Most mooring and anchor line is three strand nylon and there is nothing wrong with it. But we all know that it can capture salt and stiffen and when that happens it can stiffen and be reluctant to go around cleats and allow itself to be coiled. This downside can be avoided if you replace it with 8 plait nylon line. That line construction is a pleasure to work with as it remains pliable and coilable. The reason it was not much seen on boats was the price. We are pleased to tell you that Budget Marine now has 8 plait at only slightly more than the 3 strand twisted and we even have it in black which does not show the dirt. It is pure nylon and a pure pleasure to coil and apply to cleats.
Anchors
In the past few decades it has been a pleasure to see innovative effective anchor designs come to market that provided the user with a much higher success rate in setting and holding. Availability and pricing of really effective anchors is highly connected with the patents connected with those anchors. However those patents run our and on occasion they get to be produced by highly reliable manufacturers who make the product even better. Budget Marine is delighted to have introduced a range of these anchors which are very heavily built and copy out of patent designs but with more robust construction. This includes Claw, Brittany and Delta anchors and more to come. Buyers should also beware of anchors whose construction is dependent on stainless pins that can be subject to electrolysis and which when failed eliminate the holding power entirely.
No Stainless Steel Underwater
Whilst Budget Marine has a high regard for stainless steel materials, our experience has shown that stainless steel underwater in the Caribbean is very risky. Electrolysis of course the reason for the risk and it is highly unpredictable. Hence we have stopped selling stainless anchors and where we have stainless steel chain it is the small diameter. Where we have had them customers have expected that the stainless surface stays clean and shiny and regretfully it almost always gets to have a spoiled surface due to surface rust. Customers have been disappointed . We do understand that for day boats a stainless anchor is suitable but we have exited the category and plan to stay out of trouble.
Opti Sailors show their talent at the 18th St. Maarten Budget Marine Optimist Championship
There were 41 youth sailors from Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin, St. Maarten and St Barth who competed in the St. Maarten Budget Marine Optimist Championship hosted by St Maarten Yacht Club 24 and 25 November 2023, making this a truly international event that is showing great growth.
At the opening ceremony on November 24, Carrack Jones was recognized for his remarkable sail from Antigua to St. Maarten in an Optimist. He arrived on November 23rd at 11 pm and apparently still had the energy to take part in the Championship.
Three fleets – the Sailqube fleet for the youngest sailors, the orange intermediate fleet, and the advanced blue fleet, ensured that racers could shine in their own category.
Impressive top scoring winners were Axel le Calvex from Saint Martin Voile pour tous in the Sailqube fleet, Ruben van Hest representing Antigua Yacht Club in the orange fleet and Thomas Magras from the Saint Barths Yacht Club, in the blue fleet, who was also overall winner of the Championship.
There were many battles for 2nd and 3rd place and further down the line, preparing and toughening competitors for future racing events. Special awards went to Elliot Balland from the Saint Barths Yacht Club (Best Newcomer) and Nathan Sheppard (Best sailor of Sint Maarten with the title ‘Sint Maarten National Dinghy Champion in the Optimist’).
Budget Marine was extremely proud to sponsor this event along with the support of local businesses, hard-working St Maarten Yacht Club organizers and volunteers, both on and of the water. We wish all the participants a great future in sailing and hope to see even more taking part next year.
More photos and results can be found on the SMYC Website.
Carrack Jones sets World Record
Fourteen-year-old Antiguan Carrack Jones has broken the record for the longest distance sailed in an Optimist sailboat. He sailed from the Antigua Yacht Club in Falmouth Harbour to Philipsburg in St Maarten, a distance of 100 nautical miles.
Carrack originally planned to depart on Tuesday, November 21 but with a lack of wind his trip was postponed by 24 hours.
Carrack smashed the record set by 13-year-old Lolie Osswald who completed the 80-mile distance from Antigua to St Barts in an Optimist in June 2022.
Jones himself is no stranger to sailing competitively, as in recent years he has taken part in Antigua Sailing Week, the Classic Yacht Regatta and the Optimist World Championships and will be competing in the Budget Marine Optimist Regatta, just a few days after completing his world record challenge.
Carrack was surrounded by friends and family and well-wishers who celebrated as he launched his Optimist into the water on Wednesday in Falmouth Harbour.
Jones was confident in himself, even fooling around a bit about the venture despite the challenge ahead.
Part of the trip was spent shrouded in darkness, as he sailed through night, with only the light from the moon and stars.
Carrack was accompanied by three support vessels that helped him to ensure his safety, but they didn’t communicate with or give advice to the young sailor, not to break his bid for the World Record.
The most difficult part of the voyage was staying awake for the entire trip. Sweets and fresh water helped him stay awake and alert, so he did not veer off course.
Jones, sailor from the age of 7, was inspired to take up the challenge after a young girl from St Barts took part in a similar journey only a year prior to his own attempt.
The world record is verified by the yacht clubs at both ends. His name will be written in the Guinness Book of Records as soon next edition becomes available.
In the upcoming Budget Marine Optimist Regatta, Carrack will attempt to be overall winner as well! We wish him all the best and hope he will enjoy sailing for many more years.
PREPARING FOR A STRESS-FREE LAUNCH
by Niels Lund
Launching your boat is a greatly anticipated event that is often approached with trepidation. During more than 20 years owning and sailing a boat in the Caribbean I worked in marine services and yard management, so offer these pointers to mitigate any issues that might arise.
Launch Date
When making your boatyard booking, estimate your launch date as accurately as possible, and should boat projects run unavoidably late, keep the yard manager informed.
In a packed boatyard like this one it is critical your boat is placed in a position that does not block another boat from launching before you, or vice versa. If you get the date wrong, the yard may charge you for having to move one or more boats out of the way.
Pre-launch checklist
As splash date approaches check the weather. Antifoul paint should not be applied in rain, so you may have to paint a few days earlier than usual. Remove any painter’s tape or plugs that may block inlets/outlets – after launching you don’t want to find your heads outlet sealed, as we once did! Retain enough antifouling for last minute touch ups.
Complete boat projects in good time and remove ALL debris from the area where your boat is chocked. Return any hired or borrowed equipment. If convenient, fill storage tanks with water, fuel and propane for your next voyage.
If support stands were welded together, check with the yard manager when they will be cut loose. Be present when this is done to see that no steel dust generated by cutting gets onto your or your neighbour’s boat.
Make sure all contractors are paid (and if not, check that the contractor is okay that you launch). Settle your yard bill to avoid delays and possible legal restrictions.
Just prior to launching, get rid of deck grime with a good wash. Attach fenders and lay out handling lines under lifelines and onto cleats for quick deployment.
Close all seacocks, and if possible, leave floorboards/hatches open for easy access when checking for water ingress.
Check that clean plastic sleeves are put on the travel lift slings to protect your topsides when the straps take load and stretch, as trapped dirt could result in marks on your hull. While the boat is in slings/on a trailer, apply antifoul where support stand pads were and under the keel as soon as possible to allow some drying time.
Once in the water
Open seacocks and check seacocks/skin fittings and the bilge for unwanted leaks. If all is well, start the engine and see that cooling water flows out freely.
Test that steering gear is functional. Reversed steering cables once made maneuvering out the travel lift bay in a busy harbour a very challenging experience for me.
If travel lift slings have been placed between your prop shaft and hull, it is good practice to have a diver ensure they don’t catch on shaft or P-bracket during removal.
Line handlers should keep the boat centre and walk her out of the travel lift bay to negate prop walk and lessen wind effects. Hopefully this will prevent any part of your boat being smeared on the dock. Before engaging the engine, ensure all lines are on deck and out of the water and that no vessels are behind you obstructing your way. Leave a minimal wake and relax as your boat is once again in her natural element.
BRUSH UP ON BRUSHES AND ROLLERS
For optimum performance, good quality brushes and rollers are an investment, but it makes sense to use a low-tech, less expensive tool if adequate for the job. Choosing the right product all depends on your project.
Antifoul application
Rollers – Many bottom paint manufacturers recommend using a 3/8″ nap roller that will apply a thick coat with orange peel-type finish. On ablative paints, that texture will smooth out a little as the boat moves in the water. A smooth, slick finish results in faster speed through the water. If you want a smoother finish, use a 3/16″ to 1/4″ nap roller.
Foam rollers can be used, but they lay down a thinner coat of paint. For proper antifoul protection more coats will be required to to build up correct mil thickness (as specified by the manufacturer). When applying solvent-based paints, a solvent-safe foam roller cover should be used, constructed so it won’t fall apart.
Varnishing – You need a brush that is dense, has a chisel tip, and won’t shed bristles, such as a good badger-hair brush. Oil-based varnish takes longer to dry and is best applied with a natural bristle brush.
Some professionals even use a good foam brush, applying thin, smooth layers to achieve the final finish. The advantage of throw-away foam brushes is you don’t use solvent to clean the applicator, saving on cost and eliminating the need to dispose of used solvent.
Painting – The brush needs to hold plenty of paint, so a bristle brush is best. Disposable, throwaway China chip brushes are adequate for small jobs or those where perfection isn’t a priority. Foam brushes can’t be used with polyurethane paints.
Rolling-and-tipping requires a careful brush cleaning regimen. An oval-shaped badger- or China-bristle brush with a chiselled, fan-shaped tip is best.
Brush Care – Never leave a natural bristle brush soaking in thinners as it will dry out the bristle’s natural oils. Instead, soak it in kerosene, suspended so the tip is off the can bottom. Rinse it twice in mineral spirits or thinners before re-using.
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Team Antigua Island Girls completed their challenge!
With an extraordinary performance of courage and determination, Team Antigua Island Girls, an all-female rowing team from Antigua and Barbuda, has achieved another memorable victory by rowing across the Pacific Ocean.
After 41 days and 7 hours they were there! Team Antigua Island Girls’ Christal Clashing, Kevinia Francis and Samara Emmanuel crossed the finish line in Hanalei Bay on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii. The girls competed in the 2023 World’s Toughest Row – Pacific Challenge.
This is an extreme endurance race, where individuals from around the world gather annually to test themselves against Mother Nature and compete to row 2,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean – a lifetime adventure and experience that began in Monterey, California.
A lifetime adventure and experience that began in Monterey, California.
The girls have been challenged by brutal seas and waves as high as 20 feet, severe sleep deprivation, hallucinations, hunger and stiff and aching bodies. But it was all balanced by sighting incredible marine life, witnessing the dawn of a new day and sunsets that can’t be seen from land.
Their final stretch of Kauaʻi was one of the greatest battles of the race, as they fought treacherous currents and relentless winds, which pushed them further and further north.
Supporters and family waited for “the girls” on the pier in Hanalei and watched their national heroes row into the state of Aloha, Hawaii. As they approached the finish line in Kauaʻi, the air was filled with excitement. Proudly waving the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, their country’s colors graced the stage, a testament to the team’s unwavering pride.
Budget Marine, the team’s largest private sector sponsor, is very proud of ‘her’ rowers. With the financial and material sponsorship, Team Antigua Island Girls managed to take on the challenge complete it with success. Well done girls!
Budget Marine gives a helping hand with the Sailing Boat for ‘Sailability project’ at Sint Maarten Yacht Club
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club celebrated the arrival of a specially designed sailing boat, designed to take individuals with disabilities on the water. One of the goals of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club is to make sailing available for a broader audience. Sailing is the perfect sport to experience confidence and freedom on the water, and to improve your skills. The SMYC wants to make sailing accessible to everyone, regardless of abilities. With the new boat, called an RS Venture Connect, the SMYC will make sailing possible for this specific target group. Something that Budget Marine supports and would like to offer a helping hand to this special group of sailors.
The container with the RS Venture Connect arrived from the Netherlands on the end of June The container was delivered to Budget Marine to be unloaded and put together and tested by the instructors of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.
“We are looking forward to sailing with the students from the White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation,” said Sam Peeks, sailing instructor at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club. “We had the chance to meet these students a few weeks ago, we were happy and impressed to see their enthusiasm. With the arrival of the boat, we are even more excited to start the special sailing classes in September. We hope that this program will not only introduce these students to sailing but it also helps to improve their confidence”.
This program is supported by R4CR which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands via the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. The latter is administered by the World Bank and implemented by the NRPB (National Recovery Program Bureau). The R4CR program is locally managed by the VNGI (International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities) in close cooperation with 4C Foundation and other local partners. These funds make it possible to purchase this special boat and run the program for 1 year.
Currently, the SMYC is running their annual Sailing Summer Camp, in which the boat is being used as well. It is a new experience for the children, as they are used to sail in a unstable dinghy (small sailing boat). This will broaden their horizon and sailing experience, as they are now able to sail a more stable and bigger keelboat.
Would you like to receive more information about the Sailability project or Sailing Summer Camp? Contact Saskia@smyc.com
