CONNECTICUT BROKER FOR VICEM
Turkish builder Vicem Yachts has appointed a new Connecticut dealer this spring. Vicem is known for hand-crafted, stylish motor yachts ranging from 34 to 150 feet, with models that span sportfishing boats to comfortable cruisers—the 58 Classic Express is a representative example. The company emphasizes traditional workmanship blended with modern systems and performance.
Island Cove Yacht Sales, based in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, is now the exclusive dealer for Vicem yachts in the state. Todd Schenk will serve as Vicem sales representative and Connecticut broker and will partner with Jon Manafort, owner of Island Cove Yacht Sales, to support local sales and customer service. Vicem also maintains dealer and service locations in Newport, Rhode Island, Huntington, New York, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information contact Island Cove Yacht Sales at www.islandcoveyachtsales.com.
Soundings Contributor to Speak on Cruising in Cuba
Peter Swanson, contributor to Soundings, will present an illustrated talk titled “Sailing in Cuba,” outlining the highs and lows of cruising Cuba should the long-standing embargo be lifted. The presentation offers firsthand perspective on navigating Cuban waters, the island’s dramatic coastline and the practical challenges and rewards of cruising a destination with limited sailing infrastructure.
The talk is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the town hall in Essex, Connecticut, as part of the “Essex and the Sea” series. Soundings editor Bill Sisson will join Swanson to discuss Pilar, Ernest Hemingway’s famed sportfisher, and Hemingway’s history as a big-game angler in Cuban waters. Reservations are required; call (860) 767-2814.
Connecticut Officer Serves on Coast Guard RAID Team in Iraq
Barry Natale, who in civilian life co-owns Sound Navigation with his wife Neisha and operates lighthouse tours and romantic cruises out of Norwalk, Connecticut, is currently deployed in Iraq as part of a Coast Guard Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID). Their charter vessel Seaport Express, which carries up to 27 passengers, departs from the Rowayton Market dock on the Five Mile River.
Natale, a boatswain’s mate chief assigned to Coast Guard Station New Haven, is working with a small team that prepares Army personnel and their gear for redeployment to the United States. RAID teams inspect shipping containers, help pack hazardous materials safely and complete individual customs inspections for soldiers. Natale says the most rewarding part of the assignment is the personal interactions with the troops—helping service members complete one of the final steps before returning home. He is tentatively scheduled to return to Norwalk around the start of June, just as the local boating season gets underway.
Seaport Exhibition Explores America’s Canals
Mystic Seaport is opening an interactive exhibition, Building America’s Canals, on Jan. 30. The exhibit examines the construction, operation and historical significance of the nation’s man-made waterways through hands-on displays and role-playing activities designed for visitors of all ages.
Visitors can step into the roles of lock tender, canal engineer, crane operator and canal boat captain as they move through four sections focused on key canal structures: locks, masonry arches, cranes and aqueducts. Each area features interpretive panels with photographs, diagrams and contextual text that tie the engineering features to their historical importance. The exhibition runs in the Seaport’s Mallory Building through Oct. 11 and is included with museum admission. Further details: www.mysticseaport.org/canals.
Knickerbocker Yacht Club Property Offered for Sale
After 135 years of sailing and social activities, the Knickerbocker Yacht Club of Port Washington, Long Island—one of the region’s oldest yacht clubs—closed earlier this year and has placed its waterfront property and clubhouse contents up for sale. Items listed included sailboats, sails, a 15-foot workboat with outboard motor, kitchen and dining furnishings, flat-screen televisions, a piano and historic club memorabilia.
The 1-acre waterfront parcel was marketed separately, with a development company expressing interest in building condominiums on the site, according to commodore Brian Raskin. Founded in Manhattan and based in Port Washington since 1907, the Knickerbocker was credited with creating winter “frostbite racing” in the 1930s. Membership at the club had declined from a high of around 280 members in the 1980s to roughly 54 before closure. – Bill Bleyer
Owner of Gudzik’s Marine Passes Away
Kenneth Michael “Mike” Gudzik, co-owner of Gudzik’s Marine and The Boat Place in Port Jefferson, New York, died Oct. 19 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 65. Gudzik was born in Garfield, Georgia, graduated from Port Jefferson High School in 1963 and studied marine biology at Muskegon College in Michigan.
Before his retirement, Gudzik worked in the marine sales and service industry, including roles at Venice Boat Sales in Lindenhurst and Freeport, New York. He served on the board of the Association of Marine Industries and acted as a representative to the Empire State Marine Trades Association. He is remembered by colleagues and customers for his longstanding contributions to the regional boating community.
Upgrade Offer: Trade-In Credit Toward FleetBroadband Airtime
KVH Industries announced a trade-in allowance offering $500 of free airtime for customers who upgrade to Inmarsat FleetBroadband service and install a new Inmarsat-compatible TracPhone system from KVH. The incentive was available to owners of older Globalstar, Iridium, AMSC/MSV or other regional and low Earth orbit satellite systems.
Qualifying customers could choose from KVH hardware and airtime packages, with those selecting the “Premium Value” broadband plan eligible for free FB150 hardware or discounted FB250 and FB500 units. Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband service, delivered by a trio of new satellites, provides global coverage with data rates up to 256 kbps. The trade-in program ran through Dec. 31 or until 100 trade-ins were accepted, whichever came first. (Sept. ’09)
This article originally appeared in the Connecticut & New York Home Waters section of the February 2010 issue.