What is a Waterman in Occupational Terms?

 

Great writing on what a waterman is as an occupational term from Shawn Alladio the founder of K38 Rescue Water Craft Services

Terminology is precision in language as the proper use of words. When using Waterman as an occupational term you are speaking our language!

Our (your) maritime heritage is centuries old, and this word begins in the 1100’s of England. If you know someone with the surname ‘Waterman’ you will understand.

A waterman was a boatman livery guide for transportation and lighterage.

In Medieval times, waterman formed gangs, or what we call unions or guilds. Some joined the Navy, others became pirates; merchant marines and stevedores.

They began apprenticeships to learn the water features and hazards because they were being taxed for their navigational skill.

Travel and moving freight were faster on water and their skills broadened with helmsman, pilotage and moorage.

Wherrymen (named for their boat) were subject to paying duties, they were required to have a license and were scrutinized for accidents.

Watermen enforced rules.

They suffered changes in travel.

They sought better pay.

They formed a Company of Watermen and Lightermen.

The filed for Acts on their behalf for support and protection.

They suffered death from occupational risk by drowning, respiratory and skin infections.

They became lifesavers by rescuing people and animals.

Our boating laws began in England and were brought here during the American Colonial period, we use many of these rules and laws in our courtroom today and on the water but sadly few even understand this. Even worse, instructors who teach do not know.

On the US east coast watermen pull up lobsters and in the Gulf they shrimp and tug. These Coxswains are our reminder of who we are today ‘boat servant’.

‘All whirry men, and all maryners vpo the see, shall leape out of their boates, and set them selues vpon the lode. - Book of Ezekiel

Do not be deceived, study and know our history.

Our ancestors died and struggled for the luxury we enjoy this day.

Onward.

Watches, Wannabes and Waterman

Read with us, as Steve West explores and helps determine what a waterman really is and what some of his prerequisites might be. Do you think your a "Waterman"?

 

It’s a little known fact, the fast track way to achieve some vague semblance of waterman status, is to invest in a Rolex or Omega dive-timepiece. Indeed the number of waterman you might see on any given day in any metropolis far, far away from ocean shores, simply defies probability as to how these gentleman buyers find the time to work the hours required for the buy-in price and the time to hone their water skills and the number is growing daily.

Frankly, many look unsuited to their timepiece or certainly not what you may think represents the demographic of its namesake, but looks I guess can be deceiving. On the other hand, a Rolex goes hand in hand with luxury yacht ownership (indeed boating of any type) and monetary milestones, which can certainly preclude you from having to be able to swim. But in all seriousness, what’s it all about; men who can barely tread-water wearing beautiful time pieces that shout out, “I am Ocean-Man” or sentiments to that effect, or are they simply, James Bond wannabes.

One thing’s for sure, even the great Duke Kahanamoku would I am sure embraced the idea that swimming must first and foremost be a requirement for entry to waterman status, melded with a love of the ocean and for the creatures in it and that surfing per-se, is something you can choose or not choose to do on account of there being such an abundance of other water pursuits, skills and interests which by default would earn you waterman status in the same way as that of a horseman, mountain man or spaceman, of which the Polynesian voyagers where indeed of that same ilk. Read More;

Watermen Heritage Tours - Chesapeake Bay

Going to the Chesapeake Bay sometime soon, check out some great tours through Watermen Heritage Tours 

Commercial Watermen come in many varieties, and so do the tours they offer. There are three basic types: On the Water experiences; On the Land experiences; and Speakers and Presenters.

The first decade of the twenty-first century saw several years with the lowest blue crab populations and harvest levels ever recorded. By 2008 fishery managers worried they might witness the crash of the blue crab stock, the most valuable and most fished of all the East Coast’s fisheries. In response to the numbers, new, tight restrictions were placed on the fishery in hopes the population would grow. In addition, Congress declared a fishery disaster, making $15 million available for restoration measures, and to support the fishermen.

A portion of that money went to an innovative training program, The Waterman’s Heritage Tourism Training Program, developed by a group of Chesapeake non-profit organizations. The partnership was initiated and organized by the Chesapeake Conservancy, included the Coastal Heritage Alliance, the Maryland Watermen’s Association, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Since its inception, the training program has graduated more than 100 watermen and provided them insights and skills in how to conduct heritage tours. The training isn’t meant to take the watermen off the water, but to give them skills they can use to supplement their incomes with a related new business.

This website supports the graduates of that program with a marketing outlet. Here you can find on the water and on land tours that will inform you about the life of the waterman, their communities, and the Chesapeake’s history. You can even locate speakers for events.

And here’s some more good news. The tighter regulations seem to have worked. Blue crab populations have responded, and the catches are up!

Wyatt Werneth Has Committed Entire Life to Ocean Safety And Will Be Honored With Space Coast Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award

Space Coast Daily August 27, 2017

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Wyatt Werneth began his career in 1994 after serving an eight year commitment with the U.S. Navy.

While in college, Werneth started his own diving business where he met a volunteer firefighter from the Cape Canaveral Volunteer Fire Department.

He then joined the Cape Canaveral Volunteer Fire Department, and he also tried out for a Brevard County lifeguard position.

It didn’t take long before Werneth was improving his skill set by attending Fire College and EMT school to become a better lifesaver.

Lifeguarding came natural for him, and he excelled in rank very quickly. His first year he became a Lieutenant and the following year a Captain running his own lifeguard team.

In 1996, the Cape Canaveral Volunteer Fire Department requested that the Fire Department manage the lifeguards.

Werneth jumped at the opportunity to go full-time with the Fire Department and by 1997, the Fire Department had successfully formed a lifeguard division of the fire department with Werneth in command.

Before the year ended, Cape Canaveral lifeguards had been certified as an advanced certified life-saving organization. The very first year, the lifeguards proved invaluable by making a rescue, which earned Werneth and the team EMT of the Year.

He implemented many improvements such as the first defibrillator and rescue watercraft at Jetty Park.

Werneth accepted the position as Brevard County Ocean Rescue Chief in 1999, where he established the first Brevard County ocean rescue rookie class to recognize all lifeguards.

In 2004, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and soon after, became a naval officer for the Navy Sea Cadet Corp as a special warfare orientation course instructor.

In 2007, Brevard County experienced 10 drownings in a short period of time. To help raise awareness, he decided he would paddle board up the coast of Florida for 10 days to raise awareness.

The 345 mile trip from the Miami Beach lifeguard station, up the coast to the Jacksonville lifeguard station, set a Guinness world record.

He is currently working with other lifeguards to form a non-profit organization called the Life Rescue Project. Their mission is to implement life safety devices along all beaches in areas where there are no lifeguards.

Werneth has since retired, but remains active in water safety as an active rescuer with the Melbourne Beach and Satellite Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s water rescue teams, as well as being instrumental in discussions of a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Rescue Swimmer team.

He has committed his entire life to ocean safety and continues with his life-saving legacy to inspire ocean rescuers everywhere.

Sonya Baumstein Rescued: U.S. Solo Rower Trying To Cross Pacific Ends Trip Due To Bad Weather

 

American rower Sonya Baumstein, from Orlando, Fla.,sets out in her custom rowboat for San Francisco Sunday, June 7, 2015. Baumstein, who hoped to be the first woman to row across the Pacific Ocean, had to give up her quest due to bad weather. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

 

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. woman attempting to cross the Pacific by rowboat has ended her solo attempt because of expected bad weather.

Sonya Baumstein was rescued off the Japanese coast on Saturday after sending out a distress signal, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Baumstein departed from Choshi, Japan, one week ago, hoping to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific.

She was headed for San Francisco but sent out the signal on Saturday around 2:20 p.m. about 250 kilometers (155 miles) off the coast of Japan.

A freighter traveling nearby rescued her at around 5 p.m. (0800 GMT) Saturday and passed her on to a coast guard ship around 8:55 p.m. (1155 GMT), the Japanese coast guard said.

Baumstein was hoping to finish the 6,000-mile (9,600-kilometer) journey by late September.

Volvo Ocean Race | Driving the future – a race against time

The latest episode of Building the Future presents a race against time – and the elements – for Rick Deppe and his crew, as they attempt to get the hull and deck of boat number 1 to England in time for assembly at Green Marine.

Hull number one of the new Volvo Ocean 65 being transported from

Bergamo, Italy to Hamble, England.

More; Volvo Ocean Race | Driving the future – a race against time

Team Morton Water take weekend honours at Powerboat P1 Superstock in Stuart

first place in the opening heat and a second place in the final heat gave them 69 heat points, just three ahead of the AO Coolers team who fought hard for the win.

Championship leader Tom Morton said: “What a great weekend! We worked really hard today to make up for where we placed in the second heat yesterday. We’re heading home very happy to North Carolina tonight and very proud to be the championship leaders. We’ve got to get some practice in before the next race in Daytona as the conditions are going to be so different to this weekend.”

Second place in today’s first heat went to Team ProBoat who were followed over the line by the P1 Marine Foundation boat with UK pilots James Norvill and Christian Young who will be disappointed not to finish in the top three this weekend after a very consistent US racing debut.

The second heat was won by AO Coolers, followed by Morton Water and Pier 57.

“I would never have believed it in a million years,” said an emotional Daniel Racz. “We came with no major expectations so to be heading home with two wins out of four heats is a very special feeling.
This shows that new teams can run at the front because the series has such parity.”

The next round of the P1 SuperStock Championship in the USA sees the teams take to the challenging offshore waters off Daytona Beach on 14 – 16 June but before that the UK P1 SuperStock Championship kicks off in Hull where US racers Andy Biddle and Tracy Blumenstein will be making their UK debut.

OVERALL STANDINGS
1 Morton Water 20
2 AO Coolers 17
3 Pier 57 15
4 Team ProBoat 14
5 P1 Marine Foundation 13
6 CL-Alpha.com 12
7 Livorsi 11

Source; USA Superstock

Red Bull Sailing: America´s Cup World Series detour – a complete success

HS Racing completed a successful four-day premiere at the America´s Cup World Series 2013, crossing the line in eighth place in Naples, Italy, after a penalty at the very finish on the super final on Sunday. It may have ended their chances of a top result but did not spoil a successful debut in the series. Luna Rossa Swordfish clinched overall victory after a fleet racing finale win. HS Racing’s double Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher are now off to China on Friday for their third stop on the Extreme Sailing Series (Quingdao May 2-5) to defend their overall lead in the multihull series (eight races).

PHOTO: Olaf Pignataro

“It was a lot of fun today and even though we were blocked at the start by Ben Ainslie, we managed to catch up very well. Our tactics were very good,” said Hagara after the Super Sunday races and his team’s solid performance. They were penalized, however, twice at the final buoy to lose valuable ground. “We had to let Team New Zealand through. We allegedly maneuvred too close to them and we obstructed them,” said tactician Steinacher, shaking his head.

P1 Superstock: India Awaits SuperStock Champions As Powerboat P1 Goes Global General News

International marine motorsports platform takes shape as P1 fleet heads East to new markets

P1 Superstock: India Awaits SuperStock Champions As Powerboat P1 Goes Global General News

America’s Cup World Series Naples Super Sunday Preview

The final day of America’s Cup World Series Naples will also wrap the 2012-13 racing season for the global tour. The match racing and fleet racing championships will help determine the overall season champs for the second season of racing.

A large crowd is expected to take in the day’s action, which will be graced with sunny weather and winds similar to the past three days, 8 to 12 knots from the south/southwest.

The day kicks off at 11:00 with the Red Bull Air Show. The pilot is German Air Race Pilot Matthias Dolderer and the show will last around 15 minutes. Tens of thousands of people took in last evening’s show from the America’s Cup World Series Village stretching along the waterfront.

Volvo Ocean Race Legend Magnus Olsson dies, aged 64

The world of sailing is in mourning following the death of Sweden's Magnus Olsson at the age of 64. Olsson was one of the most loved and admired figures to grace the sport, with an immense track record in the race.

Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race

Olsson competed in the Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race in six editions from 1985-86 to 2008-09, tasting victory with EF Language in 1997-98. He was named a Volvo Ocean Race Legends Ambassador in recognition of his enormous contribution to the event in 2011.

One of the most popular and recognisable sailors in the world, he maintained links with the round-the-world race to the end, and was working as a coach with the all-female Team SCA in Lanzarote when he suffered a stroke. He was surrounded by his family as he died on Saturday.

Volvo Ocean Race - Strong winds, high waves, freezing cold and albatrosses – Part II of our round the world tour

Race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante is taking us on a virtual tour through the route for the 2014-15 edition. In part II, we tackle the South China Sea and the Southern Ocean before making it round Cape Horn and heading up towards the United States.

Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Vol

Gonzalo Infante:This north-south leg can take you much further north than expected to start with! It will also have the flavour of a homecoming for all the Kiwi sailors involved in the race.

Let’s pray for the South China Sea conditions to be better than last time. This time around the One Design boats will be able to take on tougher conditions, but the crew will get seasick anyway. Anyone willing to try the new class should not pick that leg!

The Luzon Strait can be very windy. The course to take will depend on the strength of the trade winds. If they are well established in Luzon, you can head directly to the Solomon Islands in the south east. If they are not, you will have to go to the east, even sometimes to the north. Last time PUMA and Groupama went pretty close to Japan – that was one extreme option! It’s the proof that in offshore racing, the quickest way isn’t always the most logical or the shortest one.

Hyeres To Close 2012-13 ISAF Sailing World Cup Series

ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères will bring the 2012-2013 World Cup series to a close with over 800 of the world's top sailors across ten Olympic and two Paralympic events ready for action.

 

Austria's Zajac and Frank fly a hull ©Dominic Marsano

Touching down in Australia, USA, Spain and finally Hyères, France from 22-27 April the 2012-13 series has welcomed sailors campaigning for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition to set an early marker at the beginning of a new quadrennial.
A 35-boat Nacra 17 fleet will line up in Hyères after ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma acted as a learning curve for many of the new crews.

Experienced multihull sailors stole the headlines in Palma, most notably the French and Dutch teams, as they controlled and dominated the fleet throughout the week.

Whilst the multihull specialists lead the way at the moment, Argentina's Esteban Luciano Blando who is crew with Cecilia Carranza Saroli, a London 2012 Laser Radial Olympian, thinks the story will be somewhat different further along the line, "Right now at the moment a lot of crews are making mistakes but in six months it will be closer.

"People who have had the boat for longer are sailing much better in some conditions because we don't have the experience. When you sail more you get more experience."

P1 Superstock: USA SuperStock Champions Begin Bid For Global Glory

Reigning P1 SuperStock USA champions, Andy Biddle and Tracy Blumenstein will begin the defence of their title this weekend (19/20/21 April) in Stuart, FL when the opening round of the 2013 national championship kicks off.

More; P1 Superstock: USA SuperStock Champions Begin Bid For Global Glory General News

Sailors looking forward to getting back on the race track

The nine skippers of the America’s Cup World Series met with an enthusiastic and large pool of media on Tuesday morning in Naples at the skippers’ media opportunity.

All of the talk was on the excitement of getting back to racing following a long break after the last event in San Francisco.

“The big thing this week is for the team to practice going racing,” said Luna Rossa Piranha helmsman Chris Draper. “We’ve put a lot of work in over the last six months so we’re keen to see where we stack up.”

ORACLE TEAM USA Crew Ready for ACWS Naples

After alternating between sailing the AC72 and training for the next America’s Cup World Series, ORACLE TEAM USA is in Naples, Italy, and ready to focus on racing the AC45. Skipper Tom Slingsby and crew Sam Newton (wing trimmer), Kinley Fowler (jib trimmer), Rome Kirby (runner) and Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (bowman), arrived over the weekend and hit the ground running in preparation for this week’s regatta, held April 16-21.

“All of our focus has been on the AC72, but on the days that we are not sailing on the AC72, we have been able get out on the AC45s. We’ve had a few training sessions over the last couple of weeks which have been really important,” said Slingsby. “We’ll have a few days of training and hopefully improve as much as we can before racing starts. And, I know to expect huge crowds – last year was the biggest crowd I’ve seen in sailing, so I’ll be ready for that, which will hopefully take away some of the nerves.”

International 470 Spring Cup Concludes In France

Five days of racing and 11 races delivered six different nations to the podium at the XXXVIII International 470 Spring Cup.

 

Annie Haeger/Briana Provancha (USA) ©Sodeal

The racing was held in different weather conditions each day, but never extreme or too windy, but sufficiently testing the physical endurance, patience, tactics, consistency and experience of racers.

On Sunday's last day of racing, the weather offered just perfect race conditions, with sun, blue sky, sea and a steady wind of 20 knots. The battle was through to the end with no team assured of a place in the overall series top three.

Hagara/Steinacher stage Singapore sensation to take over multihull series lead

Red Bull Sailing raced to a second place finish in Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing World Series after a gruelling battle in Sinapore’s heat to go top of the overall standings of the best-staffed sailing series in the world, the Extreme Sailing World Series. Alinghi won the title in Sinapore. For Red Bull skipper and tactician Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher it is straight off the podium and onwards to Naples, Italy for the first AC45 training on Monday ahead of the America´s Cup World Series.

Credit: Red Bull Content Pool / Mark Teo and Sabine Koenig / Red Bull Sailing

SINGAPORE. For the first time in the history of the Extreme Sailing World Series an Austrian team took over the lead in the season standings after Red Bull Sailing’s superb performance on Sunday saw them land eight podium finishes and three more wins after competing in 23 races the previous three days.

„That is when we sealed second spot,“ said a beaming Steinacher. „We never stopped believing in us even when conditions were constantly changing.“.

Red Bull Sailing managed to keep their cool over four days with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celcius and 90 percent humidity, improve constantly and shake off the competition along with winners Alinghi. „We have to congratulate the Swiss team because they were outstanding in the Marina Bay. But we are absolutely delighted to have landed second spot in these light winds,“ said skipper Hagara..

The Final Day of Racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth Everything Clicks

The final day of racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth served up lively conditions for the fleet, with 20+ knots of wind whipping up four- to six-foot seas. The race committee sent the Maxi/Racing, Maxi, and Spinnaker 1 and 2 classes on a 17 nautical mile course along the western side of the island, somewhat protected by the lee of the land but nevertheless providing shifty conditions. Spinnaker 3, Melges 24, Classic, Non-Spinnaker, and Multihull classes sailed a 26 nautical mile course around the islands off the north and east side of St. Barths, fully exposed to the fresh beeze and ocean swell.

The conditions took their toll on a few boats, starting with Team Island Water World (SXM), Fritz Bus’s Melges 24. The Dutch boat was leading its class on the first downwind leg but dismasted when the backstay let go, ending the St. Maarten team’s chances for winning. Several boats blew out spinnakers and headsails, and the 51-foot Augie Neilsen-designed ketch Saphaedra (USA), raced double-handed by skipper Jamie Enos and first mate Amanda Sparks, retired with the skipper explaining, “Too much wind for an old boat!”

Williams Advances To Congressional Cup Semi-Final

When's the last time you saw spinnakers raised to start a match race? Or a leader spin off a penalty at the finish line with his opponent tickling his transom?

 

Williams (r.) outmaneuvers Jordan Reece to discard penalty and win race;

Reece waves futile protest flag

Great Britain's Ian Williams, 33, and his talented crew offered a match racing clinic on Day 3 of the 49th Congressional Cup Thursday when they pulled off both moves to stretch their win streak to 14 and secure a place in Saturday's semifinals, with Friday's three final round robin flights remaining.

In light southerly breeze of 5 to 8 knots, Italy's Simone Ferrarese also (11-4) won all four of his matches, beating the other three contenders---France's Mathieu Richard (10-5), Florida's Ed Baird (9-6) and New Zealand's Adam Minoprio (9-6). Those four will scrap it out for the three semifinal spots alongside Williams.