Getwetsailing.com

called Happy Ranch
I hope to make outdoor sports that are known for only the wealthy, such as golf, horse riding, sailing, etc. to those who are in the cities or can’t afford the gears to enjoy those sports and also to protect the environment for tranditional sports and camping etc.
do you think it will attract people and some supports for it?

Yeah I’m pretty sure it would. I love sailing with my fam. on our boat, we don’t do it a lot because we live in Manhattan, but when we do it’s a lot of fun.

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why if you have a diesel car you are asked to pull the handbrake and put it into neutral and if you have a petrol car you put it in first gear and pull the handbrake, for the sailing. I thought they were both the same.

I have seen those signs on the ferry as well and was rather stumped by it as I prefer to leave my diesel car in gear when it is parked anywhere. I meant to ask why last time we used the ferry, but old age caught up with me and I forgot…but I shall make a point of doing so when we travel again later this month….watch this space!

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i sail both of them and i want to know if there is anyone else THANKS

I sail by way of 420 as often as possible !!
<zzzzzz~~~

Smoke em if ya got em

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so i have this laser sailboat that has been sitting outside for a few years. there is mold or something all over the deck and the sails are ripped i think. how do i go about getting the mold off, making sure it floats without any cracks or anything, and fixing or buying a new sail?

Some Lasers have a small hatch or access port. If so equipped, you can do a simple test about leaks. In the cool of the morning open this port and let the pressure equalize for a minute. Now try and close this port so it is air tight. Later on in the heat of the day, slowly open this hatch. If you here air escaping, then the hull is airtight.
I had a Laser many, many years ago and I was worried about sinking as well. I just put about a two dozen two liter plastic soda bottles in the hull. It did not add that much weight, but it did add a big piece of mind.
As for the mold and grime, start cleaning with a mild cleaner first, some of the real heavy duty cleaners might damage the fiberglass. Plain old white vinegar and some backing soda is really a god cleaner.
If you are going to race your Laser, you must get your sails from Laser in order to be class legal. If you are just going out to have some fun, then look in your phone book under "Sail makers", and go from there.

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I want to buy a sailboat to sail around Puget Sound, and eventually down the coast to Oregon and California. How much would a boat like this cost?
a, not an, a

A seaworthy Yacht will cost you around the same amount as a painting.
Unless of course it’s longer than a piece of rope.

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Hello, I’m in a beginning dinghy sailing class right now, but my eventual goal is to sail around the world. What is the quickest way to learn without having to pay a ton of money? I was thinking something like getting a job in the field or something. I live in Santa Cruz, California, and have heard of working as a deckhand on crabships and stuff, but that sounds VERY extreme. I’ve also heard of ASTA, but I checked out their website, and it doesn’t look like they’re hiring. Any other suggestions? Maybe someone knows a good way to network with local sailors or something? Any advice would be helpful!

I started by taking the US Coast Guard Auxillary Sailing Course. You just pay for the materials (usually under $20.00) and it’s taught by one or two sailors. Great resource for rules, regulations, sailmanship, etc. Our instructor actually gave us a test on his 27′ Catalina before issuing our Certificates. Great beginning to an excellent sport.
I followed this by sailing on several different types of boats some new found friends had. A 31′ Mariner ketch, 34′ Islander and a Hunter 376 before I bought my Cape Dory 25 sloop.
I’d get as much experience and background reading as I could, join a local sailing club and offer to crew on their boats for cruises and races, etc.
The annual Baja Haha is coming up in October this year. This is where about 160 plus sailboats cruise down to Cabo San Lucas from San Diego. In the March issue of Latitude 38 magazine (and on their website…www.latitude38.com) , you’ll find crew wanted lists posted by those that want some crew with them on their trip south. (Believe this years trip starts on Oct. 26th and they make two stops enroute.)You might be able to get on board on of those sailboats. Once in Cabo, you can take a bus back to Tijuana (My 72 year old friend did this in the 2007 Baja Haha.), cross over and take the trolley to San Diego and bus or fly home. Or fly home from Cabo itself.Check out the various sailing clubs in your area. Most don’t require a sailboat, just an honest interest in sailing and often there are members that like to have an extra hand when they take their boats out. Also, some clubs even have sailboats to rent out for members.
Check the bulletin boards at local marine stores. They often have crew wanted lists for various local sailing events, rallies, races, etc.
Hope this helps…..
Fair winds…
sloopy

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We are taking a Hawaiian cruise on the Spirit of America. Their prices for land excursions seem pretty high compared to what we’ve gotten on land on earlier trips. We’re considering scheduling our own excursions. I understand they will pick you up at the dock and return you to the ship.

Are you familiar with Hawaiian tourism, esp. cruising? If you are, what suggestions would you have? What’s the best way to save money on excursions or other things to do while in port? Is there perhaps an agency over there that can book adventures & excursions for us?

What excursions have you done and enjoyed the most? We’re a retired couple, so hiking the Na Pali coast is probably out, but we’re open to any suggestions.

Also, if you have sailed on the Spirit of America, we’d appreciate any advice about the ship, ports of call, or cruising in general. This is "free-style" cruising, and anything you could tell us about that would also be appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your help!

I believe that you are referring to Norwegian Cruise Line – Pride of America. Spirit of Hawaii is long gone along with the constitution – (not a political comment – actual name of the ship).

My former director had been on more than 100 cruises. She has been on all of NCL’s fleet. She is invited to the inaugral voyages of all of their ships. This was her favorite ship built in the last 10 years. She is hard to impress, so that said a lot to me. She found the Jewel and Pride of Hawaii that came after Pride of America disappointing. This is still her favorite in Hawaii.

Please visit their website at www.ncl.com for more information. You are able to preview and purchase shore excursions in advance of your cruise.

Keep in mind that the cruise line contracts with local vendors to offer the shore excursions. NCL guaranties the reliability and value of the vendor. There are other vendors that will offer the same shore excursions in the area…that can also be arranged independently in advance (reputable companies like Get to hawaii). This is an opportunity for less savory people to take advantage of vulnerable travelers (more common in caribbean/mexican markets) so buyer beware.

Free Style cruising means that there is no assigned dining room or dining time. You have a selection of 13 restaurants: Cadillac Diner, Jefferson’s Bistro, Lazy J Texas Steakhouse, East Meets West Sushi Bar, Teppanyaki, Little Italy, Aloha Cafe, Liberty Main Restaurant, Skyline Main Restaurant (9 without a cover charge). You choose when you want to eat and with whom you want to eat. If you want to dress up formally every night of the cruise you can…if you want to leave the suit at home you can. At the end of the cruise they don’t have assignments for disembarkation. You leave when you wish before 10am.

Lazy J’s has a cover charge ($20 per person) but is the best. Go there with your jeans and enjoy a great steak or 2 or 3. One covercharge.

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I believe it teaches us to be on our guard.

Those who carried out the attack are mostly dead now, and only a relatively few veterans survive from those who were attacked. Today Japan is a trade partner and diplomatic ally, but we still have enemies, and our safety is still threatened from many sides.

When we were attacked on December 7, 1941, there were many warnings–some of which were heeded and some of which weren’t. The Japanese fleet was known to have sailed, but its destination was unknown. Army radar detected the Japanese airplanes on their way to Hawaii from the north. We nevertheless were totally unprepared for the attack that morning.

It was not the first time Americans were unprepared for events that overwhelmed us, and was not the last. In a nuclear age, far more damage could be done by a potential enemy today. We have prepared in many ways, yet there are still gaps in our preparations.

Should we be concerned, and–if so–what shall we do?
Do you mean we can’t learn anything until next year? That’s strange. I thought we began learning on December 8, 1941.

And we had better not forget the past–unless it is our desire to repeat it.
Chewy Ivan passes math, history grade as of yet unknown.
SMSgt Smith touches a nerve. Before the 9/11 attacks we had the first World Trade Center bombing, the Khobar Towers attack, the two African countries where U.S. embassies were blown up, and the Cole bombing. No real actions were taken.

Today we have a Middle Eastern country (Iran) rattling its scimitars and threatening the destruction of Israel, along with funding and promoting terrorism. (I am not advocating a war with Iran, but I do think vigilance is definitely called for.)

Japanese Admiral Yamamoto wanted to buy a little time for Japan–he did not expect to completely defeat America. He was the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, which killed about 2400 Americans.

Can we afford complacency in the face of an avowed enemy who wants to hurt or destroy our nation and people? After the attack could well be too late to get angry about the prospect.
I would like to thank bvw for a very well thought out and informative answer. I am not entirely in agreement with all you say, however.

Growing up I heard a lot about Pearl Harbor, and the theory that FDR provoked it and knew in detail about it in advance is not entirely supportable. Unquestionably, Roosevelt wanted us in the war, and the Pearl Harbor attack got him that.

However the Japanese had been considering such an attack long before it happened. The attack was very well planned and executed, but it served our purposes far better than it served those of Imperial Japan.

I am not a great fan of Roosevelt. To me, throwing Admiral Kimmel and Lieutenant General Short under the bus was inexcusable. But the president wasn’t the only one to blame for that. America values scapegoats almost as much as it does heroes.

Unquestionably, the Pearl Harbor attack changed our world as dramatically as any two or three-hour event in history has.

History teaches many lessons in a major event like this, and what lead up to it, and what followed.

One lesson is don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Just about the whole Pacific Fleet was in one basket. It was almost wholly wiped out.

Another related lesson is keep your assets moving and in use. Don’t keep stuff laying on the shelf, use it. Our flagships and nearly every other ship were nearly all caught at anchor in Pearl Harbor. Napoleon got caught the same way in Cairo 1798, British Admiral Nelson wiped out the French fleet at anchor in harbor.

Others have mentioned to always be alert — but WE WERE AT ALERT. We just hadn’t been hit yet. It’s not human nature nor is it wise to be super alert before you get hit or bit or burned. We were on a prelude to war footing. So no, I do not agree with that as a lesson of Pearl Harbor.

There is a related lesson though. It is clear through the lens of History that FDR was setting up Japan to confront us, to attack us, and even to attack Pearl. Why? To get us into war against the other Axis powers — Germany and Italy! He was desperate to save his beloved Britain. In that he was right!

The plans of the Commander can have a sad impact on subordinates, for the Commander must consider a much bigger picture and at times place his subordinates in a harm’s way without any notice, and in rare cases even with deception against them. That is the duty of a Commander at rare times, and that seems to have been FDR’s terrible duty at the time. He left Admiral Kimmel and General Short in harm’s way and acted to keep them blind to the danger coming.

What lesson comes from that? The subordinate commanders have a duty, arising from the safety of their own men, to go beyond mere order following in such situations. Not that they disobey or are insubordinate, bot that they push the limits for the safety of their own men. That’s a difficult wisdom, especially to apply.

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I was thinking of getting a boat I could live on and take from London England to East coast Canada during the summer.

We’re not experienced but would gain as much as possible before trying obviously but wondered what the best size boat would be to look into buying and what features would be of benefit… ??? Thanks for any help and thank you to those of you who have answered already *s*

having sailed about 25000 miles in my life here’s my thoughts:
30-40 foot is perfect for a couple..its big enough to carry food fuel water needed for a passage, but not so big two people cant handle it….and also proportionally less expensive; a well equipped 50 footer is 2x the price of a 35 foot…….

have a good wind vane self steering system and an electric back up…Monitor/Aries and an Autohelm

for Canada , a radar and know how to use it.fog, you know……

don’t put ANYTHING on the boat….including engine, radar, refrigeration, radio that you cant fix yourself or do without.

Sail whatever boat you get as many times as possible FIRST.short day trips weekends bank holidays week at a time. Gain as much experience handling the boat….and also just in living aboard before you set out. Open ocean sailing is actually less nerve wracking than coastal cruising with fog, rocks and other ships and boats around!

Here’s a point about your suggested trip….the prevailing winds and the Gulf Stream run FROM Canada to the UK…a direct trip from Cornwall to Halifax is about 2800 miles; tacking upwind adds 50%; a 35 footer will sail at about 4 knots average so you’re looking at 45 days……and the Gulf Stream will set you back 25-50 miles a day so it will be a LONG trip…

since about 1500 sailors have found, especially in summer, it’s shorter ( in time) to go south out of England down towards the Azores to about 20 degrees Latitude; then west with the Trade Winds to the Caribbean Islands then north up between Bermuda and the US and then into New England and Canada than to try to go due west from Ol Blighty…..

if you only have summers, how about doing it in two parts….one year to the Caribbean, leave the boat in the British Virgin Islands or Antigua, then the next year head up to Maine and Nova Scotia in June…..18 days from St Thomas to Maine……..

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I expect that you are identifying a "small yacht" as a power vessel versus a sailing vessel.

There are advantages to both sailing yachts and power yachts, and there are also disadvantages.

Just a few considerations for each –

Pro for sailing yacht: Backup propulsion system has complete redundancy. In a power vessel, fuel is required even if there are two engines. In a sailing vessel, fuel is only required for one of the propulsion systems.
Pro for power yacht: Usually more usable area per longitudinal foot.
Con for sailing yacht: Much slower.
Con for power yacht: More costly while underway (reliance on purchasing fuel).
Pro for sailing yacht: Foot for foot, likely more stable in heavy seas (heavy keel helps to keep ship righted).

If I were going to "live at sea" I would opt for a sailing vessel. If I were going to "live on the water in a marina" it may not matter as much.

–Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

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A short list of ancient inventions

* Abacus Chinese Calculator
* Paper money
* Battens in sails
* Belt drive
* Blast furnace
* The cannon
* Cast iron
* Chain drive
* Chinese cuisine: Tofu, Noodles, Ramen, Sushi
* Chinese clothing: Qipao, Hanfu
* Chopsticks
* Bituminous coke for the iron and steel industry
* Compass
* Crossbow and repeating crossbow
* Escapement mechanism for clocks
* Exploding cannonball
* Fire Arrow
* Gunpowder
* Firearm
* Horse collar
* Hull compartments/bulkheads
* Kite
* Land mines
* Lottery
* Matches
* Paper
* Pendulum (Zhang Heng)
* Printing (woodblock printing and movable type)
* Rockets: Fire Arrow, Multistage rocket
* Rotary fan
* Rudder
* Sailing carriage
* Seismometer (of Zhang Heng)
* Silk
* South Pointing Chariot (differential gear, of Ma Jun)
More at:

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

Peace

Jim

.
Over in the political section, you will find a lot of disinformation about China. One in particular is china haters will say China never invented anything.

Some here say they are copiers, not innovators. Since I live here and see how this country is reinventing itself, I’d say China is innovating on steroids and inventing, improving, etc.

.
Prior to the 1840′s when westerners visited China they often went away thinking the culture and country was superior to their own.

That changed when after 75 years of opium importation by the Brits and the Brit govt had gotten to a point where it represented almost 60% of china’s imports and 90% of the males under 40 in the coastal regions were addicted when the Opium Wars broke out. 110 years later after the west had screwed the Chinese with "unequal treaties" that exempted foreigners from Chinese law, ceded Hong Kong to them, etc, etc, is when China had enough and slammed their door shut when Mao came into power.

Who the hell can blame him.

Look up the Opium Wars and Boxer rebellion.

.

I never said they didn’t. Bully for them, and thanks to all for their contributions to the advancement of mankind. Cheers.

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If not, why not? Are they ashamed of the mud slinging they did when THEY were the ones without all the facts? Did they really believe that the Commander and Cheif of the greatest country in the world would enter into a war for no reason? Do you? There is so much more going on in the world that you and I are not aware of, that demands the attention of the leader of the free world to make very difficult decisions, that the boneheads in congress and the house couln’t do on their best day. Most would end up in the fetal position cring on the floor! This great man derserves our respect and support! Get behind your President. Get behind the Troops. And get behind The United States of America or get out of the way! (You could get run over!)
There are alot of problems with this country but MY Preisident isn’t one of them. Nobodys crossing the border in the other direction. Nobodys building rafts tring to sail away from this coutry.
Ensure brain is in gear before putting mouth in motion!

I’m curious. Were you as supportive of President Clinton? I am what you would probably call a liberal. I didn’t vote for President Bush and I don’t especially like him. But he is OUR president until the next election so…

Do I support the war in Iraq? No. I think we need to find a way out. Iraq was not an imminent threat before the war. We have turned it into a threat and a terroist training ground.

Now does this mean that I don’t support the troops? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Of course I support them! I am a patriotic American! Why would anyone think that just because I am a "liberal" that I would have something agains the militatry? Those in the military are sworn to carry out all lawful orders. As the saying goes in the service, "You don’t pick your wars."

Now about these arrests in Miami. Yes, the United States has enemies. There are those who would seek to destroy us. They were arround before the war, and they will likely be around after. As for this bunch, if they are truly guilty it will be proven in court and there will be a few less enemies roaming free. A fine and wonderful thing!

And one last thing for you to think about. Since you seem to have such a problem with liberals does that mean that you dislike some of our greatest liberals? I’m thinking of people like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams. Men who came up with the ANYTHING BUT CONSERVATIVE idea of breaking away from the British and forming a new country. CONSERVATIVES would have hung them all from the nearest tree. Of course at the time these people were known as Torries. They in turn had a different name for those "liberals" I just mentioned. They called them traitors!

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Hi,
I sail a Laser sailboat full rig and currently i am using a BIG, HEAVY, and BULKY road dolly to launch my laser with I have a hard time deciding weather to spend $400 on a sietech laser dolly. My question is: Is it worth the money?

Unfortunately, Seitech has the market on Laser dollys.

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I have been thinking about getting a laser, and I dont know much about them.

I am lightweight and have lots of sailing experiance.

Things I need to know is;

-What sort of hull am I looking for? fiberglass? and are there restrictions to the type of hull used?
-2nd hand? or new?
-Battons, glass? foam?
-Sail’s, nielon?

All information and links to laser websites regarding information on the rigging and sailing of a laser will be greatly apprechiated! (note I can allredy sail a laser and very well.)

I believe all Laser’s are made from a plastic/fiberglass composite.

You are going to save a lot of money buying second hand, and quality second hand. You can always put a new sail on it.

The Laser is a single handed boat, and the Laser II can be sailed single handed if you don’t mind cleating the jib. But a second hand there can help with the jib and with the chute if you decide to fly one.

Batens are again a composite and will come with the sail.

Sails are made from many different materials depending on quality and how much you want to pay.

Here’s the Intl Laser Association, North America

http://www.laser.org/

Enjoy and have fun.

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I thought this would be fun, you have to add ONE team to each division, and pick a team name and location. Here is my list.

AL West
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners
Portland Atheists(Portland, Oregon)

AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Louisville Blues(Louisville Kentucky)

AL East
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
Hartford Sails(Hartford, Connecticut)

NL West
San Fransisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Utah Mormons(Salt Lake City, Utah)

NL Central
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates
Milwaukee Brewers
Iowa Cornhuskers(Des Moines, Iowa)

NL East
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
Washinton DC Nationals
Florida Marlins
Carolina Winds(Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

here i go
AL West
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners
Portland polka
las vegas moneywasters
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Louisville love

AL East
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
maine martians

NL West
San Fransisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
idaho I the hoe

NL Central
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates
Milwaukee Brewers
Iowa Irony
NL East
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
Washinton DC Nationals
Florida Marlins
carolina caffiene

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