December Sail

[Brent]

Occassionally the December weather is just perfect for sailing. On this day, about a week ago, a gentle breeze blew out of the south with temparatures in the 60's. As an added bonus the Ohio River was flowing gently - not to be taken for granted this time of year. So the boat cover was quickly removed and off we went for a day long sail. For those that pay attention to such things, please excuse the onboard clutter in the picture. Somedays I am doing good just to get out sailing, let alone get all in fine ship shape.

A complete reconnisance of Six Mile Island was made that included a sustained deep reach - hench the stay sail flying.

Active Imagination was the only sail boat out on the river but a friend from another forum saw the distinct sails of the CoreSound as he drove by, and was waiting when I pulled up to the dock.

That chance encounter got me thinking about my extended group of friends that meet here in this place on the web. I am thankful to be a part of this group, and to meet here when we can, and to have had the opportunity to meet face to face some very fine people who also hang out here. I wish a fine Christmas and New Year to all.

[Guest Oyster]

Indeed today was a great day to be outside and on the water along the banks. Merry Chirstmas to one and all, and happy winter season of building as springtime is just around the corner for the northern hemisphere. It will be one of our quieter ones fror us, but those with young kids, enjoy the day tommorrow. And for the one down under, cheers to you guys too. I agree with you Brent. There is some good fun with meeting many face to face to spend some time on the waters in boats that we all choose to own, build and enjoy in our spare time. Later

[Greg Luckett]

October was snowy and cold and wet and made me think this would be a bad and early winter....so pulled the Laguna a month earlier than I wanted to. Then a few more snow/rain storms in November, and a little in December. Last year by the middle of November we had snow staying on the ground. This year is like winter in North Texas. The History Channel says this is what the climate was like prior to the Little Ice Age which started about 1100AD and lasted until about 100 years ago (going from my memory now). I am loving this weather. . It allowed me to complete the shed sans painting and has saved money from the utilities and made commuting to/from work much better. Greenland may actually become green again .

[Greg Luckett]

Well said Ray, and right on with the facts. The main stream hype going on a continuous barrage like effect from actors/actresses/politicians/professors sucking on the money pump/etc. will never make good science but can and do create BS political solutions. I always look for who is going to make the big money from these things. Look back at the refrigerant BS and the ozone layer depletion effect. There has never been any real evidence of cause and effect but the politicians forced major changes and huge money flows by forcing a change in refrigerants. All those very well paid "consultants" in Washington earned their keep on that mess. Look at what just one volcano emits on an hourly basis into the upper atmosphere. Ever see "Joe and the Volcano" ....or read "Chicken Little"? Not so long ago we would have sacrificed a few people to make the harvest good too.

Another good movie is the one about the african Bushman who tries to return the coke bottle to the gods....cannot recall its title now. I think the bottom line is that most people are so arrogant as to really believe we affect or control the universe in any significant way. We do seem to do a pretty good job of poisening our environment though. :x

[Gordy Hill]

I agree!

Why believe thousands of scientists when the oil industry can produce dozens of scientists who have questions about the data?

Just keep watching Fox Fair and/or Balanced News.

How can anyone believe Al Gore when we have the sacred opinions of Rush?

It's nice to know this warming has nothing to do with industry and my stocks are safe. It would be foolish to use profits to clean up emissions. Why, just a few decades ago they tried to convince the American public that smoking was bad for us!

[Frank Hagan]

It is a complicated issue, and science can certainly be wrong, but the CO2 levels are measurable in the ice cores they dig up. So we can tell with good accuracy what the CO2 levels were in the past. So there's really no debate in science about whether or not CO2 levels are higher, and there's no debate in science about whether CO2 is a greenhouse gas.

Dealing with nature always has a lot of uncertainty because the systems are so complex. So I don't have a lot of confidence that the computer models today are that much better than the "nuclear winter" models in the 1980s that have been discredited now (but were very much in vogue when proposed). And whenever politics is involved, the science gets co-opted (Greg's comment about the refrigerant is on target: there was one company with an alternative, and it pushed for Congress to accept the idea that the ozone layer was in trouble, and they made a killing).

Just noticed this is the B&B Yachts Forum, so the thread is probably out of place ... but let's keep it civil, and everyone can chime in with one post, and we can move on. Of course, with the great points here, you can always head on over to the new messing-about.com site PoliteTalk.com to continue the debate! (Shameless plug mode OFF)

I do know one thing ... when I unfurl my sails and feel the push of the wind tugging the main sheet, and in my other hand I have the tug of the sea on the tiller, I'm practicing energy independence!

[Hirilonde]

Another good movie is the one about the african Bushman who tries to return the coke bottle to the gods....cannot recall its title now.

The Gods Must Be Crazy

[Greg Luckett]

I agree!

Why believe thousands of scientists when the oil industry can produce dozens of scientists who have questions about the data?

Just keep watching Fox Fair and/or Balanced News.

How can anyone believe Al Gore when we have the sacred opinions of Rush?

It's nice to know this warming has nothing to do with industry and my stocks are safe. It would be foolish to use profits to clean up emissions. Why' date=' just a few decades ago they tried to convince the American public that smoking was bad for us![/quote']

You mean like when Copernicus said the Earth orbited the Sun and "thousands of scientist" wanted to burn him on the stake, literally? Consensus rarely makes good science. As to Rush, I never listen to him. I like reading the science journals and watching Nova and the History channel. Facts rather than theories based on hypothetical speculation make for far more accurate interpretations. Interesting enough, there is a much larger majority of scientist who are doubting that man causes global warming than the other way around. They just do not get the media hype, boring as they are, but they do have a lot of real facts, not just hypthesis or poorly devised theories. You should probably just ignore them since they are rarely news worthy.

[Greg Luckett]

Hey Frank, I just read your post. That is a great idea. This would be perfect for the other forum. Can you move us over to there?

Thanks,

Greg.

[Greg Luckett]

Wasn't it Al Gore who claimed he invented the Internet while giving a speech or interview? This was when he was VP that he made that statement. That certainly helped his credibility didn't it?

[Scott Dunsworth]

Brent

:oops: I know nothing about green house gases and such.

But I know December sail is great fun. My son and I put JenJor Renea in on Patoka lake on the 16th. It was a 50 degree day and a south wind at 15 to 20. We had a short run of a few miles then turned east and the wind was on the beam for the length of the lake and back. The last 2 miles would have been a beat and would have got us in after dark. So I started the outboard and ran the last bit. A total of about 18 miles.

It was a very fine day sailing, with all of the sail up she was sailing at 7 to 8 knots. I know she will do better. Every time I am out I push my comfort zone and see what she will do. And what I can handle. We started the day with a reef in and nocked it out after a half and hour. I love the way I can control the boat and never feel out of control. Sometimes I keep the main in my hand to spill a little wind on the gusts. And I find sometimes I don't spill it I just see how she will respond.

If the temps at least 50 and the wind is up, I am willing.

Scott

[Greg Luckett]

Guess that's the end of this thread hijacking

[Brent]

Scott,

Thanks for capturing the true intent of this thread.

Your post brought up some clear images for me, as Patoka is a favorite place to catch a cool season sail. I was there in November a couple of times, and will no doubt sail there in the early spring.

The lake seems to always have more wind than the forecast, and there is plenty of room to get a good run in.

Drop me a note if you want some company there on one of those fine days we occasionally get in the pre-spring season.

---Brent

[Greg Luckett]

A couple of my friends, while eating dinner at the club this evening, surprised my by seriously discussing the relaunching their 35 to 40 foot sail boats and getting them positioned at the marina for early launch. The weather here this winter is much like those in North Texas were a decade ago when we lived there. It is tempting to launch Nellie, but that water is still cold....brrrr. The smaller boats would be quick launches and retrievals but a lot wetter too, so no December sailing here abouts yet.

[lsearle]

If you add energy [heat] to a chaotic system[the atmosphere], you get more frequent,and more violent events.If it isn't man causing global warming, we have an uncontrollable problem. We can change our behaviour.we can't change the universe,I like Kevin Costner's solution in WATERWORLD. Do what humans are good at, adapt.Denying the problem will only delay the inevitable.

[Guest Oyster]

1,000 years ago, Greenland was a flourishing piece of land, and named as such to attract folks from England to the vast farmland for grazing, or something like that, as I understand. I have been wrong in the past. Are you fine folks telling me that I been sailing on another planet all the time now?

[Greg Luckett]

That was prior to the Little Iceage, which we are just coming out of in the last 100 years or so. When Washington crossed the Deleware, the Little Ice Age weather was still in effect....the tail ends of it anyway.

I probably watch the History Channel and the Science Channels too much. Obviously, from what I keep hearing from Hollywood and its proponents, is that I should get my education from the SciFi Channel instead. Darn it, I always seem to have the wrong education...

In case anyone might like some real facts, try this link:

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

Meanwhile, Wednesday I went down to the marina, opened up my boat, and begain to list the spring projects to get her ready to splash again. I was not alone. I am loving this reversion into the Medieval Warm Period .

[lsearle]

Maybe everything we believe is 'real science' now, would have been regarded as science fiction a while back; and will be looked at as comical nonsense sooner than we expect. hopefully,someone,somewhere, will be sailing something he built.

[Greg Luckett]

Maybe everything we believe is 'real science' now' date=' would have been regarded as science fiction a while back; and will be looked at as comical nonsense sooner than we expect. hopefully,someone,somewhere, will be sailing something he built.[/quote']

That would be nice, wouldn't it? The sailing I mean.

SciFi keeps the mind flexible, reading it anyway, the Hollywood type stuff is mostly just crap. I started reading SciFi when about 8 or 9 and I am now 55 and still reading it. I like some of the movies, especially for the special effects as the plots are always weak and the SciFi poorly presented.

It is most important to keep real facts seperate from the interpretation of facts or out right conjecture. My first wife lives her life based on the latter, my second wife and life long mate is solidly anchored in the real world. Facts give us clues, the interpretation of which is often pure conjecture. At that point we need to look at motivations of the proponents of the interpretations. Example: We should build boats with steel because it is the best material for the job. Now the question: is this a fact or an opinion? Am I selling steel or am I just misguided?

Incidently, what is a Bolger Wisp? I cannot find it on the web nor in the couple of books I have by Bolger. I am guessing it is a small, hard chined boat, based on what I have seen of his designs (Extrapolation of known facts).

Greg.

[Guest Oyster]

One thing I personally believe is to make the best of each day. 8) We cannot control mother nature. So we must take second best, making the most of each day. I was required to eat caviar and cream cheese, and yes dealing with my stewardess serviing, suffering the affects of having to eat on the bus today, yes having to drive the dang thing myself, while people dined in those fancy waterfront seats along the waterfront. Wish I could be so fortunate someday. I do hope also that the membership here will not fault me for the raw wood boat shown in the photos. :twisted: