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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #2921
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    Jan 2010
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    This bit about the R2AK from the Juneau Empire newspaper:

    The House Labor and Commerce committee has approved HB 18, sponsored by Rep. Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, which allows the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce to hold a “race classic” allowing people to gamble by guessing how long the winning boat in the Race to Alaska will take to sail from Washington state to Ketchikan. The bill goes to the House Finance Committee.

  2. #2922
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    Aug 2013
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    Seattle, WA
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    SSS singlehanders in the 2019 Long Pac or 2020 SHTP could possibly see an albatross.
    I did on the sail back from Kauai this year. Words fail me.

    I don't recall if a link to the recent documentary "Albatross" was previously posted on this forum, but it is amazing, beautifully done, and heartbreaking. Run time of 1 hr 37 minutes, so do yourself a favor and wait until you have time to watch it straight through. The production values will reward the use of a large HD screen and a good sound system.

    https://vimeo.com/264508490
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  3. #2923
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    There are albatross all over the Gulf of the Farallones in the right season!
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  4. #2924
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    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by AZ Sailor View Post
    I did on the sail back from Kauai this year. Words fail me.

    I don't recall if a link to the recent documentary "Albatross" was previously posted on this forum, but it is amazing, beautifully done, and heartbreaking. Run time of 1 hr 37 minutes, so do yourself a favor and wait until you have time to watch it straight through. The production values will reward the use of a large HD screen and a good sound system.
    https://vimeo.com/264508490
    Thanks, Lee. Beautiful, and tragic.

  5. #2925
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    What do a rattlesnake and mountain lion have to do with next week's close encounter of planet Earth with Comet Wirtanen, the so called “Christmas Comet?”

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    No, not Christmas trivia, but singlehanded sailing related. “Just the facts, ma'am.” Bright turquoise-green Comet Wirtanen was digitally photographed (above) last week above a church bell tower in Catalonia, Spain by Juan Carlos Casado.

    In the 1940's, 50's, & 60's, Wisconsin born astronomer Carl Wirtanen, with his young family, lived on Mt. Hamilton, just east and high above San Jose. On the summit of Mt. Hamilton is the historical and renowned Lick Observatory. Wirtanen, the Senior Observer at Lick Observatory, was highly skilled in use of the telescopes and photographic plates, and during his tenure discovered at least 5 comets and 8 asteroids.

    A comet Carl Wirtanen first photographed (and discovered) on Jan. 17, 1948, was ultimately named after his new son Alan, “Comet Wirtanen”

    Comet Wirtanen will pass Earth at 7.1 million miles next Monday, the 20th closest approach of any comet to Earth since the 9th Century AD. Despite Comet Wirtanen's proximity and bright green color, it will take a dark and clear sky to see with a naked eye the diffuse glow of the head of this “dirty snowball.”

    A contributor to this SSS Forum remembers, as a junior high student living in San Jose, visiting Lick Observatory, meeting Carl Wirtanen, and peering through the Observatory's powerful telescope into the inky blackness of the night sky, the glow of San Jose far below darkened by the often present cloudiness of the coastal marine layer.

    Nearby to Lick Observatory were small homes for the observatory scientists, as well as a one room school house, and a dirt baseball diamond. Young Alan Wirtanen, Carl's son for whom the 1948 comet is named, recalled to me a few years ago that after school let out, Alan and friends would meet at the nearby Mt. Hamilton baseball diamond. During pick-up games, it was understood no one would touch or stand atop the first base rock. Why? Because a rattlesnake lived underneath. Alan also recalled being instructed by his parents not to wander on his way home as a local mountain lion would often follow and hang out on the Wirtanen's porch..

    After 1996, on his days off, Carl Wirtanen and wife Edith enjoyed sailing/racing on Monterey Bay with their 2 kids, Alan and Jeannie. Sailing on the family Cal 2-24 became a natural for the kids, and Alan ultimately used his many talents to help develop Santa Cruz boat building during the heyday of Ultra Lights.

    Alan, of rattlesnake and mountain lion association, was (and still is) a highly respected local Santa Cruz boat builder, at one time working for Bill Lee, Moore Brothers, and George and Lyn Olson's Pacific Yachts. Alan was associated with the design and construction of many iconic Santa Cruz yachts including MERLIN, Santa Cruz 27's, the Moore 24, the Olson 30 and 25 and Jester Dinghies.

    These days Alan enjoys being on the the cutting edge of dirt boat (land yacht) design and racing. His current dirt boat is the fastest of any course racing dirt boat, regularly reaching speeds of 70 knots at dry lake regattas in Nevada and E. Oregon. Even without sails, Alan's dirt boat is fast, winning the Sand Hill Challenge for the fastest “gravity car” (think hi-tech Soap Box Derby with no expense spared) on the downhill course in the Palo Alto foothills.

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    If you visit Santa Cruz Harbor for Wednesday night sails, you'll likely encounter Alan Wirtanen near the hoist, watching many of his builds being launched. And that's the short story of how the Christmas Comet was named and associated with Santa Cruz sailing.
    Last edited by sleddog; 12-11-2018 at 04:24 PM.

  6. #2926
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    Thanks to the MAGICdreamers, C, V, & the Fluffy on the tidal shores of Morro Bay for sharing a solo-sailor's Holiday Greeting which is a pleasure to share with you. It's well done indeed, 12 minutes, and I suggest watching on a big screen if possible.

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    https://vimeo.com/301677141

  7. #2927
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    Nov 2010
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    Discovery Bay, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    Thanks to the MAGICdreamers, C, V, & the Fluffy on the tidal shores of Morro Bay for sharing a solo-sailor's Holiday Greeting which is a pleasure to share with you. It's well done indeed, 12 minutes, and I suggest watching on a big screen if possible.

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    https://vimeo.com/301677141
    Very nice!!

  8. #2928
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    Jan 2013
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    Montara, CA
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    Beautiful. It certainly made my heart jump!

  9. #2929
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    Sep 2007
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    Most know that I'm now a two boat owner. When I went up to see the "new" Scottish boat, "Alpha", I realized that one beam of the trailer was just *gone*. There was no way I was taking that trailer on the highway from Nevada City to the Bay Area. The then-owner, and another fellow who had thought about buying the boat said it would be no big deal. Well, this past Thursday and Friday I went up there to work on it and replace the rusted beam. I leave it to you to decide if it's "no big deal" or not.

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    See all the rusted steel lying on the ground? That all shook out when I started cutting with the reciprocating saw.
    Last edited by AlanH; 12-16-2018 at 10:36 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  10. #2930
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    The local guy who did the welding was really good. I cut all the bad stuff out with a reciprocating saw and finished up with a grinder. It took me about 6 hours. The welding took about an hour and 45 minutes!

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    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

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