Palm Beach Motor Yacht

The PB50 from Palm Beach Motor Yachts in Australia captured honors as the Best New Powerboat at the Newport (R.I.) International Boat Show.  The selections were made as part of the Show’s Newport For New Products program and recognize the best boats and the best product being introduced at the Show for the coming model year.

The PB 50 – chosen Best New Powerboat –was judged to have an “elegance of proportion and design” that is “sensational”. A big boat that delivers performance and fuel economy with its lightweight composite material construction, the judges were just as impressed with its excellent fit and finish.

For more information on winners visit Trade Only Today

Palm Beach Motor Yachts use Forespar Plumbing Products.

Visit the Palm Beach Motor Yachts Website

As Forespar NW representative–and a member of the band– it was just a huge pleasure to be able to entertain everyone and the band was very well-received. Mark Whitman is the gentleman sitting at the keyboards, and a true NW legend in blues and rock & roll. This year’s Washington Blues Society’s Best Male Blues Vocalist, Mark is also a winner of a lifetime achievement award and Best NW Blues Guitarist before a devastating stroke changed his life two years ago. That band has stuck with him through extensive therapy and helped him to begin mastery of another instrument at age 60, the keyboard. Playing with one hand, he’s just amazing and that fine blues voice has never changed. The band is experiencing a strong surge of popularity that was not even a glimmer on the horizon two years a go…..that goes to show you how tough some folks can be and Mark is our hero. If sailboat racing had been his life’s pursuit he’d have been one tenacious competitor!

The band was approached for more marine industry-related jobs, and hit a nice note with the attending sailors. Halfway through the night, on behalf of Forespar and the band, I talked about the new TruPlugs and gave several out to the sailors as gifts. The next two hours proved how inventive sailboat racers can be as we watched the TruPlugs used in many “non-standard” applications!!! The night ended with our best wishes to crowd for fair winds, tight racing, and room at the mark! An EXCELLENT time!!

Jeff Mason

Forespar NW Representative

Traveler has now completed a three-year circumnavigation.

Traveler Postcard From San Diego
June 30, 2010

We’re back in the United States of America!  After a very rough Baja Bash clawing our way into the wind and waves, against the current and up the coast from Cabo San Lucas, Traveler is safely in the Guest Slip at the Southwestern Yacht Club, where we are very much enjoying our stay. The club was recently totally rebuilt and is gorgeous.

Last night Barbara and I took the dinghy across the San Diego Bay to Joe’s Crab Shack for dinner then walked over to Petco Field to see the Colorado Rockies play the San Diego Padres.

After a whole world full of amazing experiences in 61 foreign countries on six continents over the past 36 months, it felt strange NOT to be in a third-world county.  San Diego is one of the world’s greatest cities.

I’m having mixed emotions about the voyage coming to an end.  To be sure, I am more than a bit travel weary and ready to return to reality.  On the other hand, I will greatly miss all of the exciting ports of call and days at sea.

Tonight, at about 11 pm, we will cast off the dock lines for the last time and depart San Diego and motor through the night to Catalina, arriving there Thursday morning, and staying at anchor at the Balboa Yacht Club’s station at White’s Cove for two nights, Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, July 3, we weigh anchor for the last time and cross the Catalina Channel, an easy 26 miles and the final leg of our 30,000+ mile, three-year, around the world voyage.  We expect to arrive at the entrance to Newport Harbor at about 1:40 pm, where we will be joined by some friends in their boats as we cross our outbound track and complete the circumnavigation by docking at the Balboa Yacht Club for our Traveler Homecoming and Crew Reunion Party, beginning at 2pm.

Hope you can join us in the celebration.

Cheers,
Michael, Barbara and Brian

To read more of their adventure head to:

Voyage of Traveler

I found TruPlug at the Catalina Yachts Rendezvous at Two Harbors on Catalina Island last weekend!

I went over on the Catalina Express from San Pedro to Two Harbors on a cloudy morning. 0800 departure. Arrival at Two Harbors at 0915 was uneventful and the activites on shore for the Rendezvous were in full swing.  Gerry Douglas was meeting with the various fleets and Sharon Day was working with registration and event planners to make the entire event a success.

Mr. and Mrs. Butler were there to oversee the entire event and everyone was having a great time.  I presented a talk to consider Safety as a Mindset rather than a list of equipment.  Author, Richard Drechsler was the Friday Night keynote speaker on his voyages to Alasaka and Mexico aboard his Catalina equipped with a Forespar Leisure Furl. His book, “Manning Up in Alaska” is a good read!

She has been going through an extensive refit over the last 10 years with are built mast, boom, new teak deck and engine. She will sail again in July, 2010 after a 10 year break. I have been with this project since 1979.

The mast was rebuilt at/by Forespar and we added new spreaders and internal halyards. The new boom was also made by Forespar as was her pair of 24 foot spinnaker poles.

She is such a joy to sail! I’ve been in 40 knots with a #4 jib and just a flattening reef in the main and the helm was so balanced you could steer her with two fingers.

Wooden boats are non-stop maintenance but well worth the effort!
- Art Bandy

Forespar® is the largest manufacturer of marine hardware in the western United States. With worldwide distribution to yacht owners, home builders and large local and international yacht manufacturers, customer satisfaction remains our highest priority.

Our California manufacturing facility houses a complete machine shop, plastic injection molding section, composite spar shop, aluminum spar shop with a 70′ paint booth, shipping & receiving and several assembly departments.

Forespar’s engineering department uses state-of-the-art computer systems utilizing Computer Aided Design, Finite Element Analysis and other custom design programs.

We strive to continue to provide you with “Products That Perform” – in order to make boating easier, safer, faster and a lot more fun.