May 2009
Boat Launching
Submitted by cac on Sun, 2009-05-31 22:22An example of why you let the yacht club use their truck to launch your boat.
Pavati Aluminum Drift Boats
Submitted by cac on Sun, 2009-05-31 20:24Kind of some interesting smaller boats... not a design I've looked at much, but nifty.
A sad farewell to Philip C Bolger
Probably Phil Bolger’s most frequently built boat, the Gloucester Light Dory is
a plywood classic that will continue to be built, re-worked and adapted for
many years to come
After an idyllic few days on the Norfolk Broads we’ve just returned home to the sad news that the designer Phil Bolger has ended his own life at the age of 82. read more »
Painting
Submitted by v28build on Sat, 2009-05-30 20:48Slow day... just really didn't feel like a lot of this.
Got the front deck area a second coat of paint... it's looking pretty good now. I will have to work on the "edge" between the walls and the deck a bit. Getting a "sharp" edge on a curved fillet area is tough to me and tape just makes a mess whenever I've tried it. read more »
Educational Passages, fun with GPS tracking
Here I am trying to cover the world of marine electronics from my nest in Camden, Maine, and darned if I don't miss interesting happenings in my own neighborhood. Apparently Richard Baldwin, an experienced bluewater solo sailor who lives just up the Bay in Belfast, is the passion and brains behind an unique endeavor that's using mini sailing drones like the prototype above to teach students of all ages about oceanography, not to mention GPS and satellite communications...
Good intentions and bilge cleaner
Submitted by v28build on Fri, 2009-05-29 21:05I had taken today off, mostly with plans to work on the boat. Dane at "last day of school" activities, and Melanie with him helping the teachers. Nice weather and I had a list a mile long I was going to get done.
Too bad I just couldn't seem to get moving on it very well.
Did get a little done in the morning, fiddled some in the afternoon, and then another bit in the evening, but not nearly what I had intended. Well, take what I can get, I guess. read more »
Sea Perch program - build a ROV
Submitted by cac on Thu, 2009-05-28 23:27This is a really slick program by MIT... they have a program where students are taught to build a ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle). Seems like a fun project. Mount a camera and you can inspect your hull.
Plans and documents are available for download.
The Case for Working with Your Hands
Submitted by cac on Thu, 2009-05-28 23:22Interesting article in the New York Times about working with your hands, the positives that can bring, and how our societies have recently moved away from that.
I know that being able to get away from a desk/computer and really do something is one of the most gratifying parts of my build.
Thoughts?
Comar AIS-MULTI receiver, looks great but...
After METS 2007, I wrote about how many new AIS products Comar had in the pipeline. Well, this U.K. company hasn't slowed down, and has even developed a snappy new logo and Web site. Comar's latest is this AIS-Multi, which seems like quite an able AIS listener at $399 (from U.S. read more »
The passing of an icon
Submitted by cac on Wed, 2009-05-27 23:51I am sad to pass on the news that this past Sunday, May 24th, the home building and boat design world lost Phil Bolger. A posting by his wife Susanne Altenburger on the Bolger mailing list has lots of background about his life and end days.
