'Only in America' revisited: Boater taking new voyage with hopes of similar outcome

Boater John Mirassou hopes to revisit his youth. His vessel of choice, however, is not a time machine but a 19-foot Montauk Boston Whaler.

Mirassou was in his 20s when he and two friends hopped aboard his 17-foot-long Whaler in 1987 and took a 6,100-mile adventure from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to New Orleans, via New York and Chicago.

Along the way, they relied on the generosity of the people they met, both on the water and in nearby towns. People took them in, fed them and formed a kind of network of camaraderie, said Mirassou, who chronicled the experience in his book, "Only in America: An American Boating Adventure."

"The book really seems to strike a chord with people," the 48-year-old Torrance resident said. "I believe it shows who we were, who we can be, who we want to be."

Mirassou has decided to test the waters, so to speak, to see for himself if the hospitality shown more than two decades ago still prevails today. On Friday, he'll be departing on a monthlong, 1,100-mile odyssey from Norfolk, Va., to Boston, traveling through waterways and cities large and small with plans to arrive in Boston Harbor to participate in the Parade of Boats on the 4th of July.

"Upon reading the story, people are asking if the America portrayed in the book still exists. So we're going to board the Whaler again and find out," he said.

Joining Mirassou will be John Bertsch, who was along on the original journey in 1987, as well as friend Marty Burke.

A professional producer/videographer is also expected to be joining the group -- albeit on a support vessel -- filming the adventure for a possible documentary or television series as well as producing daily updates and weekly "webisodes," which can be followed on Mirassou's website.

Here's hoping Mirassou finds that some things never change, and that the charity of Americans toward others is as strong as it ever was. Even without a time machine.

-- Kelly Burgess
Twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: John Mirassou with his sons Jack, left, and Matthew. Credit: John Mirassou / onlyinamerica.biz

 

Jumping sturgeon breaks boater's leg

A Florida boater's leg was broken when a 60- to 75-pound sturgeon jumped from the water and crashed into her. The incident occurred just days after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a warning to boaters about being cautious in waters populated by the fish.

Tina Fletcher, 25, of Cross City, Fla., was a passenger Sunday aboard an airboat on Florida's Suwannee River when the accident happened, FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker told the Gainesville Sun.

"She was riding on a 16-foot-long Freedom Craft air prop airboat when the fish jumped and hit her leg," Parker said. Witnesses told FWC officers that the fish slid back into the water after the incident.

This is the fifth reported sturgeon encounter in Florida waters since April, and the most serious.

Biologists are unsure why sturgeon jump, though they are certain they are not malicious. Theories include that the fish jump to communicate or as a dominance display.

"I have seen these encounters referred to as 'attacks.'  However, these fish are in no way attacking when they jump," said Allen Martin, regional freshwater fisheries biologist. "They are simply doing what they have been doing for millions of years: jumping. They aren't targeting the boaters.

Gulf sturgeon are anadromous, migrating from saltwater to freshwater to spawn, and can grow to more than 8 feet long and exceed 200 pounds.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A Gulf sturgeon in the Suwannee River. Credit: Noel Burkhead / U.S. Geological Survey

 

Breaching whale damages sailboat off Oregon

A sailboat participating in the Oregon International Offshore Race was struck by a breaching whale Thursday off the coast of Oregon. Thankfully, nobody aboard was injured.

The 38-foot vessel, ironically named L'Orca, was about a half-hour into the race from Astoria, Ore., to Victoria, Canada, when the whale breached and crushed the rigging and mast of the boat.

"Our boat was moving at about nine knots over the water, and all of a sudden, about a few inches, maybe a foot off the starboard side, a whale came breaching out of the water," crew member Ryan Barnes of Portland, Ore., told the U.S. Coast Guard in a videotaped interview. "It looked to be a humpback whale, about 30 feet in length roughly; it hit the mast about halfway to three-quarters of the way up, and proceeded to fall forward and on the starboard side of the boat.

"The mast came down as well as the forestay and all the rigging, and our tow rail and all our life lines on the starboard side of the boat were demolished as well."

Barnes said that the vessel did suffer some cosmetic damage in addition to the broken mast and rigging, but the crew, including his father -- boat owner Jerry Barnes -- was in the cockpit at the time and no one was injured. A U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel responded to the scene and escorted the damaged boat and its occupants back to Astoria.

Unlike a whale vs. sailboat incident off the coast of South Africa last year, no photos have yet surfaced.

And while it's uncertain what injuries the whale sustained, they were likely minor. It did, however, leave behind a small memento of the incident.

"We have some nice pieces of whale blubber as a souvenir and proof of what happened," Barnes said.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Video: Ryan Barnes describes the whale breaching and striking his father's 38-foot sailboat, the L'Orca, during the Oregon International Offshore Race. Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert / U.S. Coast Guard via YouTube

Photo: The sailing vessel L'Orca at Astoria, Ore.'s West Basin pier after having its rigging and mast demolished by a breaching whale. Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert / U.S. Coast Guard

BoatU.S. releases annual list of top 10 boat names

What's in a name? A lot, when it comes to naming a boat, according to the Boat Owners Assn. of the United States, which recently released its annual top 10 list of most popular boat names for 2010.

The list is assembled each year by the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service, which offers a free library of over 8,500 boat names and also allows boaters to select, custom design and preview watercraft names online.

In countdown order, here's the 2010 list:

10. Blue Moon

9. Serenity

8. No Worries

7. Second Wind

6. Island Time

5. Mojo

4. La Belle Vita

3. The Black Pearl

2. Andiamo

1. AquaHolic

A listing of the annual top 10 vessel names beginning with 1991 can also be found on the website.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A boat's name can reveal much about the personality of a boat owner. Credit: Boat Owners Assn. of the United States

Sailor, 85, crosses Atlantic Ocean on raft

An 85-year-old sailor whose lifelong dream was to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a raft saw that dream
come true Wednesday, arriving at the Caribbean island of St. Maarten after roughly two months at sea.

"Some people say it was mad," Anthony Smith told the Associated Press after arriving in Philipsburg. "But it wasn't mad. What else do you do when you get on in years?"

Smith, from London, was joined by three friends and did the crossing in part to prove that the elderly are capable of embarking on adventures some may consider too dangerous.

The 40-foot-long raft, named the An-Tiki, was built with water supply pipes and sported a nearly 40-foot-tall mast and a 400-square-foot sail. Twin rudders provided the steering, along with centerboards and two oars.

Smith said that the vessel traveled at an average speed of 4 knots and that the journey was generally smooth.

The crew departed from the Canary Islands and had intended to end their trip in the Bahamas, but strong winds and currents forced them to St. Maarten.

Even with the change in course, Smith was still pleased with the voyage and the outcome.

"Yes, of course it's a success," Smith said. "How many people do you know who have rafted across the Atlantic? ... The word mutiny was only spoken about two or three times a day."

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photos, from top: 85-year-old sailor Anthony Smith, right, captains the An-Tiki, a 40-foot sail-powered raft as he and his crew complete their roughly two-month transatlantic voyage, arriving at Philipsburg, St. Maarten on Wednesday; Anthony Smith. (Credit: Judy Fitzpatrick / Associated Press)

U.S. led the world in shark attacks last year

The U.S. led the world again in the number of shark attacks last year, according to a University of Florida report released this week.

Worldwide, 79 attacks occurred in 2010 -- the highest number since 2000 (80) -- with 36 reported in the United States. Australia was second with 14, then South Africa with eight and Vietnam and Egypt with six each.

While Florida led the nation with 13 reported attacks, this total was significantly lower than the state's yearly average of 23 over the past decade.

"Florida had its lowest total since 2004, which was 12," said George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the university. Florida typically has the highest number of attacks worldwide, but 2010 marked the state’s fourth straight year of decline, Burgess said. "Maybe it’s a reflection of the downturn in the economy and the number of tourists coming to Florida, or the amount of money native Floridians can spend taking holidays and going to the beach."

Of those attacks in the U.S. outside of Florida, five were in North Carolina, with four each in California, Hawaii and South Carolina. There were single attacks in Georgia, Maine, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Surfers were the victims of slightly more than half of the incidents reported worldwide in 2010, nearly 51% of the cases. An economic downturn will usually influence tourists but not necessarily surfers, whose sport is relatively low-cost, Burgess said.

Swimmers and waders were the second-largest group affected, accounting for nearly 38% of the shark attacks internationally.

Waterfront locales urged to become children's life jacket loaner sites

The easiest way to ensure a child's safety on or near the water is to make sure they wear a life jacket that fits. But children's growth spurts do not always make that feasible.

That's where the BoatU.S. Foundation's free "Life Jacket Loaner Program" can help, lending for a day or weekend more than 90,000 right-sized kid's life jackets annually from the 500-plus loaner sites nationwide.

The organization is currently accepting applications from marina or local waterfront businesses interested in partnering to become new loaner sites.

Each location accepted into the program will receive, at no cost, a life jacket loaner kit that includes various sized life jackets designed to fit children weighing up to 90 pounds, signage, promotional materials and sign-out sheets to track jacket usage.

"We make our program simple for those hosting a location as well as for boaters, anglers and sailors needing a kid's life jacket," said Alanna Keating, manager of the Life Jacket Loaner Program. "We provide all of the materials needed for the program, and all we ask for in return is that the life jackets are available for free to the boating public in a readily accessible but secure location, and hosts periodically let us know how the program is going." 

Application guidelines and forms to become a loaner site are available online, and must be submitted by March 11.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Children wearing BoatU.S. Foundation loaner life jackets. Credit: BoatU.S. Foundation 

Life jacket design contest offers chance to win $5,000

Think you can build a better life jacket? If so, break out your inner Sheldon Cooper and get imaginative -- you could be in the running for a $5,000 award being given to the winning designer in the "Innovations in Life Jacket Design" competition.

The BoatUS Foundation, Underwriters Laboratories and the Personal Floatation Device Manufacturers Assn. have teamed up to seek out the newest technologies and design innovations with the goal of rethinking a 100-year-old design and creating a more comfortable life jacket that  boaters and water-sports enthusiasts would be more likely to wear.

"While current models of life jackets save lives every day, many are still bulky and uncomfortable, leaving boaters reluctant to wear them," said Chris Edmonston, BoatUS vice president of boating safety. "This competition hopes to challenge that mindset."

There are no rules regarding types of materials to be used or whether the design meets any current U.S. standards. "This is the time to be unconventional in your thinking about what a life jacket has to look or feel like," Edmonston said.

Entries will be judged based on four criteria: Wearability (the level of comfort); reliability (taking into account the chances for potential failure); cost (the affordability of the design); and innovation (originality or the employment of new technologies).

To enter, video footage of an actual working prototype must be submitted by providing a URL link to the video (no actual prototypes will be accepted). The video must clearly demonstrate how the design floats a person in the water. Better hurry though -- the deadline for entering is Feb. 1.

In early February, all entered videos will be posted online at the BoatUS Foundation's YouTube channel and the public will be asked to vote for a group of finalists. Finalist entries are to be reviewed by a panel of judges convened at the International Boating and Water Safety Summit, March 6-9 in Savannah, Ga., and the winner announced.

For more information on how to enter and for contest rules, go to BoatUS.com/Foundation/lifejacketdesign or call Chris Edmonston at (703) 823-9550, ext. 8356.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A girl wearing a life jacket from the BoatUS Foundation. Credit: Eric Amato / BoatU.S.

Outposts looks back at 2010: Unusual news

With the year ending, it is worth looking back at memorable posts of 2010. Each day this week through Friday, Outposts will recount some of the records broken, the achievements reached, the notable passings and the downright unusual during 2010 in the outdoors, action and adventure world.

Toddler using Barbie fishing pole lands 20-lb. muskie

Two-year-old Ella Haag was fishing with her grandparents at Round Lake near Randall, Minn., on May 15 when she landed her first fish, using her pink Barbie fishing pole.

Her grandfather grabbed a net and soon they pulled in a 30-inch muskie weighing in at a little under 20 pounds -- a fish bigger than the angler who caught it.

Screen grab: Fox 9 News Minnesota video

 

American adventurer crosses English Channel using helium balloons and a chair

In a stunt definitely from the "don't try this at home" category, American adventurer Jonathan Trappe crossed the English Channel on May 28 in a chair attached to a cluster of helium balloons, touching down safely in a French field.

When asked what had inspired him to make the journey, Trappe replied, "Didn't you have this dream, grabbing onto a bunch of toy balloons and floating off?"

Photo: Gareth Fuller / Associated Press

 

Wingsuit base-jumping video well worth watching

This video, on YouTube since June, is awesome to watch. The wingsuit base-jumper displays some daring moves as he navigates cliffs and mountaintops before opening his parachute.

One thing I keep wondering is: How does one test such a suit to make sure it works as intended before jumping?

Screen grab: YouTube.com/JokkeSommer

Where are the holiday boat parades? Group offers an online finder to point the way

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, one's thoughts may turn to Christmas. Many will have family, friends and loved ones coming to visit and may be trying to come up with things to do in the holiday spirit to entertain guests.

The nation's largest boat owners group wants to assist, and suggests enjoying some festive holiday cheer on the waterfront. To help facilitate this, Boat Owners Assn. of the United States is offering a holiday boat parade finder on its website.

The site allows users to easily seek out local lighted boat parades by state or specific date and includes links and contact information. There's also an easy way to add a listing for a boat parade that's not already included. As of Monday, there were 22 event listings for California.

"Watching a slow parade of boats -- each one decorated and lit up brighter than a Christmas tree -- is spectacular and something the kids won't forget," said Boat U.S. spokesman Scott Croft. "Many holiday boat parades also tie into local festivals, so these events aren't just for the boater in the family."

Croft added that Santa Claus often appears at boat parades because "the North Pole is frozen all year long and these parades are his only chance to get out on the water."

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A boat festooned with lights and an inflatable Santa Claus at the annual Newport Harbor Boat Parade. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Fish and Game Q&A: Will painting my kayak scare away great white sharks?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column. NOTE: This is Carrie's column from last Thursday, when I was on vacation and unavailable to publish it:

Question: I bought a former scuba kayak and have retrofitted it into a fishing kayak. I transformed the underside into what appears to be the underside of a killer whale (orca) because I figure if I’m going to be spending lots of idle time fishing, I don’t want, in any way, to attract the attention of great whites! The underside was totally white but now the outer edges are black with a small black patch at the rear so that it looks just like the characteristic underside of a killer whale. I also rigged up my two fins to drag out the back in case I ever found myself in dire need.

My reasoning here is killer whales and great whites are natural enemies, so if I paint the bottom like an orca, any great white within several hundred yards will take off. As I thought more about this aspect though, I now wonder if while I’m sitting in this thing for long periods of time, will I be more apt to be a target rather than a threat? Has there been any evidence of great whites attacking dead killer whales just like they attack dead regular whales? I’m wondering now if I am a soon-to-be "dead duck" instead of a brilliant kayak engineer! Please advise. Thanks. (Mark)

Answer: Well, I can safely say I’ve never gotten a letter and questions quite like yours, but it’s a refreshing change from the many regulation questions! I applaud your kayak engineering prowess. However, I’m not sure painting the hull of your kayak to resemble the underbelly of an orca, along with attaching fins that mysteriously drag out the back, will spook a white shark or prevent an attack.

USODA West Coast Championships youth regatta Saturday and Sunday in Marina del Rey

More than 60 junior sailors ages 8 to 15 will be in Marina del Rey this weekend for the United States Optimist Dinghy Assn. West Coast Championships. The event, hosted by and held at the California Yacht Club, takes place Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon and features top youth sailors competing for the title of West Coast Champion -- as well as for the opportunity to qualify for the U.S. National Team Trials in April in San Francisco -- in the under-16 category of the competition.

Open to all Optimist sailors, the event features a multiple-race format in which the young mariners will take part in as many as 12 races over two days (weather permitting), with the low-point total determining the winner.

There will be two separate groups: Green Fleet for the less experienced sailors, with racing inside the protected harbor; and Championship Fleet for the veterans, featuring ocean sailing in Santa Monica Bay about a mile northwest of the Marina del Rey breakwater.

Although most of the sailors hail from California, the field is likely to include competitors from Oregon, Washington and beyond -- the current entry list includes four U.S. National Team members, three International Team members, plus the 2009 West Coast Champion and this year's Pacific Coast Champion, 13-year-old Cooper Weitz of Marina del Rey, returning to defend his title.

The California Yacht Club is located at 4469 Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Competitors at the 2009 USODA West Coast Championships. Credit: Peter Abraham