Coast Guard reports rise in boating fatalities

The Coast Guard announced Wednesday the publication of the 2008 boating safety statistics, reporting a rise in recreational boating fatalities.

The fatality rate, a measure of the number of deaths against the number of registered recreational boats, increased from 5.3 in 2007 to 5.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational boats in 2008. During this time, the Coast Guard recorded 709 deaths, 3,331 injuries and approximately $54 million dollars in damage to property, stemming from 4,789 recreational boating accidents.

Operator inattention, careless or reckless operation, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger or skier behavior rank as the top five contributing factors to recreational boating accidents.

Alcohol consumption continues to be of major concern in fatal boating accidents and is listed as the leading contributing factor in 17 percent of the deaths.

According to the report:

• Only 10 percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had received boating safety education.
• Two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned and, of those, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket.

To view the 2008 recreational boating safety statistics, go to: http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm

For information on boating responsibly, go to http://www.uscgboating.org/.

Trumpy Yachts to build new 125-foot motoryacht

The recently revived Trumpy Yachts and Alex Suarez, managing partner of Classic Yacht Partners, announced they will build a dramatic new 125-foot Trumpy yacht inspired by John Trumpy's pre-war designs.

"When we decided to relaunch our brand and business, we believed very strongly that thoughtful yachtsmen would respond to our products," says Johan Trumpy. "With [Mr. Suarez'] help, we have dramatically enhanced the 125-foot Trumpy and will be building one of the most elegant yachts that I have ever been involved with."

The new owner, Alex Suarez of Classic Yacht Partners in Atlanta, Ga., is not only spearheading the design and purchase of the new Trumpy; he has created a yacht share company to capitalize on the new realities of large yacht ownership.

"When I first met with Johan and Jim Ewing, CEO of Trumpy Yachts, at the Palm Beach Show, it was obvious that they had the vision and the relationship with Vicem Yachts to build the kind of yachts our clients and new business required."

Click here to read about the new Trumpy Yachts.

Actor holds court on historic steamship-turned-stage

New York director Adam Klasfeld has developed "The Report of My Death," a one-man show about Mark Twain's life, which made its public premiere July 22 aboard a 173-foot former Coast Guard lighthouse tender.

Now named Lilac, the vessel was launched in 1933 and served as a lighthouse tender for the U.S. Lighthouse Service from 1933-39. She is now docked at Pier 40 on the Hudson River in the South Village of New York City.

"I found an ad a few months ago on Craigslist, offering the ship to art venues," says Klasfeld, who is also the playwright. "Since much of the play recounts Mark Twain's world tour by steamboat, there couldn't have been a more perfect setting."

The one-man play features the ghost of Mark Twain recounting to the audience the darker parts of his life, focusing particularly his 1895 world tour on a steamboat he undertook to pay off his creditors.

"This whole thing worked out better than I could have ever imagined," says Klasfeld. "I've never directed a production on a ship before so it's been an adventure."

Klasfeld says the biggest challenge was the sound, making sure the actor, Michael Graves, could be heard.

"During rehearsals, there might be a concert on the pier or party boats going by during a scene," says Klasfeld. "We realized early on we had to invest in a good sound system because when you're outdoors, you never know what's going to come up."

Graves says it's a challenge for him each night of the performance to somehow incorporate the outside noises and events into the script to keep the audience involved.

"You might have the ship's captain wander into a scene," says Graves. "I've never acted on a boat before, and it's very different from the theater, but I'm pretty adjustable."

The 800-ton steamship Lilac made Pier 40 its home in 2004 and though its engine is non-operational, it functions as a historical site. Remaining performances are 8 p.m. Aug. 12-15 and Aug. 21-22. Run time is one hour and 45 minutes. For information on tickets, cast, and crew, visit www.onearmedman.org

— Elizabeth Ellis

Safety training turns into the real thing

A boat owner has expressed his gratitude to the marine community for rescuing him and a buddy after their vessel capsized.

The pair was preparing to act as a safety 'crash' boat for the Bermuda Powerboat Association (BPA) Round the Island race at 1 p.m. when their own a 28-foot Sea Fox started taking on water. The skipper set off flares and called his son, who relayed the emergency to Bermuda Maritime Operations (Harbour Radio) at 12.30 p.m. and a Mayday was issued.

The first boat to respond was the Spirit of Bermuda which found the two men clinging to the hull.

Click here to read a report in The Royal Gazette.