My favorite VW travel thermos needs to be replaced
Posted By RichC on August 27, 2015
In 2008 the TDIClub gifted me a VW travel thermos and I’ve used it everyday since then. I use it primarily an insulated water bottle, but it does did a great job with coffee too. It doesn’t sweat when things are cold and with just 2 ice cubes this little stainless steel Alfi Vacuum Bottle would keep water cold all day … and fits in a cupholder!
Unfortunately I dropped it a couple months ago and it must have lost whatever inert gas or vacuum because it is no longer doing its job. Now … what do I replace it with???
Thoughts???
This Delta plane gets struck by lightning
Posted By RichC on August 26, 2015
A passenger who was waiting for a storm to pass to board his flight caught the exact moment when a lightning bolt struck a Delta airliner.
Source: Watch this Delta airliner get struck by a lightning bolt!
Tropical Storm Erika is poised to grow by this weekend
Posted By RichC on August 26, 2015
It is the time of year when the tropical weather in the Atlantic tracks across the Caribbean Sea and Leeward Islands. These tropical storms can grow into hurricanes and blast the US east coast or continue on into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The previous tropical storm turn hurricane for a very short while was Danny, but the new one called Erika east of the Leeward Islands may have a little more potential to grow. Time will tell what happens with this storm as currently Erika is confirmed to have only 40 mph winds and is moving west at 20 mph. Hurricane watchers have the current track and cone targeting the Bahama Islands and southeast coast of Florida and growing in intensity.
The Sony Mobile and ZMP Inc tests their new UAV
Posted By RichC on August 25, 2015
After getting a chance to play with a quad copter last week, I’ve been a little more intrigued with the advancements in “drones.” Who knows, this innovation may find its way into the first realistic personal transportation device someday?
Sony’s Aerosense drone that takes off and lands vertically but during flight gets most of its lift from wings for more efficient and faster flight. I like the concept. Check it out.
Update: Rehab for Brenda is slow, painful but steady
Posted By RichC on August 25, 2015
It has been 25 days since surgery and about a month since my wife’s fall off a ladder. The rehabilitation is actually going well when observing the healing from the outside — the incision is relatively clean. Brenda isn’t ready for photos … so I’ll just include the last photo (right) of her are pre-injury from July 2015. The incision photos from yesterday look pretty good although there is a sign that some internal sutures are coming to the surface and causing a little seepage. We are watching for infection (see below).
Unfortunately the internal healing will be much slower as the pelvis fractures and new “bionic” part (composite part) in her arm will take longer to heal property before she can use or put any weight it. Still the “passive” motion of her arm by the physical therapist and “pivoting” on Brenda’s right foot until the pelvis heals (weight off left) at least has her able to inch around the house a little bit without being stuck in a recliner or wheelchair. We do take too many things for granted as I walk back and forth “speedily” taking care of things. It is all very frustrating to someone as active as her.
Thankfully the pain meds keep her comfortable for the most part and she can tolerate the working of her arm through a pretty impressive range of motion. The surgeon was skeptical after not being able to save her bone and replacing with a half shoulder. He commented that his goal is to save the shoulder when possible as it give the fullest range of motion after rehab. Second is the “hemi” since the scapulla is still the natural material and we re hopeful it will be in position to permit the new part a full range of motion — that is something not even possible with a full shoulder replacement. Brenda is working hard and intends to give the rehab 100% … so if it is possible to regain, she will do it.
A terrifying day for those invested in the financial markets
Posted By RichC on August 24, 2015
The trading day is not over yet, but the moves on Wall Street and with individual stocks or indices have been unprecedented today. We are currently down 600 points on the Dow Jones Industrial average with an hour left in the day, but that almost seems mild compared to the onslaught of sell ordering in the early morning. At 9:30 when the opening bell rang, the DJIA plummeted 1089 points marking it all time largest move. It was a hair off the NYSE 7% halt trigger, but the impact to portfolios was huge. Those holding stocks of nearly any kind felt the pain.
Those of us brave enough to make a few trades were rewarded as markets rose off the floor and even went positive with a few stock before the selling in the afternoon resumed. Who knows what the end of the day or when the end of this sell off will end?
Those who remember October 1987 are seeing some similarities, but commonsense is all that is needed to realized that the stock market has risen but the economy is not equally as robust. The economy and financial health of banks, companies, housing and individuals is far better than before the 2008 recession, but no where near the pace to justify the market return since that time.
Thanks for the memories: Jim Raab
Posted By RichC on August 24, 2015
It is not one of the better quality photos, but my brother Ron (right) sent me a “guess who this is” photo from a trip he took this past weekend. At first I didn’t know who was in the photo with him, but after a close look at the background I deduced that it was a neighbor “boy” who we lived next to up on Lake Erie some 40-plus years ago. Yes, it was “Moose” … or our summer time neighbor Jim Raab. What great memories we had when Jim (and late brother Tom) and their family would move into their cottage next door to us for the summer. Ron and I could not have had a more idyllic childhood … and obviously the same must have been the case for Jim since the cottage is still in his family … and they still escape there to this day!
One final comment Ron left with me by text message … and I too remembered “cupping my hands” like it was yesterday.
Jim even took me inside their cottage. As I stepped in through the door I said I can’t forget how we’d come up to the screen door and ask if Tom and Jim could come out. He cupped his hands up by his face as if to put them up to screen to see in! We laughed!
The Late Great Iconic American Station Wagon
Posted By RichC on August 23, 2015
Chuckled at the CNBC post on “Iconic Cars that are no longer around” and remembering our couple of our very functional “woodie-look” wagons of old as well as my father-in-laws’ wagons. Neither of us had the extinct Buick Roadmaster (above), but he had several Chevrolet station wagons … the last being the “White Whale” up until he bought the 2008 Chevy Trailblazer … and I had both the fake wood on a Chevy and an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wagon. On the Chevy I had to wire the rear bumper on (rusted off) and the Olds was traded in on my first of two Toyota 4-Runner (1994) with a 5 speed manual — still one of my favorite cars.
Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon
Mourn the death of the beloved American family station wagon, complete with fake wood paneling. First, Chrysler eliminated its classic wood-paneled wagon in favor of a bland suburban minivan. Then, Buick killed its Roadmaster Estate Wagon in 1996.
Archive: Reefing sails by Quantum and Cruising World
Posted By RichC on August 22, 2015
Wanted to archive this short article from Quantum Sails on the Cruising World website … good info
Taking your friends and family out for a day cruise is just about the best way we can think of to enjoy the fall colors that are about to start painting the northern parts of the U.S. But dragging the leeward rail in the water, saltwater (or any water) spray mixed in with your hot cider, and snacks splayed out over the deck isn’t fun for anyone. Most people who sail in notoriously windy locals should have a reefable mainsail and headsail. The trick is to put to put the reef in before you need one. Your guests will have a much better time if they feel safe and stay dry, and your boat will be in a lot better shape at the end of the day if you plan ahead for the conditions.
To make sure everyone’s having fun, we put together a few best practices on when and how to reef:
Jib Reefing
An important feature of a roller furling headsails is having a foam or rope luff, that is, a tapered piece of material sewn into the luff that takes up the camber of sail when it rolls around the headstay, ensuring that the sail still has a clean flying shape when it’s rolled down. You can generally roll a headsail up to 30% before it loses its effective flying shape. When furling, you don’t want to fight the sheet, so before you furl, follow good procedure and be prepared: Get ready to ease the sheet, luff up into the wind to take the load off the sail, take up on the furling line to wind the desired amount of sail onto the headstay, and then tack up slack on the sheet and resume sailing. Good care and maintenance will protect your sail, make the job easier, and prevent loose sheets from flogging around and hitting someone in the face. Make sure to maintain control over the sail as you slowly lower it, especially with the high winds!
Mainsail Reefing
It is good tradecraft for a sailor to reef the mainsail before they have to—and a lot easier. When reefing, the most important thing is to protect the luff of the sail. Whether you have a bolt rope main or a slide main, something is likely to get broken if you don’t have the luff tension on first. Let the outhaul and the vang completely off, and then drop the main halyard down to the desired reef position. Get the tack of the reef fixed and then winch up the halyard to put good tension on the luff—this keeps the sail pulled forward. Once the luff is taught, you can take up the slack on the reef line on the clew, again making sure to put good tension on the foot of the sail. If you have a loose-footed sail—most cruisers do—roll the reefed portion into itself and secure with sail ties or a heavy-duty shock cord. Take care not to tie the sail around the boom—it wouldn’t be the first time someone goes to shake out a reef and forgets a sail tie through a grommet and around the boom, ripping the sail down the middle. If you have a fixed foot, using one long shock cord to secure the sail (standard procedure on many racing boats) will help to prevent unnecessary damage. Once the reef is set and the sail is properly secured you can resume sailing.
P.S.—Furling mainsails can be reefed too. Just follow the procedure for your sail and system.
When & What to Reef
If the boat is heeling over and main is washing out, the first thing to do is roll the jib down, but smart seamanship requires looking at the conditions ahead and setting up the boat early before you get overpowered. You’ll see the water start to whitecap consitantly between 11-16 knots. If you see whitecaps ahead, you should be thinking about a reef in the main. Look to where you want to go—if the boats already there are well heeled over, put in a reef. Depending on where you live, other telltale signs may include kite surfers ripping across the waves, a low fog blowing in, or racing boats crashing and burning—you don’t want that to be you! Don’t wait until the conditions are too much. Being conservative is not only good for the enjoyment of your guests; it’s also good for your boat.
Motorsailing Home
If the conditions do get to be too much and you’re ready to head home, you may want to furl the jib and motorsail home. Don’t go straight upwind; it’s not fast or good for the sail. Move the traveler to centerline, and sheet the main on fairly tight. Sail off the wind just enough to keep the sail just filled and have a slight heel. You’ll use half the amount of fuel and go the same speed making the engine more efficient. It’s okay to tack back and forth while motorsailing, and it will be a lot more pleasant than bashing straight upwind. You don’t have to shy away from windy fall days, just follow these tips and your cruise will be that much more enjoyable for everyone onboard!
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.