Dust in the Wind

Pics of the Week

Be careful out there this weekend!

Steve Jobs Playboy Interview - 1985

The Mac had been out for a year, Jobs was about to be ousted by the board and he was making millions. Here is the Playboy interview with Jobs: "At Apple, people are putting in 18-hour days. We attract a different type of person—a person who doesn’t want to wait five or ten years to have someone take a giant risk on him or her. Someone who really wants to get in a little over his head and make a little dent in the universe. We are aware that we are doing something significant. We’re here at the beginning of it and we’re able to shape how it goes. Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future. Most of the time, we’re taking things. Neither you nor I made the clothes we wear; we don’t make the food or grow the foods we eat; we use a language that was developed by other people; we use another society’s mathematics. Very rarely do we get a chance to put something back into that pool. I think we have that opportunity now. And no, we don’t know where it will lead. We just know there’s something much bigger than any of us here". Read the complete interview here.

Channel Surfing

This is picture is from a Spanish blog. Here is the translation from Google: A big shock is what this boat was nearly 12 meters into the harbor on Saturday afternoon at the port of Zumaia. About seven in the evening and in the creeks of Orrua, many boats were returning from a day's sailing. The sea was calm, apparently by a lack of wind but the series of waves entering the bay were very large. Several of these vessels do not control the time of the series and were hit by the waves right in the mouth of the harbor. Ships with a good engine can draw all their power in cases like this but the big problem is for those with little motor yachts. This was the case with this boat called Urola. No well-calculated entry in the series and saw the middle of several waves. In the first as shown in the sequence of photographs to get a move but the lack of engine lets you at the mercy of the next to be engulfed by all the foam. When viewing the present situation and thought that the mast was about to dump, and was able to stand again into port after a big scare. To see the series of pics of the boat in the waves, click here.
Via Sailing Anarchy

Got Insurance?

Geelong Week

A truly massive turnout of 423 yachts and over 4500 competitors sailed in more than 110 races at this year's Skandia Geelong Week. Australia’s largest sailing regatta, and Victoria’s oldest sporting event, Geelong Week dates back all the way to 1844. This year's event packed in a lot of excitement over four days, and included a bit of something for everyone, with visits from Tall Ships, Grand Prix yachts, Moth hydrofoils, classic sailboats, and racing on some of the hottest speed sailing boats in Australia.

Dreams

Do you have any dreams of sailing off to a tropical paradise at some point in your life? Or maybe a dream of a visit to some far off country and spend a good length of time there? No matter what your dream is, now is the time to reinforce your thoughts about that dream. With all the turmoil in our lives today, its easy to give up and lose sight of our dreams. What if you don't even have a dream? Well my friends, dreams are what can motivate you and give you a sense of purpose. Start thinking about things that you have heard about that interest you. It can be simple things or it could be something that may take many years to accomplish. I recently read a great story about a family who decided to build a large boat in there back yard so they could sail away. Friends and family worked for almost 20 years before they launched the boat. Through illness, hardships, and having a bunch of equipment stolen, they accomplished their dream. And now they are sailing! My dream is to sail to New Zealand on a 2 year voyage. My hope was to leave in the next 6-8 years. It may now be 10 years down the road but I still have a very strong desire to make this dream come true. Never give up on your dreams!

Let's Go Swimming - Not!

Killer Biscuit

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Cool Pics

Green Room

My Eyes Won't Dry 2 "Tube Vision"

Pics of the Day

Strange Creature Found on Ocean Bottom

This is a weird one. The creature was found walking along the bottom in about 100 feet of water. See it for yourself on this vid.

For Sale by Owner

Used lightly over the last few years, our Santana 22 is up for sale. She has lots of space in the cockpit for large crews of friends and family. Cockpit works well for lounging and sleeping. Easy to board from the dock or the water. Excellent ground tackle. Needs some TLC. Best offer takes her home.

Pic of the Day

Go Kart

Shopping Cart Racer

LSD House

House architecture is based on Jan Marcin Szancer (famous Polish drawer and child books illustrator) and Per Dahlberg (Swedish painter living in Sopot) pictures and paintings.

Couple Wins Sailing Award

The Cruising Club of America has selected Susanne Huber-Curphey and Tony Curphey, a married couple and solo sailors who live together while in port, but sail their own boats cruising around the world, to receive its prestigious 2008 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship. Huber-Curphey sails a 1964 Rhodes 41 fiberglass sloop, So Long, and her husband Tony's boat, Galenaia, is a 1958 plywood 27-foot heavy displacement cutter.

Susanne, 47, is from Germany, and is an architect, while Tony, 63, who is English, is retired. Their dog, Honey, sails with Susanne, and because of severe pet laws in some countries, can change their cruising plans. The trophy was presented at the club's annual Awards Dinner in New York on January 13, 2009 by CCA Commodore Ross Sherbrooke, of Boston, Mass.

The couple had planned a passage from Bunbury in West Australia with their destination Lautoka, in Fiji. This non-stop voyage was to take them via the Great Australian Bight, south of Tasmania, and through the Tasman Sea west of New Zealand.

On the 29th day out of Bunbury, in gale force winds from the northeast, Tony noticed that Galenaia was taking water from aft. Upon inspection in heavy seas, he saw that the transom-hung rudder was cracked above the waterline, and that the skeg was broken. At their noon radio schedule Tony discussed the situation with Susanne and asked her to stand by on the radio every hour. He then rigged three lines over the transom, hoping to stop any movement of the skeg.

Susanne and So Long had been becalmed for four days and was now 150 miles ahead of Tony's Galenaia. In the afternoon, Tony told her, 'If I have to be rescued, I would rather it was by my wife rather than authorities responding to an EPIRB deployment.' He later said, 'We decided that she would make her way back to me, and in fact my brave, lovely wife had already changed course and was heading back towards me.'

The next morning the gale had gone, but rough and sloppy seas remained. Tony launched the Avon inflatable dinghy, and with wet suit, mask, and snorkel, he went in the water to inspect the damage. He discovered that the whole fore and aft length of the skeg, about a meter and a half, was broken away from the hull and leaning to port and that he rudder had snapped just above the waterline. The water influx required pumping once an hour.

The wind vane steering was still working, and the trim-tab attached to the lower half of the rudder worked, so Galenaia got under way. On the 28th of March, two days after she turned around and 31 days out of Bunbury, Susanne and So Long, with the aid of GPS and regular single sideband radio contact, made a visual sighting of Tony and Galenaia.

Susanne suggested towing, thinking that if the worst happened and Galenaiabegan breaking up, Tony at least would be on the end of a line. That would make it easier for him to get aboard So Long if he had to.

In late afternoon with a big swell running, and with masts coming perilously close together, the third attempt was successful and Tony got a heaving line across to So Long. Between them, they had about 80 meters of 16mm nylon towline. According to Tony, 'the whole episode was quite nerve wracking.'

They decided to head for Port Nelson, at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand, about 650 nautical miles distant. Their main intention was to get north as quickly as possible to get out of the paths of the frequent cold fronts and gales which cross the Tasman Sea at that time of year. The weather during the tow ranged from calms when Susanne would motor, and up to force 7 or 8. Most of the time both boats had sails up, and both were using their wind vane steering. At one time Galenaia in very light weather managed to get the tow line around her keel. It was cleared with no further damage done.

Under the threat of another gale which might have proved too much for the damaged Galenaia, King Neptune smiled, and So Long towed Tony and his boat into Nelson harbor eight days and 650 miles after taking the tow in the Tasman Sea. They arrived on a Saturday afternoon, with Customs and harbor authorities forewarned, and after clearing Galenaia was lifted out of the water. According to Tony, 'I was finally able to embrace my heroine after 39 days at sea, the last eight of which we were only 80 meters apart.'

Crew Wanted

If you ever had a desire to cruise the oceans of the world and wanted to find out what it is all about, this may be the site to check out. Floatplan will hook you up with other sailors looking for crew all over the world. Now is the time to hop on a beautiful yacht and sail away.

Rings

Please Don't Alter the Pool!

Miss Cindy

Miss Cindy is currently cruising Mexico. She is a 16' junk rigged microcat. Trucked down to Mexico, she is on an extended cruse with her owner. Amazingly this little craft can do over 10 knots in a good breeze. She is headed towards the Caribbean eventually. Check out Tony's blog here.

Pics of the Day

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Are You Exercising in 2009??

Research has shown time and again how important it is to exercise on a daily basis. For sailors, we need good knees, a strong back, endurance, and over all flexibility. My current regime is running, swimming and biking. My goal is 1.5 hours each day. That means I do 2 out of the 3 disciplines each day. I hope to start weight training twice a week in the next week. At 50, I need to stay healthy so that I can continue to sail into my 80's. Here is a great article on all the benefits of getting off the couch!

So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star

Well if you can't be one, why not listen to some of the best in concert.....for free! Bill Graham produced some of the best shows with the top bands from the 60's to the 90's. Re-live many of those shows at Wolfgang's (his nickname) Vault. These recordings were taken from the soundboards at the shows so they are top quality. You can also listen to interviews with your favorite artist. Checkout the full lineup. Here is a sample of bands that start with the letter "P".
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Mac Book Wheel

Excellent parody!

360 View of the Hawaiians

Hawaii is such a beautiful spot in the Pacific. To think that these islands have sprung from the the ocean floor to become some of the most beautiful islands in the world is mind boggling. Take a 360 degree slideshow tour of some of the chain's most exotic spots. Once the picture loads, push down on your mouse button while you move the cursor around the pic to see the entire shot. Aloha!

Have a Smashing Weekend!

Movie Review - Benjamin Button

Bridget and I went to see Benjamin Button last night and it was excellent. And hey, there is even a little sailing on a beautiful sloop. Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, this movie is a masterpiece, a classic and amazing. Button is born old and gets younger thru his life. It's a love story that revolves around hope. It's a period piece set in New Orleans in the 20's and moves to modern day. The sets are gorgeous, the acting is superb and I have run out of superlatives. Just go see it with a good friend or loved one. You will love it too!

Chance + Luck = Life

Chance
by titounetsan

Anchoring Etiquette

Have we done something wrong? Not enough chain? too much chain? Why is the guy on the next boat glowering? Am I on top of his anchor? Will I swing into him? Doesn't he like the smell of sausages on the barbecue? Anchoring, particularly where the bay is tight with boats, is a matter of etiquette, and if you don't get it right, you may not have many friends left in the anchorage.

So here are the eight top rules of Anchoring Etiquette:

1. The first boat sets the precedent:
So, if you arrive in an anchorage and the first one there is a cabin cruiser that yaws all over the place and they have 200 feet or 60 feet of rod out in five feet of water, they have set the precedent. Any subsequent comers will need to give them room. After that, simply treat others as you would like to be treated - with respect.

2. Watch your Wake:
Entering an anchorage or a mooring area is like moving into a new neighborhood. Enter at a slow speed, less than five knots, to avoid making a wake which might upset their sundowner drinks or the bits from the winch they were servicing, or dinner preparations. This also applies to dinghies when traveling close to anchored boats - and in most countries it's the law anyway.

3. Give yourself, and other boats room:
Look at the wind in the anchorage and try to work out where the anchors of other boats are lying. Cruise through the anchorage a couple of times to assess the situation. Calling out to find out how much chain the boat has out is an indicator that you are aware of swing patterns and will attempt to place your boat so that it is not in the way of another boat. There's also some self preservation here too, as you may want to stay clear of potential party boats, or the boat with that very noisy wind generator. Remember, if he was here first, you are the one who has to move.

4. Watch the 'Magnet Effect':
A boat already anchored seems to attract the next boat to anchor right next to it, even though there is an enormous bay to anchor in. Try not to do this, and, if you were there first, it is your right to speak to a boat that arrives after you and ask them to move if you feel that they are too close.

5. Sound carries far:
Voices, music, engine noise, especially outboard motors, unmuffled go-fast boats, ski boats, jet skis, generators, barking dogs and the dreaded ringing telephone are all examples of the egregious disruption of anchorage serenity. Common sense should prevail in predicting what will not be appreciated and protecting the serenity for the common good.

6. Keep Bow to Cockpit communications civil:
According to Capts. Daria and Alex Blackwell, it's not the anchoring, or the need to re-anchor, which separates the beginners from the experts. It is the amount of yelling and chaos that breaks out between the person handling the anchor and the person steering the boat. Boating is the only sport that requires T-shirts which proclaim 'Don't yell at me!' Either develop a set of hand signals, or better still, use some inexpensive walkie talkies, so that at least your comments on the abilities of your other crew member will be kept on your boat.

7. Think of your neighbors AND the environment:
The smell of burgers on the grill might be a marvelous aroma for most, but really smelly cooking upwind of a boatload of vegetarians may be a cause for some strong sentiments. Don't go into a crowded anchorage full of pristine water and then not use the holding tank! - It's really not a good scene for swimmers in the water. And it can ruin your whole day to find yourself swimming with rotten tomatoes or floating banana skins.

8. Be careful with lights at night:
When anchored at night always have an anchor light on(black ball during the day), when looking for an anchorage don't shine a strong beam directly into another boat's cockpit, and don't be the boat that's lit up like a football field deep into the night when all else in the anchorage are trying to sleep.

Follow these simple rules and you'll retain good relations with all your neighboring boats and sailing friends.

by Nancy Knudsen

A Day in the Life - SF Time Lapse

Lighter in a Blender (who woulda thunk it?)

More Great Pics

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Pic of the Week - Hong Kong

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