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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #3771
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    448

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    Hi Skip -

    I am an amateur entomologist and have looked for those water striders for hours on end while passing through the High - that's amazing that you found them! Can you tell us more about where, when you saw them and what they were up to? Capturing such an insect would be an incredible addition to my collection! A good reason to head back out to the High!

    As regards Randall's book, please keep a copy until I can properly visit you for a fine seletion of ice cream or a proper jar of ale, whichever is your preference. Currently I am sailing towards Santa Cruz Island off Oxnard, California - sailing down south is wonderful, it's warm (though foggy - June Gloom), but it is warm and flat and so unlike San Franciso.

    If anyone wants to protest, this is your opportunity.

    And Skip - please do tell more about the Halobates. I need to get back on deck to adjust sail trim to work over the Catalina 42 to Leeward. We're not racing, but that's the only other boat I can see and we're climbing to weather.

    - rob

  2. #3772
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

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    Hey Rob,

    Good luck on capturing a Halobates Sericeus for your collection. They are fast and elusive. You'd need a fine hoop net on about a 6 foot handle with a healthy quantity of patience. I never was able to bucket one aboard. Remember they can jump pretty high and fast. The vast aggregations of Halobates in 2008 seemed to be east and northeast of 33 N x 158 W in surface water temps of 85 degrees. Average densities seemed to be 2-10/sq foot. I could park the boat anytime it was calm and the Halobates would be all around the boat not swimming in any particular direction..Quite amusing, really.

    If memory serves, immediately SE, around the corner from Frys, is a hidden cove/grotto of great beauty with a seasonal small waterfall. I remember climbing up the cliff with my kayak in tow, hoping to enter the watershed. That didn't work. But guessing if you get to the top and pools above the little cove, you'll likely find some halobates, the freshwater kind. Also there are nice freshwater bathing pools back of Frys Anchorage. Good hunting.
    Last edited by sleddog; 05-08-2020 at 03:30 PM.

  3. #3773
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    436

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    You may have fresh or salt water halobates in a backyard pond, nearby lake or stream, or dock slip. If anybody can provide us with a visual sighting and location of a halobates in the next 24 hours, your prize will be a Capitola Boat Club "Dark and Stormy." (ginger beer, Pellegrini, a shot of dark rum, lemon slice, ice, and a tad of Marianne's Macapuno.)

    The Bodfish Garden Cottage has a year round creek through the middle of the property with a resident population of halobates and frogs (and more).

    Photos are elusive, since they move and leave concentric ripples....

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    Ants

  4. #3774
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Arnold, CA
    Posts
    586

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    Patience pays.

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    Last edited by Daydreamer; 05-08-2020 at 09:01 PM.
    All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it is vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.

    T.E. Lawrence

  5. #3775
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    9

    Arrow Ian Ferguson looking for funding to bail out his boat in Hawaii

    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    NADELOS, Norwegian for "reckless" or "no mercy," is skippered by Ian Ferguson, at 29 years, youngest owner/skipper in the 2019 Transpac. Ian is on his first ocean passage and first time skippering any ocean race boat. 5 crew total.

    NADELOS is an interesting design: narrow, light (12,500 lb.) smallish frac rig. Aft cabin, partial skeg hung rudder, tiller steered. Extreme (45 degree) sweep to leading edge of keel, NADELOS will be unlikely to snag stuff in the Transpac that vexes other more modern designs with more vertical keels.
    Though an older design (1976) and cruiser/racer, the boat is obviously fast and currently leads all the Cal-40s boat for boat.

    Phipott
    asks "who is Ian Ferguson?" Here's his story:

    I am 29 years old and grew up in Orinda, CA. Social status: figuring it out haha. I currently work for Elvstrøm sails as the Bay area sailpoint/ West Coast Rep and Hansen’s Rigging. I enjoy both of them greatly and couldn’t be happier with this decision to working in the boating community.

    SNIP///
    8. A bit over 1/3 of the race is done. Has it been as expected so far and where will it end?

    I honestly didn’t fully know what to expect, I entered into one of the most prestigious offshore races in the world without ever completing an ocean passage, only coastal races on others boats. I was extremely nervous in the moments leading up to leaving the dock. So far, the boat and crew is performing beautifully and I couldn’t be happier. The chart plotter says we are 1445nm from Hawaii and I am optimistic with the outcome!

    A post on the Cal Sailing Club email list alerted me to a Go-Fund Me page for Ian Ferguson. He came in first in his division in the 2019 transpac, but was unable to get his boat home that summer. The boat is his home.
    I don't know him, but thought some of you might be willing to pitch in.
    There is more to his story, but his bottom line now is this:
    "I am asking for at least $15,000, which would allow me to pay off the slip fees and also sail her back home - finally ending this cycle. This would cover food and gas for the trip back, and also the very necessary addition of a life raft for the voyage.

    The deadline I am facing is the 25th of May. Thank you for your time, for sharing my story, or for helping fund my reunion with Nådeløs - any help you are able to extend. I hope you all are staying well and connected with those you love during this difficult time.?
    This is the link to his page:
    https://tinyurl.com/yb74z48c
    - Sue Estey

  6. #3776
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

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    Thanks, Ants and Daydreamer for your photos of Halobates. I owe you both a CBC Dark and Stormy. As can be seen, this bug has a pretty sweet design that sailors can appreciate: light, strong, fast, stable, maneuverable, and ocean worthy. Developed over 45 million years.

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    And communicative. Ants, the concentric ripples you photographed are produced by male halobates to attract females. Think Match.Bug.

    Halobates have their own PFD's, which is really a water repellent envelope of small hairs that trap air. Halobates do not like to be submerged, but can survive 16 hours underwater if need be. On the surface, oceanic Halobates have a UV reflective coating which protects them from sunburn.

    Halobates can jump up to 6" high to avoid predators from below. They have antenna for instrumentation. Their short front legs are for catching prey. The long middle legs are hinged oars, and can propel them with great speed in 3 dimensions. And the rear legs are double rudders for steering.

    Note to Rob. Halobates are strongly attracted to night light. To catch one, try with a spotlight on the surface. Just beware of flying fish. I once had a large one flying fish sail into WILDFLOWER's cabin. Results were not pretty.
    Last edited by sleddog; 05-09-2020 at 06:10 PM.

  7. #3777
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    As the retired Matson container ship S.S. KAUAI, currently under tow by the RACHEL, crosses the Gulf of Tehuantepec on her last voyage through the Panama Canal and to the ship breakers in Brownsville, it's a good time to reflect the "six degrees of separation" this ship brought to singlehanded sailing, and to the SSS in particular.

    Attachment 5322
    sleddog at the 12" wheel of SS KAUAI, surfing downwind at 22 knots in 30 knots TWS off Port Orford. It took a full minute for the ship to respond to a change in helm.
    Apologies for the nostalgia, but Captain Tony, Captain Bob, and I are watching live Panama Canal web cams of SS KAUAI being towed through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks on her last voyage to the ship breakers in Brownsville. Both Tony and Bob served as Matson captains aboard the KAUAI.

    Neither Bob nor Tony was captain aboard KAUAI when the then master executed some poor ship handling. The first was a late November crossing from Seattle to Hono loaded with 300,00 Christmas trees. In a hurry to deliver the trees to their destination, Captain ***** kept the ship at full speed into significant head seas. As we say aboard a small boat going too fast downwind, he "stuffed" the bow. "Planted the bow" is equally prosaic when you're talking about a 720' foot ship. Whatever, the heavy, bronze ship's bell was ripped from its mounts and washed aft, fortunately fetching up in a waterway before going overboard.

    But that was nothing compared to a later voyage. Same Captain *****disregarded weather fax and NOAA forecasts and steamed south into an intensifying winter southerly storm. Off the mouth of the Columbia River, in 70 knots of wind, the KAUAI's nice, neat bridge, 80 feet above water in the photo above, was taken out by a giant wave that broke two bridge windows, flooded and disabled the instruments and steering, and caused the ship to turn around and return to Seattle under jury steering. Damage was so extensive KAUAI was drydocked for a month with repairs, causing Matson to breakout a replacement ship.

    Here's that story and pic. Same style jury repair as Randall. https://gcaptain.com/bridge-damage-on-the-matson-kauai/

    KAUAI passing yesterday through Miraflores Locks
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    Kauai passing through Pedro Miguel Locks
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    This morning at 11:30 KAUAI will be passing through the Gatun Locks and entering the Caribbean under "dead ship" tow by the tug RACHEL. Aloha KAUAI!

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    Last edited by sleddog; 05-11-2020 at 09:39 AM.

  8. #3778
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

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    Parting shot of SS KAUAI in Gatun Locks. Somebody got the bell off her bow.

    Meanwhile, da dum, Matson's just launched replacement ship for the KAUAI has a little problem...the mate saw daylight in the tunnel coming in from outside. The hull is cracked. Whoops. A little Bondo should fix that right up. Not.

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  9. #3779
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    Maybe duct tape?

  10. #3780
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    2,095

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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    Thanks, Ants and Daydreamer for your photos of Halobates. I owe you both a CBC Dark and Stormy. As can be seen, this bug has a pretty sweet design that sailors can appreciate: light, strong, fast, stable, maneuverable, and ocean worthy. Developed over 45 million years.

    Name:  halobates3.png
Views: 1109
Size:  124.2 KB

    And communicative. Ants, the concentric ripples you photographed are produced by male halobates to attract females. Think Match.Bug.

    Halobates have their own PFD's, which is really a water repellent envelope of small hairs that trap air. Halobates do not like to be submerged, but can survive 16 hours underwater if need be. On the surface, oceanic Halobates have a UV reflective coating which protects them from sunburn.

    Halobates can jump up to 6" high to avoid predators from below. They have antenna for instrumentation. Their short front legs are for catching prey. The long middle legs are hinged oars, and can propel them with great speed in 3 dimensions. And the rear legs are double rudders for steering.

    Note to Rob. Halobates are strongly attracted to night light. To catch one, try with a spotlight on the surface. Just beware of flying fish. I once had a large one flying fish sail into WILDFLOWER's cabin. Results were not pretty.
    Pelagic water striders. I had no idea....thanks for this!
    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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