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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #801
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    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    One could be excused feeling slightly giddy and overwhelmed at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: 1.5 miles of wooden boats, varnish and paint gleaming, and chock-a-block with fascinating history.

    In addition, dozens of seminars and presentations on every wood boat subject imaginable: one morning I attended a presentation on Composting Toilets, two short documentaries on river adventures in Iraq, and an interesting lecture by Halsey Herreshoff on the history of his famous family.

    At the top of our dock ramp was the Wee Nip Irish Saloon, a pub on wheels that has been featured in several movies. A little further over was the EdenSaw Challenge: 8 entries building small craft of all designs in the allotted 8'x10" space in 48 hours or less.

    In my opinion the most impressive boat, errrr, "ship," was the 1929 converted Seiner MERRY CHASE. She had recently undergone a two year gut and restoration. With her lifting gear, her owners could have easily picked up WILDFLOWER and set her on MERRY CHASE's aft deck. http://www.hbeck.net/pics/2013/1306/bp/130607_0159.jpg

    The strangest boat was a 70 foot, flat bottom French Canal River Barge that came apart into four sections, and could theoretically be shipped all over the world in a 20 foot container. It (I hesitate to say "she") looks something like Bill Lee's MERLIN crossed with a bad dream... photos below.

    Warm, clear weather and full moon highlighted this year's PTWBF. If you are thinking of attending next year, Sept. 10-13, 2015, be advised hotels in the Port Townsend area sell out well in advance.

    WILDFLOWER is back in our driveway in Capitola now, having just completed our drive south from Washington State in 18 hours. Any SSS members, or others, in the neighborhood, please feel free to stop by.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 09-12-2014 at 10:38 AM.

  2. #802
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    For reasons I've never completely understood, but which has been confirmed by scientific testing, dogs really do look like their owners approximately 80% of the time. The hair of a poodle, the jowls of a bulldog, the bug eyes of a pug, the wrinkles of a Shar-Pei, the profile of a collie often can be matched with the physical characteristics of the owner at the other end of the leash.

    After many years of observation, I think this is also true of boat owners and their vessels. Although it would be fun, I've not yet attempted to photo document this phenomena. Indeed, it might cause hard feelings. For who wants to be known for their beamy, slow, ill maintained, or accident prone boat?

    One of the most lovely vessels at the recent Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival was the 100 year old, 133' schooner ADVENTURESS. ADVENTURESS, once a SF Bay Pilot Boat stationed out at the Lightbucket, now serves as a training ship for young sailors and cruises Puget Sound more than 200 days/year.

    Many was the day we watched in awe as ADVENTURESS's main and 50' gaff, totaling well over a ton in weight, was manually raised over 100 feet up her mainmast. "Two, Six, Heave!" was the bosun's cry to the dozens of volunteers pulling on the throat and peak halyards.

    Why was the command "Two, Six?" I will leave that to other SSS historians to explain. What I can tell you is ADVENTURESS, launched in 1913, recently figured in a rum-running, steamy affair, real life, 100 year mystery that culminated at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival with the return of her long lost, beautiful bronze ship's bell.

    Tears were shed Saturday night, when ADVENTURESS's missing bell, having been remounted in its rightful position aft of the foremast, was once again rung for all to hear. "Two, Six," "Heave!"

    http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/articl...nd-5568648.php
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    Last edited by sleddog; 09-13-2014 at 12:57 PM.

  3. #803
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    Sep 2007
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    After three months afloat comfortably living on 3 gallons or less fresh water per day, including semi- extravagant solar showers, I've returned to a world of worry, and brown lawns. It seems brown is the new green. With the drought and local water rationing, people are stressed. My neighbor leaned over the fence, saw me watering my thirsty plants, and scolded "the water police will be coming soon."

    Soquel Creek Water District has set my ration at 85 gallons/day. I find this alotment a bit on the high side. But my objection flies in the face of complaints from the local populace that under such restrictions, they will soon whither away.

    The Water District suggests "Navy showers," "low flow shower heads and toilets." Maybe install a "drip irrigation system." I contacted the Water District and suggested they promote the selective flush: "If It's Yellow, Let It Mellow".., something I think we invented in college and used to be on billboards. After all, most of California is a desert, and droughts are normal.

    I heard back from Mr. Duncan, the Conservation and Customer Service Field Manager. My suggestion, which would save the average family about 8,760 gallons/year, was "too controversial," said Mr. Duncan.

    Controversial? What I find controversial is using 2 gallons of drinkable water to flush away a cup of sterile pee, so that can be "purified" miles away at a sewage treatment plant, then piped into Monterey Bay.

    Gordie sails a yellow boat. I think Steve's SHTP winner, FROLIC, is yellow also. Both are pretty to look at. (And fast.) Mr. Duncan's thirsty clientele just doesn't want to see yellow in their toilet bowls.
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-20-2014 at 08:24 AM.

  4. #804
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    Dec 2011
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    Santa Cruz
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    I have sailed across oceans using no more than a gallon of fresh water a day per crew!
    We here at Frog Hale have adopted the yellow is Mello philosophy, and our yard is brown. But Santa Cruz, Capitola and Soquel,governments continue to give building permits to residential, commercial, and hotel developers, while telling us to conserve, and raising our rates. Go Figure?!

  5. #805
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Tide continues to fall at South Shore Lake Tahoe. E27 #0, DIANNE, has moved to mooring at Camp Richardson before being trapped in the shallows. Late summer sailing is excellent with good wind and flat water.

    It is with heavy heart that Fannette Isle Race for this year is cancelled.

    With both channels barely passable by only the most shallow of draft, many boats out for the season, a rocky shoal entrance to Emerald Bay only two boats expressed interest in this event.

    For those who would still sail Sunday afternoon: be at Club Mark at 2:30 and we can have a short rally sail and meet afterward at Lake Tahoe Pizza.

  6. #806
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    Sorry to hear Fannette Island Race is canceled. This freshwater tour has been the highlite of my end of summer sailing for many years. Nothing beats short tacking into Emerald Bay and its clear waters, rounding an antique stone tea house on Fannette Island, then spinnakering out the Bay with semi-vertical 20 knot puffs sending the fleet skittering on their sides as they try to negotiate the narrow entrance.

    Locally here in Santa Cruz, racing has deteriorated somewhat, with amateur built, cardboard boats, coming to the line. These shoal draft, ULDB's, built in the allotted one hour before the start, use only cardboard, duct tape, and a box cutter knife. They are recyclable.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTeTPzrV-Zs

    and time lapse coverage of the regatta is here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtDyFw6fd_o
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-20-2014 at 11:28 AM.

  7. #807
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    Yesterday on the Alameda Estuary two famous One Design sloops, designs with a 55 year age difference, passed each other, one outbound into a fresh breeze. The other inbound for lunch. Nobody particularly noticed except SSS supporter Rich Baker, who took below pics.

    Tacking outbound was the Yankee One Design LISBETH, 30.5' LOA, 24' LWL, narrow at 6.5' beam, SA of 312 square feet, and displacing 4,775 pounds. She was designed in 1937 by Starling Burgess, and six were built on San Francisco by Stone Boat Works in Alameda.

    Inbound was our own BobJ on RAGTIME! RAGS, designed by Rod Johnstone, is the same length as LISBETH, has 2' more waterline, 3.5 feet more beam, and considerably more draft. Interestingly, RAGTIME is almost 1,000 pounds heavier, and much more working SA at 505 square feet.

    Both boats are fun to sail. And fast. And I am going to go out on a limb, and say LISBETH from 1937 is as fast as RAGTIME! upwind. RAGTIME is not slow. It is just the Yankees were and remain slippery upwind, leaving no discernable wake. Nice, Mr. Starling Burgess.

    It was a momentary passing in time, two wonderful boats from different generations, giving pause to reflect on progress in yacht design, and what makes a boat fast, and pretty.

    The Yankee is one of the prettiest designs going, on par with the L.Francis Herreshoff Rocinante yawl and the Stuart Knockabout. I've raced against Yankee #21 SCIROCCO at Port Townsend and she sails like a witch, regularly beating the Etchells and Thunderbirds boat for boat.

    Now they've put a bowsprit on SCIROCCO and she goes even faster, with an increase in rating from 185 to 150.

    If you see either LISBETH or RAGTIME! out sailing, give them a wave from me.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 09-22-2014 at 09:01 AM.

  8. #808
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    Happy Autumnal Equinox!

    If you lived in the U.K., today would mark the beginning of the fearsome "Equinoctial Gales" that sank ships for as long as history has been recorded. Whether Equinoctial Gales are a real or imagined weather phenomena I will leave for meteorologists and novelists to argue. But the case can be made. The ill fortuned Spanish Armada was driven onto the leeshores of Ireland and Scotland by Equinoctial Gales in Sept. 1588, losing 5,000 men and changing the course of history.

    Actually, it was more complicated than that and involved navigational error. The Spanish Fleet, short of food and water, and with deteriorating men and ships, intended to withdraw back to Spain by sailing west off the coast of Ireland in the relative safety of the open sea. However, they had no accurate way of measuring longitude, and were not aware the Gulf Stream was carrying them north and east as they tried to move west. The Armada eventually turned south much further to the east than planned, a devastating navigational error, that combined with westerly gales, blew a large number of ships ashore.

    Here in Central California we have our own maritime legacy of shipwrecks due to navigational error. West of the Golden Gate is a treasure trove of sunken ships just being discovered by teams of NOAA researchers and the National Park Service..

    Ever wonder why Noonday Rock, north of the Farallones, came to be named? A research team using underwater sonar recently discovered the remains of the clippership NOONDAY that hit the rock, charted depth 13 feet, in 1863 and sank nearby in 240 feet. NOONDAY was part of the fleet of fast-sailing vessels that brought men and supplies to California during and after the Gold Rush.

    On January 1, 1863, the NOONDAY, carrying a cargo worth a reported $600,000, was approaching the entrance to San Francisco harbor, 139 days out of Boston. The weather clear, sea smooth, and the medium clipper was under all sail making 9 to 10 knots. About eight miles west of the North Farallone, she struck a rock but sailed clear. The shock was not sufficient to carry away the spars or rigging, but the bottom had been stove and she immediately started to fill. The crew only had time to save a portion of their effects and take to the boats before NOONDAY sank in 40 fathoms. The pilot boat RELIEF, some two miles distant, picked up all hands. The existence of this rock was known to pilots but it had not yet been charted; and it subsequently received the name of Noonday Rock.

    In a wonderful happenstance, the fisherman John Taratino of the trawler JUNTA found NOONDAY's bell in his net in 1932. The bell now resides at the National Maritime Research Center at Fort Mason.

    http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/farallon...Fact_Sheet.pdf

    http://www.pressherald.com/2014/09/1...ff-california/
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    Last edited by sleddog; 09-22-2014 at 09:59 PM.

  9. #809
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    A slight correction to Sled's post on Sunday: The Yankee OD was FLOTSOM and the photos were taken from Rich's Alerion Express 28 named 'LIZBETH, a lovely boat in its own right and a design by the late Carl Schumacher.

    http://www.yankeeonedesign.com/y42_flotsam.htm

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    Last edited by BobJ; 09-22-2014 at 01:05 PM.

  10. #810
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    Thanks, BobJ, for the correction.

    We used to drive an hour to the Beach to go sailing. There were no freeways in LA, and the country roads took us from San Gabriel, located 40 miles inland, through orange groves and cow pastures. The last 10 miles were mostly strawberry fields, which created its own weather, a thick, low fog bank about 10 feet high, night and mornings.

    They built a freeway from downtown LA to the American Dream: Disneyland, and called it the Santa Ana Freeway. To go beyond Disneyland towards San Diego was a 2 lane country road. The stop sign in San Juan Capistrano allowed us kids in the backseat to see whether the swallows had returned to their mud nests under the Mission eaves.

    Today, in 1953, they opened "The Stack," a four level interchange connecting the Harbor, Hollywood, Pasadena, and Santa Ana Freeways. 32 lanes of continuous traffic moving in eight directions at once, replacing the slower, more popular cloverleaf design of the time. Designed to let motorists merge without braking, The Stack became an object of awe, fear, derision, and inspiration. The L.A. Times called the 5.5 million-dollar interchange "the most photogenic pile of cement in town" and the "fanciest whip-de-do of bridges."

    They just opened a new, mile long, Highway 1 merge lane here in Santa Cruz. It cost $16 million dollars, and now nicely backs up 100,000 cars every evening. (their figures, not mine.)

    Whoop De Do.
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-27-2014 at 10:20 AM.

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