Winter Newsletter - Even if the Weather Gets Frightful, AYB is Ready for the Holidays and for 2014!

The holiday season always brings out the spirit in the boating community. Copyright 2013 - Yachtpals.com.   

December is a unique time at AYB -- a time for celebration and reflection -- but also a time when the Yard is hopping with interesting jobs and lots of friends coming in and out.  This winter looks like it is going to be a cold one and while a lot of people have already brought their boat in for storage, still others are gearing up for or have started off-season projects with us to get ready for 2014!  

AYB is an ideal winter location for your boat as our thousands of feet of covered storage provide sheltered in-water protection for most any kind of vessel.   Our twin-bay, climate-controlled work sheds also mean that we can get work done on your boat year-round, including jobs that other yards can't tackle in the winter months.  

Accessible by land, air, or water and located on the ICW midway between the NE and Florida, our one-stop location can handle everything from routine maintenance to major projects and restorations -- all with the quality, craftsmanship and care you have come to expect from AYB.   Not only will you find friendly service, a skilled crew, and decades of history, tradition and experience here, but AYB is festive this time of year too.   There are many great holiday concerts and events nearby, plus we are in striking distance of Colonial Williamsburg and many other local attractions that are fun for the entire winter season.

To find more about our facility or comprehensive range of marine service and storage options or to get a free quote on work you need to get done, please call AYB  toll-free at (800) 992-2489 or local at  (757) 482-2141 or drop us a line at info@atlanticyachtbasin.com .  As always, we also invite you to discover more about AYB on our website at www.atlanticyachtbasin.com or like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for interesting updates, tips, and specials going on at the Yard.

Wishing you and yours a festive and not too chilly winter!

Your Friends At AYB 

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Meet Marty Berman and Aime Lerner of Lady M

AYB continues this popular  feature -- an interview with the interesting people and their great boats that visit us here at AYB.  We recently caught up with our friends Aime Lerner and Marty Berman.  Full-time cruisers, this active couple lives aboard their 49' Grand Banks motor yacht, Lady M, and have been coming to AYB for many years.  They share their perspective here with us about their happy life aboard Lady M. 


Aime Lerner and Marty Berman aboard their beloved Lady M on one of their frequent visits to AYB.  Copyright 2013 - Atlantic Yacht Basin.   

How did you first meet?  How long have you been together?  
Marty: We met at a very logical place -- a marina.  Both of us were living aboard our boats full time and both of us had lost our spouses.  We feel fortunate to have found one another.  I like to call Aime the "Commodorable", because she is such a good person for me to share this life with, knows boats, and is also pretty cute.  

Aime:  I was living alone on my Hatteras with my two dogs and Marty was on his Grand Banks.  When we decided to get together, we sold the other two boats and bought Lady M, which is something that a lot of second-time-around cruisers do. Of course, I wanted to buy another Hatteras, but we ended up with a Grand Banks.  The boat is named after me, though, so that is definitely worth something!   My real name is Mina (pronounced Minn-uh) and so that is the M in Lady M.   Marty and I have never married. but we have been together for nearly two decades. We like to say that we are living in sin but there isn't a lot of sinning going on anymore!  Marty is 84 and I am 72, so we aren't getting any younger, but we have had the incredible fortune to enjoy this life together as we do and we will continue to do so for as long as we can. Eventually we may have to move back to land, but we won't go down without a fight!   

Lady M occupies the front dock at AYB -- the classic lines of this 1986 power yacht are a happy sight for us to see.  Copyright 2013 - Atlantic Yacht Basin.  

What do you like best about your life on Lady M? 
Marty:  I like that it is always different and that we spend so much time outdoors.  Dealing so directly with Mother Nature is appealing too - although the first thing you learn doing this is that you cannot best her!   We enjoy being gypsies and moving around.  We have favorite spots too and a lot of friends in our most regular haunts. Stuart, Florida is where we spend the longest chunk of time, but we head out as soon as it gets too hot.  Our insurance also requires that we leave Florida from June 1 to November 1, which is always fine with us.  Of course, there is also AYB where come at least once a year to get our major work done and to see all of our dear friends.

Aime:  I spend much more time outdoors than someone who lives on land and I love that.  But I am also a city girl and there is something that is so thrilling about coming into a big harbor like New York or Boston via boat.   We love Florida and AYB, but we also enjoy hitting places along the way like Charleston, Savannah or cities further North.  We do go to the Bahamas and to the Gulf Coast like so many other full-time cruisers, but we like to balance that with going to ports that have good cultural opportunities too.

How long have you both been boating and what brought you to this lifestyle? 
Marty:  My grandmother used to say that our family had sea captains in it going back at least a couple of centuries in Poland.  My father also loved boats and joined the Navy during World War I. So I think it must be in my genes.  I boated recreationally while I was still working and raising kids. Cruising full-time is something I have done for over two decades now. I worked like crazy, first in my own business and then serving as an officer in a major corporation, and this life is a great reward for that.  

Aime:  I grew up in Brooklyn and lived near Sheepshead Bay, so I saw boats all the time, but didn't have any direct experience with them.  My husband and I didn't start boating until we moved out to Connecticut and gave it a try.  Our first trip ended with us running aground, but from that inauspicious beginning came a great new passion for both of us. After he passed away, I continued living the life of which we had become so enamored full-time.

Do you two ever disagree about anything?  
Aime:  Do you mean besides the type of boats or dogs we each prefer?  Not really - not about the important things. I tend to be more of an optimist and Marty is a bit of a pessimist, but basically we are on a similar page. Marty likes to say that the boat is not a house and that we have too many pictures on the wall that are going to fall off when we are underway.  But I, like many women, enjoy having reminders of the people I love around me.  Somehow I also manage to keep an all-season wardrobe on board -- even a lot of pocketbooks and shoes.  Lots of women give up on living aboard full-time because of space constraints, but I love it.  I spend most of my time in a t-shirt, bathing suit and jeans, but when it is time to put on the dog, I am ready for that too.  We live a really active life, going to concerts and baseball game, etc. when in port.  Marty and I enjoy time together both on and off the boat.  

What do your families think about your boating life?  How often do you see them? 
Marty:  I have three kids and several grandchildren.  My eldest son lives in Virginia Beach and he seems the most likely to seek this life out in the future when he retires from his busy medical practice.  All of them like to visit us, but it is hard for them to find the time to get away . Sometimes for 4^th of July we will have a meeting of the clan in North Jersey and everyone likes getting out with us on the boat for that -- but I am sure that not all of them would choose to do this full-time.

Aime:  My son lives in Ohio and my daughter lives in Texas.  My daughter and her husband visit us the most often.  More often than not, though, Marty and I fly or drive to go see our families. We like spending time with our children and grandchildren and the periodic change of pace it means, but we are always happy to get back to the boat too!  We proudly do not have a computer, so I am a phone person and stay in touch and visit in person as much as I can.  And to make things ALOT easier, we keep two cars in different spots, one down in Florida and one here at AYB. 

Some people we have talked to say that they have a hard time sleeping on dry land after living aboard. Is that true for you?  
Marty:  We typically stay on the boat when work is being done  at AYB.   If we have to have a haul out or something along those lines, then we bunk down at my son’s house for a few days. But I have to confess that we are often itching to get back to Lady M whenever we spend time away. Fortunately, I can sleep anywhere and at any time as needed.   I always chalk that up to clean living and a clear conscience (chuckles).  
 
Aime:  Sometimes other boats are involved when we visit family or vacation away from Lady M. We chartered a Grand Banks on a trip to Alaska that was truly incredible.  We also occasionally stick to other kinds of travel, like trips through Europe or simply to see people away from water. We'd like to go to Australia at some point.  That might or might not involve a boat, but it is highly unlikely that Lady M will make that trek! 
 
How did you discover AYB?  What keeps you coming back? 
Marty:   I’ve been going to AYB for many, many years, starting when I was still working and had a home other than a boat.  I first heard about AYB because everyone in our world knows it to be one of the best yards in the country.  I checked it out in person when my son first moved to Tidewater and have been hooked ever since. Now that we are full-time cruisers, this is one of our home ports.  It's special to us for other reasons than the quality work we get done here. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are unique in this day and age, but so are the people.  Not only do they care for my boat like it was their own, but all of the guys have become my friends -- brothers really -- over the years – especially Brett, Russell, Bruce and James Taylor. (Bruce had better be my friend because we have a LOT of brightwork on our boat! ) And I love the Hulls –  first Bill and now the new generation of the family.  Spencer and I have a particularly good time whenever we are in town.  My friends at AYB truly keep me going in every way! 
 
Aime:  AYB's reputation preceded it when I first started out in boating and that remains true to this day. We love the atmosphere as well as the wonderfully skilled crew. Although AYB can be a more transient spot than our usual marina in Florida, we are always running into someone we know at the Yard or on our way to and from it.  It's a one-of-a-kind of place and it always feels like home to us.

So after doing this for so many years, how would you sum it all up?  
Marty:  This is a great adventure.  One of my favorite things about this life is the intense sense of camaraderie among boaters.  People in the boating community really extend themselves in a way they might not in other places.   And we have made tremendously important friendships everywhere we go.  It gives us a lot of pleasure to be out on the water with so many others that are on that same wavelength.  Of course, one of the advantages of this lifestyle is that if you don't like your neighbor, you can always pick up and be on your way.  But seriously, the human part of this is as important, if not more so, than the rest. 

Aime:  There are so many days that I wake up and say "we are really lucky duckies."  My father lived to be 101 and had this kind of magnetic optimism that propelled him through life.  I hope I am as lucky to stay active for as long as he did, but there is no question that living the way we do fuels both of us.  Even when I was a single boater on the water with my two dogs, I felt like I belonged and that help was around every corner if I needed it.   In the boating community, it doesn't matter what you do, or how much money you make, or how old you are, you are valued for the person you are and that is ideal.  By the way, we miss having a dog, but when we see people rowing their little dinghies to shore at 11:00 at night or in a driving rainstorm to walk their dogs, we are happy not to be in their place.   We do love all the animals we encounter along the way.  Fortunately there are a lot of them on boats out there!
 

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Meet Our Crew & Tips from AYB

Every e-newsletter, we highlight the interesting and highly experienced people who make Atlantic Yacht Basin the unique place that it is.  This time we're talking to Tim Bodman, Mechanic in our Machine Shop.  Not only do we get to know him a little better, but he's also got some great tips from a mechanic's perspective.  

 Tim works  on a diesel engine in the engine room of the many large boats that come into AYB.  Copyright 2013 - Atlantic Yacht Basin.

Where are you from and why did you come to AYB? 
I am a native of Portland, Maine.  I moved down here to get away from the cold weather to be honest.  Coming to AYB meant coming back to what I love.  Although I was most recently working on tractor-trailer engines in RIchmond , my background is in engine and machine work in boat yards.  I also had an independent business fixing boats on call while still living in Maine.  

What would be on your top list of things to do to properly prepare a boat mechanically for both the on and off-seasons?   Do you have any tips or recommendations? 
Sure, I have a few.  We see so many real-world examples of what happens when boats come in that are overheating or have fuel system blockages or plumbing and electrical problems.  Many of them could have been solved much less expensively or drastically had they been caught sooner or rectified properly the first time.  We'd love to help people avoid some of that by following this basic advice from the mechanic's perspective.   

1. Keep an updated and complete maintenance log for your boat.  This is probably the single most important thing you can do to keep on top of what is going on and avoid costly future repairs or disastrous, even dangerous failures.  It also helps mechanics more accurately diagnose problems and better estimate what jobs are really going to cost if they know the boat's detailed history.  And nothing keeps you more honest in terms of getting the recommended upkeep done that will keep your boat running right for years to come.  Remember also to log any work that you do on your own in addition to the work you leave to outside hands.  

2. Make and actually use different checklists for off-season storage, on-season commissioning, and mid-season use.  If you keep a running "boat list", but don't actually use it or don't observe the differences between running or storing boats in different seasons across the year, you will definitely slam into problems at some point.  Some can be costly and others can be treacherous, but staying on top of things in advance and running regular systems checks is always the right way to go.  Remember also that you have to customize these lists to your specific boat -- the larger and more complicated a vessel the more items you will have to stay on top of.   

3. Find a shop that does quality work and that you trust for the work that you can't handle.   We end up cleaning up the disasters made by fly-by-night contractors or inexperienced owners on a regular basis.  Having a "go-to" shop for both the routine maintenance and the bigger projects on your boat's engine and systems increases the chance that you will get the right work done at the right time and the right price.  We love working on familiar boats and with familiar owners from the other side too!

4. Know the limits of what you can and can't handle with the care and upkeep of your boat. Nothing ruins a cruising life faster than a balky engine or a boat that floods while in storage just because some routine thing like turning off the pumps wasn't handled right before the boat came in.   We'd rather help you do something relatively simple than have to help you fix something awful later on. All of us at AYB like working with you to help you understand your boat's mechanics better too.  

5. Remember that your boat will have problems you don't expect.  The only thing that is predictable about boats is that they are unpredictable.  So are all the conditions you will encounter.  Even with the best of intentions and follow through, things happen.  And definitely don't forget the communications equipment in all of your systems checks and updates, you will definitely need need that at some point when you least expect it. 

6. Clean out your refrigerator and any perishable items stored on the boat for the off-season.  You have no idea how many fridges we have to replace or scary things we find at commissioning time because this simple step was skipped.  Everyone working here at the Yard or who spends time on your boat will thank you too!  

What do you like best about working on the mechanical aspects of boats and their engines and systems? 
So many people come into AYB, particularly cruisers and people just passing through, with serious problems that we are able to address in a way that keeps them coming back.  We can handle so many different kinds of boats here and the variety is really interesting for me as a mechanic.  The variety can be in the kind of boats -- old and new, large and small, power or sail -- or the variety of different projects --from diesel engines to stabilizers to bow thrusters to electrical systems.  Probably my least favorite is wrestling with all of the heads (sanitation systems) that come in with problems due to improper use, but fixing them does make people really happy!

Tim enjoys some off time on land with another kind of classic.  Copyright 2013 - Tim Bodman.

Are there any specific projects you are working on right now that have you particularly jazzed?  AYB has a great reputation for handling classic and wooden boats with extra skill.   There is something really fun about working on a boat like The Washingtonian that we have up on the rails right now that has its original 1939 engine still running.  I like working on everything though and we are all excited to see what comes in next!  

If you could have any boat you wanted, what would it be?  Thinking realistically, a nice medium-sized powerboat would be great to take my six year old son out fishing just like I used to do with my older brother in Maine as a kid.  We get out a lot, but there are a bunch of boats I could imagine having fun with like that.  Dreaming big though, I would love to have a Burger luxury yacht.  I could definitely do some damage cruising the coastline of Italy and hitting the fanciest restaurants there too.  Anything over 100' feet will do of course! 

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Calendar of Events

Boating & Nautical Events 

Safety at Sea Seminar 
Mariner's Museum
Event is February 22 but preferred-pricing registration must take place before February 1, 2014
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Doors open at 7:30 a.m.)
Newport News, VA
Join the Mariner's Museum & Landfall Navigation for a day-long Safety at Sea seminar designed and conducted by sailors and experts in their fields!  This seminar provides both novice and experienced mariners alike with the information and skills required to sail the Chesapeake Bay or offshore, handle heavy weather, conduct rescue procedures and much more.  This seminar is open to all cruising and racing skippers, crew & their families, recreational boaters, as well as commercial mariners.  For registration, course details, cost and more information, please click here. 

Holiday Events