Blogging question: How many people want to know about you?

Posted By on December 11, 2016

A friend is thinking about writing a “subject oriented blog” (unlike MyDesultoryBlog) and asked me if I thought it was important to have an aboutthumbnail“about the author page.” I said yes, people will want to know if you are knowledgeable on the subject matter or if you at least have the researching and objective ability worthy of reading.

His follow up to me was “How many people look at your “About” page?”  I really never gave it much thought and started to dig into the statistics.  Come to find out, the ABOUT link  was the 14th most common click in the last 30 days and in the past year it was the 12th most common link clicked … although falling well behind the the most viewed  link this year. Who knew almost 10,000 views about a Honda Odyssey sliding door problem (I should have given that short post more thought!)

Generator, Curtain, Solar and overheating diesel on Encore

Posted By on December 11, 2016

Encore_SolarGenCover161205Wrapping up a weekend trip with a few photos tinkering aboard Encore. Some needed cleaning and a few improvements were the items on the agenda.

First up, I semi-fitted the new generator cage for the Honda EU2000i. I welded the aluminum up in the summer/fall and hope that once bolted in place it will keep the generator from walking away. I don’t intend to keep the generator on deck all the time, but having it handy will make recharging batteries and using higher wattage devices easier.

Encore_GenCover161205Currently the generator cage has been sized for the starboard aft corner, but I may end up moving it depending what happens with davits. Before drilling more holes in the deck, it will be a good idea to know just where I’m going to need to locate mounting points. (see current thinking)

 Encore_GenFrame161205

My "Suzy Homemaker" attempt at sewing a single curtain has worked out well. It fits and looks decent … unfortunately I have too many to make now Here’s a photo before puckering the top (strings in the binding edge).

Encore_Curtain161205

I’m still fighting with an overheating Volvo diesel engine … Encore_VolvoExhaustManifoldindicating that the new strainer and water pump impeller have not solved the problem. I’ll do one more thru-hull inspection prior to digging into the heat exchanger, etc.

 Encore_VolvoTemps

On a positive note, I attempted to live as a "Twelve Volt Man" for the few days I was there and stretched the 3 – 105 amp/hr batteries for most of that time … with a little help from my "single 120 watt solar panel." I can feel an upgrade to more solar panels and maybe a MPPT controller in my future?

Encore_SolarCharging8plusamps

  Twelve Volt Man (One Particular Harbor) | Jimmy Buffett – 1983

"Twelve Volt Man"

I never got a grip in penmanship
Could never make those small l’s flow
Seldom found the trick to arithmetic
Three plus two be faux pas
But ask for some palm trees
Or tales from the South Seas

I never had the clout to knock one out
But hitting was the name of my game
Standing on third as the coaches conferred
So close to my first claim to fame

Just give me the steal sign
And I’ll make home plate mine
And I just might turn some heads

Sometimes I may get a little drastic
Sometimes I just let my feelings show
Sometimes I may be a bit sarcastic
Most times that’s the way the story goes

Now I know this Joe down in Mexico
He went there to work on his tan
For years he’s been plugged into blenders and songs
They call him the Twelve Volt Man

He don’t need no charge card
Just give him a die-hard
And he’ll make sparks fly round your head
Or just ask for some palm trees
Or tales fromthe South Seas
And I’ll make sparks fly round your head
Round your head
In your head
In your head

Still thinking about davits for Encore in 2016

Posted By on December 10, 2016

DavitsMod161209

In continuing the quest to be able to bring along our fully inflated Zodiac dinghy when gunkholing aboard Encore, I am still pondering an inexpensive davit option. The dilemma has been trying to keep the Capehorn Steering gear (hopefully functional) while still "safely" toting along a dinghy. The foredeck space is limited since the baby stay prevents deck storage of a dinghy so we’re down to towing, davits or a roll-up inflatable (our current Zodiac). Eventually I would like a large tubed, lightweight aluminum bottom ultralight AB inflatable, but still would need a way to hoist it out of the water.

Big concerns are stability and reach in our current set-up not to mention the "rolling" problem and having windage (and following seas) messing with whatever we have hanging on the stern. If I can get the above at the right price, it will be worth experimenting … besides fastening to the deck with SS plates, I could clamp the upper support arm to the middle stern rail?

oldstcroixdavits_ebay

TechFriday 2: Just a couple camera and lens images

Posted By on December 9, 2016

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The top image is a daylight test image while trying a new camera and lens combination (Panasonic Lumix GX8 and 14-140mm lens) and is a very large original image … so if you click it, it will prove to be a larger image download (be warned).

The image below as been reduced in size but was a photo of a photo collage taken at about 25 feet away. The detail of the image is good considering the lighting was poor. (image was a collage of photos from when my daughter was younger)

P1000049

TechFriday: Kickstarter Raspberry Shake and other item arrived

Posted By on December 9, 2016

RaspberryShakePackaging161207

I helped fund the Raspberry Pi based computer Kickstarter project known as the RaspberryShake  networkingworking a large number of inexpensive earthquake monitoring station around the world (www.raspberryshake.org/quick-start-guide). The idea of connecting hundreds if not thousands of independent volunteer monitoring stations isn’t new, but it is a growing force in data collection. Hopefully I’ll be able to program on of my little Raspberry Pi computers to serve double duty and monitor for earth movement too? (a great winter project)

Shh! … my Christmas present arrived, but before wrapping it up I had to be sure it worked. Unfortunately the extra battery and free UV filters did not arrive yet.

PaperweightBW161207LowLightJeans 

A couple test photos in dim light … depth of field and focus test (click for larger).

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Above are all with 14-140mm and one of the instruction pages in evening wide open.

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GrannyH_Tractor_161207

The bottom 3 images are with the 100-300mm. Flowers at 100 and outdoor views maxed out at 300mm. All have been reduced in size for the blog, but click for larger.

John Glenn, the 1st American to orbit Earth, has died at 95

Posted By on December 8, 2016

John Glenn

Godspeed, John Glenn. Astronauts were heroes to kids like me in the 60s. I remember it well when he visited our flooded Ohio home on Lake Erie in 1973. He was on a PR stop and making a run for the U.S. Senate … yet took time to talk and inspire impressionable 14 year old me — a very special moment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died Thursday. The last survivor of the original Mercury 7 astronauts was 95.

Source: John Glenn, the 1st American to orbit Earth, has died at 95

New LG Dryer arrived but without the stack kit (old one for sale)

Posted By on December 8, 2016

IMG_2310 IMG_2311

The new matching dryer arrived, but missing the stack kit. We should have bought both the washer and dryer at the same time from Home Depot when they were really on sale, but I wasn’t ready for both. The cheapness came  back to bite me as the sale wasn’t quite as good as last summer ($50 more). 

Who needs a perfectly good electric dryer — I’m going to try and make up the $50?

Frohe Weihnachten 2016 from Katelyn and Drew

Posted By on December 8, 2016

KatelynDrewFroheWeihnachten2016

Tis the season to be starting to think about a “Jolly Christmas” as Katelyn and Drew sent back a couple photos from Vienna, Austria this week …  and from the looks of it, they are enjoying themselves. I sure hope little “Baby Oostra” likes K_D_IMG_20161206 long flights?
Smile
It just so happened that Dr. Drew was invited to present the lung cancer research that he has been working on in his UMN fellowship. Katelyn opted to tag along and stretch out a few days touring there way back from Vienna to Paris. It is so good to see Taylor enjoying his trip to Hawaii and now Katelyn and Drew in Europe … they obviously inherited the travel bug?

U.S. Stocks Post Biggest One-Day Rally Since Election

Posted By on December 7, 2016

U.S. stocks charged to fresh highs, with major indexes logging their biggest one-day rally since the election. See WSJ story.

A date that will live in infamy — December 7, 1941

Posted By on December 7, 2016

It has been a few years since our family visited the historic sites at Pearl Harbor …  it was very sobering. Why do human beings continue killing each other — it is as senseless today as it was 75 yearsPearlHarbor75thimagame ago.

I would like to think that we are wiser and could agree to inhabit this one planet in peace, but as with generations past, there seem to always be those who desire hate and war … to what end and for what positive outcome?

About all we can do as Americans is try to prevent another Pearl Harbor (or 911) and to be be vigilant and proactive with our defense and intelligence. We have also learned isolation is not a safe plan and as much as we dislike overseas involvement, it is prudent that threats be tempered prior to attacking again (talk first, but be willing to use force when necessary before the threat is too great). Current threats from North Korea, Iran and ISIS are inching towards the "too great" status as are the power hungry and ambitious China Communist leaders — and let’s not forget the Russian leader’s desire to rebuild the USSR (Ukrainians and Crimea).

The best way to honor those who died in Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and six other military bases on December 7th, 1941 is to never let another American die in such a surprise attack. I’m thankful for all who served in that "Greatest Generation" and save our country and the world from tyrants desiring to dominate … may such evil be put down before ever attacking America again.

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