Volume 79

Gemini Catamaran Owners Association

October 2002

Thank You Dee!!! You did a great job!!

“Black Magic” Check the expiration date next to your name on the address label. It shows the month of the last issue you will receive unless your membership is renewed. To renew or to join send a check to David A. Wheeler, editor Gemini Gems, 6425 Lake Sunrise Dr., Apollo Beach, Florida. 33572 $16/yr: US addresses, $21/yr: Canadian addresses, or $26/yr: all other non-US addresses. [GEMS is published quarterly in Jan, Apr, Jul & Oct plus an annual member directory.]

1192

Hot off the press is this my first issue of the Gems. For the last 3 years I have read the newsletter which Dee Kennedy Lovett, has published. I am about to find out just how much work is involved. It is because she had done such an outstanding job, and I have learned so much from all the information it contained, I felt it was important to carry on this vital communication tool. On behalf of all the Gem members, Thank you Dee for all your hard work. When you purchase a boat like the Gemini , most of us do the homework on selecting just the right fit for our needs. Looking at all the technical data, how does it sail, accommodations , costs, availability and such. Little did I know that when I bought the boat I was joining a very friendly group of nice folks. Folks willing to share their knowledge, humor, and experiences of places traveled , maintenance tips, and a whole range of other topics. Folks who live aboard year round, others that just manage a day sail here and there. Raft ups where you can actually see what others have done to their boats and enjoy the pleasure of their company. Unfortunately for most of us, schedules and other responsibilities keep us from enjoying our boats as much as we would like. So with this in mind, I am hoping that this newsletter will help all of us have more fun on the water by sharing ideas and coming up with some fun events for the Gems. I would appreciate feedback from the members as to what you would like from your membership, and what you want out of this publication.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Some of my ideas are as follows. Raft-ups We all love them , just not possible with schedules and responsibilities to make as many as we would like. How many of you would like to join in a raft up that would meet adjacent to a hotel/marina. This would enable some to come by boat and some to drive their car to the raft up. We could have an afternoon fun race to get everyone on the water, followed by a pot luck or restaurant / buffet type dinner. Other events could be planned depending on location and time of year. The last word from the better-half. A continuing section to allow the ladies of the group to share what ever is on their mind. Including helpful hints on how to improve the time we spend together on the water. Sailing wouldn’t be half the fun with out that special person to share it with. So this section will be dedicated to the ladies. Anonymous entries will be allowed also. Favorite places, anchorages or marinas. Published initially in the newsletter, and kept in a special section of the web page for future reference. This is your chance to share that special anchorage, great waterside restaurant, or marina. The Gemini Web Page Right now the web page is very simple and only contains past issues of the gems newsletter and member list. There is a listserv and it is getting junk mail and occasionally viruses. So I am interested to find out what features the group would like. For more on this see the column on page 1208.

That is about it from me this issue, for our friends up north enjoy your last few weeks of great sailing weather, we here in Florida are just about to get into the best time of year.

Happy Sailing !!!! David Wheeler

1193

Second Annual PCI Labor Day Rally A Big Success With partly cloudy skies and light morning breezes, a small flotilla of Gemini catamarans with their fearless skippers and crews left the docks at PCI. The harbor area was abuzz with activity as boaters were trying to get their labor day activities underway. It appeared there were several races about to take place as different classes of boats made their way out to the respective start lines. My wife (Michelle) and I had been invited to crew on “Black Magic” with Dave and Dee Kennedy Lovett. Actually I bribed them , no ride, no new editor. Just kidding. The wind freshened just in time for the start as 14 geminis crossed the line. It was a very impressive start considering these are cruisers we are talking about. The race had some exciting points as 6 boats all merged on the middle mark of the course. This turn was about 120 degrees and everyone sorted their way around safely trading positions. The wind stayed in the 8 to 10 knot range, and everyone seemed to have a great time with the race. It was defiantly a good way to start the rendezvous , nice work done by the factory . Here are the results as posted.

Place number

Finish time

Boat number

1

47:39

695

Ernst

2

47:44

751

Johnsmyer

3

48:22

528

Glover

4

48:49

787

Hershfeld/Buteux

5

51:34

735

Smith

6

52:09

688

Balinou

Bryant

7

53:38

730

Skylark

Shenck

8

55:03

784

9

56:31

686

Endless Reach

Shaw

10

56:57

220

Fantasy Two

Kissel

11

57:09

530

Black Magic

Lovett

12

57:12

678

Whimsey

Painter

13

102:57

669

Boomerang Two

Muller

14

Boat name

Captains name

Goodpasture

779

GCOA Burgees Only aWefew leftno responDISCLAIMER: assume sibility for ideas, suggestions or advice Available from the editor contained in this newsletter. Contributions are made $29.00 in the spirit of sharing opinions and experiences. Use at your own risk.

Schriener DISCLAIMER: We assume no responsibility for ideas, suggestions or advice contained in this newsletter. Contributions are made in the spirit of sharing opinions and experiences. Use at your own risk.

1194

2002 PCI Rally and Rendezvous (cont.) After a short break for everyone to put their boat away, and grab some lunch, the seminars started. Peter Kennedy of Peter Kennedy Yacht Services, lead the group, and spoke about the latest toys and gadgets provided by Raymarine and Rayethon. Then Tim Walters of Engines One discussed the care and maintenance of the Westerbeke engine and generators. He had an assortment of goodies (can coozies , and key chains) , and also a handout with helpful information on the care of marine engines and generators. His email address and phone numbers were in the packet, which I will publish on the web page. Tim was very sincere in wanting to help the Gemini folks with any questions and parts needs they might have. The most energetic speaker of the afternoon was Michael Beattie, gemini owner of MikiG, on “Traveling light” . He spoke of the travels south from California thru the Panama Canal, to Key West, with his wife, and two large family dogs . He was kind enough to write an article for the newsletter. His humor and wit, makes you want to clean everything out of your gemini and lower the waterline. His chat was very entertaining while being informative too.

1195

Then things got very interesting as Neil and Tony together described the stability test performed at the factory. This test using a production boat at the dock was well documented in pictures and technical discussion by Tony and Neil. They basically took a 105MC and turned it on its side. By tying lines from the starboard cleats, running underneath the boat to the dock on the port side. Then with a crane applying the pull to bring the 105 up on its side. At 85-87 degrees the boat was close to balancing. Don’t try this at home The factory is in the process of getting an article ready for

the newsletter. Stay tuned for more details. Then Tony addressed the group on the future of Performance Cruising. Don’t fear, the 105 will continue in production, however he did talk in detail about a trimaran that he is currently building the prototype for. This is not another Telstar for those that have followed Tony since the Telstar days, but a new design with a lot of very neat features. It will be in the 2527 foot range, and when collapsed will be 8’ 6” wide for trailering and easy storage. The boat will fold in flat unlike the corsair F boats. And will be able motor at higher speeds then previously available. He is also considering, if this boat is successful then, developing a 40-42 foot tri that when collapsed would fit a 16’ slip. I will try to get more info and maybe some pictures for the newsletter as the boat develops. It was a very informative afternoon followed with a tasty dinner and appetizers . Dee Kennedy Lovett (now known as the former editor) was presented with a cruising log for their Gemini “Black Magic”. The whole staff at the factory was very nice and made everyone feel welcome. Thanks for such a nice day. I know there was a lot of work involved for such an event.

Tony, Laura and Neil, address the group

“Boomerang Two” Hanspeter and Rena Muller Burgess, Virginia

“Skylark” John and Becky Schenck Columbia, Maryland

1196

Rendezvous and Raft ups (cont.) Vinoy Basin Raft-up St. Petersburg, Florida Boat Show

Looking for volunteers To Host Raft-ups

I would like members that have hosted raft-ups and get togethers in their areas , to help me with notification and other November 21-24, 2002 activities. I know there have been several events held every year on the Chesapeake and also down in Sarasota Bay. If you have a St Petersburg hosts a sail boat show every fall at the suggestion for a place and time, lets get the information out to Vinoy Basin. This show normally has good seminars and the folks and maybe we can drum up some fun for everyone. vendors. The downtown area of St. Petersburg has undergone some very nice changes. Restaurants , movie theaters Cayo Costa Raft-up and watering holes are abundant. So is the Salvador Dali’ Spring 2003 museum and several other neat shops. Exact location of the anchorage will have to be determined later since sometimes the show limits anchoring right in the basin. There is still If you have never anchored near Cayo Costa just south sufficient anchorages just south of the St Petersburg pier if of Boca Grande Pass, your missing a great place. Very pretty that is the case. If you are interested in participating, conarea with nice protected anchorage. We need to catch the snowtact Dave Wheeler at [email protected] Or you can birds before they head north, and while the temperatures are still call me at 813-649-9609. I will also post info on the listserv cool here in Florida. If you spend the winters in Florida contact later. me if you would like to attend. I would also like to know when everyone heads north, that winter on their Gems here in Florida.

More ideas about Raft-ups So how many of you participate in raft ups, have you had good experiences or bad. Do you enjoy being on the water completely by yourselves or in the middle of a busy anchorage. With everyone’s hectic schedule and responsibilities it is hard to spend as much time as we would like on the water. Also traveling great distances to spend one night at a particular anchorage is not fun either. So I have the following idea and would like to poll the gems on their thoughts. My idea is to have a series of raft ups close to a waterfront hotel/city area, where some folks could travel by boat, and some could travel by car or plane. Activities could be planned around what time of year it is, and also how many are participating by boat or car. Maybe arrangements could be made between parties that could swap boat rides in their own city/area. I haven’t been on a Gemini yet that I didn’t learn something to use on our own boat. Especially here in Florida where you can drive across the state in a couple hours (just can’t hold an election that fast) but to take your boat from Ft Myers to Daytona Beach would be out of the question. I am sure the folks on the Chesapeake have the same situation. What is a short drive in the car turns out to be a week long journey in the boat. We might be able to do some winter time raft ups in Florida, and some summer time raft ups on the Chesapeake . Either send me feedback by email to [email protected] or via the listserv.

1197

Dennis and Arlyce Johnson have sold their Gemini "See Ya" and are now becoming Land Cruisers in a 34 foot motorhome. You may recall several of their articles in the gems detailing their adventures. We wish them luck in their new venture and they will be missed on the water. Adrian and Christine Martin, purchased "See Ya" and with their children Ryan (6) and Madeleine (7) and two cats will be venturing out for the Great Loop next summer. The boat will be named "Hippopotamus" . They are new to sailing and would love all the help from other more experienced gems that we can provide. Good luck to them on their new adventures.

MOOD INDIGO passing by the Golden Gate Bridge

REPORT FROM THE WEST COAST Rich Kerbavaz and Jill McGill MOOD INDIGO, Hull 715 (105Mc) I just to remind everyone that there are GEMINIs sailing out here on the Left Coast. Here are some photos that show some of our recent adventures. In June 2002, MOOD INDIGO #715, and DOUBLE PLAY #777 participated in the third annual Catnip Cup. This is a loosely structured rally for cruising multihulls from the Golden Gate up to Vallejo. There is a potluck and boat tours on the dock Saturday, then the boats find their way back home on Sunday. Some boats raced harder than others, but in the end everyone participating felt like a winner. We had the chance to raft up with Don Parker and Terri Johnson on DOUBLE PLAY and compared all the new features Tony has added in 18 months. He really does manage to improve things all the time, and we found new ideas to try to incorporate. We were seriously jealous of the larger refrigerator. Don and I both came away pleased with how our boats performance compared with the bigger multihulls.

On board MOOD INDIGO, from left: Rich Kebavaz (blue hat), son Tim Kebavaz, a couple from a PDQ, Jill McGill (white shirt & shades), crew: Helga, Laura & Gerhard.

Tim Kebavaz & Terri Johnson relaxing on the back porch of DOUBLE PLAY

1198

Traveling Light By

Michael Beattie I gave a talk at the recent Gemini owners rendezvous at the factory and Dave Wheeler asked me to offer my thoughts on traveling light on a Gemini. My wife Layne and I bought hull number 529 in August 1996, and left our California home two years later bound for Florida. We were quite unaware at the time that we were probably undertaking the longest journey ever made by a Gemini, and happy in our ignorance we made the trip in 14 months, without severely compromising either our marriage or our boat, which was achievement enough for us. Along the way we met Irwin and Judy on a Gemini 3000 named Speck currently in Florida and still cruising: and Dennis and Arlyce on hull #222 named See Ya which they recently sold. We covered the 6,000 miles in a relatively new diesel-powered 105 where those heroes used outboards! When I mentioned to some other owners at the rendezvous that Miki G still rides to the original waterline I got looks like I was telling a very large fib. The thing is we both really like living an uncluttered lifestyle, and when it’s a boat we live on we get the added benefit of a safer, faster, more comfortable ride. The Gemini has a tendency to pound owing to the low bridgedeck clearance but every inch helps. Under sail we move faster and though I often hear people say “we don’t need speed, we’re cruising,” a lighter boat will sail better than an overloaded one. I hear people at the boat show walk through the Gemini and marvel “Look at all those lockers. So much storage!” And I cringe, because the more you stuff the boat the more the waterline sinks…Also

1199

a locker stuffed full limits ventilation and encourages mold. On top of all that it becomes a hassle actually finding anything on your boat if you have to wade through a locker packed to the brim. Neighbors of mine talk at some great length about sewing projects they have to do, but its just too much work to dig the sewing machine out of the back of the quarterberth which is itself filled to the ceiling with I-don’t-know-what. I’d hire the work out and save the 50 pounds of machine I’m hauling around. So there you are, anxious to be off cruising in your new boat and you’ve read the magazines and the books and they all tell you to be totally self-sufficient because you’ll save money and time because you can’t find lots of stuff when you go abroad. Plus you need tons of equipment they say before you can even leave the dock! Tough isn’t it? Try to focus on where you’re going. Self-sufficiency is doubtless a great idea for arctic adventurers but for a few months in the Bahamas the notion is absurd. How can you meet the locals and learn about the place if you don’t go shopping? Besides, who wants to plan for meals six months down the road? I don’t like to give advice because we are all different and what I consider to be surplus to requirements you will consider to be an absolute necessity, and I can only cause pain and grief and lose your respect, if I presume to tell you how to enjoy your boat. Besides I’m no magician and we haven’t got a perfect system even for people we know really wellourselves! Layne can stand a lot more clutter than I can but she can’t stop me sneaking books aboard

even though our shelf is full. And I’m sure she’s got some clothes somewhere onboard that neither of us has worn or will wear ever. As a general rule we try not to give in to impulse purchases. Before we buy something we have to feel a need for it. We’re pretty sure we’re going to get a bigger outboard than our current 2 hp because we couldn’t explore distant snorkel spots in the Bahamas owing to the fierce currents in the Exumas. The 28-pound 2hp is easy to handle, requires little fuel and is simple to clean after you dunk it in the ocean, all of which makes it hard to give up. We’ll probably also get a RIB Caribe inflatable when our current 8’6” roll-up model expires, to go along with our planned purchase of an 8hp. The point is that we’ve made the decision to “upgrade” based on experience. We carry no radar and though we have thought about it we’ve decided we just don’t require it. It adds weight and complexity, uses electricity (which would encourage us to sail less and motor more) and we’d have to do a ton of research to figure out which unit we want. And then we’d have to learn how to use it! Phew! If you live in a foggy area you will be disagreeing vehemently with me at this point. Which is why I don’t advise, remember? Electricity is a subject that gets more than its share of attention. We have a size 24 gel-cell battery in one bank which we carry in case of failure; in the other bank which we use all the time, we have two 27 gel-cells tied together and they give us about 100 useable amps. They power our SSB radio, our Little Wonder watermaker, (which is plumbed to only one tank and al-

lows us to keep the other tank almost empty, saving 200 pounds) our computers and TV/VCR. If you have huge batteries (VERY heavy) you will need to be able to keep them charged. We have a 100-watt Siemens solar panel on the davits and the original 55-amp alternator on the engine. It sounds feeble doesn’t it? But it works. We enjoy the tropics and hot sunshine so we get good use out of the panel but we also carry Caframo fans everywhere, a total of 3 in the bedroom, 3 in the main cabin and one each in the quarterberths (to move air and reduce mildew). And we want at least two more! Air conditioning? Dockside only for us with a 5,000 BTU unit mounted on a hatch. On the subject of batteries you can buy twelve-volt batteries anywhere in the world. They won’t be a bargain and they won’t be fancy but in an emergency a car battery will work. That’s worth remembering as you install golf cart batteries to take a trip down island mon. A storage locker is a wonderful thing and whoever invented these marvels of modern American life has not received the recognition due to them in my opinion. Our 5x5 unit in expensive Key West is air-conditioned and costs us $70 a month and its full. During hurricane season we store our sails, dinghy and outboard and our winter clothes. We keep our long-range spares in there as well as surplus books and souvenirs. As we travel we package our mementoes and when one of us flies home to California we put them in our garage in Santa Cruz. We plan to look fondly at them hanging on the wall in old age, when we retrieve the house from the renters. We also rotate various souvenirs on the boat to remind us of where we’ve been. Keeping stuff off the boat is half the battle but clearing stuff off after it has worked its way on is by far the harder half of the struggle. It takes endless, piddling, persistent consideration to decide whether or not to take this or that. He’ll want more engine spares than you could ever conceive and you’ll want more kitchen supplies and food than he considers healthy. And so you compromise and take it all. If you haven’t used it in the past few months, or a year, then you probably could comfortably leave it ashore in a storage locker. Then if it has no sentimental value and you still haven’t used it- dump it. Don’t buy stuff on the off chance you might need it, wait until the need makes itself felt, then you’ll have a much clearer idea what you need and how you will install it. The other line I hear is “I spent so many dollars to buy it- I can’t just give it away!” Which to my way of thinking is throwing good money after bad. Because now that unnecessary purchase is also cluttering your life. For me a cluttered lifestyle isn’t a fun lifestyle and a large part of what I enjoy is the spontaneity and simplicity of living and traveling on a boat. When hurricane season passes we will bend the sails back on and take off the a/c and the awning and go weekending and daysailing around beautiful Key West. Remember people eat everywhere and you won’t die of starvation or even food poisoning. You will get nostalgic for remembered brands of food but hey that’s travel; it’s supposed to broaden the mind if not the appetite. Even in the Bahamas your greatest source of education and fun will be to go shopping when you anchor in some far distant settlement and then show your neighbors what brilliant finds you made in the pink or the blue grocery store. On the other hand we need to remember that this kind of adventure makes us all nervous and we allay our fear by surrounding ourselves with the familiar. Layne loves to tell the story about how she couldn’t pry me out of the supermarket in San Diego before we went to Mexico. Luckily for us she was in control and emptied the cart as fast as I filled it with all those “comfort foods” I had never previously eaten. Let me assure you we never went hungry throughout the subsequent 14 months. Nowadays instead of arming myself with spares to combat every emergency, likely or not, I travel armed in a different way. Layne and I made a pact that if something goes wrong in the “blue job” department (men’s chores) and I can’t fix it I won’t self destruct in a blur of self hatred at my inability to repair the blankety-blank. Additionally if she forgets to turn off the water pump and it implodes in a whirr of broken impellers I shan’t curse up a storm. The verbal storm is only a momentary thing you understand, when I’m faced with the realization I have to fix something new, and unknown and scary. In the “pink job” department (women’s chores) I don’t whine endlessly about needless supplies like wrapping paper and make-up that are cluttering up “my” boat and sinking “my” waterline. The thing is Layne understands the value of a light boat, she knows Miki G is riding properly when wind and seas are rising a long way from land, and with all our fuel jugs stored in one lazarette our decks are clear and able to shed water rapidly when waves climb aboard. Plus we are both happier living in a space that isn’t cluttered, which has the open, airy feel we both so liked about the Gemini when we first saw it at the Oakland boat show. Back when Layne marveled at all those empty lockers and so much storage space; I never dared hope that six years on we’d still be on the original waterline, and still happy to be living aboard while we save money for our next trip.

1200

THE VOYAGE CONTINUES Rolf & Charlie Hartmann, LAZY DAZE, Hull 650 (105M) News from Corsica, 10th of September 1999: I knew that that would get your attention. Yes, we really are in Corsica, the Corsica River that is. It is twenty miles north of Annapolis and, of course, I had to come here. We are proudly flying our Corsican and Swiss flags, but so far only three crabbers have gone by and none have made the connection. We rode into Centreville today to find out why this river is called Corsica. My guess was that there once was a Corsican settler - not according to the local librarian - the name is derived from the De Coursey family who owned this area back in 1670, so much for that. As for Corsica one of the crabbers told me: "Yeah, I was there once on a cruise ship."- he meant Costa Rica . Still it's very pretty and quaint, there are low sprawling mansions and the Russian embassy has an R&R mansion right at the of the entrance to the bay. (There have been several reports of fat naked men swigging vodka and going for swims here, but this year the jellyfish ought to keep them and their accessories indoors.) As for Centreville, it really looks like a small American town in the fifties. We had a fantastic sail to get here. The wind for once was behind us and we were able to sail wing on wing, even using a lovely drifter (bigger than a genoa, less work than a spinnaker - in theory). Last Sunday Rolf and I watched 17.35 go by with glee, we then threw our flight tickets away. Yes, that was when our return flights had been 1201

scheduled for. Although we never seriously considered returning on them, they were a lit-

tle safety valve. So we have now been in America for one month and living on Lazy Daze for three weeks. How does it feel? Like home. Rolf and I have began installing routines, he cooks every Monday night. I work for two hours every day and we work out on the foredeck in the afternoons. We have spent a little more time than we had anticipated in Annapolis. This was because of Dennis the hurricane and it wasn't all bad. It has given us the opportunity to meet other Gemini owners, who have quickly become friends, and swap advice and tales. We also have begun to entertain in earnest and the kitchen is definitely

much bigger than in the residence we used to live in for two years in Frankfurt. I have even started making bread whilst under way. Yes, the recipe is on my Galley Gourmet section. Fiddles is recuperating from her adventure and has become quite cocky. She has jumped ship a couple of times but then slinks back on board and hides in her hole. Rolf is watching the water line disappear with concern and our wallet slim down too. We will be cruising this area for another week, returning to Annapolis for one last check-out spending money spree and then we're heading south. The temperature has dropped to a comfortable mid twenty area and we are appreciating having brought our duvets with us. All in all we're settling down and beginning to really enjoy ourselves. Lazy Daze Cove, 17th of September, 1999: You wouldn't believe the week we have just had, it went from heaven to hell. Last week-end was spent discovering the Chester River and finding a lovely unnamed cove that quickly became the Lazy Daze cove. It is very shallow 3 feet at the most and totally protected by trees, except for its small opening of course. We spent a lovely two

days here, lying in the hammock, reading, swimming (yes!), clamming and lazying around. Monday, though, we were all business and reluctantly raised the anchor and returned to Annapolis. We got there Monday night and already the buzz word was Floyd: the biggest hurricane seen this century and it was heading straight for the Bahamas. Although that was cause for concern it wasn't cause for alarm yet. So Tuesday Rolf did some boat shopping, I did some household stuff and as the day went by things got serious. Floyd was heading this way, and the predictions were not good. Winds up to 70 miles an hour, tides above normal up to 5 feet and lots and lots of rain. It was obvious to us and all the other Gemini owners that the marina was not the place to be. The tides would cover the docks and pilings and the winds would bring all of the moored boats crashing onto them. But where to go? For us and many others this was to be our first serious encounter with a hurricane so we were swapping information and looking for the few who had been in other hurricanes. Opinions were diverse and in the end we decided to do what we felt was right for us. Wednesday morning, after Rolf had picked up another extra anchor, five GEMINIs left the bay. One went to a cove behind Annapolis and then the owners went straight to a motel. Two others went north to a creek that had 9 feet of water and got ready to ride the storm out there. We went back to Lazy Daze cove along with the Thomson's on MARLYN CHASE

who chose a cove across from us with similar conditions to ours. Although the hurricane had yet to hit land, the bay was already choppy, the winds were around 25 knots and it was raining hard. As soon as we got into the Chester river the seas abated and when we sailed into Lazy Daze cove the wind died down. Next came the difficult task of secur-

ing the boat, go to Rolf's corner to see how we did it. Finally at 8.30 p.m. we deemed the boat as secure as we could make it. We had dinner and went to bed exhausted! We were up at 7 the next morning and braced ourselves for the storm. We constantly monitored the radios (both commercial and specific weather) and kept in touch with MARLYN CHASE. I cooked. I made bread, pears in syrup, Rogan Josh and read recipe books all afternoon. Rolf tried to get our weatherfax to work, he managed to get a half picture of ice caps in Labrador, Canada - that was really useful! We watched the barometer drop from 1010 to 990 in eight hours, listened to the wind howl and watched it reach 30 knots and the rain pound. The boat remained dry,

the lines held. At 4 p.m. we braced ourselves for the worst but to our astonishment heard that Floyd was now in New Jersey! The worst was over! The barometer started climbing again, the rain stopped and the wind switched from North East to North West. After a couple of hours we moved the boat around so that the bow was in the wind and settled down for dinner. We should have felt elated, we didn't. Over two million people had been evacuated, the biggest evacuation in time of peace. Millions were without electricity or water. Sixteen people died because of Floyd. It is going to take months to repair the damage caused by this storm. We were lucky, we picked the best spot we could and did the right things for us, but if the eye of the storm had gone by any closer we don't know what might have happened. Friday morning dawned bright and clear, still very breezy. We hear that many counties around us are still without power and the house closest to us still has his generator going. Of course we are very relieved that nothing bad happened to us and we have decided to wait until beginning of October before going South especially as hurricane Gert is out there gathering strength. There is still so much to see here that we won't feel like we're wasting our time. Norfolk, VA, 6th of Octo1202

ber, 1999: Well, this is the end of the first chapter. We have arrived at our last port of call in the Chesapeake bay. We spent the last seven days making our way down from Annapolis, stopping off in Tilghman's creek which had been our very first trip aboard LD; then onto Oxford where we hid from a vicious cold front and Rolf got to be a teenager all over again (go to his page to see what I'm talking about); then onto Solomon Island where we tested the supposedly best Mai Tai's this side of Hawaii - they meant the strongest and after one each Rolf firmly drove the dinghy back out into the bay thinking that that was where we'd anchored the boat. The next stop was St Jerome's creek, it was unscheduled but due to sudden strong winds which made the bay very choppy and uncomfortable we found it a much appreciated gunkhole; we then went onto Mills Creek where we rested for two days, the first day we swam and fished (catching nothing) and the second we waited out another cold front with a nice couple from New York, Joe & Elaine (she danced with Gene Kelly!) onboard Macaben. The front brought northerly winds and cold!!! The temperature dropped to 6°C that night, a definite sign to head South; so today we started off sailing and when the wind had died down we turned the engine on and kept going... till 60 miles later we were in Norfolk the last port south of the Chesapeake. We wished we had had more time to explore more rivers and creeks and we really recommend the bay as a cruising area. On the bright side Norfolk is also Mile 0 of the Intracoastal waterway and that's where we begin the next chapter of our adventures. Stay connected to see if we survive the Dismal Swamp, Cape Fear and Alligator River to arrive into those much awaited blue Caribbean waters.... From the Lazy Daze Gazette, Copyright 2001

OBSERVATONS ON CRUISING THE ICW Robin Spear, DUALITY, Hull 531 (105M) We have done the trip from Annapolis to Key West and back twice plus a one-way trip back down to Florida. The first leg is down the Chesapeake, which is similar in size and sea conditions to Georgia Straight but is shallow. It came as quite a shock the first time we saw the knot meter reading a higher number than the depth sounder. Unlike Georgia Straight the surrounding land is generally very low lying and we were within 5 miles of Tangiers Island before we actually saw it - the GPS ally earned its keep in this area. Two hundred miles south of Annapolis one comes to Norfolk which is the East coast HQ for the US navy and it is really mind boggling to see the miles and miles of enormous naval ships. South of Norfolk the Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) divides into two and one can take the Dismal Swamp or Great Bridge route for the next 100 miles until they meet up again in Albermarle Sound. Most cruisers take the Dismal Swamp route if it is open as it is more scenic and it takes you through Elizabeth City where a group of locals lay on a wine and cheese party every evening for the visiting boats. Some cruisers hate the ICW while others love it. We enjoyed it and I think it probably depends on 1203

how you approach the trip. Many leave Annapolis after the Boat Show in the second week of October and are hell bent to get to Florida or the Bahamas as soon as possible and proceed to motor 50 to 70 miles per day, down "The Ditch" until they get there. We treat it more as a cruise and do side trips along the way like out to Roanoke Island where we rented a car and went to Kitty Hawk to visit the Wright Brothers Museum and then down the outer banks to Cape Hatteras. We didn't do it but it would be possible to go down Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke and then rejoin the ICW at the Neuse River just before the small town of Oriental which has to get an award as the most Yachtie friendly community we have visited between the Chesapeake and Key west. From Oriental it is a half day motor down to Beaufort, NC which is another favourite stopping spot for Yachties. This is an interesting sailing area where shoal draft boats can do a round trip to Cape Lookout and back through a bunch of sandy islands some of which are home to herds of wild horses. Ashore the Maritime Museum is "A Must See" and they even provide a free vehicle for boaters to do runs to the grocery store. About four miles south is the community of Moorhead City, which is where the power boaters and predominantly sports fishermen hang out. One can tie up for $5/night at the Sanitary Fish Restaurant and it is quite an experience to watch the Sports Fishermen charter boats coming in at the end of a day's deep sea fishing - talk about showoffs!! Having mentioned the free car provided at the museum it might be a good time to talk about

shopping and getting about generally. A lot of the towns along the ICW suffer from "North American Mall Malaise" (NAMM) i.e. the downtown has seen better days and the new stores are located several miles out of town and unless you have bikes or are prepared to take a taxi getting supplies can be quite a hike. We have propane refrigeration which means that we are looking to refill our 20 lb bottles every 2 weeks and here again the refill depots are sometimes a good distance from the ICW. We have two folding bikes and a 20 lb propane tank will fit on the back and one day I cycled 5 miles round trip to get a refill. Above, I mentioned tying up for $5/ night, that is as cheap as it gets most marinas are at least $1.00/ ft/night and can go to $3.00 and more in Key West and New England. We have an excellent little publication, Captain Bobs "Anchorages along the ICW" that listed most of the anchorages on the ICW and rates them for holding, wind protection, wake, current, scenic and access to shopping as well as listing more economical marinas. Other stops of interest were: Wrightsville Beach where we stopped about six weeks after hurricane Floyd had hit the area and had devastated all the docks for 80 miles and the trees looked like a scene from a World War I battle field. Wrightsville Beach has a West Marine store within walking distance of the waterway. Barefoot Landing where there is free dockage as part of a factory outlet shopping centre and it is only a mile walk over to the ocean beaches. Georgetown, a town

that has done something to combat "NAMM" (see above) and has a nice waterfront boardwalk and some nice restaurants. Charlestown, after our first trip we have not spent much time here partly because it has poor anchorage but also because we prefer smaller towns where things tend to be more accessible. Beaufort, SC is just such a town, it is the same vintage as Charlestown and has beautiful colonial houses, oak trees and Spanish moss in the old part of town while there is good anchorage, shopping and even a movie theatre up Factory Creek cross the river. Savannah, GA is actually several miles off the ICW and most boats don't fight the strong current in the Savannah River but take a bus ride in from Thunderbird or Palmer Johnsons yard. We prefered Savannah to Charlestown and it has a mass of treed squares. Many cruisers go offshore to avoid Georgia and if you are in a hurry I can see doing that but we thought the Georgia marshes were one of the highlights of the trip and the bird life was spectacular. The final stretch of Georgia is alongside Cumberland Island most of which was owned by the Carnegie family and has been donated and is now a National Park. As an aside you don't realize how fortunate we are in B.C. and Washington with all the Marine Parks until you have been away and seen how little the east coast has in comparison. There are no marine parks that we found from the Chesapeake to Florida so Cumberland Island was a pleasant break with the old mansions and miles of wooded trails and beach walks. St. Augustine, the oldest 1204

European settled community in the States with its Spanish Fort dating from the 1500s is fascinating and has a good touristshopping street. Daytona, we spent three weeks here waiting for the weather to warm up before heading north - we were with two other boats that wanted to be in Daytona for bike week so we shared the town with 250,000 bikes and over 500,000 bikers mainly Harley's. It was quite an experience - have you ever seen a bike powered by two V8 engines? Ft Lauderdale proudly proclaims itself as "The Boating Capital of the World". If Oriental gets the award as the most boater friendly community we passed through then Lauderdale gets the award as the least friendly - maybe if you have one of the mega yachts that stay at the marinas for $300 plus per night you get treated well, but the average cruiser that is looking for somewhere to anchor you are likely to be chivvied by the local police and told to move on after 24 hours, nevertheless if you want something for your boat Lauderdale is the best place to find it and we have managed to avoid the police and anchor out for up to a week. Miami. After Lauderdale, Miami is surprisingly hospitable for cruisers with good anchorages off Miami Beach and the Miami Yacht Club. This is our fifth winter on the boat and four of them have been spent in the Bahamas. Florida can be surprisingly cold just the other day we saw on the TV weather channel that it was 46 deg. in Key West and 54 deg. in Seattle. While that is quite extreme it frequently gets down below freezing in northern Florida 1205

and the panhandle. The coldest we have ever experienced it in the Bahamas is in the high 50's which when you consider that the north Bahamas are at the same latitude as Palm Beach means that the Gulf Stream does an excellent job of moderating the temperatures. More typical temperatures in the Bahamas are 70 - 85 with water at 75 and there is usually a wind out of the East at 10 - 20 knots but this is frequently interrupted by cold fronts where the winds clock around to the North and can produce winds in the 25 - 35 knot range. This can make crossing the Gulf Stream difficult as any Northerly wind over 10 knots pushes up an unpleasant sea and the prevailing Easterlies are a head wind for crossing the banks. The ideal situation is to catch a SW wind as it is starting to clock prior to the cold front and once you are across the stream you can use the northerly to head south. The most popular cruising grounds in the Bahamas are the Exumas and the Abacos with people generally going to the Exumas early winter as being further south they are warmer and the fronts tend to peter out before reaching Georgetown in the southern Exumas. Georgetown is the 'Mecca' for many east coast cruisers and there can be as many as 400 boats in Elizabeth Harbour at the height of the season, this is not as bad as it may sound since Elizabeth Harbour is eight miles long and two miles wide with a mass of different bays and anchorages. Stocking Island, which is the largest island, protecting Elizabeth Harbour from the East has magnifi-

cent beaches on both sides and we have walked on the ocean side and seen hardly a soul. The trip down the Exuma chain is about 100 miles and usually provides some excellent sailing in fairly flat water, this year we had consistent northerly winds up to 30 knots which gave us some fast and exciting sailing although not as flat as usual. The typical trip will see boats heading north after the Georgetown Cruising regatta in early March with boats going back through the Abacos. The Abacos lie to the east of Grand Bahama and are centred on Marsh Harbour and provide about forty miles of protected sailing with half a dozen separate communities within easy sailing distance of one another. This is an excellent place to have visitors join you since you can always get out and move around even with winds in the 30 knot range. General observations about sailing in the Bahamas - Life is much easier with a shoal draft boat, anything over 5' becomes a bit of a liability. Our GEMINI only draws 18" with the boards, rudders and leg up and we can operate in 30" this means that we can always find a more protected anchorage and follow more protected routes across the banks. The water in the Bahamas is incredibly clear and we have sailed in 50' of water and seen the bottom quite clearly - on the few occasions when it is calm we have been out in the dinghy planing in a few feet of water when we have had the sensation that we were actually flying, it was just as if there was no water there. Since we started cruising in September 1996 we have been back to Victoria each summer for periods ranging from six weeks to six months, twice we have left the

boat back at Annapolis, once at a friend's dock and once at the builders to make repairs. We have also left the boat twice in Florida once at a friends dock in Ft Lauderdale and once we hauled out at a marina in Titusville south of Daytona This was one of the cheaper marinas and it cost us $US160/month and $US 200 to haul and go back There are cheaper marinas in the centre of the state off the Okeechobee waterway and they have the advantage of being less vulnerable to hurricanes but they tend to be booked solid and one needs to book well in advance. Hope your own cruising plans work out.

2003 Member Directories Will be mailed This January I need everyone to get their updates and changes to me no later then December first in order to give the printer time. I also might consider making two copies for folks that want one for the boat and one for the house. Let me know if you want two copies, otherwise I will send one apiece. Depending on printing cost , I might have to pass that on also. Items included in the directory : Name Address Boat Name Hull Number Phone Number Email Address Boat Berthered at

Have a favorite recipe for use on your boat? Share it with other GEMINITES via "The Gemini Gourmet" column. Who knows, maybe we'll get enough recipes to eventually publish a GEMINI cookbook. Caymen Islands Coconut Shrimp By Michelle Wheeler “Tropical Breeze” Serves 2

Total time to prepare: 30 minutes

12-16 medium large – large fresh shrimp (about 1 lb. shelled & deveined) 1 can Goya brand coconut milk (13.5 fl. oz.) ¼ to ½ cup coconut flavored rum (to your taste) 1 cup sweetened coconut, toasted ½ stick butter (not margarine) Corn starch Rice 1. Use either Minute Rice or regular rice, whichever you prefer, but start it before you start cooking the shrimp. 2. Toast sweetened coconut on a pan either under a broiler or in a toaster oven. Watch carefully and stir around often as it has a tendency to brown quickly and burn easily. Set aside. 3. In a fry pan over medium heat melt butter and add shrimp. Stir to cook until all are just about turning pink. Add rum, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. 4. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. To the liquid left in the pan add the can of coconut milk. Stir to blend and heat over low-medium heat until begins to boil. 5. Lower heat to low and mix about 1 tsp. cornstarch with about ¼ cup of water to dissolve and add to liquid mixture in pan. Stir until thickened. Use more cornstarch mixture if you need but the coconut milk mixture should be the consistency of gravy but not too thin so it doesn’t cling to the rice when served. 6. Return the shrimp to the pan with the liquid mixture in it and add almost all of the toasted coconut (save a tablespoon or so for garnish). 7. Over low heat stir until the shrimp and coconut are reheated. 8. Spoon over rice. Garnish with the toasted coconut you saved. 9. Enjoy a taste of the islands!

1206

WAVE SLAP FIX Stephen Mayheu, CC RIDER, Hull 565 (105M) I have attached the photos of our anti-slap adaptation. We, being second owners, were unaware of the offer that Tony had to correct the design flaw. So, we had to come up with this. If you have any questions, please contact us. As I indicated earlier, we used 1/2" plywood. I epoxied both sides with 2 coats before we attached them to the hull. I had made patterns of the hull shapes - each side is different - and then use the patterns to cut out the 1/2" plywood. I bevel cut the plywood and then hand planed the bevels to fit the hull. Each side has four sections. The longest piece starts at the stern and is eight ft long. The next two pieces go forward and up the slanted portion of the hull. The four piece is a small cap for the back end of the eight ft piece. The boards were attached using West System epoxy and the 404 bonding filler. After that dried, I went over the edges with epoxy and the 406 fillet - (for fillets). This was followed with 3 coats of barrier coat (West System) and finally bottom paint. We did not fill in the void area behind the boards, but I suppose one could do that. To date, it has been very, very quiet. My wife and I did the work. The critical part was fitting the boards. Holding them in place was not difficult as the epoxy set up fast. I probably could have sanding a couple of areas a bit better, but I can work on that at a future date. We did have nay sayers for this project, but that just adds to the color of doing your own work in a boat yard. Finally, we are planning to take off this Sept - if we can get everything done!!! 1207

Port Aft

Port forward

Starboard aft barrier

Starboard forward

The last word From the Better Half This column will give the ladies of the group a chance to speak their mind. Their insights and thoughts on how to improve time on the water. To keep harmony and enjoyment just above the mutiny level. Since this is a new column we have a little contest. The contest doesn’t have any prizes but maybe some good laughs and possible bragging rights. The contest is a simple question that all can answer from their own perspective . “ You can tell your spouse is a sailor when they….” I will publish the top answers in the next issue so go ahead and send your responses through the listserv or email me at [email protected]

Contest The least expensive, best improvement I did to our boat Sometimes the best things are the least expensive and make the most sense. Here is your chance. Submit your great ideas that costs very little to do but made the boat better in some way. I know of at least three things I saw at the rendezvous that would qualify for this. But I am sure there are hundreds that the members have done. I will list them in the next newsletter and post them on the web site.

The Gemini Gems Web Page So how many of you use the web page? I haven’t had the time to do much research on the page to date. I have been getting new member logon passwords straightened out and appreciate everyone's patience. My question to the group is how much information do you want on the web site. Below are some suggestions, either write back to me via email or on the listserv as I am watching both. 1. Would you like to see normal maintenance procedures and specifications for different parts of the boat. ie: rigging tensions, helpful hints on how to remove certain parts of the boat, such as the center boards or rudder cables. 2. Would you like a cruiser web site where those lucky enough to cruise could publish reports directly to the web page. 3. A list of shops or marinas that have experience with the Gemini or have given good service on the Gemini to another member. 4. A listing of favorite anchorages and other facilities that folks have visited recently to give a first hand account of what is available. 5. A “For Sale “ section to include parts and pieces that you think another Gem might need or like. This would also list boats normally carried in the last page of the newsletter. 6. The ability to have live chat between members of the Gems. Maybe some other things that I haven’t thought of.

Http://geminigems.hispeed.com 1208

Easily convert your Dinette into a Queen Sleeper By Dave Wheeler “Tropical Breeze” Several times we have eyed the dinette and thought that it would make a great place to have a queen bed. However as all of you know the 105m doesn’t convert like the 105mc. So when we have had guests we have given up our queen bed for them Unfortunately if you have tried to climb in the aft berths of the boat, and are over 4 feet tall or 100 pounds, or not part gymnist you know this can be tricky. Although the berths sleep better underway, that doesn’t carry over when two people try to sleep in the same berth. This isn’t as bad for one night, but multiply that over a week to two week long cruise and you have a grumpy crew. Possibly even to mutiny stage. When we do cruise just the two of us and the schedule dictates an overnighter, neither one of us likes to sleep in the forward berth. Since if the watch stander needs something, it takes at least twice the sound level to wake the other person. We also set an alarm clock for every 30 minutes. If the person sleeping hears the alarm clock they know something has happened to the person on watch. The person actually on watch resets the clock 5 minutes before it goes off. I know that 30 minutes of travel would just about nullify a chance of spotting someone in the water, but it would be better then 6 hours when the sun comes through the cabin to wake the other crew. We also never leave the cockpit, unless both of us are awake. So the solution is to sleep in the dinette area, but most of us don’t bend 90 degrees and sleep very well. So the easiest solution convert the dinette to a comfortable sleeper. The first step was to replace the table pedestal with a new removable pedestal. Boat US sells a Todd product that fits the situation perfectly . Although a little pricey they are Boat US catalogue number 384253 $99.99 for the base and catalogue number 385254 $99.99 for a removable 29” pedestal. The unique deal on this base is the cover opens

1209

and then the pedestal screws into the base. The cover then locks into a tooth of the pedestal that keeps it secure. The only problem that occurs is this base needs more depth then the dinette floor has room. To fix that problem I made a series of plywood rings (this was done with limited time before a 3 week cruise) . The first two rings line up with the existing screw holes. Then by adding the right length to stainless steel wood screws, they are attached to the deck. The next two rings rotate about two inches so they are screwed down without interference with the first screws. These top screws also hold the Todd base to the new plywood base. I am going to redo this using 1” starboard or simply attach a piece of carpet around the plywood to make a more finished look. It would also be easy to sand and paint the wood base to match the floor. This Todd base would be a good option for someone looking for a cockpit chair that would be easily removed. So now with the table removed, how to work out the cushions and support a bed. To support the bed, I installed two teak strips (1/2” by 1 1/2” ) along the dinette seats running fore and aft. I installed these using fender washers thru bolted which can be accessed through the underneath storage. Then I cut two pieces of plywood to lay across the strips. I cut these in half so they store easily under the dinette cushions when not in use. I have considered making a table that would fit this area and get rid of the tri fold factory table. Our cushions are standard Gemini cushions which in 1999 had a thicker section along the inside of the seat area. So to sleep on these cushions would be lumpy at best. So to cure this we simply stack the cushions in the aft berth at night, and blow up a queen size air mattress. The mattress we bought has the pump built in, but there are several different products on the market. So now when we have 4 adults sleeping on the boat, or an overnight voyage with just two aboard it takes less then 15 minutes to convert the dinette to a berth. Plus there is more headroom then the master, and better ventilation. We enjoy the new option and our two small dogs can easily get into the berth with us, which is impossible with the height of the queen up front. This also would be helpful for those that don’t like to climb over their spouse all the time, or have short legs for the queen up front.

NEW OWNERS Hull 143, V-TWIN: purchased by Ken Cygan, 317 Harris Ave., Hancock, MI 49930 from Margaret Schneider and renamed AURORA. Hull 161, BAMBOO: purchased by Sherry McShane, PO Box 126, Port Aransas, TX 78373 from Peter & Blaine Laskowski Hull 215, WANDERNG STAR: sold by Doug Kitchen to Richard & Therese Cinotto, 3110 SE 17th Pl., Cape Coral, FL Hull 221, DUET: purchased by Meg & Mike Bossert, 609 Dundee Lane, Holmes Beach, FL 34217 from Chas & Alice Thornton and renamed TOUCAN. Hull 222, SEA YA: sold by Denis & Arlyce Johnson to Adrian & Christine Martin. Hull 387, SKAT CAT: sold by Don Mincey to Dave and Suzanne Hamilton. Hull 517, NANCY ANNE: purchased by Jay & Nancy Barnhart, 8840 S. Brown Trout Trail, Baldwin, MI, 49304 and renamed TWIN GABLES. Hull 563, FOLIE A DEUX: sold by Bob and Pam Michael to Marie and Jeff Skipper. Hull 751, Bill Johansmeyer and Phyllis Heffner, 191 Big Fish Pond Rd. South Hampton, NY 11968 Hull 782, Andy Kersting and Sharon, 23075 Glen Ave. Port Charlotte, FL 33980 Hull 783, Bruce Porter, 2716 NE 21st Ct., Ft Lauderdale, FL 33305 Hull 784, Winston Goodpasture, 17050 Blackie Road, Prunedale, CA 93907 Hull 785, Richard and Angela Kenny, Woodside Puriton Hill, Somerset TA7 8AG UK Hull 786, Ray and Honey Smith, 2416 Pine Ridge, Modesto, CA. 95351 Hull 788, John Pavesich/Susan B. Brannan, 1385 Cedar Creek Ct., Painesville, Oh 44077

Hull 789, Roger Hulson, 4413 Floramar Terrace, New Port Richey, FL. 34652 Hull 790, Stewart Carter, 54 Stoney Creek Drive, Clifton Park, NY 12065 Hull 791, Ron and Mickie McCoy, 220 Elizabeth St. E8 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Hull 792, Gavin and Elizabeth Dickie, 11104 Riverchase Dr., Richmond, VA 23223 CLASSIFIED ADS: Free to Members. Nonmembers $10.00/ad—will also be posted on internet [http://geminigems. hispeed.com] DUES: $16.00/yr: US addresses, $21/ yr: Canadian addresses, or $26/yr: all other non-US addresses—4 issues per year. BACK ISSUES HARDCOPY: $4.00 each BACK ISSUES ON DISK: $1.00 each [Note: All back issue are posted on internet, see address above] LIST SERV: To join the GEMINI listserv, send an e-mail to [email protected]

CLASSIFIED ADS 1996 GEMINI 105M: Hull 509: Diesel Engine, A/C, Autopilot, Captains Chair, New Bottom Paint, all wood varnished, lightly used, custom hard dodger support, awning, water heater, excellent condition, usual Gemini options, Punta Gorda, FL $ 107,000. Call 941-575-9851 or email [email protected] for info and pictures. 1983, 31, Hull 116, SHA V: One owner. 40 hp Yamaha 4 stroke - less than 100 hours. Harken roller furling. Drifter and downwind spinnaker. Shipmate 3 burner propane stove w grill and oven. Autohelm, Garmen moving map GPS. Furuno radar. Cockpit cushions, dinghy davits, inflatable dinghy. Fully found. Can be seen in or out of the water at S. Wellfleet, Cape Cod. 413-5622020 or 508-349-6630 or e-mail [email protected]. Price $45,000.

1991, 3200, Hull 336, TWINSTAR: For sale by original owner who wants to upgrade to a 105M Outfitted for cruising with bimini, solar panel, wind generator, anchor windlass, water maker, a 3battery system and extra teak cabinets, shelves, etc. New instruments in late ‘99 including ST 4000 autopilot, ST60 Tri Data, ST60 wind indicator, ST60 close haul & GPS. 150% jib with Famet roller reefing and Gennaker with douser. Has made 4 cruises from Pensacola to the Bahamas via the Keys. New 35 HP Honda 4-stroke in Oct 2000. Price reduced to $69,000. Located in Pensacola, Florida at our dock in Perdido Bay on Innerarity Island. EMail: [email protected] or call Bob or Suzie Stoyer at 850-492-9098.

1992, 3200, Hull 360, CAT TRAX: Nicely outfitted for cruising the Bahamas. Bimini, watermaker, solar panels w/charge controller, GPS, VHF, auto pilot, Nav-5a, 10' Zodiac w/6 HP Evinrude, davits, three anchors, 25 HP Honda Aux, and roller reefing head sail. Headliner replaced. Asking 69,000. For more information, please e-mail w7ty@hotmail. com or call 435-753-5117. 1994, 3400, Hull 403: Excellent condition, just hauled out for many small repairs and bottom painting in May 2002. Boat lies in Hawaii, but possibility that it will be moved to Seattle area this summer/fall. I am currently in Italy and want to upgrade. $75,000. Contact Chuck Nation at [email protected] for details.

1996, 105M, Hull 520, SEA DEUCE: twin hi-thrust 9.9HP 4-stroke Evinrudes with electric windlasses to raise/lower engines, factory AC/heat, propane fridge/ stove, hot/cold water/hower, Autohelm wind and Tri-Data ST50, VHF, cockpit cushions, bow seats, lazyjacks, 3.0K ONAN genset, 150% roller furling, battery charger, solar panels, AM/FM CD player, Autohelm 4000 ST50, dinghy davits, boat can be seen at Lippincott Marina, Grasonville, MD, $105,000, call Dana Thompson 410-827-6003 or email [email protected].

1210

1997, 105M, Hull 556, SIMPLE PLEASURES: Diesel (sonic drive rebuilt with new bearings & seals) with complete electronics, laptop, electronic charts, 400 amp hr. house system with separate starting battery and 3- 65 watt solar panels mounted on Kato davits with reinforced stainless railings on stern. Radar on stern mast with dinghy motor arm, TV ant., stern light, GPS ant., and anchor light. All sails including spinnaker with sock, 150% genoa, 30% jib, on Schaeffer roller furling, main with lazy jacks and Mac Pac sail cover system. New pumps including water, sump, and washdown. Many custom builtins including computercommunication center, pantry, bookshelves, inside pilot seat,etc. 5 Hella fans, 4 halogen reading lights, complete plumbing overhaul with oversize head. Two coats of ACP 50 on bottom midMay 2002. This boat is in very good condition and is located in Florida. It has been our home for the past 5 years and we have treated her very kindly! The options are too many to list here but you can see a comprehensive listing at: http://www.2hulls.com/ catamaran_for_sale_by_owner/ simplepleasures.html or contact me directly at [email protected] or call (941) 656-6219. Reduced to $99,950.

1998, 105M, Hull 611: Diesel. All the factory options on the deluxe model, plus many more. Shore power with 110V breaker panel, pressure water, water heater, VHF, 2 ports in aft cabins, 2 ports in pilothouse, Propane detector, Roller Genoa, Swim ladder, 4 fenders, 4 dock lines, 22lb anchor with 6' chain and 100' anchor line, Tri-fold saloon table, 1 extra propane bottle, 2 12V outlets, blinds, additional hand crafted teak drawers, cabinets and shelving units, compass. Autohelm Wind and Tridata, Autohelm Autopilot 4000, 5 fans and 4 reading lights, Blinds, Custom Captains chair. Boat on Lake Ontario, Toronto Canada. For anymore information on this boat please email [email protected] or phone Bill at 416345-9900. Reduced to $90,000 USD. 1998,105M, Hull, 622: Documented, davits, solar panels, charger, dinghy, 5 horse outboard, 5 fans, blinds, seat cushions, vapor detector, Autohelm, Wind and Tridata, VHF radio, Std. Horizion GPS Chart 400 Plotter, Schaefer Roller Furling, Delta anchor, compass, anchor line, Westerbeke 27 hp diesel w/sonic leg, swim ladder, fenders, dock lines, sunshade window cover cockpit and master stateroom, vinyl seats in salon, CD player, charts, lifejackets, equipped galley, windscoop, Mermaid AC/Heater, bottom paint, November 2001. $119,000. Located, Florida. Contact: Greg Long,

Gemini Gems c/o Dave and Michelle Wheeler 6425 Lake Sunrise Drive Apollo Beach, Florida 33572 813-649-9609 [email protected] ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

1211

816-537-7210 or 816-274-4240 or [email protected]. 2000, 105M, Hull 677: This beautiful deluxe model catamaran features an autopilot, GPS chart plotter, Wallas heater, genniker, RIB tender on davits, and more. This yacht is well equipped, expertly maintained and ready to sail. Located Vancouver Island, Canada. $139,500 USD. See details at http:// plaza.powersurfr.com/gemini. Call Ste-

DISCLAIMER: We assume no responsibility for ideas, suggestions or advice contained in this newsletter. Contributions are made in the spirit of sharing opinions and experiences. Use at your own risk.

1211 PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA, FL PERMIT NO. 80