San Francisco Pier 39 sea lions disappear

I think they all came up to Washington!  I've got more than usual out front here: "For two decades, hundreds of sea lions have made their home at San Francisco’s Pier 39. They have provided hours of entertainment to onlookers from all over the world. Recently, however, these entertaining sea mammals have disappeared and no one knows why.

The Marine Mammal Center counted more than 1700 sea lions on October 23rd. On December 29th, only about a dozen were found and these were attempting to climb on docks other than the ones reserved for them."

14-year-old Dutch sailor given the green light to sail

This is great news!: "In an amazing reversal, a Dutch court has ignored child welfare workers' plea that would-be circumnavigating teen sailor Laura Dekker be put in the care of a foster family.

Further, they have assured her that, pending certain conditions being met, she will definitely be allowed to go sailing next summer.

This means that the young sailor, who was born on a sailing boat in New Zealand, will be allowed to go sailing solo before her 15th birthday in September next year."

Christmas Boats

Christmas Boats: "Tis the season when boaters take to the water to display their holiday spirit. Whatever your religious beliefs, there is no denying that decking your boat out in lights and parading along in front of cheering crowds is a fun time. All around the world, holiday boat parades have been taking place over the last few weeks, delighting spectators with floating cheer. In case you didn't have a chance to get out and enjoy one of these parades first hand, we thought we would share the fun with you. So, here are some of our favorite lighted boat parade photos, along with the YachtPals Christmas poem, a little fun to brighten up your holidays:"

Harbor WildWatch Publishes New Book

Good for the Puget Sound and a great model for every Harbor Community: "The newly revised edition of “Puget Sound’s Wildside — A Natural History of Puget Sound’s Marine Environment” is available for purchase at Mostly Books on Harborview Drive and at the Gig Harbor Visitors Center on Judson Street. It also can be purchased from the Harbor WildWatch Web site at harborwildwatch.org."

World’s most expensive motorcyle – but it comes with a free yacht.

I usually have a bicycle on board for use in port.  I like to ride around and get excercise, pick up supplies across town,  You know...the usual.
"Lubek, Germany custom bike builders House of Thunder have taken the term ‘boys toys’ to a new level.

They claim to have built the world’s most expensive chopper - at a whopping £14.2 million!

The catch is that it comes with its own (mobile) garage, a 45metre transoceanic yacht!"

12 concept yachts to sail you through environmental constraints « Science News

I always dial in these types of articles, they inspire my imagination.:
"The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy, especially in the context of sailing, since most yachts spend most of their sailing hours in balmy weather. Arcadia has latched on to this fact and has thus started building super luxury yachts with hybrid means of propulsion. The ultra luxurious yachts that come in 75′ and 175′ variants use a mix of solar panels and diesel engines for propulsion. Thus, Arcadia is making sure that the swish set doesn’t get embarrassed by all that bespoke luxury by adding a good dose of the extremely essential green quotient."

Personal Sailing Moments of 2009

Personal Sailing Moments of 2009 - Messing About In Sailboats: "Over the weekend, I had time for a bit of self-indulgent looking-back at my personal sailing year. As I looked back on my most memorable sails, I realized that everyone of them was a 'learning moment'. Few of the sails were spectacular but each one made me a better sailor or at least a less dumb one."

The great Belizian Blue Hole.

Bizarre and unusual destinations around the world: "There are many blue holes off the coast of Belize, but the 'great' Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef Atoll is the one most visible in a flyover--and the most famous one for diving. The hole is about 1,000 feet in diameter and 412 feet deep. The Blue Hole sits on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, about 50 miles east of Belize City.

The late Jacques Cousteau and a filming crew explored the underwater cave whose roof collapsed about 10,000 years ago."

Absconded solo sailing girl to be repatriated

Good article including audio form Radio Netherlands. Isn't it great that an international alert can turn up a missing girl so quickly? However, doesn't it stand to reason that if the girl has a mind to sail around the globe by herself, that she's plenty capable of "running away"? And what's safer? To be sailing or flying to the Carribean. I like her style. Don't tell me she needs to be caged. I like what Jessica Watson's mother said..that Jessica is probably the most watched kid in the world. And her parents know exactly where she is at any given moment. My parents didn't.

Absconded solo sailing girl to be repatriated: "Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old Dutch girl who caught the world's attention with her plans to sail solo around the world at the end of last summer, has been found in Sint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. She went missing on Friday.

According to press reports it was not her father that reported her missing, but other members of her family, who first got in touch with the child protection agency and the police. This led to speculation that her father, who is also a keen yachtsman, may have been involved in Laura's trip to the Dutch island in the Caribbean."

Free and Cheap Boating Gifts

Free and Cheap Boating Gifts: "Even though many people are on a tight budget this holiday season, it is still feasible to give a great gift with plenty of meaning that costs little or even nothing but means more to the avid boater in your life that you can imagine. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Volunteer your time on a boat maintenance project over the winter, or even for the spring launch event.
2. Purchase an inexpensive photo frame and add a favorite picture of their boat or of them boating.
3. Give a 'save the date' and offer to go to a boat show with them during the boat show season.
4. Sign them up for a free boating class with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and offer to attend it with them.
5. Wash and wax their boat for free - and even more than once.

Hey last minute shopper!

Having trouble finding something unique for the boater in your life?

Purchase a gift certificate at any amount here and we'll email you a cool little coupon like the one you see above.  They can use it for design, production, custom gear like hats, shirts mugs and a hundred other things!

Boat could explore Saturn Moon?

I already have plans. I'm sorry I wont be able to make this trip!:

"A daring proposal to try to put a 'boat' down on a sea of Saturn's moon Titan is about to be submitted to Nasa.

The scientific team behind the idea is targeting Ligeia Mare, a vast body of liquid methane sited in the high north of Saturn's largest moon.

The concept will be suggested to the US space agency for one of its future mission opportunities that will test a novel power system.

It would be the first exploration of a planetary sea beyond Earth."

What’s in a Boat Name?

A great post by Grammar Tales.

What’s in a Boat Name? « Grammar Tales: "Sailing has been described as “the fine art of getting wet and becoming ill while slowly going nowhere at great expense.” There are lots of names that reference the cost involved in keeping a boat: Soggy Dollars, Cash Flow, Time and Money, Colin’s Tuition, Moby Debt, and Last Nickel."

Remembering Roy

I never sailed with him, but I worked with him.  My first job out of college in corporate relations at the studio in Burbank.  What a ride!  Many great memories at "The Mouse" as a fly on the wall whilst some of my heroes changed Hollywood and film business.   Roy had the coolest office...down the hall from from Eisner and Katzenberg, and he inspired me to make my office more like a home away from home.

Remembering Roy: "I think Roy Disney liked sailing in part because, on a boat, he was just one of the boys, not the gazillionaire who ousted Michael Eisner and revived animation at the Disney studios. Those who have heard only of his high-profile racing yachts would not know that he started with modest cruising boats, got hooked, and just got steadily deeper into the game. I first sailed with him in the 1980s when he brought his shiny new Shamrock to a Big Boat Series and discovered that she was not at all right for the job. Shamrock was a lovely boat, as green as Ireland, but an S&S centerboard yawl best put to uses other than broaching around the buoys on San Francisco Bay. He loved that boat and never sold it."

Picasso of the Sea

1000days.net: "Picasso needs no introduction, he was the greatest painter of the 20th century. They say he was a truthful man who didn't hide his inspirations or the techniques he used to realize them. I also try to be creative, caring, spontaneous and sincere and share my life journey openly.

In the meantime, I still work every day doing my chores and some special project like cleaning the deepest most difficult to get to bilges. Everyday I do some boat work, then I eagerly get to work creating art! I love it. It is a great time now."

A New York Harbor Sketchbook

A New York Harbor Sketchbook: "So, don’t request a tug to blow their horn as they go by: there is always someone trying to sleep. They fight constant noise, vibration, light, motion, odors; are interrupted by drills — I just cannot imagine it. As one chief mate puts it: “…bear in mind that we work aboard vessels that are essentially designed to collide with things…”"

Jack Goes Boating

Sundance 2010: Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Directorial Debut:  "In the dead of winter, we meet Jack (Hoffman), a limo driver who has vague dreams of landing a job with the MTA, a mild obsessionwith a reggae song, and has begun a half-hearted attempt at growing dreadlocks. He spends most of his time hanging out with his best friend and fellow driver, Clyde and Clyde’s wife Lucy.

The couple set Jack up with Connie, a co-worker of Lucy’s at Dr. Bob’s Funeral Home in Brooklyn. Being with Connie inspires Jack to learn to cook, pursue a new career, and take swimming lessons from Clyde so he can give Connie the romantic boat ride she wants. But as Jack and Connie cautiously circle commitment, Clyde and Lucy’s marriage begins to disintegrate. From there, we watch as each couple must come face to face with the inevitable path of their relationship."

Quadriplegic Yachtsman aboard Impossible Dream

I love these kinds of stories!: "Canary Islands - Many Yacht Pals cross the pond each year, but this transat is quite special. Our friend Geoff Holt, known both for his historic sail around Britain and his work in creating the model for modern disabled sailing programs around the globe, has cast off from the Canaries, and is currently bound for the Spanish Main. When he makes it, he will be the first quadriplegic to solo the Atlantic Ocean. His aptly named 60 foot catamaran Impossible Dream is now making way on the 2700 mile journey, and a certain Caribbean beach is in for a rude Christmas present."

Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki: "The balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki was launched in 1947 and was named after the Inca sun god Viracocha, for whom 'Kon-Tiki' was said to be an old name. The raft hoisted sail outside the port of Callào in Peru with 6 men onboard. Norwegians Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Watzinger, Knut Haugland, Torstein Raaby and Erik Hesselberg, and a Swede, Bengt Danielsson. Heyerdahl was out to prove that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. His aim in mounting the Kon-Tiki expedition was to show, by using only the materials available to those people at the time, that there was no technical reasons to prevent them from sailing from South America to the South Pacific."

Phuket,Thailand,sailing,regatta

Phuket,Thailand,sailing,regatta: "Phuket - Thailand was voted the favourite sailing venue in Asia and the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta best regatta in Asia, according to a recent survey. The survey found also that the Regatta generated approximately 40 million baht for the Island economy during the 2009 event.

The Sailing survey was conducted by the Top of The Gulf Regatta in co-operation with the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, with the aim to find out sailing trends and provide useful information in helping to attract more sailors to Thailand.

Phuket King’s Cup this year attracted 111 boats, approximately 1,000 registered sailors of 33 different nationalities from all corners of the globe. The survey found that over 30% of the sailors who participated in the 23rd Phuket King’s Cup Regatta have been sailing in Thailand for more than 10 years, while 20% are new – sailing in Thailand for 1-3 years.

The survey found that Thailand is a popular sailing destination with international sailors, with many returning numerous times to enjoy the cruising grounds and sailing events Thailand has to offer. 56% said that the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is their favourite regatta in Asia while 71% said that Thailand, with the main sailing areas being Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, is the best sailing venue in Asia due to an ideal geography, good weather conditions and beautiful scenery."

Sailing to the ski slopes in Iceland

This sounds so crazy...I think I'll have to put it on my todo list. Two things I like, skiing and sailing: "Ahead of me lay a journey into uninhabited wilderness just 24km shy of the Arctic Circle where, travelling and sleeping on the 18m yacht with eight others, I'd spend four days hiking up snowbound peaks and then snowboarding down to the sea's edge."

Carpe Ventum...Seize the wind.

Seize the wind.
Marine Graphics, Inc.

When designing custom boat lettering, up with I look at every boat as if it were my own. So it stands to reason that as I've been thinking about names for my own sailboat, I have a lot to choose from - over 10,000 last I checked!. This doesn't make it any easier.

My kids have their own ideas, but I still keep coming back to this "Carpe Ventum" because of what it means to me. I took latin in highschool, but I only first learned the translation of the popular Carpe dium while working on the film Dead Poets Society during my Disney Studio days. I took the advice in the film and left Disney for a walk-about in Alaska where I fell in love with the sea (again) and I haven't been far from my boats ever since.

In this name there's a mixed sense of "going with the flow" and "living life to its fullest." I also like it because I can use this really cool photo I snapped of a Heron...a bird with sails for wings AND a beak long enough to finish the middle of the E in Ventum. Yup. I like it.

Sailing Etiquette | DoItYourself.com

I've notice a few recent sailing entries at this DoItYourself.com site which is kind of funny with all the solo sailing stuff in the news these days.

"Sailing enthusiasts know that there is a code of conduct that all sailors must abide by to maintain order between sailboats and to exhibit stewardship of the world’s waterways. This is known as sailing etiquette. Just like on a golf course where participants modify their attitude and behavior to a standard, while sailing, skippers and crewmembers have an obligation to fulfill certain tasks and follow both written and unwritten rules. Etiquette while sailing includes the laws of the sea, but it is not limited to that. Proper etiquette equally involves courteousness and goodwill to fellow sailors and other boaters as well as a general standard of stewardship."

Yesterday I found an article come across the wire about "How to Heave To" Hopefully people are not reading this while sailing near Chinese freighters.

Best Boats 2010

Sounds like the Annapolis and Newport boat shows were busy and that's a good thing! From entry-level dinghies to fully kitted-out global cruisers...Here are SAIL's choices for Best Boats Awards with additional links that I've added for quick looks.



Cruising Monohull Under 50ft - Catalina 445
Performance Boat - J/95
Cruising Multihull - Leopard 38/Sunsail 384
Small Boat (under 25 feet) - K650
Dinghy - Topaz
Systems - Passport 615
Green Award - Eko 6.5
Deck and Cockpit Plan - Morris M52
Accommodations - Island Packet Estero

The J Sailing 2010 Calendar

The New Calendars Here! The New Calendars Here!
I like em all but as a photo editor and graphics guy I'll vote for November. First for composition...I'm going to use this for my next water color painting. Second because November is my month, my birthday month, and it was a good one this year, although I didn't take my own advice and sail. It wasn't the weather that held me back...I'm no fair weather sailor. It was that unmentionable four letter word that starts with "W."

Grog's Boating Knots Index

Grog's Boating Knots Index: "The nautical knots used when berthing a large vessel, docking your yacht, tying up dinghy painters, and managing sails are all aimed at safety and reliability. The emphasis for boating knots is on reliability matched with the ability to untie each knot fairly easily."

Sea Orbiter: Around the World in 730 Days

Is this normal? I mean...have I been missing these most amazing creations every year or are we witnessing a nautical renaissance in boat design this year?

"The Sea Orbiter is a 170-foot vessel that looks like an airplane wing set on its side, designed to drift around the earth while bored scientists inside study fish, plankton, and the ecology of the underwater world while getting on each other's nerves. Powered by nothing but sea currents and blown by the wind, the slow-moving ship will take two years to circumnavigate the earth, giving the scientists plenty of time to figure out what's happening in the underwater world in which two-thirds of this odd-looking craft is submerged.

Showing interest in the ship are NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), which are both quite familiar with sending people to sit inside isolated tin cans for months or years on end in the name of research. While this is pretty much vaporware so far with just a scale model in existence, the ship's designer, French architect Jacques Rougerie, plans to actually build this gigantic buoy and set sail sometime soon. Bon voyage. – Charlie White"

My First Picture Book of Boating Words

Happy Black Friday, but seriously my friends...Avoid the mall...shop online.: "This little book is a perfect way to teach small children about boats and subjects common to the water. Your child will bring it to you over and over again to look at the pictures and learn about boats."

Invasive snails close Capitol - and Happy Thanksgiving.

Now this is a headline that caught my eye! Probably because I only read the first four words and think - Sci fi screenplay with giant snails chasing screaming people out of the capitol building: Don't loose your stuffing...Turns out its just your average foreign species upsetting the balance of nature story...and it affects boaters. Just an eight of an inch!?! Darn those pesky mudsnails!

By the way, did you know Ancient Romans used snail slime as an early form of roll on deodorant? But first the news from Capitol Lake.

Invasive snails close Capitol Lake boating.

"Scientists have confirmed that Capitol Lake in Olympia is infested with aquatic invasive New Zealand mudsnails.

The state Department of General Administration, which manages the 260-acre lake, has closed all three boat-launch areas.

Measuring an eighth of an inch, New Zealand mudsnails also have been detected in freshwater canals on the Long Beach Peninsula and in the lower portion of the Columbia River. They can live in either fresh or brackish water and can reproduce asexually, said Allen Pleus, state Department of Fish and Wildlife aquatic invasive species coordinator."

Snail Fact to impress your friends and family around the supper table tonight.

1. The largest land snail ever found was 15 inches long and weighed 2 pounds!

2. Snails' bodies produce a thick slime. Because of this slime, they can crawl across the edge of a razor and not get hurt.

3. Some snails have been known to live up to 15 years.

4. Snails are hermaphrodites which means that they have both male and female reproductive organs.

5. Snails have six vagina's, two of which are located in their mouth.

6. Snails usually travel in irregular paths, often traveling in a circle.

7. Snails reply mainly on their sense of touch and smell when finding food because they have very poor eyesight.

8. Snails cannot hear.

9. Snails can retract one or both of their tentacles at a time.

10. Snails are the armored cousins of the slug.

11. Because of the suction created by their slime, a snail can crawl upside down.

12. Snails are nocturnal animals which means they are more active at night.

13. Garden Snails mainly eat garden plants and vegetables, but they will also eat decaying plants and soil.

14. The fastest snails are the speckled garden snails which can move up to 55 yards per hour compared 23 inches per hour of most other land snails.

15. Ancient Romans use snail slime as an early form of roll on deodorant.

16. Garden snails hibernate during the winter and live on their stored fat.

17. Garden snails breathe with lungs.

18. Garden snails evolved from sea snails that had anal sex with giant land slugs about 600 million years ago.

19. The garden snail is cooked and eaten as a delicacy called escargot

20. May 24th is National Escargot Day

The Bluefin Tuna in Peril: Scientific American

I'm embarrassed to admit, I never realized the Blue Fin was a warm-blooded fish!

"All tuna are not alike. The canned tuna fish in sandwiches and salads comes from either skipjack, a meter-long species that is caught in prodigious quantities around the world and served as “light meat tuna,” or albacore, another small fish that is marketed as “white meat tuna.” The yellowfin and the bigeye tuna are larger species that are also heavily fished, but neither makes for particularly wonderful sushi, and they are usually served grilled. But the bluefin tuna, a giant among fishes, is the premier choice for sushi and sashimi and has become the most desirable food fish in the world. As such, it has vaulted to the top of another, more insidious list: it is probably the most endangered of all large fish species. Heedless overfishing is steadily pushing the bluefin toward extinction, and the species may soon disappear unless entrepreneurial fish farmers can learn how to breed the tuna in captivity."
Reaching a maximum known weight close to three quarters of a ton and a length of four meters, the bluefin is a massive hunk of superheated muscle that cleaves the water by flicking its scimitar-shaped tail. Whereas most of the approximately 20,000 fish species are cold-blooded, possessing a body temperature the same as that of the water in which they swim, the bluefin is one of the few warm-blooded fishes. During a dive to one kilometer below the surface, where the ambient water temperature can be five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), the bluefin can maintain a body temperature of 27 degrees C (81 degrees F), close to that of a mammal. The bluefin is also among the fastest of all fishes, capable of speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour and able to migrate across entire oceans. It is such a marvelous swimmer that when scientists in the 1990s endeavored to build a mechanical fish, they used the species as a model, designing a robot with a tapered, bullet-shaped body and a rigid, quarter-moon tail fin [see “An Efficient Swimming Machine,” by Michael S. Triantafyllou and George S. Triantafyllou; Scientific American, March 1995]. The researchers found that the tail’s efficiency lay in the interaction of the vortices created by its rapid flexing, but the hydrodynamics of their electronic models did not even come close to that of a true bluefin. “The more sophisticated our robotic-tuna designs become,” the Triantafyllou brothers wrote, “the more admiration we have for the flesh-and-blood model.”

iPhone Knot Guide

"Need to tie a knot? Knot Guide will teach you the ropes!

Knot Guide NOW includes the following 78 knots, 66 of which are unique:

Alpine Butterfly on a Bight, Adjustable Bend, Adjustable Loop, Anchor Bend, Arbor Knot, Ashley's Stopper, Bachmann Hitch, Blake's Hitch, Blood Knot, Bowline, Bowline on a Bight, Braid Knot, Buntline Hitch, Carrick Bend, Clinch Knot, Clove Hitch, Clove Hitch on a Bight, Constrictor, Countryman's Knot, Cow Hitch, Diagonal Lashing, Double Figure Eight Loop, Double Fisherman's, Double Overhand Stopper, Double Sheet Bend, Double Surgeon's Loop, Figure Eight Follow Through, Figure Eight Knot, Figure Eight Loop, Fisherman's Bend, Flemish Flake, Gasket Coil, Girth Hitch, Highwayman's Hitch, Honda Knot, Hunter's Bend, Improved Clinch Knot, Klemheist Knot, Lariat, Lark's Head, Lumberman's Knot, Monkey Fist, Mooring Hitch, Munter Hitch, Nail Knot, Overhand Knot, Oysterman's Stopper, Palomar Knot, Perfection Loop, Prusik Knot, Rapala, Reef Knot, Rigger's Bend, Rolling Hitch, Rosendahl Bend, Rosendahl Loop, Round Lashing, Running Bowline, Running Knot, San Diego Jam Knot, Sheepshank, Sheet Bend, Slip, Square, Square Lashing, Stevedore, Surgeon's Knot, Tautline Hitch, Timber Hitch, Trucker's Hitch (1), Trucker's Hitch (2), Turk's Head 3L5B, Turle Knot, Two Half Hitches, Uni Knot, Yosemite Bowline, Zeppelin Bend, Zeppelin Loop

14 CATEGORIES include:
Bends, Binding Knots, Climbing Knots, Decorative Knots, Fishing Knots, Hitches (End), Hitches (Middle), Lashings, Loops (Fixed), Loops (Slip), Rope Care, Sailing Knots, Shortenings, Stopper Knots

FEATURES:
* Clear, colorful photographs
* Browse search by category or knot name
* From the 'Knot Categories' screen, select a knot category (description and photo included for each category)
* Next, select a specific knot from your chosen category (description and photo included for each specific knot)
* Swipe the images to move forward or backward through the visual steps.
* Save your favorite knots for easy access
* 'Knot Lingo' screen covers basic terms for knot tying.

People of all walks of life since ancient times have found knots both fascinating and essential. Knots are used in sailing, climbing, tree trimming, jewelry making, and everyday tasks such as hitching a load to your vehicle.
Whether you are a novice or you have experience with tying knots, Knot Guide will assist you!"

Hundreds Of Icebergs Sailing Towards New Zealand - Science News - redOrbit

Hundreds Of Icebergs Sailing Towards New Zealand - Science News - redOrbit: "Over one hundred Antarctic icebergs are moving towards New Zealand in an extraordinary happening that has raised a shipping warning, officials announced Monday.

An Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist stated that the bergs, pinpointed by satellites, have floated past the Auckland Islands, and are 280 miles northeast of the Island.

Scientist Neal Young noted that the icebergs, including some that are 650 feet in width, were in a large group, which implies that there could be more."

Telltails, tufts, indicators, flappers, woolies

"The telltales make the trimming of the sails and the steering of the boat easier. You shouldn't stick too many telltales on your sails - when sailing, the amount of information streaming in exceeds the capacity of the crew, so keep it as simple as possible. In this article we explain which telltales are essential and sufficient at the same time. We recommend not to have more telltales than that. The telltales in the leech should be made of a rather strong nylon strip. Normally they are already installed by your sailmaker. The telltales in the luff should be of woolen yarjavascript:void(0)n glued onto the sail with a colorful sticky-back"

Oracle / BMW Montage

Woman braves five metre-high waves to save her nine puppies after her boat falls victim to a vicious storm | Mail Online

"A British woman stranded in a storm off the Turkish coast abandoned ship and swam 75 metres to the shore in a bid to save her nine puppies.

Laura Hughes, 28, a strong swimmer, balanced a milk crate containing the animals on her head and managed to save herself and all her puppies despite braving waves reaching five metres high.

Following a terrible mid-afternoon storm on October 21, Laura's 14.5metre boat 'Csavargo' had been pushed around the Turkish coast by powerful gale force winds, leaving her close to the Greek island of Rhodes."

mental_floss Blog » The Nautical Roots of 9 Common Phrases

The Nautical Roots of 9 Common Phrases: "The Vikings, Columbus, the Pilgrims … they all arrived here by ship. So it stands to reason that some of the phrases we use today were born on the high seas. While sources differ on the roots of many sayings, others have a clear path to the days of sailing across the ocean. Here’s a look at 9 family-friendly phrases that likely came from the mouths of sailors."

Britons row 5,000 miles to cross Pacific

"Friday the 13th was the luckiest day of the year for two British adventurers who passed under the Golden Gate Bridge on Friday morning after rowing a 23-foot-long boat more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific from Japan.

The voyage took 189 days - more than six months - on a boat made of Kevlar and propelled only by muscle power. The two men were stalked by whales, tossed by storms, ran low on food and sometimes despaired. They did not sight land until Thursday, when the dim silhouette of Point Reyes appeared on the horizon.

'A once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing,' said Mick Dawson, 45, the skipper.

Why did they do it?"

"It hasn't been done before," said Chris Martin, 28, Dawson's rowing partner. The voyage apparently is the first unaided and unescorted transpacific voyage in a rowing boat.

Yacht designer Bob Perry

"Yacht designer Bob Perry is the mind behind some of the most popular and enduring cruising boats sailing on Puget Sound and waters worldwide, from Tayanas to Valiants, Babas to Nordics. Credited for starting the “performance cruising” movement that merged sailing speed with offshore cruising, Perry, 63, also designs custom yachts and has won numerous awards for his work. Three Sheets Northwest caught up with the prolific designer, who’s based in Port Susan, about an hour north of Seattle, before he headed off for the annual Perry Design Rendezvous in Port Ludlow."

WWII 'Samurai subs' found

These subs were designed to launch fighter float planes, we took the idea and designed missile launches from the sea. "Japanese submarine technology was so advanced at the end of World War II that Russian scientists wanted to get their hands on five seized boats, but a squadron of clandestine American submariners secretly sailed them out of Japan and brought them to Pearl Harbor.
Advertisement

The subs would eventually be scuttled five miles off O'ahu and all but forgotten. But yesterday's announcement that two of them had been discovered in waters 3,000 feet deep pulled 91-year-old, retired Navy Cmdr. Allen Burdett 'Buck' Catlin back to a time of global gamesmanship when Japan's wartime innovations in submarine warfare were discovered only after its defeat.

Three of the roughly 400-foot, 'Sen-Toku' class Japanese submarines could carry at least two fighter bombers each. Even submerged, they could sail 1 1/2 times around the planet without refueling."

Sailing Racing Rule 51 - Are Sails Ballast? | Harbour Exchange - Really Useful Stuff for Sailors

"Short answer is ‘YES’. Move a sail around to give a weight advantage on one side or another and it is ‘moveable ballast’. Clearly a sail that is in use is unlikely to be much use as ‘moveable ballast’ as most of the time the sails will be on the leeward side. So the answer is that any sail not in use should be stowed and left in its properly stowed position until racing has been completed.

New rule 51 states that sails that are not in use are ballast and hence can’t be moved. Aha! You say. In some ocean races, such as the VOR, sails are moved around, up to the windward side. So are they breaking the rules? The answer would be yes if they were bound by the standard racing rules, but with an event the size and stature of the VOR, they sometimes set their own rules and rule 51 has been re-written so that the un-used sails can be stored anywhere on the boat."

BMW Oracle won't Raise Sail in Valencia

I'm really following these shenanigans this year. What makes it more interesting is that the Beamer was built secretly right under my nose...where I play every other weekend. Now its down where I went to college...Two places I know well. Wish I was sailing in San Diego about now! Go team!

Two new developments this week in the ongoing America's Cup: Firstly, Alinghi seems to have come to a decision that Valencia isn't such a bad venue after all. Though they haven't made it official, it seems that Spain may host the 33rd America's Cup. This is, of course, the venue which most assumed would be chosen, but which the defender Alinghi had refused to consider publicly. It comes as no surprise that there are some legal strings attached to this decision, however.

The second development actually is a surprise: BMW Oracle's boat, BOR90 (aka DoGzilla), has been fit with a rigid airfoil instead of a sail. This 'wing' is nearly twice the size of the wing you'd find on a 747 aircraft, and is both the largest ever attempted on a boat, and the first to be used in the America's Cup. It's truly a surprising move by the BMW Oracle team, and the cause of much speculation on how it might perform in match-race conditions."

Pastor in Dutch Harbor is a "Fisher of Men"

"In remote Dutch Harbor Alaska, a fishing island 800 miles from Anchorage, Pastor John Honan has a dream. He hopes to convert the Elbow Room, one of the most notorious drinking establishments in North America, into a shelter for transient workers.

But as the New York Times explains, the story is more complicated than one man's altruistic notion. Honan has been helping aspiring fisherman since 1994, who are lured to Dutch Harbor by the possibility of large sums of quick cash through dangerous fishing expeditions."

Gig Harbor Joins Statewide Effort to Curb Storm Water Pollution : Gig Harbor : Gig Harbor Life

Gig Harbor Joins Statewide Effort to Curb Storm Water Pollution : Gig Harbor : Gig Harbor Life: "“Small changes in the behavior of ordinary people can make big improvements in our water quality and the overall health of the Sound,” Matthews said. “There are a lot of things people can do to make a difference.”

He mentioned four simple things most people can do to reduce pollution from entering our local streams and bays and, ultimately, Puget Sound.

“Take your car to a commercial carwash,” Matthews said. “Home carwash soaps and chemicals can kill fish and can be as toxic as some industrial wastewater.”

Fix car leaks promptly or put cardboard under the car to catch leaking fluids until the car can be repaired. Use compost instead of fertilizers or pesticides on lawns and gardens, Matthews added. And avoid using household products labeled “poison” or “danger.”

“And clean up after your pets,” Matthews said. “Right now, here in Gig Harbor we’re focusing on our Pet Waste Campaign. We’re mailing flyers to remind people to pick up your pet’s waste and put it in the trash"

By far my favorite boat shoe, bar none.

Dubarry of Ireland : Marine Deck-Shoes REGATTA: "A three-eye tie padded collar canoe front deck shoe made from a combination of water resistant nubuck, leather, and fabric. This premium deck shoe features the Dubarry cup sole which is stuck and stiched to the upper for added security."

Late-season sailing - the Seven Rules

"In more northerly climes, sunny skies and warmer than normal air temperatures often lure sailors onto the water quite late in the season.

This is a gorgeous time to sail, to enjoy the freshness of the air before the winter sets in seriously.

However, some dangers lurk at this time of year, the most important of which is the water temperature."

BMW ORACLE Racing

BMW ORACLE Racing: "Secret weapon revealed by BMW ORACLE Racing.
The latest development by the BMW ORACLE Racing team was unveiled today when an enormous wing was prepared to be wheeled out of the tent at the team base in San Diego.

The wing will be tested as an option to increase performance compared with a traditional soft sail rig as previously sea-trialed on the BOR 90, the 90-foot trimaran the team has built for the 33rd America’s Cup."

Rolex Middle Sea Race

"If your senses have been under siege at sea for an extended period, what better place to unwind than the Sacra Infermeria. Dating from 1574, the venue for the prize giving of the 30th Rolex Middle Sea Race was built by the Knights of St John as a hospital to care for its sick and injured brethren. The Royal Malta Yacht Club hosted its deserved guests in this medieval vault and divided up the spoils from a truly tremendous race.The prize giving ceremony at the end of this 606 nautical mile adventure is always emotional."

Basic Sailing "Right Away" Rules / Quiz School

Simple quiz application...happens to be a good sailing lesson in there if you think you're up for it! Thanks Sailing123!

Whales' Endangered Status in Danger

Every few years I get back up to Southeast Alaska on a seiner I fished on in my younger days. Last season we had a pod of 50 blues heading into the net, which we quickly avoided. The skipper said in 40 years, he'd never seen that many whales in one place. It truly was amazing.

I concur....

Whales' Endangered Status in Danger: "For the first time in a decade, the U.S. is reviewing the endangered status of the humpback whale, prompted by evidence that these acrobatic leviathans -- once hunted to near extinction -- appear to be thriving world-wide.

From fewer than 5,000 in the 1960s, humpbacks now number 60,000 or more. 'They appear to be coming back pretty strongly in most of the places we are studying,' says whale biologist Phillip Clapham at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle."

Dutch Teen Could Totally Break A Sailing Record If Her Country Were More Chill | SportScape Sidelines

Dutch Teen Could Totally Break A Sailing Record If Her Country would just chill: "Dude. For real, it must suck. It must totally suck to be this, like, crazy-awesome teen sailor who just wants to get in her boat and be alone. Alone for, like, however long it takes to sail around the friggin’ globe. Gawd! It’s not like she’s asking for a tattoo or whatever.

Nordic teens talk like that, right? It must be somewhat close.

Yacht offers big cut in fuel consumption

Yacht offers big cut in fuel consumption -- Courant.com: "Ferretti Group said its new 78-foot motor yacht is the largest zero-emission pleasure craft in the world. Powered by a hybrid (diesel-electric) propulsion system, the 'transplaning hull' claims to cut fuel consumption by 40 percent with a range of 1,000 miles.

Company vice president Andrea Frabetti said the boat can reach a top speed of 16 knots and run silently even with air-conditioning and all on-board appliances in use."

10 Ton Boat Sunk by Giant Jellyfish

10 Ton Boat Sunk by Giant Jellyfish: "The Diasan Shinsho-maru, a Japanese fishing vessel weighing in at over 10 tons, was sunk off of the coast of Japan when trying to haul in a number of giant jellyfish. The Japanese trawler was manned by three fisherman who were trying to capture a haul of Nomura's jellyfish. The boat capsized sending the three man crew into the water off of the coast of Chiba. All three men were successfully rescued by another fishing boat near by.

One of the largest species of jellyfish in existence today, the Nomura jellyfish can grow to have a diameter in excess of six and half a feet long (over 2 meters) and can weigh up to well over four hundred pounds (200 kg)."

3 boats involved in fire in Roche Harbor, Wash.

3 boats involved in fire in Roche Harbor, Wash.: "ROCHE HARBOR, Wash. -- The Coast Guard and Washington Ecology officials say three boats have been involved in a fire in the Roche Harbor Marina on San Juan Island and one is leaking gasoline.

Two of the boats ended up underwater while one was towed and secured. Apparently no one was aboard the boats at the time of Wednesday's fire.

Ecology spokeswoman Barbara MacGregor says one of the sunken vessels contains about 200 gallons of fuel and is leaking. The other contains about 30 gallons of fuel."

Maltese Falcon

Maltese Falcon: "The Maltese Falcon isn't a classic yacht, she's a new class of yacht. Her revolutionary sailing system - the Falcon Rig - sets a new milestone in yachting history: 3 self-standing and rotating masts hosting 15 sails for a total sail area of 2,400 square meters (25,791 ft square), handled by the ultimate in Perini Navi Sail Control for unrivalled performance with unmatched safety and manoeuvrability characteristics."

A Marine Biologist's Story

A Marine Biologist's Story: "Being a marine biologist isn't all playful dolphins and spectacular diving. It's driving an ATV up and down a beach littered with dead fish - and spending an hour pulling a 200 lb dead sea turtle high enough out of the water so that the stranding crew could find it in the morning, even though you can barely breathe. It's never being able to look at seafood the same way again. It's getting up at a god-awful hour to make it to your field site for sampling when the tide is at just the right height, where you can pull water from the ground but still count the crab burrows on the surface, then staying out there all day even though it's 100 degrees out with no clouds and you feel like you're being baked alive."

What is your favorite Sailing book?

"What is your favorite sailing book or books?
I'm looking for a good read.
Preferably a less common non-fiction.
Any suggestions?"

The Largest Ship in History Sets Sail for U.S.

"This past weekend the Royal Caribbean International cruise line made history by launching the world’s largest ship, the Oasis of the Seas, on it’s maiden voyage to it’s home port in Port Everglades, Florida. The Oasis of the Seas is reported to be five times the size of the Titanic. The 1,200 foot long ship that reportedly cost $1.5 billion to build, boasts twenty stories of luxury which includes twelve neighborhoods, sixteen passenger decks, 2,300 cabins that can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members, an open air arena, a skating rink, spas and fitness centers, pools, and a youth area.

The Oasis of the Seas left the Port of Turku on Friday. On 31 October, the ship stopped traffic on the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark to make the ship cleared the bottom of the bridge. Captain William Wright of the Oasis of Seas order the ship’s telescopic smoke stacks lowered earlier that day to ensure a safe passing. The Danish government stopped the traffic as an extra precaution.

The Oasis of the Seas will make port today in Southampton, England before sailing to the U.S. The ship is due in Port Everglades, Florida on 20 November, 2009."

Tall ships arrive for weeklong nautical celebration

"Ahoy, maties! Fix your eyes on the sea, because the first of three tall ships arrives Sunday, Nov. 1, for a weeklong celebration of 19th century nautical history.

At 2 p.m., the Privateer Lynx tall ship is scheduled to dock in Oceanside Harbor for a weeklong stay. From 3 to 5 p.m., the ship will be open for dockside tours.

All week long, the Lynx will offer educational programs for local schoolchildren, but the big events are next weekend, when the city holds its third annual Tall Ship Festival."

Car sails across sea and into record books

"Battered, wet and tired — but triumphant. That’s how Peter Martin (38) said he felt after making maritime history by crossing the Irish Sea in a converted car.

Along with friends Carl McConkey, Rick Miles and Mark Farrell, the Bangor man arrived in Scotland on Saturday evening having set sail from Donaghadee Harbour in Sir Tristram.

During the summer, Mr Martin, a lecturer, adapted a Renault Laguna — which he bought for 100 — with foam and an outboard motor for the daring venture, after being inspired by the BBC’s Top Gear programme."

America's Cup challenger BMW Oracle Racing wins rudder judgment vs. Alinghi - ESPN

"SAN DIEGO -- America's Cup challenger BMW Oracle Racing won another favorable judgment in a New York court in its long, bitter legal fight with defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland.

In a ruling on a technical matter, Justice Shirley Kornreich of the New York State Supreme Court said Friday that the rudder of BMW Oracle Racing's 90-foot trimaran will be excluded when the boat's load waterline is measured."

UK couple asleep as Somali pirates hijacked yacht - Yahoo! News

"MOGADISHU, Somalia – A British man kidnapped by Somali pirates while vacationing on a yacht with his wife said in an interview released Thursday that the sea bandits had crept aboard with guns while he was asleep and demanded money.

Paul Chandler told Britain's ITV News that he and his wife were being held aboard a container ship anchored about a mile from the Somali coast. A fisherman told The Associated Press he saw two boats carrying eight pirates and a white couple that had arrived in the village of Ceel Huur."

Arrrgh!

AFP: Albanian steals French boat for epic voyage to Britain: "LYON, France — Forget about the Somalian pirates for a minute...A young Albanian has been jailed for stealing a boat in the inland French city of Lyon and embarking on a bid to sail it down the Rhone and through the Mediterranean and Atlantic to England.

The 20-year-old was arrested Sunday after police spotted him unsuccessfully trying to manoeuvre the 30-metre (100-foot) vessel -- a launch operated by the national waterways authority -- on the river in the heart of the city.

Had he made good his escape he would still have faced a 300 kilometre (180 mile) voyage to the open sea and another 3,000 kilometres through the Med to the Straits of Gibraltar and then north across the Bay of Biscay."

Images from San Diego: You gotta love a Beamer!

I always like "Beamers"..This adds new meaning to the term. BMW Oracle Racing took their America's Cup Challenger, BOR90 out for her first sail after around five weeks of modifications were undertaken in the builder's shed in San Diego.

The major changes which are confirmed in these photos include a new mast (with a hard wing believed to be on its way); the centreboard has been removed, as has the main rudder; an engine has been fitted to provide power for the hydraulic systems which now power the winches instead of an eight strong grinding team."

Marine scientists from around the world meet in Biloxi

"Marine scientists and researchers from around the world are meeting in Biloxi this week. More than 1,300 are attending the Oceans '09 conference at the coliseum convention center.

They're sharing information about ongoing projects and networking with colleagues.

South Mississippi is a logical choice to host such a conference since we have such an abundance of marine science interests. There's plenty of oceanography work happening at Stennis, USM has a world class marine science program and we have a commercial fishing fleet that depends on the health of the oceans."

Sailing into middle age

"The Chandlers are among a growing group of people in their 50s and above who are opting to sail the world in middle age rather than remain at home.

'It's quite common and it's growing,' said Stuart Bradley of the Cruising Association, which represents the interests of cruising sailors worldwide. 'There's been an increase in the number of people taking early retirement or early redundancy, particularly among people in their 50s, and it's increasing year on year.'"

The Future of Yacht Design: 10 Cutting Edge Nautical Masterpieces

"Ever notice that just about every yacht you see in a local marina look the same? Sure, they vary in size, but the design elements are all uniform. There are some boats, however, that push the design envelope far forward. To celebrate true ingenuity in boating design, here is a list of 10 Cutting Edge Nautical Masterpieces that are changing the way people think about luxury yachts. Full list at TheCoolist.com."

Seafarers set sail for swell ride

"It's an escape from gray cubicle walls for Megan Buechler, a reprieve from pancreatic cancer chemotherapy treatments for Thomas Christensen, a medical school graduation present to themselves for Seth Strattan and Sophie Candille.

To others, it's a retirement party, a family trip, a line on a bucket list.

It is the Baja Ha-Ha, the mostly relaxed but potentially hazardous two-week sailing rally with the ridiculously perfect – or is perfectly ridiculous? – name. On Monday, smiles washed over sailors' faces in waves.

Nearly 200 boats, hundreds of sailors and a few dogs in life preservers paraded along the glassy water off Shelter Island on Monday morning at the start of the 16th running of one of the world's most popular sailing events."

Malin Burnham’s seven virtues of sailing

Dedication, Hard Work, Teamwork, Follow Through, Playing by the Rules, Planning Ahead.

Sailrocket enters battle for the speed sailing record in Walvis Bay

"The competition to be the world’s fastest wind-powered craft heated up this month, and all eyes are on Namibia. The UK based sailboat, Vestas Sailrocket, is currently doing speed trials in Walvis Bay, the largest port city in the country, in an attempt to break the current outright speed sailing record.

Sailrocket and its crew have been in Namibia since October 2 and plan to stay there until October 29, determined to leave with a new world record, seizing it back from the French yacht team, l’Hydropt�re.

Just over a month ago this sophisticated hydrofoil trimaran set a new world outright speed sailing record of 51.36 knots, taking the crown of ‘world’s fastest’ away from the kiteboarding community and establishing a new standard for all wind powered crafts, especially sail boats, which have not held the title since 1993 when it was taken by windsurfers for the next fifteen years."

Last Titanic survivor's ashes scattered at sea

"LONDON — Friends and relatives of the last survivor of the Titanic gathered on Saturday to scatter her ashes at the point where the ill-starred ocean liner set sail in April 1912.

Elizabeth Gladys Dean -- who died on May 31, aged 97 -- was only nine weeks old when the 'unsinkable' liner hit an iceberg on its maiden transatlantic voyage, drowning 1,517 of its passengers and crew."

Couple plans to circle eastern US by boat

"DECATUR -- Carlton and Becky Moore will have their 40-foot boat, SeaMoore, all to themselves when they embark on their 6,000-mile trip next year.

But they'll hardly be alone.

The Decatur couple will be one of more than 100 boaters cruising around the eastern United States on a route known as America's Great Loop. They'll motor along the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, the Intracoastal Waterways of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and through several Great Lakes."

Mission Control - Plastiki Part I

Mission Control - Plastiki Part I: "With a rise in attention to the 'Garbage Patch, ' also known as The North Pacific Gyre, The Plastiki is setting sail during the perfect storm. A product of brainchild David de Rothschild principal at Adventure Ecology, the Plastiki is a sea craft made from almost entirely from reclaimed, post-consumer and soda bottles with reinforced PET. It will set sail at the end of 2009 with a crew of six scientist and explorers, departing from San Francico bay and navigating over 100 days in the Pacific Ocean through regions that are environmentally threatened, finishing their journey in Sydney."

A journey for the ages

"In 1982, Ray and Patricia Vellinga hopped aboard their 41-foot Formosa Ketch sailboat and set out on a voyage through the Mediterranean. The couple, true DINKS — double income, no kids — wanted to spend 1 1/2 years exploring the sea, the ports and the people of the region.

That was their plan.

What they didn’t realize was just how entrenched they would become in that part of the world. What started out as an 18-month voyage turned into 19 years."

Malibu Boat Screensaver

"The World’s No. 1 selling water sports boat manufacturer captures and receives amazing photography. These images are featured in the Malibu Boats brochure, posted on the web site and uploaded to Malibu’s flickr.com channel. "

Annapolis lands major sailing regatta

"The Melges 24 is a relatively new but increasingly popular class of fast lightweight yachts. Though the city is home to several prestigious regattas, Annapolis has never hosted this event."

Youngest 41 Year Old To Solo Circumnavigate Boca Ciega Bay

"Tampa bay sailing can be challenging, but RumHead is pushing the limits of his endurance, even risking his life, by taking on the most hostile body of water in the area. Dangers include sharks, pirates and a yacht club with full liquor bar middlemost of the bay. “I was unsure at first, but how can you say no to a lifetime supply of anti-diarrheal?” said RumHead when asked why he wanted to go. “Circumnavigating Boca Ciega Bay is a lucrative achievement that has tons of P.R. potential. More people have ventured into Pasco County, than sailed Boca Ciega alone"

Anchor Workout For Sailors - Staying Ship Shape

"Sailing can be very taxing and requires considerable strength and balance. Ever tried pulling in a fouled sail while standing on the bow in 8 ft. seas? A few minutes of getting thrashed can really wear a sailor out. This simple routine will build strength and improve your balance. It’s easy and utilizes a common item found on any boat – your anchor. Try to use the heaviest possible, and keep your eyes covered."

Marina del Rey Body Not a Halloween Display

"The next time you go by something you think may be a Halloween display, it could be the real thing instead, as was discovered recently when a man’s body sat on a balcony for several days. Passers by who could see the body there thought it was part of a Halloween display. Nearby balconies included Halloween decorations, so there was nothing unusual about this creative display, some thought. In what authorities believe may have been a suicide with a gunshot wound, the lifeless corpse, neighbors nearby said, didn’t give any signs of being a decomposed body, but instead, appeared to be a dummy display for Halloween."

Abby Sunderland hopes to leave soon

"How appropriate. Abby Sunderland, whose older brother, Zac, recently completed a solo circumnavigation when he was 17, must be envious of Jessica. Abby is definitely supportive.

The Thousand Oaks adventurer, who turned 16 today, is planning a late-November departure but has yet to secure an Open 40 sailboat designed for Southern Ocean travel.

However, Abby and her father, Laurence, are in Rhode Island awaiting a surveyor's report on a vessel they might purchase later today.

So it's likely that soon there will be two 16-year-old girls trying to sail by themselves around the world. Both are seeking to fulfill a dream and become the youngest to accomplish such a feat, and it's remarkable that they're even trying and that their parents are letting them try.

Even critics must admire the courageous spirit these girls possess. Here's hoping that 20 years from now both will recall fond memories of their explorations, their dreams and their discoveries. You only live once."