Earthrace and Pete Bethune thinking Antarctica


August 19, 2009

August must be the month for reminiscing, as I recently posted on what I remember 40 years ago (Woodstock festival) and I also just clicked a ‘Years ago on this date’ link from 2006. I had a good smile remembering what it was like to be at 13,796 feet on Mt. Mauna Kea in Hawaii; […]

Earthrace sets world record on biodiesel fuel


June 28, 2008

PRESS RELEASE – Sagunto, Spain, 27 June 2008, 13.24 GMT: Earthrace, the world’s fastest eco-boat, has smashed the world speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, knocking almost 14 days off the previous record. The boat crossed the finish line in Sagunto at 13.42 GMT on Friday 27 June having traveled around 24,000 […]

Earthrace slows slightly; still on record pace


June 21, 2008

Athough the Earthrace boat is having technical difficulties with their progress mapping equipment, Captain Pete Bethune’s log places them in the risky pirate prone waters off the coast of Somalia. (my plot below) I’m not sure if the log entry that comments, “It’s been playing on my mind for a few days now. We seem […]

Earthrace has prop problem, but ahead of record


June 2, 2008

Prop problem for Earthrace … here’s an update from the log: “Having made a swift 3 hours 15 minutes turnaround in Palau, Earthrace encountered some sea debris, which has damaged the port prop. The boat returned to port where the prop was removed and the drive shaft tested. The shaft has been put out of […]

Earthrace makes engine repair in Majuro


May 28, 2008

Earthrace, an attempt to round the world in record time on biodiesel fuel, is halfway across the Pacific Ocean and is now 700 or so miles west of Majuro in the Marshall Islands. They arrived on one engine and departed 4 hours later back on two. After leaving San Diego the crew and ‘unique’ boat […]

Earthrace on its way to Hawaii


May 18, 2008

Update on Earthrace since they made short stops in Panama, Mexico and San Diego for fuel. They have been running well with the experienced crew who are remaining alert and handling several smallish issues well. The second round the world record attempt is well ahead of schedule. The biggest problem since crossing the Atlantic has […]

Earthrace has lousy stop in Puerto Rico


May 7, 2008

The Earthrace crew is almost to the Panama as of the evening of May 7th (MAP) after a bad fuel stop in Puerto Rico. The ship carrying the biodiesel fuel for Earthrace had mechanical problems and was able to make it to port. The talented groundcrew scrambled to find a new source of biodiesel on […]

Earthrace crosses the Atlantic in record time


May 5, 2008

Earthrace has crossed the Atlantic (May 5) and has had a great run (see previous posts). They are 800+ nautical miles ahead of record time although they spent several days bashing through seas (literally through the waves). Yesterday the seas moderated and were following which made for more comfortable travel. Perhaps the latest pains have […]

Earthrace is off and ahead of schedule


April 29, 2008

Earthrace, the biodiesel powered circumnavigating spacecraft speedboat is off and running ahead of world record time as they beginning their second attempt around the world. The unique boat left Spain and is crossing the Atlantic Ocean traveling on “beautiful and flat” seas at 24 knots. This is pretty good time for a fully fueled boat […]

Earthrace delays start until mid-April


April 2, 2008

The radical looking biodiesel powered circumnavigating boat has delayed their start in going for a record run around the world by two week (see last years blog entries). The re-start was to take place at the end of last month, but according to Captain Pete Bethune the biodiesel supply planned for their stop in Portugal […]

Earthrace readies to set sail again


December 20, 2007

Earthrace, the 78 foot biodiesel powered wave-piecing boat, will attempt another run at the world record in circumnavigating around the world. Skipper Pete Bethune of New Zealand and his crew have reworked the boat after several glitches left them stranded in Europe last spring. (see posts) The next start for the Earthrace Project will take […]

The Earthrace crew continues, but so do problems


April 29, 2007

The champion of optimism … Skipper Pete Bethune … has finally conceded that the record of circling the globe by power boat in the fastest time is not possible anymore. After receiving some negative news while Earthrace waits for parts in the Pacific, Bethune writes as his crew mate sits down for breakfast with him: […]

Earthrace make Hawaii and is off again


April 13, 2007

Earthrace is ripping and roaring … they are in Hawaii and off again. Here’s a segment from Captain Pete Bethune: There’s my star. I’ve seen him the last three nights on my shift from 2-4am. He’s brighter than all the rest around him. Maybe he’s that star which is only a few light years from […]

Lazy vacation, Donna Lange and Earthrace


April 11, 2007

My posts have gone 100% personal as about all I’m thinking about is heading to the beach, lazing around waiting to fix dinner and visiting with my mother and father-in-law. We’re having a wonderful time of relaxation and rejuvenation. I did receive a note that Donna Lange is becalmed and running under Iron Genny in […]

Finally … Earthrace is off and running again


April 10, 2007

Earthrace Press Release from April 9th: Earthrace has now left San Diego and is continuing on her round-the-world speed record attempt. The unique wavepiercing vessel was involved in a collision off the coast of Guatemala with an unlit fishing skiff, resulting in considerable damage that has been mostly repaired in San Diego. She is now […]

Earthrace ripping and roarin’ … finally


March 31, 2007

So far so good for the captain and crew of Earthrace. They have escape not only the tragic events that transpired in Guatemala, but have done so with dignity. (Pete’s comments below) For now, Earthrace is making fast runs north, they have refueled and under a renewed spirit are anxious about continuing their voyage. I’ll […]

Earthrace moves & Biofuel prices up again


March 28, 2007

Topped off with B20 at my regular Mt. Gilead Sunoco biofuels station today and can’t help but grumble as the prices continue to go up. ULSD was selling most stations for about $2.64 on my way north and saw them a little lower in northeast Ohio. Nevertheless, I’m not going to complain too much knowing […]

Earthrace: A little good news


March 24, 2007

More Earthrace talk and another update … yes, I’ve become enamored with this project. Currently I’m working to get a little U.S. media coverage of their situation; we’ll see what comes of it? I’ve received a few emails from Pete and project members and in reading the recent blog postings have concluded that the tragedy […]

Earthrace tragedy: Collision at sea


March 23, 2007

Those of you who have been following Earthrace and looking for updates like me, might have wondered what’s happening? (no updates for several day until today) I’ve noted that they suffered problems with an engine and would be coming in for repairs, but never suspected the news would be so grim. Unfortunately on March 18 […]

Earthrace: not a Happy National Biodiesel Day


March 18, 2007

Although it would be better to celebrate “National Biodiesel Day” with good news from the Earthrace team, its not been a promising start for the biodiesel project. After significant hype, having prop problems followed by a cracked engine part are putting nails in the coffin for the crew attempting a world record biodiesel circumnavigation. The […]

Earthrace: Disappointment on the first leg


March 11, 2007

EDIT: The Earthrace team hasn’t given up. I’ve posted a 3/12/2007 update over on a new ‘Drupal‘ driven CinciTDI site — in the biodiesel section. (or visit Earthrace.net) March 11, 2007 Press Release: Earthrace Limping into First Race Port Panama City, Panama- March 11, 2007—On 10th March, Earthrace started its attempt to set a new […]

Biodiesel powered Earthrace begins


March 10, 2007

Quick update: Earthrace (early post) starting their biodiesel powered run west toward the Panama Canal this morning (3/10) and is currently passing the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Although I’m confident in the engineering and design, I’m concerned for the durability of the crew … the surging for extended periods has got to be grueling? […]

Earthrace circumnavigating on biodiesel


March 5, 2007

Earthrace, a unique 78 foot biodiesel powered wave-piercing trimaran, is at the starting line in Port Charles, Barbados. The sponsored project is looking to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat, and intend to do it on renewable fuel. The team is skippered by 41 year old New Zealander Pete Bethune, […]

Latest WordPress upgrade to 3.6 and plug in changes


August 4, 2013

It has been a few years since the automatic update from WordPress.org failed on my server … and only after the fact did I regret not doing a full backup prior to attempting the update (really, I’m posting just to see that all is working after the upgrade). After downloading the new install files and […]

Pete Bethune fighting for his freedom and The Cove


March 18, 2010

A few long time blog readers remember my blogging and supporting Earthrace her captain publicizing renewable fuels in a record breaking trip(s) around the world a couple years ago. More recently Captain Pete Bethune and his renamed vessel, Ady Gil, became part of an anti-poaching marine wildlife conservation organization called Sea Shepherd – see previous […]

Japanese whalers escalate war with Sea Shepherd


January 15, 2010

While monitoring what my friend Pete Bethune has been up to since he and his biodiesel powered boat Earthrace circumnavigated the world in 2008, it was with distress to see the unique boat destroyed (see previous posts). In 2009 the futuristic boat joined up with an anti-poaching marine wildlife conservation organization Sea Shepherd which utilized […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog