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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #2451
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    There has never been quite such an epic inland small boat voyage as that made in 1983 by the small wooden dory EMERALD MILE. Her 3 man crew, experienced river guides, launched their nutshell of a boat onto the Colorado River near Glen Canyon dam and rode the 72,000 cubic ft/second crest downriver and into legend, covering 277 miles in 36+ hours through the heart of the Grand Canyon. EMERALD MILE,their story, is a classic of adventure literature and a must read.

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    Here's a 3 minute tribute to EMERALD MILE's voyage and the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWAZgqRs0ZA

    Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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    In a 2017 attempt to break EMERALD MILE's record Grand Canyon run, the 27 minute film "Time Travels" tells the story of 7 adventurer /athletes designing and building a one-of-a-kind 48 foot inflatable rowing craft. What happens on the River is beautifully documented, perhaps applicable, all or part, to the shortly upcoming Singlehanded Transpac.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YygZTHBak6Y
    Last edited by sleddog; 03-21-2018 at 06:02 PM.

  2. #2452
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    3/22/18
    Above we heard about the dory EMERALD MILE riding the crest of an emergency flood release from the then new Glen Canyon Dam in 1983.

    Today, on a smaller scale, correspondent CHAUTAUQUA (a sistership of the Pardey's TALIESIN) also set a new record: highest water in history in her backyard north of Groveland. Big Creek went to 7.34' (old record 7.03')
    as a wicked front with thunder, lightning, and hail passed overhead at 11:15 a.m. 7.34' equates to 3,400 cubic feet/second of river run, which flooded downtown Groveland, and closed nearby Highway 120 to Yosemite.

    Here's CHAUTAUQUA's onsite report: "Report in just now as rehearsal was cancelled and I fielded a call from my cousin in the office in the middle of town. The creek in town jumped out of its banks and Groveland’s streets are flooded. Water over the deck of the inn across from Mt Sage and their plants and things are being washed into the street by a tributary.

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    On the home front, 30 or so assorted small local bird residents are alternately huddling under the pumphouse roof and then dodging hail etc. to get to the bird feeder. Eating in shifts. Glad I put lots of seed out last night as I returned from Coulterville rehearsal.

    I remember small birds taking refuge in the space under our winches on CHAUTAUQUA during big storms. Just saw a blue cooler clocking hull speed towards Pine Mountain lake, along with assorted chunks of logs, and what not.

    Going to be a big cleanup later. Have stopped worrying about my road crossing and put a Corned Beef roast in the crockpot, hoping the power will last all day. Got a good book all lined up for the afternoon. Sheriff just called to inform. No one, not even residents allowed thru at Moccasin."


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    Last edited by sleddog; 03-23-2018 at 10:33 AM.

  3. #2453
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    Here's something fun and educational for all cat boat and wooden boat aficionados, the story and Off-Center-Harbor 12 minute film of SILENT MAID, a 33 foot centerboard, gaff, racing catboat in Barnegat Bay, N.J., home to shallow water and fast boats.

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    The original SILENT MAID was designed by Francis Sweisguth in 1923. Sweisguth also designed the Starboat in 1910, so we can understand the massive mainsail and topsail totaling 1,400 square feet on 72 foot mast and gaff on SILENT MAID. How would you jibe that on SF Bay on a summer afternoon's seabreeze?

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    Oh, I forgot, SILENT MAID carries up to 1,800 pounds (10-12 crew) on the rail and 3:1 runners when racing around the buoys. She's got 2 optional masts depending on racing or cruising, spreaders on the gaff, an easily removeable Yanmar engine, cushy interior with diesel heater and stove...For a crew of 3-4, SILENT MAID would be something unique for the Race2Alaska?

    What a delicious beauty SILENT MAID is. And fast too, especially in her "sweet spot" of 8-16 knots of wind, when heavier and larger boats aren't up to speed. Check out that polished, NACA foil centerboard and carbon fiber head sink below. Yikes! This is "not your grandmother's catboat," nor a Wyliecat. Just don't get drool on your keyboard when watching the 12 min, video https://www.offcenterharbor.com/vide...thers-catboat/ or reading Gary Jobson's description of a sail on SILENT MAID. https://www.cruisingworld.com/sailbo...loud-statement.

    Good stuff.
    Last edited by sleddog; 03-23-2018 at 07:29 PM.

  4. #2454
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    San Francisco has reportedly the best city drinking water in the world. So where does the water come from? When driving to Yosemite via Highway 120, the road pretty much parallels the aqueduct from Hetch Hetch to Crystal Spring Reservoir. Here is an interesting look at what happened during last Thursday's mega rain event and flood in the Sierra foothills, near Groveland.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBGGQt_Jnc&sns=em
    Last edited by sleddog; 03-27-2018 at 07:40 AM.

  5. #2455
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    "San Francisco has the best city drinking water in the world."

    I've never lived in San Francisco, but the water in Manhattan tasted much better to me than the water here in Oakland.

  6. #2456
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philpott View Post
    "San Francisco has the best city drinking water in the world."

    I've never lived in San Francisco, but the water in Manhattan tasted much better to me than the water here in Oakland.
    Hi Jackie,

    Oakland's water, along with much of the East Bay, comes from East Bay MUD (Municipal Utilities District.) EBMUD water is from the Mokelumne Aqueduct, fed by the Mokelumne River in the Central Sierra, which ultimately enters the Delta.

    85% of San Francisco's drinking water is from spring snowmelt running down the Tuolumne River, now damned at Hetch Hetchy Valley. The Hetch Hetchy watershed is entirely in Yosemite National Park. The water from this 160 mile infrastructure ultimately fills Crystal Springs Reservoir, south of San Francisco, near the Pulgas Water Temple. "Water Temple?" Yup, just off Highway 280.

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    During college sailing years we naively tried to get permission to sail on Crystal Springs Reservoir. "It's San Francisco's drinking water. No human contact allowed!", we were firmly admonished.
    Last edited by sleddog; 03-27-2018 at 07:41 AM.

  7. #2457
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    Authors have long used 'wing' as a verb and referred to birds that 'winged their way' and later, metaphorically, to time, love etc. 'winging its way' to a recipient. Today I winged WILDFLOWER home from Santa Cruz Harbor to the driveway after an 8:30 a.m. haulout, lowering the mast with the gin pole, and generally securing all equipment for the 4 mile drive.

    Today's "winging WILDFLOWER home" fortunately did not require a "wing and a prayer," an expression first heard in a John Wayne war movie of 1942, The Flying Tigers, when a friendly aircraft was badly shot up over Rangoon and limped back to base on sheer luck, determination, and/or God's will allowing success.

    No, today's boat/trailer movement required a different sort of "winging it," that where there is no script and improvisation is the order of the day. This "winging it" is 19th century theatrical slang which refers to impromptu performances given by actors who had hurriedly learned their lines while waiting in the wings and then received prompts from assistants hidden behind shrubbery and props, or holding helping signs in the wings.

    All was good until I turned my 41 foot rig (24 foot trailer and 17 foot SUV) up our narrow street, ready to attempt the 90 degree driveway back-in without tempting a jacknife... only to find my timing was a bit off and I was about to come head to head not only with the mailman in his jeep, but also an oncoming garbage truck doing his pickups.

    Thankfully I was early for school letting out up the street. But there are no right-of-way rules for this encounter, no port and starboard, red right returning, windward vehicle keep clear.

    I said a brief prayer to Frog, parked the rig in the middle of the street, and ventured forward on foot to explain my intentions to the mailman and garbage man.

    Like magic, "winging it," a pass was created and I dove for the opening without knocking over anyone's mailbox or scraping fenders. WILDFLOWER was safely home, and for that I am thankful on this beautiful day.

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    Last edited by sleddog; 03-28-2018 at 12:42 PM.

  8. #2458
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    All's well that ends well. It's always good to get the boat home and the wheels chocked. On the wings of angels.

  9. #2459
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    How would you like to have a mouthful of shredded carbon fiber and kevlar for breakfast?

    That's what happened last July when a great white shark bit Steve Lawson's kayak, dumping him in the water off Santa Cruz, prompting a one day beach closure.

    Lawson was rescued after calling the Harbor Patrol on his VHF radio. His badly damaged kayak was destined to become a front yard flower planter when it was instead given to my neighbor, Shahe.

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    Shahe had the kayak repaired, and yesterday I got to view the results as he wheeled it up the street after an uneventful ocean paddle off Capitola.

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    I hope the poor great white's dentistry bill was not too great.

  10. #2460
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    I was in Sydney, Austrailia, 1973, for the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race when the big Swan 65 came into the marina after finishing Cape Town to Sydney leg of the 73-74 Whitbread Race (which she eventually won.) It was Christmas Eve, and SAYULA's experienced crew were badly shaken. In the Bass Straits, two days earlier, they had been rolled down past horizontal, and a leeward side port had been stove in, flooding the boat.

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    Since then, it has become apparent from numerous reports that, in the event of knockdown, lee side ports and windows are more vulnerable than those to windward.

    It happened to the Lessley's Cal-40 CALIFORNIA GIRL on her return from a Pacific Cup when she was knocked horizontal northwest of the Farallones and her lee side cabin windows were smashed. More recently, the lee side window on Randal Reeves otherwise solidly built MOLI was punched in deep in the Indian Ocean when she too took a knockdown of horizontal or beyond and dashed hopes of Randall's completing his ambitious lFigure 8 Voyage.

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    The lesson may be, if you're serious about going offshore, your port windows need to be small and strong: a .5 square foot "tank slit" may be none too small.
    Last edited by sleddog; 04-01-2018 at 02:29 PM.

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