Or how the word "stupid" and "yacht" are often interchangable...

Some needful reading for folks considering cruising Guatemala, about those low fuel prices, and in the "there be pirates about" department...

Here's a quick look at stupidity incarnate...

A $14000 MSD.

Listening to the Apache Relay

So it goes...

If only Schwinn was making masts...

Seems like the Archdruid is making some sense, the fish got away, and you'll have to admit that this guy makes a good point...

This bike caught my attention the other day...

The reason for said interest is that the bike's frame is made of flax and carbon fiber in a 90/10 mix. That's 90% flax and 10% carbon.

I've pretty much always thought that the idea of carbon fiber in boats is much more attractive than its actual use or, I really should say, overuse.

Of course, the overuse of carbon is related to a few factors... For one, it is HIP at the moment so it's a selling point... Not because it is needed but because they think you're too stupid to know otherwise.

Another reason is carbon allows folks to charge a lot for products that don't really cost a lot. The general misconception is that carbon is super-expensive (it's not), so having carbon in the mix justifies next dimensional profit margins...

The most common problem is that when badly used (which would be most marine usage) it really is super expensive because it becomes expensive when stupid gets into the matrix.

The bottom line is that when used intelligently a composite mast using carbon should be less expensive than an alloy mast...

Which brings us back to that 90/10 flax and carbon composite bike...

Can you spell s-m-a-r-t?

Listening to Hurricane Chaser

So it goes...

Apparently not exactly the case...

So much for perp walks and the rule of law, no rule of law no trust, and yet another reason there is a lack of respect or trust for those who should be upholding the rule of law...

"Something happening here..."  - Stephen Stills

Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman had an interesting post yesterday and it contained some surprising facts... Trust me, this will actually get around to boat stuff sooner or later.

One of those facts, that violent crime was way down, flies in the face of everything the media/politicians/etc are throwing at you as we are constantly being told we live in an unsafe world that is getting less safe everyday...

Which is apparently not the case.

You might want to pause and reflect on that for a moment or two...

I bring this up in a boat blog of all things because every time you open a sailing magazine you are confronted with a whole lot of hype that is all about selling you stuff and like a lot of things hype driven, it might not actually be true...

The thing about hype is that it is insidious and it creeps into the common knowledge base so even folks who should know better start taking for granted that it's real. Where blue water boats, related systems, and seaworthiness are concerned there is just so much hype and misinformation that it is nearly impossible to tell one from the other without stepping WAY  back and asking yourself some close to primal questions about how boats work and what makes a boat safe...

For instance, ask why deep draft is considered more seaworthy or safer than shoal or moderate draft and try and find some answers that are more than "Because". To quote Jack Webb (a guy who went to my high school), "Just the facts ma'am".

Personally, I'd like to see a sailing magazine that put some more effort into the education of its readers (WoodenBoat is a good example of a magazine that does so without pandering to its advertisers) and not only when it is convenient to help pimp advertising... To tell you the truth, I'm so tired of reading yet another "Cats are the Future of Cruising" article that are completely empty of facts or educational value except the ongoing message of Catamarans are hip and here are some you can buy...

Which, I might add, is coming from someone who really likes multihulls but who thinks the sailing community is ill served by hype rather than real hard info.

So next time around show me some graphs and some facts... Actually explain why the new flavor of the month cruising design deserves to be the flavor of the month. Is it because it is safer, easier to sail, has a Paisley paint job, or is it simply because they took two full pages of advertising in the current issue?

Of course, it is partly our fault as we don't ask the sort of questions we should be asking... You know, the why sort.

Rant over.

Listening to Bob Marley

So it goes...

Bet you never thought I'd say this...

Since we had our little waterspout adventure, I've spent some time diving the various affected boat's ground tackle, to see how things looked... This is what fuels my opinions relating to ground tackle.

One of the problems with various anchor tests is that (in my opinion) they really don't simulate what happens when a boat is at anchor (a nearly impossible feat) and replace it with a simple "strength" testing of one sort or another which has bugger all to do with real holding power, how an anchor will hold up, or the reality of what keeps your boat in place.

Recently Rocna anchors has come under some fire as another anchor company has "independently tested" (yeah sure) a Rocna and it did not live up to the Rocna claims.

Now, some of you may remember that I am no big fan of Rocna, or its marketing methods, and I personally feel that the whole "next-gen" anchor thing is just so much snake oil. So why would I come to the defense of said Rocna anchors or question a test that shows it to be less than Rocna says it is?

Well first, snake oil aside, I believe that the Rocna anchors are actually an acceptable anchor design and work at doing what they are designed to do. Second, I can take ANY anchor and put it on a test bench and find any number of ways to destroy it. You simply have to exert enough force in the right place. Though, more than likely, doing that sort of test would place the anchor in conditions or subject it to stresses that simply do not exist in an actual boat at anchor situation (not unlike the famous test of a typewriter by Ruscha/Mason throwing it out the window of a moving car at 90MPH. While entertaining, hardly a test that makes sense if you want a typewriter for typing). Such is the stuff of most anchor testing...

Of course, that's just my opinion and, like most things not paid for, more than likely worth what you're paying for it. That said, if you are going to put a lot of credence in anchor tests, and especially anchor tests done or paid for by anchor companies, you really should get one of these...

Listening to The Persuasions

So it goes...