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New Boat 4 Sled

The grizzled sailor is on a multi-week voyage "sailing the couch." Like the conscientious singlehander, he's tethered to, in his case with two hoses leading from an ice-water recirculation chest to his new titanium and polyethelene left knee.

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Damp foulies and seaboots have been replaced by hip high compression socks and the latest in red non-skid hospital footware. His dinghy from the couch to the front door, mail box, galley or head is a donated walker modified with skateboard wheels and tennis balls.

knee1.jpg

The tiller extension might be mistaken for an oak cane with a bronze duckhead. Navigation is strict, by-the-book, with whirlpools and reefs for running afoul of RN's, PT's, PA's, and a dozen or more drugs from pain killers to prune juice to be taken at all hours, day or night.

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Patience does not come in a pill. He is not to walk outdoors without accompaniment, presumably so if he falls, someone will be able to place orange traffic cones around the body.

Thru all weather, WILDFLOWER's ever seeing eye keeps watch....

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Several new knees around me and without exception the recipients wish they'd done it sooner. It's a bit of down time which will enable more fun and frivolity down the road.

Do what you're told (hard for a sailor) - do the ice, do the drugs, do the therapy and let me know when you're ready to go sailing.
 
The Bionic-Bluewater-Bum will rise again (Vicky here) P.S.: BCC Chataqua launched, the ol'SAAB got her safely from Port San Luis up to Morro Bay yesterday!
 
visited Skip and listened to him explain the various and sundry requirements for exiting a hospital, which included the need for quarts of prune juice (eeeeooooo!!!). Fascinated by all the medical equipment and hospital accoutrements that he has never before had much occasion to use, I watched him gleefully parcel out all his pain meds into their own little cups for later use. He showed me every single one of his leg exercises.

He seems to have impressed his physical therapist, who told him that he is way "ahead of schedule" for knee surgery recovery, which only encouraged him to show off by walking down to the corner and back with this attendant ("Ow! Ow! Ow! Let’s not mention this to Annie!").

Synthia arrived with Revoire and dinner. “Hi, Gimpy!”, she greeted him with a hug. Over dessert she asked Skip to tell her all about sailing on Imp during the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race. That was a VERY VERY interesting story! I asked to audiotape it, but Mr Blue Bum shook his head. After that we gobbled up all the ice cream because no one was there to stop us!

When I left Capitola Boat Club Synthia was drinking a cup of tea and Revoire was a happy doggie. SledDoggie was laying prone on the loveseat with his leg up and his little hands reaching for the blueberry scones in their plate on his chest, looking just like a happy little sea otter. That was a fun visit.
 
Joan has two titanium and delrin hips, and ABSOLUTELY life is better. Hang in there, Skip!

I see you have Ron Hollands book there, for entertainment during your down time...
 
Here's to a speedy recovery Sleddog.

Just got our first snow of the season this weekend, 4 inches in the yard.
Growing up in the mountains, the word "sled" conjured different images for me.
We had a Toboggan for sliding down hills and driveways in the fresh powder. My friend had a Flexible Flier that was better on the hard packed frozen roads.

My sled today rides a different medium, the ocean, yet surfing fast downwind provides a similar exhilaration!

What a joy and a blessing to have all these experiences :)
 
Hey Sled, belated wishes for a speedy recovery!! Ditto to all who said the bionic knee is going to be better than the old one and you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. At least that's what I hear from others who have had either hip or knee surgery in one or both sides. Just watch those knee-high waves when you're ready to go surfing again ;)
 
My 10 day post-op visit with the surgeon and his PA was upbeat: 3 x-rays showed things properly aligned. ROM (range of motion) at zero (straight leg) to 125 degrees (bent leg.) "Best we've ever seen." I can walk at home without a cane, slowly hike upstairs, and pedal the stationary bike at low resistance. PT therapist visits 2x/week.

TKR is no walk in the park, but currently weather is moderating, equivalent from changing up from SJ and 3rd reef, to a sail combo of 2nd reef and #4 as the gale of pain is beginning to diminish and veer. I'm slowly tapering off Oxy, and continue to set alarm for 0100 for Tramadol and Tylenol cocktail taken 4x/day.

OF concern for home care nurses has been high blood pressure, likely due to the swelling and trauma of surgery, the plethora of meds, and the stress of keeping things together while not being able to drive for month and sleep interruptions. Toss in wifi being down for a week, a CVS pharmacy shorting me drugs..a low dose blood pressure med (Norvasc) was prescribed by my GP and has set things to right.

One thing no one mentions is the difficulty of getting into and out of thigh high compression socks with a swollen leg, similar to getting into wet socks and sea boots. Various techniques have been suggested but none have stuck.

Thanks for everyone's good wishes. All in all, a walk in the park compared to this fellow's challenge https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/201...ied-to-sail-to-china-to-see-his-wife-and-son/

What are the chances, two neighbors, in photo below, live 6 houses apart, (myself and Bronwyn) unknown to each other, have same surgery and surgeon at same hospital, same day, 3 hours apart, have same home care nurses and PT therapist..
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Congrats to Randall on MOLI on his safe passage 'round Cape Horn! Two thoughts: one Randall has his shit together, being able to repair his broken Monitor windvane tube in 20 minutes with spares standing by for such an eventuality.

Second, Randall is using his twin jibs in textbook manner, roller reefing and unreefing, poling out one side, or the other, or both sides simultaneouly, leaving the main lowered and brailled so as to avoid accidental gybes in breaking seas. First time I've seen anyone describe 3 different types of breaking seas.

Respect. Carry on, Good Sir. http://figure8voyage.com/blog/
 
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This just in from Capt. Bob, bicycling near Kahuku Point, the most northerly point on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. An albatross is nesting and sitting on an egg nearby the bicycle trail.

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These magnificent birds are much endangered, not only from ocean plastic, but also human interference. It will be interesting to see if this albatross can hatch its egg, given the nest's proximity to dogs, rats, mongoose, and humans. At least the location is roped off.

Capt. Bob, retired Matson captain, also notes his last command, the SS KAUAI, is now FWE ("Finished With Engines") along with sister-ship SS MAUI and both are moored at Alameda Naval Air Station before being sent to the ship breakers. End of an era for Matson. Replacements ships are being delivered to Matson that are more economical, faster: 24 knots, and can carry more carge. The first in the new "Aloha Class" containership, DANIEL K. INOUYE, incorporates the latest environmentally friendly technology, including dual fuel engines that can be adapted to use liquefied natural gas (LNG), has double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and a more fuel efficient hull design.

Kauai.jpg
SS MAUI & SS KAUAI

dki.jpg
SS DANIEL K INOUYE
 
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sleddog said:
2019 will be the last running of the Race2Alaska in it's present

!configuration. Unnamed changes will occur but have not yet been announced.
Click to expand...

Awww c’mon! That’s just wrong to not tell us! Or at least me! I already have the Swan hotel booked.
In fact, why haven’t those retrobates called me personally?
 
In the R2AK's new configuration, only singlehanders will be eligible to win the ten grand.

I heard it on the internet - it must be true!
 
BobJ said:
In the R2AK's new configuration, only singlehanders will be eligible to win the ten grand.
I heard it on the internet - it must be true!
Click to expand...

That would really dial it back. No sponsored boats? Russell would win, of course. Again. Just him and that reconditioned, repurposed beautifully rebuilt Gugeon. I’d like to see people try to beat him, though. While evading the
Bears and the floating logs in the dark. And where is Roger the Mann, anyway? That was my one disappointment: Roger wasn’t there.
 
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Philpott said:
Now that would definitely dial it back. No sponsored teams. Now that’s attractive. Of course Russell would win. Again.
Click to expand...

You'll see Russell in Victoria, if not before .....He and Ashlyn will race their G-32 cat INCOGNITO in the first leg of the 2019 R2AK from PT to Victoria June 3, 2019. But not the full course. Two time competitor Russell Brown holds the singlehanded record for the R2AK

incognito3.jpg.

My current favorite for the 2019 R2AK is the 35 foot tri DRAGON, recently shipped deck cargo from New Zealand to Sidney, BC for Team Pear Shaped Racing:

dragon.jpg

Dragon2.jpeg

Check out the (lack of) protection for the driver when sailing at 20 knots, at night, in 35 degrees and 40 degree water. I would be remiss to mention the crew of DRAGON dropped out of the 2017 R2AK the first night due to hypothermia while sailing a different multi.....Hopefully lesson learned?
 
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sleddog said:
This just in from Capt. Bob, bicycling near Kahuku Point, the most northerly point on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. An albatross is nesting and sitting on an egg nearby the bicycle trail.
Click to expand...

The world's oldest known wild bird, a Laysan albatross that is at least 68 years old, has laid another egg.

Wisdom.jpg

Wisdom, who returns each year to Midway Atoll to nest, was seen back at her favorite nest site in late November, and biologists at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge have confirmed she's brooding.

The remarkable albatross is believed to have laid nearly 40 eggs over the course of her life, although it's impossible to know the precise number.

She has single-wingedly transformed scientists' understanding of albatross lifespans and the age limits on avian reproduction. The bird is "a world renowned symbol of hope for all species that depend upon the health of the ocean to survive," according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wisdom is not just continuing to procreate — she's doing it at an impressive clip, too. Many albatrosses take a year off between eggs because the process of laying and incubating an egg is so energy-intensive.

But every year since 2006, Wisdom and her current mate, Akeakamai, have laid an egg at the same nest in Midway Atoll.

When not raising their young there, Wisdom and Akeakamai are world travelers. Albatrosses are renowned long-distance fliers, capable of soaring thousands of miles almost without even flapping their massive wings, more than 6 feet across.

Wisdom has probably flown more than 3 million miles over the past six decades — far enough to fly to the moon and back six times.

The birds find food on the surface of the ocean, mostly at night. "They feed on anything that floats on the surface of the water; squid, fish, crustaceans and flying fish eggs," the Fish and Wildlife Service writes. "Unfortunately, this includes marine debris as well; with an estimated 5 tons of plastic that was mistaken for floating fish eggs or squid being fed to chicks each year."

Wisdom was first banded by biologist Chandler Robbins in 1956, along with thousands of other albatrosses. At the time, she was already mature, or older than 5 years old. That means we know Wisdom is at least 68 — but she could easily be even older than that.

Wisdom carried Robbins' band around the globe for decades. Then, astonishingly, the biologist and the bird were reunited in 2002, when Robbins returned to Midway to research albatrosses again. He rebanded Wisdom and, checking the detailed band records, discovered he had placed her original band there 46 years before.

In 2006, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff located Wisdom again and gave her yet another band, this one designed to make her easier to spot for monitoring. Since then, the FWS has kept a close eye on Wisdom.

In 2011, Wisdom survived a tsunami that crashed into Midway Atoll and killed thousands of birds. In 2015, Wisdom and Akeakamai lost an egg, possibly due to predators, but the couple successfully hatched chicks again in 2016, 2017 and February of this year.

Albatrosses lay just one egg at a time. Eggs take two months to hatch, and the chicks live at the nest for five months before they are ready to live on their own. During that time, mother and father alternate between nest duty and food foraging.

Akeakamai, means "lover of wisdom." And albatrosses mate for life, though it appears that Wisdom outlived at least one partner before Akeakamai.

SSS singlehanders in the 2019 Long Pac or 2020 SHTP could possibly see an albatross. Fly me to the moon and back six times? Impressive bird!

As reported by NPR
 
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