Anyone doing any boating ?

[Wayne B]

We're getting along into late April and it's time to splash,
especially in the Chesapeake and farther south, but even the northeast
should be warming up by now. When I was racing sailboats on Long
Island Sound we would have already been out for practice at least once
by this time.

Let's hear some on the water reports from you guys.

We're in English Harbour, southern part of Antigua at the moment.
There are lots of exotic old sailboats here this week for the Classic
Boat Regatta, and next week the racing hot shots show up for Antigua
Sailing Week. Everything is good here except the weather - lots of
gusty winds and heavy rain squalls that come and go. The rain and
mist make it look a bit like Maine or the Pacific North Wet at times
but the temperatures are much more agreeable in the upper 70s and low
80s.

http://antiguaclassics.com/v1/

http://www.sailingweek.com/v3/index.php

[JustWaitAFrekinMinute]

Still a bit windy and chilly days, still in the low thirties at night up
here...

[T. Keating]

On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:58:34 -0400, Wayne B <waynebatr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>We're getting along into late April and it's time to splash,
>especially in the Chesapeake and farther south, but even the northeast
>should be warming up by now. When I was racing sailboats on Long
>Island Sound we would have already been out for practice at least once
>by this time.
>
>Let's hear some on the water reports from you guys.

Using a specialised crimping tool, I just installed a shielded RJ-45 plug for a friends
Radar unit.

Unfortuantely the old plug was connected to his expensive Garmin Chart plotter which was
stolen from his boat (up on boat lift, mounted in console.) :-(

The theives cut that cable, but took the effort to un-plugged others.

They've recently hit seven other boats in nearby canals.

[Wayne B]

On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:19:05 -0400, T. Keating <tkus...@ktcnslt.com>
wrote:

===

That's to bad, sorry to hear it.

Whereabouts are you located?

[Eisboch]

"Wayne B" wrote in message
news:k3t8n8ttsijg6plnd...@4ax.com...

----------------------------------------

Theft of boat electronics seems to be a continuing problem. I
remember there was a series of break-ins in Scituate, MA years ago
where chart plotters, radios, etc., were stolen. They would simply
unplug or cut and leave the cables because they were too difficult to
remove quickly so they just took the electronic units.

Seems to me that will all of the advanced electronics available today
that a digital "key" could be programmed into the cable itself thus
making the electronic unit inoperable without the proper cable
connected. Something similar is done with a popular recording
software package called "Pro-Tools" in the music industry. It's
purpose is to prevent pirating of the software for use on other
computers, but the device has to be installed in the interconnecting
cable in order for the computer containing the software package to
communicate with anything else. You can run the software without the
key but it's useless because there's no data input available.

[Wayne B]

====

I beleve that kind of protective device is sometimes called a
"dongle".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongle

It could probably be made in such a way to discourage marine hardware
theft but it would increase costs and introduce a reliability point of
failure which could become a liability issue. More importantly, the
manufacturers have no incentive. Every theft for them usually
represents in an additional sale.

[T. Keating]

Lighthouse Point, Fl

[Wayne B]

On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:13:01 -0400, T. Keating <tkus...@ktcnslt.com>

===

I'm in a canal community on the west coast of FL when I'm not out
cruising. We've had some crime issues but fortunately not too
frequently. I've got our docked rigged out with motion detector
lighting which I think is something of a deterrent. I know of at
least one instance where it frightened off intruders. When we're not
home I keep our runabout at maximum height in the boat lift and have
double locks on the electrical feed.

[injipoint]

We're in Msida Marina in Malta on a very windy stormy day.
Swell is even wrapping around our breakwater and giving us
a hard time. One of my u-beaut docklines parted last night.
I thought I had the marina's line as the tensioned line with
mine as the backup but the marina line slipped on the cleat
making mine the (now) sacrifical. Bugger. $20 down the drain.
Still, this is a nice place and the wind will ease Friday.
Anzac Day tomorrow (for Australians) so we're headed up to
the Commonwealth War Cemetery here for a service.
This is a very nice place to visit. Militarily, I would
have loved to be charged with its defence in the days of
cannon. There's no way in!

Beer is good, food is good, people are nice and the boat
repairs very competent.
Hoges

[T. Keating]

On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:58:34 -0400, Wayne B <waynebatr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

This occurred this early this morning on the opposite side of canal next to my friend's
house. I arrived in later in the afternoon to feed his cat.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-fort-lauderdale-boat-fire-20130424,0,5488.story

By the time I had arrived, they had towed away what's left of the cabin cruiser.. The
sailboat is in rough shape(she'll never sail again).. Another cruiser has damage..

[Wayne B]

On Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:50:51 -0400, T. Keating <tkus...@ktcnslt.com>
wrote:

====

That's bad, lucky everyone got off alive but the burn victims have a
tough road ahead. I'd imagine that it must have been either a
gasoline or propane explosion, quite possibly gasoline since most of
the older Mainship's of that era had 454 big block engines.

An old friend of mine used to live on Hendricks Isle back in the 80s.
He had a big old Irwin ketch named Belaire or something like that
docked at his house.

[Sir Gregory Hall, Esq·]

"T. Keating" <tkus...@ktcnslt.com> wrote in message
news:9h2hn8de2muf5sp44...@4ax.com...

And people pay lots of money to tie up in a slip.

The above in but one reason you won't ever find this sailor
tied up in a slip.

--
Sir Gregory

[Tim]

I did some today.

Due to heavy rains locally and up north, plus snow melting in the
upper states has caused the Mississippi river to reach pre-flood
stage. Same with the creek behind my farm... it's 9 feet above normal
and flooding fields.. It had been a while since I'd done it, but I
took my 10 ft. Jon boat, some oars, trolling motor and an 8-D battery
and went back and launched it in the creek. Heading down stream was
really kind of a treat. Normally the creek is way low in the summer
and impassable with a jon boat due to log jams, but this was easy. I
saw lots of ducks, hawks and an occasional fish eagle.

Driving distance from the farm to town is about 4 mi. By boat it's
approx. 9. Even with high water there's really no current as of to
say, but I used the old trolling motor to power quite a bit back to
the farm.

I found that even slow, easy rowing will remind you of unused muscles
you didn't realize you had. Right now my arms feel like concrete held
on by rubber bands....

[amdx]

I spend about 45 hrs a week on my boat, but I don't go anyplace.
Does that count?
Mikek

[Sir Gregory Hall, Esq�]

"amdx" <am...@knologynotthis.net> wrote in message
news:7a06e$517db89e$18ec6dd7$25...@KNOLOGY.NET...

Yes, that counts you as one intelligent individual who'd
rather live on the water in a boat than in the festering, filthy
and disgusting zoo where landlubbers accumulate like
the out-of-control planetary disease they really are.

--
Sir Gregory

[Eisboch]

"amdx" wrote in message
news:7a06e$517db89e$18ec6dd7$25...@KNOLOGY.NET...

I spend about 45 hrs a week on my boat, but I don't go anyplace.
Does that count?
Mikek

---------------------------------------

Absolutely, IMO.

Some of the most enjoyable times I had on my boat were spent in the
middle of the winter, especially during snowstorms.
I kept it in the water year round the last three years I had it. The
marina had bubblers running 24/7 in the area my boat was in. The
reverse cycle AC/Heat system supplied enough heat until the middle of
December after which I used space heaters (when aboard) plugged into
20 amp outlets that I wired into each of the four AC system supplies
that were not used again until spring. I also installed foil lined
Styrofoam insulating panels on most of the main cabin windows . The
boat was always nice and warm, even when the outside temperature was
well below freezing. The space heater in the main cabin was one of
those fake fireplaces. Had a Direct TV dish and receiver hooked up
and wi-fi from the marina office. Nice and cozy and "away" from it
all.

[amdx]

Well, to complete the picture, I have a modified pontoon boat that is
docked in a marina. I sell seafood from the boat. That means I'm working
when I'm on the boat. I also get to walk the marina when I'm not busy.
It's on a bay in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mikek

[Eisboch]

"amdx" wrote in message
news:cfbfb$517dca70$18ec6dd7$13...@KNOLOGY.NET...

-----------------------

What's that "work" thing that you mention? :-)