Nimbus Wins John Alden Reed Trophy

Nimbus won the trophy for best performance by a service academy yacht at this year's Block Island Race Week.  Taking three bullets in a row and finishing 3rd in the tough Farr 40 class the Crew of Nimbus bested three Naval Academy yachts and two Coast Guard Academy yachts to win the Reed Trophy.

Happy Birthday Karen

Karen Gilkey '12 got a first and a cake for her 19th birthday today at Block Island Race Week

Nimbus takes another Bullet

After a long delay waiting for the sea breeze Nimbus went out and took another hard fought win in light air conditions. Lets continue the streak tomorrow!!

No Wind at Block Island

The view of USMMA Island from the top of Vanquish's mast.

Two Bullets for Nimbus

A Good day on the Water for Team KP

Fast speeds on Monday's around the island race aboard Vanquish

Recruiting ahead of Rosebud- Peter Lynn and Bill Jenkins Jr.-- KP class of 2020?

On the second day of racing at Block Island Race Week each boat showed some great performance.  Renegade had a 1, 2, 3 in three races.  Vanquish was able to beat Rosebud in an amazing match race, and Nimbus beat the Naval Academy Farr 40 in all three races.  Should be less wind today, but looks to be another grey damp day......

Windy day at Block Island.

John Casey and Mike Dybvik make a new tiller for Renegade.

Vanquish slowed by a 6 foot shark wrapped on the keel, broken tiller on Renegade, and broaching practice aboard Nimbus.....

Update- Vanquish finished 3rd of 31 corrected in the IRC Class.

USMMA Island

The flotilla for Block Island Race Week

Ducks in a row to Block Island

Liberator towing Renegade and two support boats getting underway from KP. Towing Ops class anyone?

Lots Going On

When nothing gets posted here for a while it either means that not much is happening (winter) or so much is happening that I don't get to stop long enough to post anything!  It's been busy, picking up a new 42' Ocean for the Power Squadron in Plymouth, MA, picking up Liberator in Annapolis, getting ready for Block Island Race Week, Graduation, and the summer Kings Pointer trip to Jacksonville, FL.  So first off-

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!!

I'm sorry that I'll miss you commencement on Monday, but I wish you the best of luck, and know that you will use the skills that you have learned at the Waterfront to go great places and do great things!

I'm off to Block Island Race Week tomorrow morning with 300' of boats.  We will be racing Vanquish (STP 65), Renegade (J-29), and Nimbus (Farr 40).  Supporting the team will be Liberator, two Ambars, and About Face.  Soon after that is the Marblehead to Halifax Race, followed by Indoc (Welcome to the Class of 2013!), as well as the Port Huron to Mackinac and Chicago to Mackinac Races........

........Summer at Kings Point

Shark Fishing on About Face

About Face headed out to Montauk shark fishing last weekend. The crew did a great job with the boat, and caught 13 sharks.

Thoughts After a Year.......

Evan Denholm graduated in 2008 and has been working for McAllister Towing in New York- As our 2009 Grads sit for license exams and get ready to graduate, here is some insight into the world ahead......

So I’m sitting in my room on the tug I work on thinking back to this last year. This year has gone by very fast and there are a few things that really stick out in my mind. I think to my first day at work, training on the Rowan McAllister thinking that I have no idea what I’m doing. Although I have worked on much larger ships I had never been taught how to change a racor. This was a whole different part of the industry that you never get taught and rarely hear about. Next thing I know I had my first boat that was mine. At 55 years old with one 1,800 Hp engine I had my work cut out for me on the McAllister Brothers. I remember thinking this boat could make me look like a fool or a hero and I was determined to be a hero. I put my nose down and did the best job I know how. Everything from doing my planned maintenance to working on deck I just figured if I did the best I could I would be okay with anything that happened.
In January they transferred me to another boat. This boat was 42 years old but had been repowered a little over two years ago. 4,200 Hp with Z-drives the Ellen McAllister was a whole new monster. I once again decided to take the only approach I know, do the best job I could and no one can ask any more of me. Every day I learned new things about the boat, tracing systems poking my head into things and asking myself and my relief plenty of questions. By May I felt pretty good about the boat, I knew every system by heart any alarm that went off I knew what it was for and how to fix the problem. I was finally in my comfort zone when I was asked by the personnel manager if I wasted to start working on the Rosemary McAllister.
The Rosemary is big, although it only measures 94 feet there is a lot packed in a relatively small boat. This boat has two electronically controlled 12 cylinder EMDs that put out 6,000Hp, two 125 kW John Deere generators for ships power, one 175kW John Deere to run the ship assist winch on the bow, and two 400Hp Caterpillars to run giant fire pumps. When you add all of that machinery with an insane amount of automation and electronic control and monitoring systems this was a big task.
I have only been on this boat for four days and I am still working on learning the plant like I did on the Ellen but here is the kicker, I have an engine cadet. First off I am still getting used to the fact that I am not a cadet and second the cadet is interested and wants to learn. Now I’ll get to the point. Every question that the cadet has asked I have been able to answer. I honestly did not think that I would be able to pick up everything on the boat this quickly which is what spurred this little rant. As I said I did not learn how to be THE engineer on a tug at KP but I can honestly say, no matter how cliché it sounds, I learned how to learn. I finally feel like I can get on a boat with minimal training from another engineer and figure it out, I won’t know everything the first day but I can figure it out. If you asked me that set of skills, a little hard work and knowing how to just figure it out, is what moved me from being a new hire to the engineer on the 10 month old most powerful boat in the fleet in ten short months. Thank You Kings Point.
Evan Denholm
“Chief” Engineer – Rosemary McAllister

Sonar Atlantic Coast Championships

A great weekend on Manhasset Bay and Long Island Sound. 22 Sonars took part in the Atlantic Coast Championships co-hosted by USMMA and Manhasset Bay YC. Of the 22 boats KP was well represented with 6 boats skippered by Midshipmen or staff members. Results Here. Pics by Paula Kaminski Davis Here.

Though I'm mostly a big boat sailor I came out Sonar racing this weekend....what a blast!