Article
2010 Performance Cruising Owners Rendezvous
By Mark KiehlThe 2010 Performance Cruising Owners Rendezvous was again held at the Performance Cruising Inc. fac-tory located on Back Creek, Annapolis. This event was a joint effort between PCI and Gemini Gems.
The activities began on Saturday afternoon with semi-nars organized by PCI. Lisa Eberle from Festiva Sail-ing Vacations gave us an overview of the options and benefits of chartering a Gemini in the British Virgin Islands. Here are a few of the tips she shared with us for cruising the BVI by charter:
- Call ahead for dinner reservations at the Soggy Dollar. Soup, fruit, main course and dessert will cost you about $40. Enjoy their delicious food while experiencing a very beautiful and intimate setting.
- Stop at Marina Cay and enjoy a drink at the top of the island, enjoying a beautiful view.
- Snorkel at George Dog; it’s very quiet and color-ful.
- Take the short hike to the top of the Bath’s where there is a great pool area and restaurant/bar, along with some great shops. You might run into one of the regulars, such as Academy Award-winning ac-tor Morgan Freeman, who owns a home nearby.
- Consider Manchioneel Bay on Cooper Island for your last night, a great spot with plenty of mooring balls for your convenience.
Contact Lisa Eberle at (954) 449-7632 for more information, or visit http://festivasailingvacations.com/
The next seminar was by Mark Mayo and Rich Krolak of M Yacht Services. Mark & Rich discussed marine electronics and how to properly care for your rigging. Samples of rigging failures were supplied for the group to carefully inspect. You can reach Mark or Rich by calling 410-280-2752 or visit www.Myachtservices.net
Marine Insurance
Anthony Ballinger, VP of E/G of Florida, Inc. ex-plained the details behind different types of insurance, and how to obtain coverage for some of the hard to insure cruising situations. When he was done, we were all anxious to pull out our policies and review the fine print.
Anthony began by explaining that you need to shop for insurance based on protection of your investment, not simply by price. You also need to be careful where 2010 Performance Cruising Owners Rendezvous By Mark Kiehl, SEAS TODAY, Hull 649 Owner’s Gemini catamarans snuggled into the docks at Performance Cruising Inc. Mark Mayo and Rich Krolak of M Yacht Services provide the seminar attendees with information about rigging and electronics. 3 you get your insurance, as your home and/or auto in-surance company may not have policies structured to provide you with the best protection for your boat. Liability and physical damage coverage form the core of any marine policy. Liability Coverage covers the legal obligations to third parties due to injury, loss of life or property damage. The minimum recommended should be $ 300,000 Combined Single Limits (CSL) or the value of vessel. Physical Damage Coverage reimburses for damage to the boat and its machinery. The best physical damage policy is an “all risk” which covers any cause of loss not specifically excluded in the policy, like wind storms, vandalism and collisions with the dock. Your policy should cover your vessel even when it is stored or transported by trailer.
When comparing physical damage coverage you should know whether an insurance settlement is based on “agreed value” or “actual cash value.” Agreed Value reimburses the insured for the amount listed on the policy in the event the vessel is a total loss. Actual Cash Value takes into account depreciation and the condition of the boat at the time of loss. The latter option provides less coverage and the premium is usu-ally reduced
There are several additional marine coverages. Medi-cal Payments pays your first aid, ambulance and hospi-tal bills in case of an accident. It also covers any pas-sengers injured on your boat. Towing and Assistance pays for emergency assistance such as boat towing, emergency repairs while underway or fuel delivery at sea. Personal Property reimburses for loss of personal effects, clothing, fishing gear and more. Uninsured Boater is not mandatory, and this coverage compen-sates you and your passengers for injuries caused by another boat owner who carries no liability insurance.
There are several factors that determine the price of insurance, including the value of the boat, its length, age, type (sail or power), mooring location, intended area of navigation and how high a deductible you choose. Methods of reducing your premium include accepting a higher deductible, reducing your area of navigation, lay up on the hard during winter, and ob-tain some type of boating certification.
For more information about marine insurance, contact Anthony Ballinger at: E/G of Florida Insurance, 800-668-9615, www.eg-florida.com
Operation & Maintenance of a Gemini
The final seminar was a joint effort by Robin Hodges of PCI and Captain Bill Schardt, owner of Annapolis Sailing Solutions. Robin and Bill covered a variety of Gemini operating a maintenance topics that were well received by the attendees.
Bill discussed the pros and cons of owning a Gemini.
Pros:
- Shallow draft
- User friendly
- Ability to singlehand
- Fun, fast, accelerates quickly
- Tacks easily Lots of storage Great shower design
Cons:
- Larger boats handle heavy weather better
- Big boats are great at anchor
- Lots of storage can lead to overloading
Bill shared the story of his first week long charter with a couple that had just returned from a week in the Vir-gin Islands aboard a captained 38\' name brand cat. They were trying to decide which boat to buy and he thought, “how could the Gemini possibly stand up against this?” Upon stepping aboard, the client an-nounced \"this is the boat for me because I think I can handle it without a crew\" Five days later, they docked back home thoroughly delighted with their experience.
His suggestions for family outings:
- Educate your crew. If you are yelling commands no one else is having fun.
- Keep it fun for everyone and have reasonable ex-pectations.
- Reef early, it makes the boat more comfortable, safer and usually just as fast.
Bill shared a number of operational and equipment suggestions based on his experience owning a Gemini.
After sitting the afternoon under a tent, it was time for the PCI sponsored cocktail hour, followed by the ca-tered dinner. These two events gave everyone more time to talk and socialize.
Sunday morning began with a devotional hosted by Gary and Janet Greenip (Hull 680, SINE DIE). It was followed by a pot luck brunch, and the race rally or-ganization meeting.
The forecast for the race/rally was for very light winds. Despite the favorable winds we were experiencing dur-ing the brunch and race organizational meeting, we decided to shorten up the course to a total leg length of 5.4 nm. The race/rally was a timed event over a trian-gular course that covered the mouth of the Severn
River and the Chesapeake Bay. The seven Gemini catamarans that participated began the race in good winds that quickly died after they passed the second marker. From that point on it was a slow crawl, and all but two dropped out of the race before reaching the third mark. SUNCAT (#743) and PANDION (#895) agreed to give up on the third mark and race to the fin-ish. PANDION conceded a victory to SUNCAT as they needed to use their motor to avoid contact with a fishing vessel.
Everyone was given time after the race/rally to relax, socialize, or swap maintenance tips. Everyone contrib-uted a dish to the pot luck dinner. Gifts were given to Gary Greenip for his support of the devotional, Tim Argie (LINKS, 747) for the tasty grits he contributed to brunch, Tom & Pat Larimer for first place in the race/rally, and Pierre & Danalee Henkart for second place in the race/rally and their display of honorable sportsmanship.
In summary, 64 people at-tended, and 15 Gemini catamarans were at the rendezvous.
Attendees:
Event Sponsors:
- Performance Cruising Inc., 410.626.2720, 7364 Edgewood Road Annapolis Maryland 21403
- Lisa Eberle at (954) 449-7632 for more infor-mation, or visit http://festivasailingvacations.com/
- Mark Mayo and Rich Krolak of M Yacht Services, 410-280-2752 or visit www.Myachtservices.net
- Anthony Ballinger at: E/G of Florida Insurance, 800-668-9615, www.eg-florida.com