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New Boat 4 Sled
- Thread starter sleddog
- Start date
- Featured
With 3 fronts and associated low passing over SF Bay, in 72 hours we've had 5" of rain tip the gauge on the Capitola Boat Club deck. Snow is visible on the higher mountains surrounding Monterey Bay, and it's been chilly enough that commuters over Highway 17 encountered slush and ice this morning at the summit.
A sparkling afternoon, and my long time friend, Andre', is singing his heart out in the sun on his favorite willow branch at the Cliff. I named Andre', an Anna's hummingbird, after Andre' Bocelli. And he is now a well known character at the Cliff who likes to show off his emerald and ruby shimmer in the warm sun.
The willows are just beginning to bloom, and except for the temperature of 50 degrees while riding my bike to PT, it could feel like spring.
Here's photos of Andre' during past years. He likes to part my hair with his zippy aerial flybys.
I will introduce Andre' to the first person to correctly answer the following question.
What is fastest for it's length?:
1) F-35 military jet
2) A cheetah
3) the outhaul block on DURA MATER"s boom end gybing in 16 knots of wind.
4) Andre'
5) a Peregrine
I was talking with good friends Maggie and Buzz Ballenger the other day. Buzz is the last aluminum mast maker on the West Coast and will likely retire in the next few years. Buzz told me it is increasingly difficult to get aluminum masts as it is no longer profitable for the aluminum extruders to deal with mast sections. There are only four sources in the country Buzz can order a mast tube. And those are about to become fewer. And no places in the Bay area to get a mast anodized, after the recent closure of Metalco in Emeryville.
Buzz, Fox, and I were comparing commercial flying with yacht parts. Fox flies tomorrow to New Zealand with 4 lithium batteries in his carry-on for an ex-pat sailor friend with power tools. Whether Fox gets on the plane carrying the batteries is problematical. They are legal to carry on, but only if 100 watts each, or less, and then only if the TSA agent is cognizant of the the fine print. Which Fox is carrying.
Buzz recalled he once tried to fly back from S.Cal with a solid boom vang off the broken mast of a 50 footer. He was pulled aside and asked to explain why he was carrying a portable rocket launcher/bazooka.
My experience involved a 5/16" braided rope belt I mistakenly wore through airport security in Boston. The belt was knotted with a square knot, no metal buckle. I was quietly pulled out of line and told to come to an examination room.
I was told to undress. They apparently wanted to see if the "dynamite fuse" I was wearing around my waist was attached to some explosive up my butt..Fortunately I was able to convince the examiners that it was a rope belt and not a fuse. But they kept my belt to make sure.
Fox, Buzz, Andre' and me. Terrorists all.
A sparkling afternoon, and my long time friend, Andre', is singing his heart out in the sun on his favorite willow branch at the Cliff. I named Andre', an Anna's hummingbird, after Andre' Bocelli. And he is now a well known character at the Cliff who likes to show off his emerald and ruby shimmer in the warm sun.
The willows are just beginning to bloom, and except for the temperature of 50 degrees while riding my bike to PT, it could feel like spring.
Here's photos of Andre' during past years. He likes to part my hair with his zippy aerial flybys.
I will introduce Andre' to the first person to correctly answer the following question.
What is fastest for it's length?:
1) F-35 military jet
2) A cheetah
3) the outhaul block on DURA MATER"s boom end gybing in 16 knots of wind.
4) Andre'
5) a Peregrine
I was talking with good friends Maggie and Buzz Ballenger the other day. Buzz is the last aluminum mast maker on the West Coast and will likely retire in the next few years. Buzz told me it is increasingly difficult to get aluminum masts as it is no longer profitable for the aluminum extruders to deal with mast sections. There are only four sources in the country Buzz can order a mast tube. And those are about to become fewer. And no places in the Bay area to get a mast anodized, after the recent closure of Metalco in Emeryville.
Buzz, Fox, and I were comparing commercial flying with yacht parts. Fox flies tomorrow to New Zealand with 4 lithium batteries in his carry-on for an ex-pat sailor friend with power tools. Whether Fox gets on the plane carrying the batteries is problematical. They are legal to carry on, but only if 100 watts each, or less, and then only if the TSA agent is cognizant of the the fine print. Which Fox is carrying.
Buzz recalled he once tried to fly back from S.Cal with a solid boom vang off the broken mast of a 50 footer. He was pulled aside and asked to explain why he was carrying a portable rocket launcher/bazooka.
My experience involved a 5/16" braided rope belt I mistakenly wore through airport security in Boston. The belt was knotted with a square knot, no metal buckle. I was quietly pulled out of line and told to come to an examination room.
I was told to undress. They apparently wanted to see if the "dynamite fuse" I was wearing around my waist was attached to some explosive up my butt..Fortunately I was able to convince the examiners that it was a rope belt and not a fuse. But they kept my belt to make sure.
Fox, Buzz, Andre' and me. Terrorists all.
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Hi GAMAYUN,
Good guess. Peregrine falcons are beautiful and amazing birds. In diving "death bombing" mode, they can go 240 mph. However, the Peregrine is not the fastest for it's length.
I do know two occasional posters know the correct answer. However they are busy attending a fluffy Bengal, building a half model, and practicing magic. So we may not hear from them..
Hint: god of war.
Good guess. Peregrine falcons are beautiful and amazing birds. In diving "death bombing" mode, they can go 240 mph. However, the Peregrine is not the fastest for it's length.
I do know two occasional posters know the correct answer. However they are busy attending a fluffy Bengal, building a half model, and practicing magic. So we may not hear from them..
Hint: god of war.
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MAGICdreamer
Member
Fun reply, Skip. We'll just sit off to the side and wait. Busy as you say.
Andrea? I'm sorry. I can't go calling Andre' "Andrea." The whole neighborhood calls the little hummer Andre'.
By the way, Andre', weighing less than a nickel, was crooning his heart out yesterday on a sparkling afternoon, and would extend his shimmering neck in my direction. Go ahead, accuse me of anthropomorphism. Listen here: https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/annhum/introduction
And yes, DM's outhaul block does reach an impressive speed on a gybe in 16 knots, reach to reach. That took a bit of trig to figure out...basically, you don't want a gybing boom to ever hit you! Which is one reason why higher goosenecks are better than a decksweeper (visibility from the windward side is another.)
Sorry, BobJ, DM's outhaul block on a gybe in 16 knots TWS is not the correct answer....We have to remember with Jackie's new bumblebee spinnaker, her apparent wind may only be 9 knots...
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BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
The whizzing outhaul block reminded me of what I was going to write in response to that Scampi post.
As a junior in the newly-minted Island Yacht Club, I was invited to crew aboard Dick Heckman's Tuna 27, Quetzal. We were racing in YRA that Summer and the Scampi was contending in our division. I was assigned to Quetzal's traveler and was as far aft as anyone, which was a good thing that day. During one breezy gybe things got fouled up and the tip of the pole got stressed. Its end fitting broke, sending a chunk of cast aluminum flying towards the cockpit. I heard it whiz by my ear before it hit fiberglass in the stern, taking out a goodly piece.
After that, Dick experimented with dip-pole gybes, which was odd on such a small boat.
.
As a junior in the newly-minted Island Yacht Club, I was invited to crew aboard Dick Heckman's Tuna 27, Quetzal. We were racing in YRA that Summer and the Scampi was contending in our division. I was assigned to Quetzal's traveler and was as far aft as anyone, which was a good thing that day. During one breezy gybe things got fouled up and the tip of the pole got stressed. Its end fitting broke, sending a chunk of cast aluminum flying towards the cockpit. I heard it whiz by my ear before it hit fiberglass in the stern, taking out a goodly piece.
After that, Dick experimented with dip-pole gybes, which was odd on such a small boat.
.
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I'm going with Andre, the hummingbird, clocking in at ~50mph / 385 body-lengths per second.
and yes, I googled the answer...
though I did come across this fascinating article, so at least I learned some things in the process.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/the-hummingbird-thats-faster-than-a-fighter-jet
DH
and yes, I googled the answer...
though I did come across this fascinating article, so at least I learned some things in the process.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/the-hummingbird-thats-faster-than-a-fighter-jet
DH
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Critter
Desert Ratfox
I think the answer may be "none of the above". A team in the Robotics lab at SRI International, from which I retired a year and a bit ago, builds teeny diamagnetically levitated robots and has claimed a world record for speed/size quotient. I'll see if I can dig up a link. Search for SRI micro fabrication if you can't wait.
Edit: I haven't found the speed claim, but here's a look at the technology:
https://www.sri.com/work/projects/microfactories-for-smart-manufacturing
Edit: I haven't found the speed claim, but here's a look at the technology:
https://www.sri.com/work/projects/microfactories-for-smart-manufacturing
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Critter
Desert Ratfox
Skip, I've been enjoying Dick Carter's autobiography, which includes some mentions and good photos of you from the 1969 Fastnet race - which you guys won aboard his Red Rooster.
For everyone, I highly recommend the book. Carter had some mind-boggling successes, such as winning the Fastnet with Rabbit, the first boat he ever designed - with zero formal design training. He also has some surprising opinions. For example, that a small main and big jib are better for shorthanded crews or cruising, because of the potential danger of a long boom. Tacking with my #1 jib, I would beg to differ!
Years ago before I bought my Martin, I looked at a Carter 30 for sale in Alameda. A little frumpy looking, but I bet it would have been a pretty cool boat.
The book is Dick Carter, Yacht Designer: In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing. Check it out!
Max
For everyone, I highly recommend the book. Carter had some mind-boggling successes, such as winning the Fastnet with Rabbit, the first boat he ever designed - with zero formal design training. He also has some surprising opinions. For example, that a small main and big jib are better for shorthanded crews or cruising, because of the potential danger of a long boom. Tacking with my #1 jib, I would beg to differ!
Years ago before I bought my Martin, I looked at a Carter 30 for sale in Alameda. A little frumpy looking, but I bet it would have been a pretty cool boat.
The book is Dick Carter, Yacht Designer: In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing. Check it out!
Max
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Thanks, Max, for mentioning Dick Carter's new book, In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing." Dick is a remarkably good sailor. I was fortunate to be asked to sail with him in England aboard RED ROOSTER in the '69 Admirals Cup and Fastnet. His daughter Catherine, who sometimes frequents here under the name red roo, had a major part in the writing, editing, and photo restoration of DC's book.
And yes, I can't agree a small main and large overlapping genoa are good for shorthand racing and cruising as Dick might suggest. But those were different times.
Among other things, we can thank Dick Carter for the idea of internal halyards and roller reefing which actually worked.
I will be back in the near future to answer whether Staff Commodore Hedgehog won the Meeting with Andre'. There's what looks like snow covering the beach this morning. We had an intense thunderstorm cell last night about midnight and I think the beach snow is actually hail that has not yet melted. Gotta go build a snowman with the kids.
And yes, I can't agree a small main and large overlapping genoa are good for shorthand racing and cruising as Dick might suggest. But those were different times.
Among other things, we can thank Dick Carter for the idea of internal halyards and roller reefing which actually worked.
I will be back in the near future to answer whether Staff Commodore Hedgehog won the Meeting with Andre'. There's what looks like snow covering the beach this morning. We had an intense thunderstorm cell last night about midnight and I think the beach snow is actually hail that has not yet melted. Gotta go build a snowman with the kids.
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Here at sea level, where we've had nearly 7" of rain in a week, it's hard to imagine life in the Sierra where there is one heck of a lot of snow. It must be beautiful near Arnold. But wonder how Greg (DAYDREAMER) is doing with snow removal?
Further south from Greg lives Cris (CHAUTAUQUA). Here is a picture Cris took this morning from her backyard near Groveland at 3,200' elevation. Note the bobcat hunting for something to eat.
Good thing CHAUTAUQUA is a hardy singlehander with friends in the vicinity. She's been 4 days without power, which caused the well pump to cease. The tree that took out her power also severed the landline. As there is no cellular reception in Whites Gulch, the days began to go from an "adventure" to survival.
Here is CHAUTAUQUA's story in her own words:
Four days without power gave me a new perspective and respect on its value, but when the water stopped running, and then the temperatures made all night wood stove stoking a necessity, life started to get my attention. Add that the land line was on the same pole that the tree took down and that it was the second to the last pole nearest the end of the line that only served my house and I started to change from adventure mode to survival.
Due to the amount of work it took to stay warm I didn’t have much time to worry. I still didn’t know it was my private break, and with ignorance it became a retreat of sorts. My new Fitbit got to clock many steps as I filled the copper wood bin, emptied freezer to coolers outside, melted snow and filtered it for drinking, and found a flush-less way to relieve myself indoors. Many things I just had to let go of, but I have renewed appreciation for good neighbors on both sides. Healthy green trees were falling so regularly across the road I dared not leave. I had worried about the dead trees from the bark beetle infestation but the now more exposed living trees trapped more snow and came down regularly.
Three times neighbors cleared the road of trees and visited briefly. I got the trash out, went once to the post office and charged my iphone and fit bit. At least I could listen to saved podcasts and audible books to get through some of the dark nights. Art and Jan came with water jugs and lemons and hooked me up with a walkie-talkie so we could communicate.
Big rescue here finally Friday as 7 PG&E guys spent most of the day hiking and ATV-ing equipment up to the line. Three different big utility trucks came and went as they worked. I got to talk to them as they came and climbed, heard the camaraderie as they set the young ones up the poles, and then tried to discern what they needed sent up.
The crew was mostly from Chico. They said 25,000 folks were out of power Tuesday in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties. Until everyone was mostly back with power in my Whites Gulch Neighborhood I had thought that it was not my problem, but Thursday my neighbor Art drove his Kaboda up and found the break in my line, on my property and let me use his Verizon serviced iPhone which got a signal from my deck. My carrier AT&T did not show any bars. Once it was reported, PG&E got to work and a crew was out Thursday night to inspect the line break and determined they would not do it in the dark....but got a different crew out the next morning.
It snowed here this morning again and I swept off the dish and saw I could get internet. Day of weather is not over but it has warmed a bit now and heavy snow buildup is hurtling down the roof as it melts, crashing onto the deck loudly. Never a dull moment.
Well thats my story. How’s the world treating you lately?
Further south from Greg lives Cris (CHAUTAUQUA). Here is a picture Cris took this morning from her backyard near Groveland at 3,200' elevation. Note the bobcat hunting for something to eat.
Good thing CHAUTAUQUA is a hardy singlehander with friends in the vicinity. She's been 4 days without power, which caused the well pump to cease. The tree that took out her power also severed the landline. As there is no cellular reception in Whites Gulch, the days began to go from an "adventure" to survival.
Here is CHAUTAUQUA's story in her own words:
Four days without power gave me a new perspective and respect on its value, but when the water stopped running, and then the temperatures made all night wood stove stoking a necessity, life started to get my attention. Add that the land line was on the same pole that the tree took down and that it was the second to the last pole nearest the end of the line that only served my house and I started to change from adventure mode to survival.
Due to the amount of work it took to stay warm I didn’t have much time to worry. I still didn’t know it was my private break, and with ignorance it became a retreat of sorts. My new Fitbit got to clock many steps as I filled the copper wood bin, emptied freezer to coolers outside, melted snow and filtered it for drinking, and found a flush-less way to relieve myself indoors. Many things I just had to let go of, but I have renewed appreciation for good neighbors on both sides. Healthy green trees were falling so regularly across the road I dared not leave. I had worried about the dead trees from the bark beetle infestation but the now more exposed living trees trapped more snow and came down regularly.
Three times neighbors cleared the road of trees and visited briefly. I got the trash out, went once to the post office and charged my iphone and fit bit. At least I could listen to saved podcasts and audible books to get through some of the dark nights. Art and Jan came with water jugs and lemons and hooked me up with a walkie-talkie so we could communicate.
Big rescue here finally Friday as 7 PG&E guys spent most of the day hiking and ATV-ing equipment up to the line. Three different big utility trucks came and went as they worked. I got to talk to them as they came and climbed, heard the camaraderie as they set the young ones up the poles, and then tried to discern what they needed sent up.
The crew was mostly from Chico. They said 25,000 folks were out of power Tuesday in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties. Until everyone was mostly back with power in my Whites Gulch Neighborhood I had thought that it was not my problem, but Thursday my neighbor Art drove his Kaboda up and found the break in my line, on my property and let me use his Verizon serviced iPhone which got a signal from my deck. My carrier AT&T did not show any bars. Once it was reported, PG&E got to work and a crew was out Thursday night to inspect the line break and determined they would not do it in the dark....but got a different crew out the next morning.
It snowed here this morning again and I swept off the dish and saw I could get internet. Day of weather is not over but it has warmed a bit now and heavy snow buildup is hurtling down the roof as it melts, crashing onto the deck loudly. Never a dull moment.
Well thats my story. How’s the world treating you lately?
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Captain Bob sent us this photo of Shark's Cove shorebreaK, usually a placid snorkeling Mecca on the NW shore of Oahu, between Haleiwa and Waimea. Swells to 50 feet were breaking a mile offshore causing flooding and washouts as gale force northwesterlies blew the ocean onshore.
An extremely powerful winter storm passing just north of the Hawaiian Islands knocked out power to Bob's family and more than 27,000 in what was termed an "unprecedented weather event rarely if ever seen: the combination of record high onshore waves, coupled with gale force winds" by the DNLR.
Snow fell to 6,200 feet on Maui, lowest ever seen. And a wind gust of 191 mph was recorded on Mauna Kea on the Big Island, a record also. Weather observers today report the wind on Mauna Kea has "tapered off" to gusts of 140.
Six boats were blown ashore at Lahaina, two at Kihei, and one on Molokai.
Here's the summit of Haleakala on Maui.
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
me, too. Who's been playing with this? Rob! Help!
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Rob is on it!
He says he is nice n warm aboard Tiger Beetle off Friday Harbor with a German diesel hydro heater. Just like the kind Scandinavian truckers use to keep warm by the side of the road.
https://tbeetle.wordpress.com/
He says this is what the software support group at Berkeley Lab used to refer to as an "ID 10 T problem". Get it? Not sure who the ID Ten T is this time, but he will sort it out for us.
Thanks, Rob. When you are done I'll teach you how to post photos inline and send you my Mojave Desert pictures.
He says he is nice n warm aboard Tiger Beetle off Friday Harbor with a German diesel hydro heater. Just like the kind Scandinavian truckers use to keep warm by the side of the road.
https://tbeetle.wordpress.com/
He says this is what the software support group at Berkeley Lab used to refer to as an "ID 10 T problem". Get it? Not sure who the ID Ten T is this time, but he will sort it out for us.
Thanks, Rob. When you are done I'll teach you how to post photos inline and send you my Mojave Desert pictures.
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tiger beetle
N/M 45 Tiger Beetle
Manage Attachments button is busted
The Manage Attachments button located below the thread page display is busted at the moment. I'm looking into it...
- rob
The Manage Attachments button located below the thread page display is busted at the moment. I'm looking into it...
- rob
tiger beetle
N/M 45 Tiger Beetle
Pictures are working again
Appears that the picture upload mechanism is working again. Jackie tested it and was able to post the picture of her tent (see above).
NOTE: the interface is different, as VBulletin (the software underpinning the SSS forum) was using a Yahoo picture/attachment interface that does not work under SSL encryption (which the SSS forum now uses as the forum asks folks to authenticate via login & password)... that interface has now been pointed to a Google-supplied interface, and that interface will be different. Might be an improvement, but it is different.
- rob
Appears that the picture upload mechanism is working again. Jackie tested it and was able to post the picture of her tent (see above).
NOTE: the interface is different, as VBulletin (the software underpinning the SSS forum) was using a Yahoo picture/attachment interface that does not work under SSL encryption (which the SSS forum now uses as the forum asks folks to authenticate via login & password)... that interface has now been pointed to a Google-supplied interface, and that interface will be different. Might be an improvement, but it is different.
- rob