This was brought to mind during a recent retreat to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where the new boating season was sadly christened by the drowning death of a young adult kayaker.  He managed to help his girlfriend to shore after they capsized, but unfortunately he didn’t make it.  His body was recovered close to shore and only in about ten feet of water,  the very cold water of the spring-fed glacier lake.  While the air temperature was comfortable,  I suspect the starkly colder water contributed to his rapid exhaustion, as even a strong swimmer can succumb in less than an hour in 50 degree water.  Despite the best attempts by the many first responders, he could not be resuscitated.  This all happened just a mile from where I comfortably watched the Wheel of Fortune that evening and became aware of a situation through the drone of search helicopters in a grid pattern over the lake.  Although that day I had just been trained and certified for adult and pediatric CPR and first aid it didn’t do anyone any good.

The great equalizer in this situation would have been to have worn a life-jacket, but often we overestimate our abilities, underestimate the conditions, and simply don’t expect the unexpected.

We will admit that the Captain and crew of Second Wind have had some slips, some scrapes, and some things that have gone bump in the night.  But fortunately no lost souls or serious injuries, but we have taken the opportunity to upgrade some of our equipment.  The list includes:

1. Security – a new 20 KG Rocna Anchor – clearly an improvement over the unknown weight and brand of the plow anchor that came with the boat.  It sets fast and hard,  backed by an all chain rode and a custom-built nylon snubber from Pawson Industries.   We continue to rely on the DragQueen app to help us get through the night.
2. Visibility – a new DR. LED handheld searchlight for those difficult night landings that can’t be avoided.
3. Seaworthiness – a new Zodiac Cadet Inflatable Dingy that features a transom that actually stays attached during rough conditions.
4. Situational Awareness – a new i60 Wind Instrument Panel Display that measures the direction and severity of rising winds even while we remain secure in our enclosed salon.
5. Rescue – an ACR ResQLink+ Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for when all else has  truly failed.  And yes, it has been registered with the proper authorities and properly clipped to an inflatable belt that is worn.

Special thanks to the great and knowledgeable folks at Defender.com that helped us lighten our wallets at their Connecticut Warehouse Outlet.   No one has paid or contributed anything towards mentioning these products and so my operational reporting on them will honest and anecdotal.

Well I am happy to report that thelaughingpirates.com are laughing again as my golf clubs have been returned!  After our golf tournament I used the ShipSticks.com baggage service to return my golf clubs and other items in my travel bag to a safe house in the Northeast before we continued on our latest sales expedition in the Caribbean (more on that later).   ShipSticks is a great service concept that will pick-up and deliver your clubs wherever and whenever you need them, from/to your home or a golf course, in locations from Florida, Scotland, or anywhere in the world they claim.  It’s super convenient when you have multiple stop, extended itinerary travel where golf is only one part of the schedule.  And it’s reasonable compared to what most airlines are doing with baggage policies and charges today.

Unfortunately when I arrived back in the US after a week in the BVIs, I opened up my phone to turn on my cell and roaming service and got an urgent voicemail message that my bag tag was enroute to its destination, but without the actual golf bag and contents.  “Could you please call ShipSticks immediately to help identify your missing bag?,” a desperate voice begged.  I checked the date of the call which was last Wednesday, and here I was listening to the message for the first time on the following Saturday night at FLL.   I had dropped off the bag to UPS on the Friday afternoon the week before, and then took a Saturday flight to St. Thomas from Fort Lauderdale.

I called Sunday and was told that since I didn’t return the call the bag was sent back to Naples, as there was an identifying tag inside the bag.   I explained that the inside tag was the previous outbound information, and had marked it up to indicate that fact.  That was my mistake I will now admit, as they request you include a second copy of the shipping label inside the bag, but my local Naples UPS store only printed one copy and I was in a rush.

ShipSticks explained that their investigation team would get on the case first thing Monday and get right back to me.  It took until Tuesday for them to find and get their hands on the bag.  It was being held hostage at the condominium building where I was the previous week, and this was
complicated by the fact the owners we were visiting, and to where I shipped the sticks, had headed north and weren’t there to receive the unexpected package again.

So, lessons learned:

1. Determine and print your return shipping documents before you leave home. The online site makes it hard to forward a copy of the shipping information to your shipper (UPS in this case).
2. Print two copies of all shipping documents and include only the current document inside the bag case or shipping box.  They will blindly scan any document and not look at any writing, notes, or dates.
3. Pack some shipping tape for repairing cardboard shipping boxes – they get pretty beat up. (I would now consider a hard shipping case to better protect those exposed driver and “woods” that seem vulnerable at the top of my soft cover)
4. Include other items in your case or shipping box to reduce your carry-on or checked  baggage, and to pad/protect the head and shaft of your driver.  Most bags and clubs are well under their standard 42 lb. allowance.  Note that these added items may not be insured if lost.
5. Actively look for online discount coupons, usually good for  15% to 20% off to bring your average costs down to around $40 each way.
6. Take a picture of your bag and contents before you pack it up.  Be sure to keep all receipts when you purchase your clubs, balls and  accessories.
7. Don’t scream or threaten the staff with your cutlass and they will do their best to help.  In my case they even expedited the return shipment to make sure it was available for my next trip.

The winning foursome begins final day of play at Harmony Golf Preserve

While the Laughing Pirates deodorizer is known to freshen many on-board heads, boat lockers, and similar locations in RV’s, it also has application for many sporting related activities. Actually, any activity where Pirates sweat, don’t rinse, and repeat.   To help communicate that idea to the golf community, a special invitational event was held in the Orlando area on the Monday and Tuesday following the Miami boat show.  Laughing Pirates can be a welcome, freshening Talisman to a golf bag, it can be well hung in the Club locker to keep things smelling fresh.  It has NOT been proven to repel GATORS as shown below.   So unless you want to end up like fictional Captain Hook, we do not recommend attempting to retrieve balls from any water hazards in Florida.

Motel Hell

Unless you can always stay at JW Marriott properties you can’t always count on your room smelling fresh and appealing when you check in late and tired.  But you can bring the purifying and familiar smells of your favorite Laughing Pirates with you on the road to quickly solve those odor issues.  This is really needed when you can’t open the sealed windows and you’re too lazy to repack and attempt to change rooms (which may not be any better). In these cases simply remove the pirate from his plexi-prison and swing him freely by his noose in a circle-8 pattern, walking through the affected areas quickly  clearing stale odors and adding its own fresh scent.  Put one in your airline carry-on for when your stuck near the lavatory row or a seat mate who rushes on at the last minute hot, sweaty and smelly.

Click here to order yours now!   Our latest product application sheet is now available.

This year’s Miami Boat and Strictly Sail Shows offered some interesting model updates including the Bertam 35, based on the classic Bertram 31.  It takes the clean lines and design and expands and updates it for today’s customers.   There are also some new powerboat boarding options including a sliding bulwark that allows easy access amidships.  It includes a retracting ladder.  Shown below is a 63′ catamaran with its own below decks drop-down access hatch.

I liked Fish Monkey’s line of fish handling gloves, some of which can be had for less than $10, and can help make a messy job a bit cleaner and easier.  And adding a Laughing Pirate Deodorizer to those lockers with your fishing equipment can also help.

In something completely new to me, I talked with the folks behind an idea to bring Uber and Lyft type transport convenience to the on-water community.  Hobarides.com offers an app that let’s you hail a Captain to take you from point A to point B via the local waterways.  They started in Charleston, SC and are expanding as they find captains to sign up for the service. I can see this gaining traction in waterways where short distances separate long land-based travel distances, like across parts of the Chesapeake Bay.  Check out their website to apply.