Picture This: Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay (Boothbay Harbor, ME by K. Walters)
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Uninhabited but not Unnoticed
"Island, I see you in the distance I feel that your existence is not unlike my own Island, they say no man is like you They say you stand alone Sometimes I feel that way too" -Lyrics from Island by Jimmy Buffett Uninhabited (deserted) islands have been the setting for some of history's most intriguing stories. For example, consider the familiar story of Alexander Selkirk, a castaway who was marooned on lonely Mas a Tierra island for four years. Don't recognize Selkirk or Mas a Tierra? Daniel Defoe made them forever famous when he used Selkirk as real life inspiration for the novel Robinson Crusoe in 1719. Interestingly, Mas a Tierra was officially renamed Robinson Crusoe island in 1966 but is no longer uninhabited. Even if you're not into history, uninhabited islands still find a way to impact modern pop culture. Remember the television series Lost and the 2000 Hollywood hit movie Castaway ? Other shows like Survivor and Dual Survival also often ...
Picture This: From Under My Lone Palm
From Under My Lone Palm (by K. Walters) "From under my lone palm I can look out on the day Where no bird flies by my window No ship is tied to my tree Love is a wave building to a crescendo Ride if you will, ride it with me" Lyrics from Lone Palm by Jimmy Buffett
Low Tide on the Inland Seas
Sailors in salty parts of the world concern themselves with tides and moon phases, but Great Lakes sailors have mostly been immune to such navigational particulars (We do have seiches in the Great Lakes, but they are mostly unnoticeable). However, this coming season promises to make all of us who sail the inland seas study up on our charts and pay particular attention to chart datums, depth and boat draft because water levels are at or below all-time lows in all of the Great Lakes. It's starting to look like a perpetual low tide in many of the ports and harbors around the lakes. If you're interested in more details, you can read the short news piece I recently wrote for BoatUS Magazine highlighting the record low-water levels in the Great Lakes and some of their impacts and causes. Low water has rendered this boat ramp useless (L. Charlevoix - By K. Walters) The cause of the extremely low water levels is a complicated equation likely involving warmer/dryer than usual ...
Top Ten Nautical Terms
When I first learned to sail I quickly realized that part of the process was learning a new language. To some, this is a major turn-off and can feel intimidating. To me, sailing terminology and nautical lore are all part of the appeal. The jargon makes sailing unique and more fun. Where else can I get away with telling my kids to "Do the two-six heave on the jib sheet before that whelkie overtakes us to starboard!" in my best grungy skipper voice? If you're into etymology , you know that many modern day English phrases have roots in sailing and Royal Navy history. In fact, I'm always amazed to learn how much maritime history has shaped the world, not just directly by way of discovering and claiming new lands, but indirectly by influencing the way we communicate with one another, even when far removed from a life at sea. And so, I present to you my list of Top Ten Coolest Nautical Terms . Some have interesting meanings, others a strange history and some I simply pr...
The Lure of March
"I feel homesick for the sea, the desire to look again on the level expanse of salt water which has so often lulled me, which has smiled at me so frequently under the sparkling sunshine of a lovely day, which many times too has hurled the threat of death in my face with a swirl of white foam whipped by the wind under the dark December sky." - Joseph Conrad from The Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad It's about this time every year that the winter doldrums seem to peak and I find myself enticed by the nearing of March. The voices in my head begin their annual chanting, "Must go sailing...Must see open water...Must gaze at blue skies..." And so I find an excuse to make my way to the beach, hopelessly hoping I'll find 80 degree breezes and feel sun-baked sand warming my sole (soul). But alas, February rears her head again. I admit (and have before ) that winter, in all its' blustery chill and expanses of gray, has shown me beauty in an attempt to...
Picture This: Sailing Under the Mighty Mac
Sailing Under the Mighty Mac (Mackinac Bridge - World's 3rd Longest Suspension Bridge) Picture This Bonus: Video footage of s/v Island Bound sailing under the Mackinac Bridge
Comfort, Capsizing, and SailCalc
"It is impossible, in this world, to achieve an ideal; and if you do not believe this, I recommend you to take a picture of your perfect ship out of your mind's eye and try to copy it exactly in metal and canvas and wood." - Weston Martyr , British yachtsmen and partial influence for the creation of the Fastnet race Following on the theme of choosing a cruising sailboat as an exercise in compromise, I thought I'd turn a bit "math geek" and examine some of the numbers and formulas that attempt to quantify sailboat design. Now before you start sending comments and emails telling me that numbers don't tell the whole story and such, let me say that this post and a few others I've made about sailboat design are merely part of my own education and exploration of my sailboat and the many others out there that could one day be our next cruising sailboat. So, with the disclaimer now out of the way, let's begin. Have you ever thought abou...
