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New Boat 4 Sled

Tom, what number Laser did you have? Mine was #1042 - new numbers are now over 207,000. And I agree there were (and are) many better dinghies.

The challenge I'd have with an OK (or a Finn) is the low boom. A career of sitting and staring at computer screens has made my neck and upper back muscles kind of touchy.
 
Thanks to DAZZLER for the Icelandic geography and history lesson. The depth of knowledge on this Forum is truly astonishing.

The Atlas Imperial 400 horsepower, 6 cylinder, diesel engine Tom and Sue saw at the Siglufjordur Herring Era Museum was manufactured in 1926 on the north shore of the Alameda Estuary, 1000 19th Ave., just across from Coast Guard Island.

Atlas engines are tough, low-turning, and powerful, especially favored for tugboats. There's not many Atlas engines still running these days. But when you hear one, you will know. It is like catnip to the senses. Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGYuDL34HC0
 
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83 degrees this afternoon in Capitola (Santa Cruz.), a new record. It will be clear and dark tonight, with no moon and plenty of stars.

I'm of the mind that simplicity, reliability, and common sense should apply to offshore safety requirements. Complexity and multi-interpretation should have no place in SSS offshore, Long Pac, or SHTP rules. I applaud attempts to minimize well intentioned efforts to save us from ourselves. I encourage SSS members to continue to speak up on what works, and what doesn't, especially when hands-on experiences can be provided.

The NorCalORC Equipment requirements for SSS sailors is a well intentioned effort that I believe falls short. These requirements are meant "as a supplement to Coast Guard requirements...." That statement leaves me scratching my head.

I believe some US Coast Guard safety requirements may promote unsafe equipment manufacture, promotion, and practices. An argument could be made that NorCalORC (and SSS) should not be in the business of enforcement of governmental regulations.

Here is one example.

The USCG navigation requirements for vessel lighting are outdated and dangerous. Never mind their misnomer of a "masthead light" (there is nothing masthead about your masthead light, likely fixed to the front of the mast near the lower spreaders and used when motorsailing.) Nor is their Rule 25 requirement for a black conical "I Steam" shape to be hoisted apex downward when motorsailing seaward of Pt. Bonita.

My beef is with lighting requirements. If you are greater than 40 feet in length, your sidelights are required to have 2 mile visibility. Fair enough. Less than 40 feet, only one mile. Really? With your one mile "Coast Guard approved sidelight" as sold by West Marine, you may be seen about 3 minutes before being run over by that 20 knot container ship, who's bow lookout may just be a camera, or a mate on the bridge, wearing photochromic glasses and drinking coffee.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/perko--chrome-plated-bi-colored-bow-light--281097
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/aqua-signal--series-22-navigation-lights--P009_277_001_002

In this day and age of low draw LED bulbs, the CG is thinking backwardly, not in the 21st century. All ocean racing sailboats regardless of length should have at least two mile visibility bulbs, not pissant fragile incandescent bulbs that can burn out with the impact of dropping off a wave or banged by a whisker pole.

My suggestion to NorCal ORC (and US Sailing) is to drop Rule 3.31. regarding Coast Guard required lights. In fact, drop the reference to CG requirements. If we want to be CG compliant, that's our business. Just like I don't want the CG telling me I can only use a (highly dangerous) white anchor light, when a colored one, amber or red, would be more noticeable.

The argument that USCG Rules for small craft needing to comply with the international standards of ColRegs doesn't hold water with me. If this were truly so, we would repaint all our navigation buoys and aids, so its "red left returning" like the rest of the World.

And could the Navy and Coast Guard turn on their navigation lights? The present practice of running dark in peace time seems a bit dangerous. Surprise!
 
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sleddog said:
And could the Navy and Coast Guard turn on their navigation lights? The present practice of running dark in peace time seems a bit dangerous. Surprise!
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Returning to Berkeley from the Fiasco as darkness fell, Paul and I were vigilant about turning on our running lights. As we approached the entrance to the marina we noticed several light-less sailboats exiting and returning. Ah, Berkeley! And yet! What is this? Directly ahead of us was another boat drifting in without running lights, its transom festooned instead with Christmas - ahem - holiday lights. That's the Berkeley attitude.
 
Philpott said:
And yet! What is this? Directly ahead of us was another boat drifting in without running lights, its transom festooned instead with Christmas - ahem - holiday lights. That's the Berkeley attitude.
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Attempting to educate a friend regarding small craft navigation lights, I pointed out the green light is on the right hand side. (Except in Mexico, where green is just as likely to be on the port side on local pangas)

I then asked my friend, "what side do you think the red light is on?"

"That would be the brake light, it's on the back."
 
I don't remember for sure

BobJ said:
Tom, what number Laser did you have? Mine was #1042 - new numbers are now over 207,000. And I agree there were (and are) many better dinghies.

The challenge I'd have with an OK (or a Finn) is the low boom. A career of sitting and staring at computer screens has made my neck and upper back muscles kind of touchy.
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But it was somewhere in the 1400s I think, maybe 1478. Lime green. It was a used demo boat & when I got it home it seemed awfully heavy so I put a deck plate in and dried out the waterlogged foam blocks inside.

You might do better than you think with an OK, the cockpit's really pretty deep. I remember expecting it to be a problem but it wasn't. I think I hit my head more on the Laser.

And I was nowhere near big enough for a Finn!

Best thing about all that dinghy sailing was it got me a ride on the Tahiti race in '74.

Tom
 
Cover Craft said:
Best thing about all that dinghy sailing was it got me a ride on the Tahiti race in '74.
Tom
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A quick followup: I don't think I know Tom..but there were 9 entries in the '74 Los Angeles to Tahiti Race. 3571 miles. SORCERY the big C&C 61 was FtF and 1st Overall. Also SPIRIT, PARAGON, CONCERTO, WITCHCRAFT the 36' Bill Lee ultralight, OBSESSION, another SPIRIT, RAPTURE, and future 1978 SHTP winner Norton Smith skippering his Ericson-41 EOS.

Tom, could tell us a little more about your adventure?
 
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It seemed like a good idea at the time, a winter cruise southbound from New York to the Bahamas on ANTHEM OF THE SEAS, third biggest cruise ship in the world. At 1,142 feet long, with 1,500 crew attending 4,905 passengers on 16 decks, what could go wrong?

Anthem.jpg

Plenty it seems. Somebody forgot to check the weather forecast. Keeping to a tight schedule, the captain drove his top heavy ship into "extreme weather" 200 miles south of Hatteras, off the Carolina coast. The ship began rolling and the 18 swimming pools began to slosh, the skydiving had to be shut down, as did the gondola.

Glass began breaking, furniture was thrown willy-nilly, ceilings were falling, and passengers were confined to their rooms.

The captain turned the ship around and went home. The cruise was canceled.

At least they didn't lose Wi-Fi.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/08/t...on&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0
 
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On Monday, Jan. 25, 2016, at 11:49 p.m PST. a GPS satellite's ground system software went down, reportedly causing hours of escalating system errors. It's unknown if any ship's navigators were aware of, or noticed any anomalies. Certainly, ground stations noticed, including the BBC, which had two days of digital outages. The Air Force is "investigating." But it does point to potential vulnerabilities in the GPS system ....
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35491962

If sailing to Hawaii, and not conversant with celestial navigation and carrying a sextant, I would recommend an old school back-up to GPS:an inexpensive portable AM radio. Much mo' bettah than looking for contrails.

By rotating the radio and therefore the antenna, a null can be found, pointing the direction to Kauai. KUAI country radio, near Lihue, is 570 AM on the radio dial. KKCR FM is Hanalei's community radio, but that is FM and non-directional. http://www.kkcr.org/

Of course practicing ahead of time is always recommended. I like to put a tape mark on the top of the radio with the direction of null.

At night, strong AM radio stations, both on the Mainland and in Hawaii, can be heard hundreds of miles at sea, and do double duty by helping to stay awake.

And of course late night "Coast to Coast" AM radio will attempt to explain those UFO's sighted overhead as weariness sets in.
 
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Nice to see that the afterguard relocated to the bow, er, neo-stern, er...oh to hell with it, to the other end of the boat. I can only surmise that this was due to inherent fear of proximity to colorful sails and not any innate intelligence. I am still trying to sort out how wealth so dramatically alters the physics of a hull moving through water.
 
The more you look at it, the weirder it gets. At first I thought they just Photoshopped the hull on backwards and the rest was okay, but then I noticed the spinnaker pole going nowhere, the size of the crew vs. a five spreader rig, the directions they're looking even if you swap the hull around, the ass'y unattached at the corners, etc.

I quickly concluded I wouldn't be hiring NCB to manage my wealth - whatever is left of it after owning a sailboat.
 
I also noticed the spin pole. And the top of the kite is above the masthead. That's a neat trick. Looks like someone put a large amount of effort into photochopping that nightmare. Stranger and stranger.

On the other hand, maybe you should hire them to manage your wealth. Just consider how much money a boat that can do all the things pictured must cost. I'd hire them to manage my wealth but I doubt they deal in coins. Pennies, I have lots of pennies.
 
After enduring rugged LA Freeway traffic jams, I ran downwind north up Hwy 101 yesterday with a gusty SE tailwind. As measured at Santa Cruz Harbor, the pre-frontal wind speed was 25 knots, gusting 45, doubtless helping my van achieve a record 27 miles/gallon. The tail end of the front passed early this morning with a dash of hail, thunder and lightning, and two feet of fresh snow in the Sierra.

I had been in S.Cal saying goodbye to long time shipmate, Rex Banks, who went on his final voyage Tuesday aboard WINDWARD PASSAGE, on whose decks Rex had sailed thousands of miles.

IMGP0003-008.JPG

Rex was the consummate shipmate, never failing to keep us laughing when the chips were down and all hell was breaking loose. We all became better sailors because of Rex.

Tuesday was warm, clear, and glassy, with Catalina clearly visible to the west, as were the snow topped San Gabriels 60 miles inland.

Half a mile outside the Newport breakwater the fleet slowed and circled WINDWARD PASSAGE. A piper piped. Rex was commended to the ocean he loved, followed by leis and roses from all who loved him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUTyLEyV0ak

After, we gathered at NHYC. Gary Weisman read a moving tribute written by Rex's wife Tara. Rex's son Walker, an outstanding young sailor in his own right, eloquently spoke. Many were moved to tears.

I did not know. Rex loved cats.... Tara remarked that once when Rex saw a clouded leopard at San Diego Zoo, he could not talk about anything else for two days. http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/clouded-leopard.

A hui hou, Rex. Until we meet again.

The 101 Freeway, just north of San Luis Obispo, had an interesting sign at the bottom of steep Cuesta grade: "Bear Crossing" with a drawing of a momma and baby bear.

Bear Crossing.jpg

Back in Central Calif, I swung by Dave Wahle's WylieCat boatshop on historic Grove St. in Watsonville. Next door to WylieCat, Craig Smith runs Elkhorn Composites, one of the best little boat repair shops in all of Calif.

As well as fixing boats, Craig lovingly cares for all the feral cats that live under boats and molds out in the yard: Fluffy with the one eye, Rusty, Pipsqueak, Harry, Bruno, Diabla, Gomez, and the rest.

IMGP0003-010.JPG

Rex would approve.
 

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Inspired by Bob J's photo of the NCB Wealth Management ad above, I found a few vintage cigarette and beverage ads that may be worth a closer look.

Ok, because nothing says "seamanship" like pulling on your sea boots while standing on the coach roof, and all while under sail. Love the spotless white foulies too.
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Can't think of a better good time than taking out the skiff and, when it begins to rain, pulling out an umbrella and the banjo for a good 'ole singalong. Who cares that you're wearing street shoes on a boat? You've got Coca-Cola.
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A special message to any gal goin' duck-huntin' by herself: who says that boats, guns, beer, ducks and dogs don't mix?
khh55f076ikjpb.jpg
 
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That Merit smoker leaning into thin air while using both hands to pull on his sea boots is a piece of work. But if he stays onboard, "getting the taste of it," he may be in for a surprise. Check the lead of the roller furling line on the jib. It has a half turn around the anchor windlass. This might be an inventive single-handed technique for those dark nights at sea: roll up the jib and drop the anchor simultaneously.

Paging Robert Redford. Robert Redford to the foredeck please.
 
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Somebody wrote that recently: "From the Robert Redford School of Seamanship." I have my doubts about how long the main is going to stay up over Mr. White Foulies' head, given the state of the halyard. I don't think it's in the self-tailer or made fast to a cleat, and I don't think the little shackle in the standing part is doing much. As for Miss Rheingold, <sorry, it was good but I really needed to delete it>.

I have a funny one of my own boat taken by no less than Latitude 38. I'll have to scan it in to post it.

I know it was a somber occasion but I have to comment on how great WINDWARD PASSAGE looks - a beautiful boat, beautifully maintained.
 
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