sea Bird Count will provide critical data on sea bird population and distribution, as well as on migration routes, using social media to collect reports from participants.

“Participants do not need to be ‘seabird experts’ or knowledgeable about seabirds,” said SeaBC founder and yachtswoman Diana Doyle. “We have set up a Facebook forum and work with a designated eBird seabird reviewer for identification help and to ensure the validity of the data. [Boaters] can make a huge contribution simply by photographing seabirds and recording the latitude and longitude.”

SeaBC seabird count data goes to Cornell University’s eBird database (www.ebird.org), where boaters’ sightings become a resource for scientists worldwide. With budget cutbacks leaving research vessels with less sea time, and concern about recent shifts in the ocean’s ecology, the contribution that boaters can provide is even more important.

For more information or to submit a sighting, visit www.facebook.com/groups/BirdingAboard/.

Coastal Properties Adds Marinas
Coastal Properties Management of Annapolis will manage the operations and development of two marinas in northern Maryland: Bohemia Vista Marina near Chesapeake City and Hack’s Point Marina near Earleville. Both facilities are owned by CNL Investment Group.

Located on the beautiful Bohemia River near the C&D Canal, both properties are perfectly situated for boat owners in northern Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as for transient cruisers heading north or south in the Chesapeake Bay.

Bohemia Vista Marina has 130 slips in addition to a pool, ship’s store and community room with free WiFi, heads and showers. A Travelift is available to haul vessels for storage or service, and the marina also has a launch ramp and trailer parking. The facility has been undergoing renovation of its slips and facilities, which will include new floating docks, heads and other amenities by next season.

Hack’s Point Marina is located across the river from Bohemia Vista and includes 81 slips, full service boat repairs, heads and showers, lounge and laundry, as well as a boat ramp and trailer parking. Hack’s is slated for renovation and upgrades to its docks in the near future as well.

Alabama Sea School Unveils Simulator
Sea School Mobile has acquired a NAUTIS Full-Mission Bridge Simulator and Instructor Station to enhance training for its maritime students.

The new simulator features a 180-degree external view angle, which exceeds the minimum 120-degree exterior view angle required for DNV Class B simulators. This allows Sea School to now offer the highest quality of competency training.

“Together with our North American partner, Annapolis Simulation, we are happy to include Sea School in the NAUTIS family,” said Victor Tufts, VSTEP North America sales manager. “The acquisition of this simulator and instructor station guarantees realistic training of the highest quality for the Sea School students for years to come.”