Thursday, August 24, 2017
Fun simple online sail simulator
Do you have boring meetings sometimes like I do? I was just bored and came across this simple fun sail simulator. |
| All aboard |
Try it here. Fun for about 10 minutes?!
Next, I'll cover one that is fun for much longer.
Cheers!
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Free online sailing magazine: Southwinds
It's funny, how you sometimes come across things on the internet. I was reading about the great boat Seaward 32RK (good for another post - way outside of my range, but still fantastically interesting boat). So, was pointed to a review in Southwinds magazine. |
| August 2017 cover |
You can find the magazine home page here. All back issues are pretty much available through Issuu.
I also found an FTP server with many back issues, easier to download than Issue, specially if you use an extension such as DownThemAll.
Cheers!
Monday, August 21, 2017
Sail-In Cinema in Toronto
Too bad its too far for me, but this is really cool. Instead of Drive-In theatres, in Toronto there's Sail-In theatres called Sail-In Cinema. Kewl eh? |
| Anchor Watch! |
From August 18 to August 20, audiences enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Edward Scissorhands on a four-storey, two-sided, floating screen anchored to a barge in Lake Ontario.
The inaugural Sail-In Cinema™ was held in 2011 to mark PortsToronto's centennial year. The annual event attracts more than 10,000 people on land and 100 boats over the three-day period and is now a permanent fixture on Toronto's summer calendar.
Brings a whole new meaning to Anchor Watch :-)
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Blog: Graduating to a smaller boat
Boy, I havent been blogging in awhile.I'll try to be better.
I do read quite a few blogs, one of my favourite, because I love small sailboat travel and particularly Matt Layden's Paradox design (for 1 person), is Graduating to a Smaller Boat.
 |
| Beautiful Paradox |
Dave built his own Paradox, he sailed it around Hawaii, and now he just arrived back in Florida after going to Bahamas and Cuba.
Proof that size does not matter when cruising, safety and seamanship does.
Cheers!
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Foldable Canoe
A few years ago, someone create a foldable layak called Oru. Very cool and useful.I believe, the same people have now developed a foldable canoe. Also very cool.
 |
| MyCanoe |
When Oru came around, they only had one model. Now they have many models, and most of them are SOLD OUT. A proof that many people like the portability, lightweight and ease of storage of these contraptions.
At the time, I actually developed for fun some plans for a foldable Kayak. I only went so far as creating a paper version of it. It seemed decent enough.
With the winter still upon me here in Simcoe county (Ontario, Canada), I think its time to dust off this plan. So, at the next free weekend (when I can no longer ice fish!), maybe I'll finally build / fold it. If its any decent, I will OpenSource the plans. As I have a hard time justifying $1000 on a foldable kayak when it's basically made from at the most $30 of Coroplast?!
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, January 6, 2017
How about portable boats?
Well, its cold and full of snow here. A couple years ago, I came across the site PortableBoat plans by Ken Simpson's of Arizona. |
| 1-Sheet Wedge |
So, I think, just for fun this winter, I may just build the 1 sheet wedge that he has...could be fun to go fishing and go through the canals around here.
His plans comes with tuns of fun options...you can even increase its length for a second occupant. You could row it, use a trolling motor and even create a sail version.
Check his stuff out, he has a lot of neat stuff and he uses a very cheap and proven building methodology. No epoxy here.
I'll keep you updated!
Cheers!
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Living the Vendée Globe through The Godforsaken Seas
As the Vendée is in progress, I am also reading one of the best book documenting the 1996 Vendée Globe race.
This not something I would do, for me sailing is about visiting places, and racing is usually in teams, more fun to me.
Regardless, I admire the people that have the guts to do it and the stamina as well.
This is a great book about the process of many people going around the world alone. It is also a book for anyone, no need to understand sailing, everything is very well explained.
Cheers!
