Here is the link.
The photo is best enlarged. Probably all photos are. And includes my favorite attack canoe.
Steve Earley recently posted a lovely story proving that boats bring joy even to those who do not sail them. We all probably already knew that, but it is good to be reminded.
From Dieter comes an article about cruising boats stranded in the South Pacific hoping New Zealand will let them in before the cyclone season. I thank him. While I take exception to one statement in the article, I hope New Zealand does. It would be humane and it would be easy to isolate the crews at anchor or on moorings off Opua for testing and whatever remained of a quarantine period. All crews would have been at sea for at least a week before reaching New Zealand.
The sentence to which I take exception:
He says their members don't own rich superyachts - the vessels range from 7 to 20 metres long, and aren't capable of riding out a cyclone at sea.
If their boats aren’t capable of riding out a cyclone, they have the wrong boats. Or the wrong sailors. Mine could and did eight times, and even 18’ open CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE and 24’ ultralight GANNET survived 55 knot storms. Not quite hurricane strength, but close.
Some will say, “Well we can’t all be Webb Chiles.” True and a pity.
From Ron comes an article about the future of shipping which gives me pause. I thank him. Autonomous ships will not have humans standing watch, which means that once again the future is catching up with me who as a single handler never has kept constant watch. I wonder if the artificial intelligence controlling the ships will be able to detect GANNET or any moderate size sailboat under sail, No engine sound. No heat signature.
I walked to the Ralph’s supermarket across from the Sports Arena today and Ubered back. I was out of juice and berries and ended up spending $200, which did include a bottle of gin and another of an unknown to me single malt scotch named Glenbar. Ralph’s does not stock the nectar of the gods, so this will have to do.
I enjoyed the walk except when I had to pass at the greatest distance possible several unmasked homeless people. They have my distant sympathy, but I may Uber both ways next time.
I have been sleeping in the heaviest of my sleeping bags and with the hatches closed which reduces the noise of the occasional power boat and sea lion. Last night I decided to switch to a lighter bag and almost decided to leave the forward hatch open. Sometime in the middle of the night I was cooler than I wanted to be and switched back to the heavier bag. This morning when I woke I looked up and found the hatch directly above me sprayed with a massive hit from a passing sea gull. Had the hatch been open I would have had a very rude awakening.
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