The limits we place on ourselves define us. Not our age, not our ideas,
but our ability to see the value of a Dream..Help us Dream!
“Teach a person to Sail, Entertain them for a Lifetime”
March 2009: In March of 2009 America Sailing Club restarted the Florida Sailing Charter Club. We began to develop a club that could be available to all parts of the country and Canada. We however were affected by the economy, BP’s Disaster, and the plague of older boats not being available. Some are limited in areas due to insurance procedures were Hurricane Wilma effected the policies dramatically. New Monohulls and Catamarans are available but the price limit some levels of people who can charter. Our solutions will be to develop new technologies in older sailboats that are in need of retrofit.
January 2010: America Sailing Club purchases a Kennex 38’ catamaran from individual in Mobile, AL. The kennex was manufactured by the ProKennex Racket people in south France. They made two models a 38’ and 44’ but very few of the 100 sailboats can be found for sale today.
March 2010: In March we started to promote the Kennex. As we found the potential for charters we also found needed repairs. Engine controls, bilge pumps, electrical systems, batteries and much more need repair or replacement. Then BP oil disaster made us move to the Sarasota and Marathon and with that came a few charters. The Kennex “has Great Bones” that is what we kept hearing from seasoned sailors. We wanted an electric sailboat to promote green environmental technologies. We could replace the engines, rebuild them but with 2,300 plus hours the engines are ready for replacement and knowing how some brag about long hours the pollution continues.
July 2010: Then it happened in July, on a charter, the port side sail drive boot leaked and the engine room was flooding the bilges were doing the job but the Kennex 38’ needed to be hauled. She limped into Marathon Marina & Boatyard and was placed on the Hard. Now the decisions needed to become clearer. I either spent almost ten thousand fixing the existing drives and repairs to the hull or considered electric retrofit. Many people told me to repair them and get the boat back into charter so that the Kennex can just make money. The income could possibly offset the expenses but we would still have an old boat with outdated engines polluting our waterways.
October 2010: We left the Kennex on the hard in Marathon until October 15th, 2010 then the work began. With the help of a couple from South Dakota Mike & Diane, A lady from Delaware Kathy, and other contributors from Missouri, California, Kansas and Alabama we began to break her down. We tore out tons of old mildewed materials, foam that had decomposed, and lots of junk wires. Then the engine compartments were tackled. What a mess the wires were all decomposed, the oil packed on the walls and the components with tons of rust needed to be removed. Five days later, see the videos, the last engine was removed and the process of cleaning began. Thanks to Michael Gunvordahl we had the tools and know how to do the job while keeping the sail drives in working condition. I sold the engines on Ebay and shipped them to Everette Washington.
November 2010: The work has begun, the setups for filling the saildrives with fiberglass, cutting holes for the shaft logs and stuffing boxes then installing them. Getting the seam of the hull repaired and the decals removed. Cutting out all thru-hulls, glassing over the exhaust vent holes, and constantly removing items for the mold to be exposed and further deep cleaning. One of the fiberglass guys MrGelcoat worked the full day of thanksgiving but Mike, Kathy and I took a break to enjoy the Marathon Marina and Boatyards excellent Thanksgiving Day celebration. There where approximately 50 people with lots of food and deserts to complement the Marina’s gift of plenty of turkey!! Meanwhile Mike and Diane went to South Dakota for a wedding and the surprise loss of Diane’s sister while they were there. We will plan our first memorial cruise and celebration of Death with Diane’s sister being the honored guest. You see this is a special project like no other it has contributions from all types of people from all parts of this country. I am proud to be a catalyst to what is happening, the people who are sharing their time, energies, and resources to fulfill a dream to offer the ability to bring new life to your monohull, trihull or catamaran. We have all seen the transformation, the found damage repaired, and the growth of friendships.
December 2010: Now the work truly begins from old inverters being sold on ebay, from old batteries and wires removed and repairs starting to take place. There is all types of new items being measured and purchased. Look at the list as it is coming together. Jeff Lemon is Hammond AC, he has developed, for emotion hybrids, a 144V DC air conditioner that will and cool the boat down by at least 20 degrees and possibly more. You will be amazed when you watch the videos what can be done to make a 12V, 24V or 144V dc air-conditioner work without needing a generator running all the time or being at the dock. Dave Tether returns with the EMotion Hybrids 4.5Kw Electric Motors, Controls, and throttles. The system install begins, Michael Gunvordahl has built some amazing battery boxes for the 24 BRUTE FORCE group 31 deep cycle batteries at 110 amps. I will have two banks of 110 amps each in the salon seating areas.
AIS radios, stereos & speakers, and new electric head, shower systems, and a new GPS that will display fish, radar and all the dive spots we can find.
Some of us had to travel to home, relatives and explore what the Holidays could bring in food and friends.
January 2011: The new year! New life for the Kennex is now becoming a reality. More volunteers are showing up daily and work is showing progress. We installed the 12 Volt panel and all new wiring, yes all new wire and panels. Our system is based on 144V DC as a baseline then a Centaur from Victron Energy becomes a cross charger at 80 amps from the 144V to 12V bank which is (4) group 31 110amp Brute Force Batteries from Royal Battery. The project is coming together as we all realize that it’s only a month away from the Miami Strictly Sail and we must be at dock completed. The Hammond Air Conditioning is installed but not yet charged, the DC is coming together and we must prep for the in water test for weight & balance (most of us are pilots), waterline, and getting the kinks out of a great new system. The cushions, and the trim work is not being looked at for the show. The dock waits as we prepare. You can see the work in action as we put in thru hulls, lights, pumps, and a AC generator that wasted a week. We could not get our DC Genset in time so we decided that a diesel genset for AC would work, we were wrong. That we will explain later. The water test went better than expected as we rocked the new electric Kennex genigreen electric project in the straps at Marathon Marina & Boatyard.
February 2011: Not only does she breathe but shy flies as well. Finished an into the water going to Coral Lagoon to complete items and sail our GeniGreen Electric Sailboat to Miami Strictly Sail docks to be displayed for the world to see what is possible. GeniGreen Electric is alive it will hopefully become a standard in retrofit from diesel propulsion “end of life” engine replacement. It has only began as we plan many trips, presently with only electric today but a very efficient 12 Kw DC genset will be used in the future to make it a world traveling cruiser. Call if your sailing club would like us to visit and have a seminar.
March 2011: A sailing catamaran that regenerates on the water. I do not even have to talk about it much in Marathon, Fl the buzz is here.
The Florida Sailing Charter Club had many years, aprox 33yrs, of great success with helping sailors enjoy both socially, and educationally, the coastal waters of Florida.
Since the illness and death of Howard Huntsberry in Jan 2009, Solutions4 dba: America Sailing Club has taken over with limited success. For many reasons the economy, BP, and lack of interest in previous members we have struggled.
In response we have developed a club that has an online reservation system, added housing & cottages, instructional sailing on Catalina 22s through Key Lime Sailing Club in Key Largo, developed an emphases on retrofitting with electric propulsion.
We are in real need of all types of sailboat though. Diesel sailboats on all Florida Coastal areas are needed to rebuild the club from ashes. Yes we need your boat, your ability to mentor, volunteer and reap the benefits of meeting new people. Working to keep your boat heathy with income that charters can produce.
BP Oil spill claim was submitted but due to this being a startup business and we could not prove any success in the last three years it was denied. We lost, the plan was for the club to come back like a storm but for many reasons did not. Here is there reply for those of you who know anything about the wealth that has changed hands and the spoilage of the disaster here is there response to me:
Thank you for your email. Our records indicate that your claim has been denied. A letter explaining why your claim has been denied has been mailed to you, and a copy of that letter is also available to you when you check your claim status online. If you don’t agree with the decision you received from the GCCF you may file a claim for Interim Payment or Final Payment with the GCCF where you will have the opportunity to present all of your arguments and documentation for review by the GCCF for an Interim Payment or Final Payment. The GCCF will consider all arguments and materials submitted with a claim for Interim Payment or Final Payment regardless of whether an Emergency Advance Payment was denied. New Final and Interim Claim Forms and Instructions will be available shortly.
We purchased a, new to us, catamaran that we had to move from Pensacola to Marathon, FL at a large expense. But failure is momentary, there are people who are seeing the dream of an Electric Sailing Club. Be one who enjoys the benefits that will play out in the coming years. Find an old sailboat, with an “end of life” engine(s) and join us in going green in the deep blue sea. The polution that BP has done cannot be overlooked or hidden only sifting the bottom will provide the answers. But we as a club can show the world that the sailors, who love the wind, can sail and not pollute our oceans... Jay
Honoring & Memorializing Those We Love Thru The
GeniGreen Electric Project Kennex 38’ Flagship
Genealogy has been a passion of mine for many years and recently the tools to really help families have been developed. With web based GENI we can now put together your family tree, place movies and photos for immediate family access worldwide with the security of knowing just your family can see and celebrate your information. Additionally that is the reason why the Kennex Catamaran is being developed as a memorial vessel. The retrofit of the Kennex is for those living and those we have lost to be memorialized.
As we remove all the old items and replace them with new equipment, placards will be placed on each item. The contributions we have and will receive, for the retrofitting of the Kennex, will illustrate the benefits of new emerging technologies.
Here is what you can do! If you have family members or friends that you wish to memorialize or honor select something from the list on the retrofit page and decide what your donation will be. We need a picture, biography and timeline. I will then help put a family tree together on GENI that will begin the process. A placard will be placed on the item you choose. Then our website will describe what you have done (unless your wish is anonymous) additionally the Kennex, in the America Sailing Club, will be available for your next waterfront family reunion that we will help you plan.
Our organization will, with the help of GENI develop your family tree and location of the reunion. The only limiting factor is geography as it needs to be from the Chesapeake to Pensacola using only the salt water coastline. Call 251.709.7256 for additional information.
But today is the day to consider how you will memorialize or honor your loved ones who have had input in your life, mentored you, loved you; and make a statement for the future thru our GeniGreen Electric Sailboat you will be making a difference; your will be able to work with us to change the way people see who has affected your life. Mine is my dad, he taught me to make things work, to market those things you believe in, to close a sale, to lift my head high when I share my thoughts and ambitions and ask you to donate your money to a great cause.
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