“In Passing” by Sterling Hayden, who lived 1916-1986.
To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen, who play with their boats at sea- ‘cruising’ it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.”I’ve always wanted to go to the South Seas, but I can’t afford it.” What these men can’t afford is NOT to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous disciplines of “security.” And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine-and before we know it our lives are gone.
What does a man need–really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat, and shelter, six feet to lie down in–and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all in the material sense. And we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade.The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?
by Sterling Hayden, sailor extraordinaire.
We drain our planet earth because we need the oil, liquid gas, coal and all the other “earth” products to make life comfortable.
Talking about nuclear power I know the for and against ..
I do not want a discussion .
But I could use a small reactor on my next boat … less than 1 gram of fuel every 4 years … think about that .. also good for your little greenhouse on board to grow your own “nuclear” tomatos.
We must think ahead.
Check also the next:
http://www.chriswhitedesigns.com/atlantic_cats/mastfoil/
Why do you think this is such a big deal? In our opinion the MastFoil rig solves nearly every sail handling problem faced by cruising sailors. In addition it offers an unparalleled level of safety. Fast and safe sail reduction on any point of sail is critical, and not easy to achieve with the conventional rigs. When you can reef so easily it means that the reefs come out when they need to, which translates into higher daily average speeds. All cruising sailors know how reluctant they are to shake out a reef at 0300 only to have to put it back in again an hour later, which typically means the reef isn’t shaken out and the boat wallows in the lulls between squalls.
When struck by a violent wind gust, whether from a squall or topography, the MastFoil rig can be quickly and completely depowered by easing the sheets. There is nothing in the way to prevent the sails and foils from luffing, even when deep reaching. Try reefing or even dropping a conventional mainsail with 50 kts of wind behind the beam. It can’t be done, at least not quickly. That is not particularly safe and has contributed to numerous sailing accidents.
In strong weather the foils provide most or all of the necessary drive and they do it so easily. There are extremely low heeling forces, extremely low loads on the “sheet” and low loads in the mast when the fabric sails are furled.
The foils can be gybed conventionally which is quick and easy, and they can also be gybed around the front of the mast, which in severe conditions will eliminate a lot of stress – both mental and physical.
