New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

If you're like me and enjoy the culture of tugboats and their operation, I'd suggest visiting TIGER BEETLE's home and reading his fine description of spending a day on a SF Bay tug. https://tbeetle.wordpress.com/

Beetle's ride on the tug AHBRA FRANCO is pretty darned enlightening. Imagine a 104 foot tug being able to pull up to 90 tons using two, rotatable, 9 foot propellers powered by 6,000 horsepower pulling on 4" diameter spectra rope. In my dreams.

Well written and photographed, Rob!

 

[sleddog]

It is truly a discouraging thought to review the species extinction going on before our eyes, with little hope of changing future decline before it's too late.

Just recently, with only 3 individuals remaining, the Irawaddy dolphin of the Mekong River in Laos has been declared "functionally extinct.

Gill nets are the predominate culprit, and taking a lethal toll. Closer to home, but with similar results, gill nets have reduced the critically endangered Vaquita dolphin in the northern Sea of Cortez to barely sustainable numbers of less than 60 individuals. The Vaquita dolphin is now considered the most endangered marine mammal in the world.

You would never know it, because they are not seen in the Northern Hemisphere (and rarely south of the Equator), but the giant Amsterdam Albatross has less than 25 breeding pairs left. The Amsterdam Albatross nests only on remote Amsterdam Island, in the southern Indian Ocean. With a 9 foot wing span, the Amsterdam Albatross spends most of its life soaring above the ocean wave. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXl3Mm8bqyY

 

[sleddog]

Not something you want to snag your anchor on: Seems a Canadian diver for sea cucumbers on the Inside Passage of N. British Columbia, near Pitt Island, has possibly discovered a Mark IV "Fat Man" nuclear weapon jettisoned from a U.S. Navy B-36 bomber in distress in 1950. The B-36, having lost 3 of 6 engines due to icing, ultimately crashed into a mountain side, but not before 12 of 17 crew successfully parachuted to safety. Due to Cold War paranoia, an information/disinformation lid was put in place, and the missing bomb was apparently never located. Until now.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37875697

"Finders, keepers?" "Salvage rights?"

A somewhat related case locally is winding through Federal Courts as two Moss Landing fishermen want $13,000 for return of a wayward government science buoy they snagged in their gear on Monterey Bay and towed to shore.

rhttp://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/03/2-men-take-us-govt-ocean-science-buoy-now-want-to-sell-it-back-for-13000/

Once upon a time I was sailing WILDFLOWER out the Straits of Juan de Fuca, southbound for Santa Cruz. Near Neah Bay I came upon what looked like a 20 foot torpedo, floating vertically, half awash.

The Coast Guard asked me to stand by the object until they got there. Which I did. When they arrived, I was told "Thanks. You can leave now." I never found out where the torpedo came from, or what happened after the CG showed.

 

[AlanH]

Fortunately for the Irawaddy dolphin, the Mekong river group is not the only population of the species. According to the WWF there are three freshwater populations. There are several "estuarine" populations. The sad part is that the other twofreshwater populations are down to around 30-50 animals, which is not enough to maintain genetic diversity..

Anyway, that's just depressing.

 

[sleddog]

which is not enough to maintain genetic diversity...

No danger of SSS friends going extinct. Plenty of SSS genetic diversity in recent Baja Ha Ha. Here is a reunion at Turtle Bay: Lou Freeman, Phil MacFarlane, Sherry Smith, JoAnn MacFarlane.



We can make a Re-Union of our own: Hope to see All-Comers tomorrow at Tree Time, Ayala Cove, Angel Island. Ask me if you need a bottle opener.

 

[sleddog]

A convivial group of ~20 Singlehanded TransPac vets and supporters gathered Sunday under a large pine at Angel Island's Ayala Cove. Perfect weather and yummy pupus, and I think everyone attending got caught up to date. Represented were TORTUGA, ALTHEA, CATO, FROLIC, CHEYENNE, 1/2 of TIGER BEETLE, NINA, VENTUS, LIBRA, RED SKY, OWL, BLUE MOON, WILDFLOWER, and DOMINO. (apologies for those I've misplaced.)

We also welcomed 2016 SHTP Winner and new SSS Commodore Dave Herrigel, SSS Treasurer Kristen Soetebier, and past and future SHTP Race Chair Brian Boschma. According to your leaders, the herding of cats has already begun....

As Scoop Nisker use to say, "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own.

 

[sleddog]

Much of the steel used in early Trans-Continental railroad construction was from the German Krupp Company. What does this have to do with shipwrecks? Similar Krupp steel played a major part in the scuttling of 52 German naval ships interned at Scapa Flow, in Northern Scotland, at the end of WW I. These ships were the heart of the German Navy High Seas fleet, including battleships, cruisers, and U-boats, and the remaining German crew aboard the ships secretly set their plan in motion to sink every ship at the same time, 11:20 AM on June 21, 1919, so the ships did not fall into Allied hands. It's a pretty intriguing story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuttling_of_the_German_fleet_in_Scapa_Flow

The Battle Cruiser HINDENBURG was the last to go down.



Krupp was producing high quality stainless steel, the best in the World, and the German warships had a lot in their construction. At one time these ships were considered the largest concentrated source of pure stainless, and salvaging of the scuttled naval ships continues to this day.



Why the search for pure stainless steel? Apparently, since the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons since WWII, Cobalt 60 contamination is everywhere. Any smelting of new stainless steel introduces trace radioactive isotopes into the material. Since the contamination is at the atomic level there's no effective filtration. Pretty hard to find "non-atmospheric" atmosphere. But stainless made before the bomb, and submerged, has been protected from radiation, thus the value of the metal in the German warships sunk at Scapa Flow.

Most of the ships at Scapa Flow have been salvaged. There may only be 7 or so left out of the 50 plus that were scuttled. However, the demand for pure stainless in science and medicine is great enough to inspire the salvaging of other pre WW II ships, including at least two battleships of the US Navy. Many obsolete ships were either scuttled or used for target practice, so their locations are known fairly accurately.

I have a good sailing friend who, 30 years ago, developed a giant cell bone tumor in his left femur Three operations and 30 years later, with the tumor gone, he still has a big blob of epoxy anchored by a stainless rod in his leg. Paul likes to think there's a possibility that the rod is Krupp's stainless from a German battle cruiser.

As for my still healing foot reconstruction, it's titanium, not that exotic stuff like epoxy and pure stainless steel.

 

[Philpott]

As for my still healing foot reconstruction, it's titanium, not that exotic stuff like epoxy and pure stainless steel.

Okay, I'll bite.
Skip, how's your foot? Can you sail again? What is your rehab like? Let's see some up to date photos of that gruesome surgery.

 

[sleddog]

Check out VRIL


20' sprit? check. Vertical bow? check. Square top and loose foot main? check. VRIL, a 50 footer, was designed and built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876, by George L. Watson. Watson's VRIL was a milestone in racing yacht design, the first boat to have all its ballast in an external lead keel.

 

[Philpott]

View attachment 1948

Is that bent keel a visual metaphor of your toe?

 

[sleddog]

When the innovative Mull 42 IMPROBABLE was built in 1971, the Barient Winch Company produced a couple of custom winch drums of titanium. This "magic" metal was significantly lighter than stainless steel, had higher crack resistance and strength than aluminum, and excellent resistance to seawater induced corrosion. Perfect for the highly loaded wire jib sheets being used on America's Cup 12 meters. And on IMPROBABLE.

Unlike in cycling, sports equipment, aero, and medical industries, you don't see many boat parts built of titanium these days. Although titanium is commercially available, it is likely too expensive for the general sailing market. In it's place, non-metal carbon-fiber is now the boat equipment material of choice after aluminum.

In the orthopedic medical field, titanium rules for implants. Titanium is, "bio-compatible", non-toxic, non-magnetic, and not rejected by the body. It is stronger than bone, with good fatigue strength and corrosion resistance.

My left foot now has a titanium plate and screws to redirect (fuse) the big toe joint. I am currently at 9 weeks post-op, fully weight bearing, walking about half-speed, with a slight limp. The foot remains noticeably swollen, which is normal to at least 13 weeks, and I have to wear a special shoe with stiff sole and Velcro adjustments to get around. At least there is no more fiberglas cast, which was good for sympathy, but no fun for itching or taking showers. Thank you, DURA MATER, for your query. I would guess I'm 75% into the process, with several months to go of healing, swelling reduction, and bone consolidation, as well as beginning physical therapy, before a final result.



Meanwhile, what are the TSA inspectors going to say when I tell them I have metal in my foot? I suppose they see metal implants on a regular basis on their X-ray machines. Nevertheless, my entrance always seems to trigger an extra level of inquisition. Stay tuned.

 

[sleddog]

The most extreme sailing race ever, the Vendee Globe, is underway. 29 singlehanders in their 60 foot monomarans, set sail from France 11 days ago. All they have to do is sail down the Atlantic, circle Antarctica, and return safely to France. One boat has already broken off the top of his mast.

The below chart shows the ice exclusion zone, where icebergs lurk and the Vendee Fleet must stay north of its boundaries.



The leader, Brit Alex Thompson on his foiling HUGO BOSS, is currently averaging over 20 knots and threatening to increase his 90 mile lead by catching "the train leaving the station:" an eastbound low pressure coming off South America.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52fhwa_d12-12-skippers-in-the-global-south-vendee-globe_sport

Online coverage of the Vendee Globe is excellent with near live video. Be warned: Who would have thunk, but it's addictive to watch singlehanders bound for glory.

http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/

 

[Daydreamer]

The first I ever heard of single handed sailing was in October 2009 after our first summer with Daydreamer, our O'Day 22.
My wife and I were on honeymoon and stopped in Fort Bragg. At a little used book shop downtown I picked up a book called "Godforsaken Seas", about the 96/97 Vendee Globe by Derek Lundy.

What insanity I thought!

The next summer I spent my first weekend sailing solo on our local lake, enjoying the solitude, boat, and nature.
Eventually finding the SSS and learning of the Singlehanded TransPac, now steadily working toward doing one myself.
Occasionally a friend or family member will exclaim, you're crazy!

I'm not an avid follower of the Vendee Globe but I do check to see what's happening. Pressure Drop has been posting some good updates too.
No, I don't have the tracker app on my phone!

I'm guessing "monomaran" is a term for the beamy sleds used for surfing the Southern Ocean.
Whatever you call them, they are impressive

 

[H Spruit]

"I'm guessing "monomaran" is a term for the beamy sleds used for surfing the Southern Ocean."

Back in the 60s those of us that sailed CATamarans, & or TRImarans Started to refer to single hull boats as MONOmarans.

Some monomarans, such as Panache, were granted honorary multihull status but the general Term used to refer to High performance down wind boats was SLED!

And one particular individual who "doggedly" crewed on those boats calls himself "Sleddog".

 

[sleddog]

My 12 year old, $20 Timex digital watch died today. It had weathered offshore passages, tropical snorkeling, significant abuse, and required only a new battery every 5-7 years, and a couple of Velcro wrist bands. Until today it kept reliable time, gaining a second/week. The countdown timer helped start many a race.

Sometime this morning the stainless Mode button fell out and disappeared, leaving a small round hole where dishwater likely entered, shorting out things and creating a blank screen.

Timex, originally called the Waterbury Clock Company, began making watches in 1854 in Waterbury, Connecticut. In World War I, artillery gunners needed an easy-to-read way to tell time without hindering movement and the first wristwatch was borne, complete with luminescent dial.

In 1930, licensed by Walt Disney, Timex began production of the famous Mickey Mouse watches and clocks which quickly became hugely popular. During WW II, Timex received large government contracts to produce weapon fuse timers, a big switch from Mickey Mouse!

In the 1950's, with reduced government contracts, Timex sales declined. It was then the idea for an inexpensive watch that was both accurate and durable became a marketing success for Timex. Low cost was accomplished by a combination of automation, precision tooling, and a simpler design than that of higher-priced Swiss watches with their expensive jewel movements.

As a kid I used to watch television commercials where Timex watches were severely tortured.

In a dishwasher, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EK9KWHjvfM) and
in a paint mixer agitator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUMo3NcFeAk

On an outboard motor propeller (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NHq3Yze6s0)

Even in the mouth of Nellie the porpoise at Marineland.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDFpAaQDVVc)

As the Timex advertising slogan said, "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

 

[Critter]

Thanks for the history, Skip. I currently have three Timex Ironman digital watches, and the only trouble I've had is with the wrist bands. A fourth fell off my wrist and into the drink (unnoticed until a few minutes later) while I was sorting out an upside-down spinnaker hoist during a Three Bridge Fiasco.

 

[sleddog]

Thanks for the history, Skip. I currently have three Timex Ironman digital watches, and the only trouble I've had is with the wrist bands. A fourth fell off my wrist and into the drink (unnoticed until a few minutes later) while I was sorting out an upside-down spinnaker hoist during a Three Bridge Fiasco.

The Timex wrist band pins, miniature and spring loaded, are beyond belief. I've accidentally shot several from the nav station into the forepeak, not to be found again for months, if ever....

Max, you are a brave man admitting an upside down spinnaker hoist, something we've all managed to accomplish at least once, including Commodore Tompkins and Tom Blackaller in front of a large crowd at the St.F.Y.C.

You might consider a drawer for the safety of your watches, hihi: I was crewing for Star Class World's Champion, Skip Etchells, in the 1962 Star Worlds in Cascais, Portugal. Skip was good, very good, evidenced by the Gold Star on his sail. But Skip Etchells' starting techniques were unique and drove me bull goose loony.

You see, all Etchells built Starboats, beautiful in their own right, came with a mahogany drawer aft, under the tiller.

I finally got to see what this drawer was intended for when crewing for Skip Etchells in Cascais. Skip carried his Heuer stopwatch in that drawer. As we approached the starting line, Skip would frequently turn around from his helm position on the rail, lift the tiller, quickly open and then shut his drawer to check the time left on the stopwatch. Good grief!

With 72 Stars on the line, I became the eyes in the back of Skip's head. Two Skip's on the same boat, who would have thunk.

Here's Skip and Mary Etchells, and Skip Etchells' punk crew, the sleddog.


Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings to All.
~sleddog

 

[sleddog]

I've been a friend and customer of West Marine since the Palo Alto garage days, 48 years ago. Too bad, in intervening years, WM has never really gotten their act together regarding product reliability and seaworthiness. Now our local store, the only game in town, is even further off the sailing track, having becoming a "life-style" store with expensive clothing and accoutrements predominating.

WM store managers and sales people across the country have always tried hard to stand behind their equipment sold. I applaud that.

But WM stores appear to be up against the head office, where real life product testing is short changed in search of increasing profit, often in favor of cheaper made gear. I recently bought a $38 hand pump with the WM label, made in China. The hose nozzle was cheaply made and wouldn't hold the inflater plug until I asked the WM store manager to give me a hose clamp to remedy the poor product manufacture.

This is not an isolated incident. For many years I've been using all manner of boating equipment, both racing and cruising. Anchors, stoves, coffee makers. Shoes, foul weather gear, snap shackles. Flares, inverters, solar panels. Auto-pilots, PFD's, winch handles, and harness tethers. You name it. I've likely broken it, found a deficiency, or both.

I offered West Marine to become an independent product reviewer. I think the idea scared management. My estimate, continuing today, is fully 25% of West Marine equipment is faulty in some manner, possibly even dangerous. Practical Sailor took me aboard for a while, but that too passed.

My advice is: before going offshore, or competing in an important race, shake down your equipment in the most thorough manner: try to break it in real life conditions.

Hey, West Marine. Why did you discontinue that sailor's friend, rolls of 3/4" sticky back Velcro? Gotta run across town to Ace Hardware.

(If you have a story about a piece of sailing equipment under-performing, I'd love to hear it.)

 

[H Spruit]

A while back, I was in a social conversation with a top level Wast Marine person and asked why the inventory of sailboat HDW and items that interest sailing people was being de emphasized in favor products that appeal mostly to the motor boat world.
The answer was that sailing people were always angling for and shopping for a special price, and the motorboat people cared less about price so were a more profitable customer target!

 

[Philpott]

Tom Patterson told me that Randy Repass' father owned part of or a franchise for New England Ropes back east. Tom, remind us of the details? Then Randy began selling rope out of his garage down on the peninsula somewhere. From that start he built West Marine into the huge business it is today. And it remains privately held, with no stock sold.

Like Sean Svendsen, Randy Repass can do what he wants with his business, no matter how inconvenient it is for those of us who always need something else for our beloved and depreciating vessels.

West Marine is in business to make money and the purpose of business is to maximize profits. With the passing of the guard maybe new small local businesses will be created to supplement or take the place of both Svendsen's chandlery and WM in order to provide the unique everything needed for sailboats. At this point, sailors here in the SF Bay might consider what their options will be in the next year or so and whether it will be financially feasible for someone to create a new business that might fill the upcoming vacuum. Given the competition from the internet, that would be one brave individual.

In the meantime, I sure am glad I paid for that WM extended warranty on my handheld Garmin.