Blog
From the wheelhouse
Notes on deliveries, systems, diving, and the ordinary work of running a boat, from Hamilton Clemens, a captain based in West Palm Beach.
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November 11, 2026
Florida to the Dominican Republic
In August 2025 I took the 76 ft motor yacht M/V Dump Diver from Vero Beach to Puerto Plata — 869 nautical miles through the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
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November 11, 2026
Keeping the Boat Running
Things break on boats, usually far from a shop. My approach is simple: stay calm, trace the problem, and fix it properly when you can.
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November 11, 2026
Seattle and the San Juans
Running a 60 ft Sea Ray in the Pacific Northwest taught me patience in the locks, respect for current and fog, and how to handle a boat that size in commercial traffic.
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November 11, 2026
Diving and the Go/No-Go Call
The most important thing I teach as an SDI instructor isn’t a skill underwater. It’s how to read the conditions before you get in — and when to say not today.
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November 11, 2026
A Yacht Is a Small Facility That Floats
Before I went to sea full time, I spent 15 years leading facilities construction and maintenance. It turns out a yacht is a small facility that floats.