Sometimes we sailors make our sport way too complicated with all our fancy words for parts of a boat. Thanks to Live Sail Die for this alternative - and much easier - way to name parts of a boat.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Keep It Simple
Sometimes we sailors make our sport way too complicated with all our fancy words for parts of a boat. Thanks to Live Sail Die for this alternative - and much easier - way to name parts of a boat.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Few and Far Between
A few entries from the usual suspects trickled in this week for our Less is More group writing project...
Yarg of Apparent Wind told us about the Molting process of the species nauta novae-angliae. No shoes, no shirt, no problem.
Crazy Swim Dad submitted the more you drive the less intelligent you are which is actually about concentrating on one thing at a time while trying to improve your swimming stroke. I guess the same applies to improving your sailing technique.
Meanwhile, over on EVK4 Superblog, the same crazy swim Dad explains Why Popeye eats spinach which is actually about how he is swimming in order to get fit enough to run to the bow of a 44 foot boat. I don't think he actually submitted it to Less is More but it fits the theme so I'm counting it anyway.
I received another entry via email which will make an excellent companion piece to my own Less is More post when I get round to writing it, so I'm holding that one over until next week.
Oh, and I almost forgot O Docker who claims to have entered Tillerman's Next Writing Project? before I even announced it. I'm still scratching my head to work out what that post has to do with Less is More but if O Docker really can read my mind I had better not piss him off by ignoring him.
And finally Joe Rousse posted a superb video of Sea Kayak Sailing. I hate to agree with Joe but this sure looks like fun and is definitely "minimalist sailing." In fact it's so good I'm going to repost it here.
There's still plenty of time for you to participate in this project. Full instructions at Less is More.
Did I miss anybody?
Yarg of Apparent Wind told us about the Molting process of the species nauta novae-angliae. No shoes, no shirt, no problem.
Crazy Swim Dad submitted the more you drive the less intelligent you are which is actually about concentrating on one thing at a time while trying to improve your swimming stroke. I guess the same applies to improving your sailing technique.
Meanwhile, over on EVK4 Superblog, the same crazy swim Dad explains Why Popeye eats spinach which is actually about how he is swimming in order to get fit enough to run to the bow of a 44 foot boat. I don't think he actually submitted it to Less is More but it fits the theme so I'm counting it anyway.
I received another entry via email which will make an excellent companion piece to my own Less is More post when I get round to writing it, so I'm holding that one over until next week.
Oh, and I almost forgot O Docker who claims to have entered Tillerman's Next Writing Project? before I even announced it. I'm still scratching my head to work out what that post has to do with Less is More but if O Docker really can read my mind I had better not piss him off by ignoring him.
And finally Joe Rousse posted a superb video of Sea Kayak Sailing. I hate to agree with Joe but this sure looks like fun and is definitely "minimalist sailing." In fact it's so good I'm going to repost it here.
There's still plenty of time for you to participate in this project. Full instructions at Less is More.
Did I miss anybody?
Friday, October 09, 2009
Thursday, October 08, 2009
the most childish sailing website on the internet
One of the things I have discovered since adding the Recent Comments widget to my sidebar is that some people use the comments sections of old posts on Proper Course to indulge in good old-fashioned Internet flame wars. Without the widget I would miss all the fun...
I wrote about one such war in what a plonker. The battle is still going on but I am even more sure now that it is really one guy plonking with himself.
Today I discovered another flame-fest. Apparently my post from 2006 about Sailing Websites is still generating heat. It's all about some site called sailmonster.com and the reaction to the sailmonster dude using my comments to promote his site. Here is a slightly edited version of the "conversation"...
I am so happy that these people find my site a useful place to insult each other.
I wrote about one such war in what a plonker. The battle is still going on but I am even more sure now that it is really one guy plonking with himself.
Today I discovered another flame-fest. Apparently my post from 2006 about Sailing Websites is still generating heat. It's all about some site called sailmonster.com and the reaction to the sailmonster dude using my comments to promote his site. Here is a slightly edited version of the "conversation"...
SAILMONSTER said...
Sailmonster is self generating. Our members make it great or not. We have been hit by SA as copying them which is not the case. That is why we formed. FU-SA Family United Sailing Association:) http://www.sailmonster.com/videos/id_1025/title_family-united-sailing-association/ Our site is for all ages and clean.
12:34 PM
Anonymous said...
I have been to the sailmonster site, it sucks the most of any site I have been to. Not a single thing about sailing. maybe some raft ups and local stuff. but to say you are copying sailing anarchy is a joke.
7:10 PM
Anonymous said...
I agree Sailmonster.com Sucks
7:53 PM
Jeff said...
Yeah,Sailmonster Sucks, worst of the worst
5:06 PM
Jerry Stanford said...
Sailmonster.com is the sailing my space for adult drunken sailors, and calling them adult is stretching the term. No actual sailing content,unless you consider the youtube videos that someone else made, the ones they made themselves are just pathetic. You have a salesman that runs sailmonster.com,and his wife, both of which get sickening real fast.
Sailing Anarchy Rules
11:30 AM
Roznos said...
From Sailmonster:
Thanks for the feedback. If you had half a brain you would realize that Sailmonster.com is designed for people to publish there own sailing news, stories, experiences and meet other people that do the same. Our focus is to get people on the water. If you think that promoting sailing and running events to raise money for kids and sponsoring races sucks go to ning.com and start your own site like seaknots for free Rockstar.
9:04 AM
Peter Lyons said...
Well I happened to go to your site sailmonster and watched it for the past week or so. I wouldn't say it sucks. It is ok if you like the owner, namely you telling people how great you are and patting yourself on the back in your articles. Its a shame no one else seems agree.
Most people that have a good site, a good job,or anything good don't go around trying to pushing it down people's throats. They don't have to, they know what and who they are or what their site does.
You say go to ning.com for free, well I am not promoting a website and if I did,I might just use it. I wouldn't be like you and advertise to my whole website audience how much it cost to add features to my website like you do. Big Bucks it will cost me etc. etc. etc..
Come on down to earth. Your website is not a serious sailors site no matter how much you try to sell it to everyone. You have you, your wife, a few of your local buddies and a few other members that keep it going. Just look at how many are online, not many at all compared to other sailing websites.
I would never have posted this here but after reading your reply to the other comments, I just had to let you know what your site really is.
And by the way most of the people from your site have gone over to Seaknots and they think it is just great, it actually has a huge variety of user generated info about cruising. Not like yours,where you and your wife are the main contributors of photos and videos and articles that someone else has done,that you mainly copied from other webpages and posted them on your site and where the polls are "how much wood can a woodchuck chuck".
Come off it, do you think serious sailors want to read that stuff and the other goofiness that goes on at sailmonster.
Fairwinds
Peter Lyons
9:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your input. Sorry if an open discussion offended you. Not sure if you are aware of what we do. Have a great day.
Sailmonster
10:02 AM
Peter said...
Sailmonster,
I was not offended in any way. I was just giving you my feedback on your website.
It is not an open discussion there, in fact there is no discussion there. It is YOU that does all the talking, all the posts,all the patting yourself on the back and most all of everything. You sit in your shoutbox all day long and if no one answers you, you still keep on talking.
You may post events and you may help sponsor things in your area,and try to promote sailing with your site, which is great.
But in reality, if you sit down and look at it truthfully,as a sailing website, it is really the most childish sailing website on the internet today.You have no useful information for sailors,no original content,just rehashed videos,photos,and articles,that is posted all over the internet before you even put it up on your site.
Regards,
Peter
11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
Sailmonster.com is a joke on most of the real sailing websites. ENOUGH SAID
12:32 PM
I am so happy that these people find my site a useful place to insult each other.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Underwater Cabinet Meeting
What do you do if you are the leader of an island nation, most of it less than 5 feet above sea level, when you realize that there is a very real possibility that the whole nation will be underwater if the present pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels? If you are President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives you start preparing for the inevitable by holding a cabinet meeting underwater!
Ministers clad in wetsuits and shouldering oxygen tanks, will meet about 20ft underwater on 17 October. Here is a photo of some of the ministers preparing for the meeting...
I wonder if President Barack Obama or Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be following President Nasheed's lead?
Ministers clad in wetsuits and shouldering oxygen tanks, will meet about 20ft underwater on 17 October. Here is a photo of some of the ministers preparing for the meeting...
I wonder if President Barack Obama or Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be following President Nasheed's lead?
More is Less
There are two kinds of sailing blogger...
Some bloggers post infrequently, but when they do write a post they have something really interesting to say.
Others (like me) feel a compulsion to post something almost every day.
Two of my favorite blogs in the first category are Apparent Wind and Laser Sailing Notes.
Yarg of Apparent Wind averages about four posts per month, but you know that when he does post, it is going to be well worth a read. Recently we have had
Jay Livingston who writes Laser Sailing Notes also averages only one or two posts a week, but they are always worth reading. Recent posts have included
As you can see Yarg and Jay are very much the thinking man's sailing bloggers.
I, on the other hand, average about one post a day. There is no way that I could produce posts every day of the quality to be found on Yarg's and Jay's blogs. It is no coincidence that so many of my posts have the label Utter Nonsense. It sometimes feels as if my writing mantra is "More is Less."
Perhaps I should be more like Jay and Yarg?
On the other hand a recent study has shown How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect.
So take your pick. If you prefer quality over quantity, read Jay and Yarg. If you really think that nonsense sharpens the intellect, read Proper Course. Or if you like pictures of half-naked women holding big fishes, then read Joe Rousse (rhymes with mousse.)
Just remember. More is Less.
Some bloggers post infrequently, but when they do write a post they have something really interesting to say.
Others (like me) feel a compulsion to post something almost every day.
Two of my favorite blogs in the first category are Apparent Wind and Laser Sailing Notes.
Yarg of Apparent Wind averages about four posts per month, but you know that when he does post, it is going to be well worth a read. Recently we have had
- A Conversation with O'Brien which is about an imaginary conversation that Yarg had with an imaginary friend about an imaginary dream (I think), or perhaps it's really about two different philosophies of one-design sailing,
- Is Discretion Really the Better Part of Valor? which recounts a high school regatta sailed in atrocious conditions in illustration of a quotation from Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I, and
- Practice Failure in which Yarg describes a coaching drill that didn't work out which leads him to muse on the parallel between sailing practice and "holistic thinking embodied in the English Romantics, the American Transcendentalists, and Eastern Philosophy."
Jay Livingston who writes Laser Sailing Notes also averages only one or two posts a week, but they are always worth reading. Recent posts have included
- Dreams, Goals and Practice in which Jay uses an anecdote about walking around in circles to introduce an insightful discussion about sailing goals,
- Meditation Can Improve Your Sailing which debunks some popular clichés about meditation and provides numerous practical examples of how meditation can indeed improve your sailing, and
- For Men Only, a sensitive and perceptive discussion of how men behave when they are injured or sick, and how we need to look out for each other.
As you can see Yarg and Jay are very much the thinking man's sailing bloggers.
I, on the other hand, average about one post a day. There is no way that I could produce posts every day of the quality to be found on Yarg's and Jay's blogs. It is no coincidence that so many of my posts have the label Utter Nonsense. It sometimes feels as if my writing mantra is "More is Less."
Perhaps I should be more like Jay and Yarg?
On the other hand a recent study has shown How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect.
So take your pick. If you prefer quality over quantity, read Jay and Yarg. If you really think that nonsense sharpens the intellect, read Proper Course. Or if you like pictures of half-naked women holding big fishes, then read Joe Rousse (rhymes with mousse.)
Just remember. More is Less.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Wear a Wetsuit or Drysuit if the Water is Cold
The second of Tillerman's Top Five Tips For Making Sure I Don't Die On My Laser is wear a wetsuit or drysuit if the water is cold.
Yeah right. Like tip #1: Wear a Life Jacket this is not exactly controversial advice. Laser sailing is a wet sport. You will get wet from spray if it's windy. You will probably fall in the water sooner or later.
Cold water is not just annoying.
Cold water will kill you.
Faster than you might think.
Forget hypothermia (for now). Sudden entry into cold water can cause cardiac arrest, even for people in good health. And the initial shock of the cold water can also cause an involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to inhale water and drown. That's why it's so important to Wear a Life Jacket... because it's probably a good thing if your head isn't underwater when you experience that "involuntary gasp reflex". If you don't believe me, ask the Coast Guard.
So let's assume you don't die immediately of a heart attack or of drowning when you fall off your Laser into the icy waters. Your next potential problem is hypothermia. An adult dressed in average clothing may remain conscious for an hour in water at 40 degrees F and perhaps 2-3 hours at 50 degrees F. But actually things are more serious than these numbers suggest because any movement in the water accelerates heat loss, and survival time can be reduced to minutes. And the numbing effect of the cold water will prevent you from swimming. If you don't think cold water is all that dangerous, just read some of the tragic stories at the bottom of this page about off-season boating. Nine elite marines trained as water survival instructors unable to swim 100 yards to safety! Another guy drowned 25 yards from shore!
So wear a wetsuit or a drysuit if the water is cold. How cold? Some people go by the "100 degree rule" and think you should wear thermal protection if the air temperature plus water temperature is less than 100 degrees F.
The Laser frostbite fleet that I used to sail with in Connecticut had a rule that sailors had to wear a wetsuit or a drysuit at all times. Their season was from mid-October to mid-May (with a break in the middle of winter). Not a bad guideline for southern New England. Remember those warm spring days in early May can be very deceptive; the air may feel warm but the water is still very cold.
Personally, I'm a total wimp about feeling cold on the water. Irrespective of any personal survival issues, I hate to be shivering when I'm sailing. So I put on a wetsuit in marginal conditions, and quickly switch to a drysuit when it becomes at all wintry. Keeping head and hands and feet warm is important for my comfort too. I've reviewed sailing gloves and socks here before, and I have another pair of cold weather gloves to review as soon as the weather is chilly enough.
I know some Laser sailors are not too fond of drysuits. Something about interfering with their "oneness" with the boat. So they tough it out in a wetsuit all winter. I'm not really into "oneness". I'm generally in the "twoness with the boat" zone. Probably partly explains why I sail so slow.
I could go on a lot more about wetsuits and drysuits. Shortie or longie? Bootee or not bootee? Hiking pads inside or outside? Is bare skin faster than neoprene? (Seriously.) But this post is too long already. Less is more.
How about you? What do you wear for cold weather sailing?
Pause for laughter while my blogging friends in New Mexico and Florida work out the most sarcastic way to answer that question...
Yeah right. Like tip #1: Wear a Life Jacket this is not exactly controversial advice. Laser sailing is a wet sport. You will get wet from spray if it's windy. You will probably fall in the water sooner or later.
Cold water is not just annoying.
Cold water will kill you.
Faster than you might think.
Forget hypothermia (for now). Sudden entry into cold water can cause cardiac arrest, even for people in good health. And the initial shock of the cold water can also cause an involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to inhale water and drown. That's why it's so important to Wear a Life Jacket... because it's probably a good thing if your head isn't underwater when you experience that "involuntary gasp reflex". If you don't believe me, ask the Coast Guard.
So let's assume you don't die immediately of a heart attack or of drowning when you fall off your Laser into the icy waters. Your next potential problem is hypothermia. An adult dressed in average clothing may remain conscious for an hour in water at 40 degrees F and perhaps 2-3 hours at 50 degrees F. But actually things are more serious than these numbers suggest because any movement in the water accelerates heat loss, and survival time can be reduced to minutes. And the numbing effect of the cold water will prevent you from swimming. If you don't think cold water is all that dangerous, just read some of the tragic stories at the bottom of this page about off-season boating. Nine elite marines trained as water survival instructors unable to swim 100 yards to safety! Another guy drowned 25 yards from shore!
So wear a wetsuit or a drysuit if the water is cold. How cold? Some people go by the "100 degree rule" and think you should wear thermal protection if the air temperature plus water temperature is less than 100 degrees F.
The Laser frostbite fleet that I used to sail with in Connecticut had a rule that sailors had to wear a wetsuit or a drysuit at all times. Their season was from mid-October to mid-May (with a break in the middle of winter). Not a bad guideline for southern New England. Remember those warm spring days in early May can be very deceptive; the air may feel warm but the water is still very cold.
Personally, I'm a total wimp about feeling cold on the water. Irrespective of any personal survival issues, I hate to be shivering when I'm sailing. So I put on a wetsuit in marginal conditions, and quickly switch to a drysuit when it becomes at all wintry. Keeping head and hands and feet warm is important for my comfort too. I've reviewed sailing gloves and socks here before, and I have another pair of cold weather gloves to review as soon as the weather is chilly enough.
I know some Laser sailors are not too fond of drysuits. Something about interfering with their "oneness" with the boat. So they tough it out in a wetsuit all winter. I'm not really into "oneness". I'm generally in the "twoness with the boat" zone. Probably partly explains why I sail so slow.I could go on a lot more about wetsuits and drysuits. Shortie or longie? Bootee or not bootee? Hiking pads inside or outside? Is bare skin faster than neoprene? (Seriously.) But this post is too long already. Less is more.
How about you? What do you wear for cold weather sailing?
Pause for laughter while my blogging friends in New Mexico and Florida work out the most sarcastic way to answer that question...
Monday, October 05, 2009
Less is More
Your challenge for this month's group writing project is to write a blog post about sailing on the theme of "Less is more". Minimalist sailing, if you will. (Or if you're not a sailor then write one on that theme related to whatever form of boating is your particular perversion.)
We had some fun last week on the "Less is more" idea as applied to blogging: blank lines, blank comments, blank pages, blank posts... Things got a bit out of hand. I almost expected Graham Chapman's Colonel character to show up and tell us things were getting "far too silly."
So let's be serious for a moment. Minimalism is a concept that has been applied in many fields... music, art, literature, design, architecture... essentially meaning that the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. "Less is more" was indeed the motto of the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (Not often you see that name on a sailing blog!)
What are the fundamentals of sailing that we enjoy? Such simple things.. wind, water... and some machine that propels us using those elements. Why make it more complicated and fussy than it needs to be? Let's get back to basics. Less is more.
It struck me that the idea "Less is more" could be applied to so many aspects of boating... boat design, weather forecasting, racing rules, tactics, strategy, cruising, fitness, regatta travel, rigging, clothing...
Of course if you think this "Less is more" idea is total bollocks, as we Brits say, then write a rant about the opposite of "Less is more". Tell us why you absolutely need to own eight different boats. Tell us why you couldn't possibly go sailing without several hundred thousand bucks worth of electronic gizmos on the boat. Tell us why the latest incarnation of the America's Cup is the best thing that happened to sailing. Seriously. Go for it.
So here is how to participate...
1. Write a post on the theme "Less is more" (or the opposite) on your blog. Please publish it before Monday October 19.
2. Let me know about your post by sending an email to tillermeister@gmail.com including a link to your post. If you don't have a blog of your own just email me your article and I will post it here.
3. I will post here two links to your post. Every day or so I will write a post listing any new entries in the project. Then at the end of the project I will publish the complete list of "Less is more" articles.
Look forward to hearing from you...
We had some fun last week on the "Less is more" idea as applied to blogging: blank lines, blank comments, blank pages, blank posts... Things got a bit out of hand. I almost expected Graham Chapman's Colonel character to show up and tell us things were getting "far too silly."
So let's be serious for a moment. Minimalism is a concept that has been applied in many fields... music, art, literature, design, architecture... essentially meaning that the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. "Less is more" was indeed the motto of the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (Not often you see that name on a sailing blog!)
What are the fundamentals of sailing that we enjoy? Such simple things.. wind, water... and some machine that propels us using those elements. Why make it more complicated and fussy than it needs to be? Let's get back to basics. Less is more.
It struck me that the idea "Less is more" could be applied to so many aspects of boating... boat design, weather forecasting, racing rules, tactics, strategy, cruising, fitness, regatta travel, rigging, clothing...
Of course if you think this "Less is more" idea is total bollocks, as we Brits say, then write a rant about the opposite of "Less is more". Tell us why you absolutely need to own eight different boats. Tell us why you couldn't possibly go sailing without several hundred thousand bucks worth of electronic gizmos on the boat. Tell us why the latest incarnation of the America's Cup is the best thing that happened to sailing. Seriously. Go for it.
So here is how to participate...
1. Write a post on the theme "Less is more" (or the opposite) on your blog. Please publish it before Monday October 19.
2. Let me know about your post by sending an email to tillermeister@gmail.com including a link to your post. If you don't have a blog of your own just email me your article and I will post it here.
3. I will post here two links to your post. Every day or so I will write a post listing any new entries in the project. Then at the end of the project I will publish the complete list of "Less is more" articles.
Look forward to hearing from you...
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Help JP Crack the Code
Captain JP was out for a jog
When he had a brilliant idea for his blog.
He wrote it down on his phone
But the idea's now unknown
'Cause the note's as clear as an old London fog.
The note mentions some bloke called O Docker
(Who, as the Brits say, is clean off his rocker)
And some tasteful pics
Perhaps bikini-clad chicks?
Well that would be a real shocker.
So please help JP in cracking the code.
If you don't do what he's owed
It will drive him to drinking.
What the hell was he thinking?
Quick! Or his head will explode!
When he had a brilliant idea for his blog.
He wrote it down on his phone
But the idea's now unknown
'Cause the note's as clear as an old London fog.
The note mentions some bloke called O Docker
(Who, as the Brits say, is clean off his rocker)
And some tasteful pics
Perhaps bikini-clad chicks?
Well that would be a real shocker.
So please help JP in cracking the code.
If you don't do what he's owed
It will drive him to drinking.
What the hell was he thinking?
Quick! Or his head will explode!
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