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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #1751
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    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.

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    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.
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-16-2016 at 10:21 AM.

  2. #1752
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    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.

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    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/x52...ee-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/
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-17-2016 at 03:47 PM.

  3. #1753
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Arnold, CA
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    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

  4. #1754
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    Dec 2011
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    Santa Cruz
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    "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".

  5. #1755
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    Sep 2007
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    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."

  6. #1756
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    Sep 2007
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    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.

  7. #1757
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    Sep 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Critter View Post
    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.
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    Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings to All.
    ~sleddog
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-23-2016 at 03:53 PM.

  8. #1758
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    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.)
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-26-2016 at 06:51 AM.

  9. #1759
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Santa Cruz
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    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!

  10. #1760
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    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    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.
    Last edited by Philpott; 11-25-2016 at 10:46 PM.

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