When I first bought my boat the sea trial entailed setting the mast. I wasn’t in charge but it scared me to have about 6 guys standing around discussing possible ways to get it up. In those days it rested (was stepped) on the deck. Ideas ranged from using the small hoist fastened around the middle to having several men push it up. There was no consensus. The mast was about 35′ long and heavier than one person could lift. I don’t recall what was finally done, but I remember a halyard got stuck at the top and someone used an extension ladder to get up there. Continue reading “Mast Raising”
Boat Launching
When I discovered that it would cost me a good $600 per year to get my boat from my yard to the harbour and back each year, I decided a trailer (costing $1000) would be a good idea. Unfortunately to legally put a 15′ wide trimaran on the road would require special permits, etc. but where I live fishing boats of about the same width are routinely trailered by a commercial carrier (legally) and it is only 2 miles to the harbour. Drivers here are used to encountering wide boats on the highway and, as long as I avoid peak traffic times, things are OK. Continue reading “Boat Launching”
Sailing on PEI
A true account: I herewith endeavour to give a true account of my sailing experiences on Prince Edward Island interspersed with bits of advice and warnings, often derived from the writings of others. These experiences arose out of acquiring, and then modifying, a small used sailboat for coastal sailing. When Luke, the author of two Bible books, began writing, he pointed out that, while many others had already written about the same topic, he was going to write an orderly account resulting from careful investigation.[1] In the realm of sailing, this is beyond my grasp! Much of the technical information presented here echoes the writings of others who have come before me. Instead, it is my goal to give a personal account of my journey on the path to becoming a sailor. Continue reading “Sailing on PEI”
Starting a blog site
Getting a web “presence” is not as easy as it is claimed. Good advice told me, if I wanted to have any hope of finding a market for the new books I am developing, I should start a set of blogs to grow a community of people who share my interests. The good advice was to not have a wide variety of blog posts all in one thread. I have at least three separate interests, so I am wrestling with how to have blogs threads clearly delineated. I have just discovered that separate addresses (URLs) make everykthing easier. It is a case of beating my head against a (software) wall or going with what the software tools make easiest. WordPress seemed easy (and free) and it claimed to have the most powerful tools so that is how it has gone. Continue reading “Starting a blog site”
Web site development
I have been struggling to develop new web pages and posts so I can be more interactive with those who are interested. I expect to be posting new blogs several times a week in the various categories as they develop. Today I am working on the multiple layers of this web site–it isn’t so much that I have to get the tools to do what I want as it is to get my wants to line up with what is easy to do! I think the best analogy is that of banging my head against the wall when all I need to do is look up and move over to the doorway which has been there all along.