Joshua Slocum reading,

While I'm at it I might as well put up this link to a website featuring an audio book on Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone around the World.

http://librivox.org/sailing-alone-around-the-world-by-joshua-slocum/  (New window)

It seems the memoir is in public domain and thus can be had in audio form through this organization at no charge.  This is, of course, after I had purchased the CD set at my local Goodwill.  With Slocum's turn of the century verbiage and the readers British accent it is an excellent listen.

I am more visual than audible and had to replay chapters several times to get details I would have easily gotten through reading.  This along with my ADD which tends to leave my ears behind while my mind went wandering.  Fortunately this wasn't about the technical aspects of single handed sailing but instead was about a man's thoughts and feelings and that is always more interesting to hear.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

End of an era,

Short note on some news from NOAA.  Seems economics has a part in their chart business and they have decided to end this long standing tradition.  It isn't the end of the world, just another sign of it's great changes.

http://money.msn.com/investing/news.aspx?feed=AP&date=20131022&id=17024520  (New window)

Propulsion and the buoy run,

Finally got around to my buoy run to keep me qualified to have a slip.  Hawaii has a law for motor vehicles to have safety checks annually.  Tires, lights, etc. are given the once over and with that you can get your registration renewed.  State harbors also have this procedure.  Along with a USCG inspection we are required to make a run out to the furthest buoy in the channel without assistance.  So any kind of motoring or sailing, and even paddling I would assume, is permissible. (I was on a website about a sailor decades ago that used a long paddle over the back of his sailboat and rowed gondola style.)  I fabricated a outboard motor mount so I could hang a 85hp Johnson off the stern.  I had the lower end in the water for months and it was covered with growth.  It cleaned up well, turned over but wouldn't start.  Turned out clipping jumper cables wasn't enough and only after bolting wires directly to the battery got it to run.  The thermostat was stuck and it wasn't making water.  After days of wrestling with batteries, and gas, and scraping and, and, and, I was at the end of my string.  I put in forward and revved it up and moments later there was a loud click and water poured out the p*** hose.

So I'm good for another year.  Oh, and got it to tilt the prop out of the water.

Power to the proletariats,

How's this, a 6 foot solar panel, for free.  Yep, guy tried to sell it but gave up and just wanted me to haul it away.  It's damaged.  The tempered glass is shattered and its 280 watt rating is now about 150.  But that's at 40 volts.  Kick it down to 15 volts and I'm good on amps.  Now where's that sun....

Bet the Mayan's never thought of this,

I just discovered this fabulous website for tracking the sun - suncalc.net.  I've been working on alternative power and my panels seem to be under the shadow of something or other most of the time.  Although my batteries do get fully charged, it's only one battery and I'm not using any substantial power for anything.  With this website I can see how the sun moves throughout the day all year and I can now plan for the best exposure.  If you do anything that depends on the sun this website is a great help.

If you care to look - http://www.suncalc.net/#/21.3159,-157.8912,7/2013.06.24/15:18 , when you get to the site click "satellite" view on the upper right and then zoom in.  It will take you right to my boat.  (And now you know.)  If your screen resolution is different and the maker is off, just look for the only double-ender on the pier.

I guess I didn't think you cared,

I couldn't find my blogs for some reason and had to reset passwords to finally get here.  With that, I decided to check my settings and noticed something about site visits and views.  When I originally started this I felt it was for me to log my thoughts and didn't really expect anyone to be reading my posts.  However, lo and behold as the saying goes, there you were - several in fact.  Dang! Like getting home after work and finding my fly was down.

Looking further (in settings, not my fly) I found COMMENTS.  I remember leaving it off on purpose.  After all, no intention for readers so no comments expected.  Well, in hindsight maybe I was a bit pessimistic about readership and thinking I could actually hide a blog on the WWW.  So I'll open up comments.  And even being doubly cursed with having never sailed ever, and, owning a cement sailboat, I'm steeled for whatever comes.  After all, I've done middle-school and puberty, and oh-so-many dances and hops through high school, I am familiar with ridicule and rejection.

Happy Holidays,

And Merry Christmas.

Another season upon us.  Slow progress with SR but at least it's progress.  Scrapped some of the deck to reveal the teak.  Lot's of work needed to bring her back but more and more it looks like SR was a very well built boat.  I also scrapped below the water line of algae and barnacles.  Next is to pull the outboard and get the lower unit cleaned up.  Neglected too long and now gotta pay the price.