Today September 21, 2019 The Have And The Have Yachts |
On A RIB (Rigged Inflatable Boat ) doing 41 knots in a 5 knot wake zone with Queen Victoria docked at The Mayflower Pier
Roll Video:
The Time Machine June 2015 The last time I was on RIB, Rigid Inflatable Boat (Ballistic Brand)...Roll Video:
I managed to hitch a ride on Charles and Annie's Ballistic Inflatable (Zodiac) and the 500HP was no match for Mothers Nature and The Land Rover BAR crew. Last July, while we were on The QM2, an Oceanliner, we reached 22 nautical mph, nearly getting blown off the deck, and these guys can throttle it to 50, in the tiny spaces of a 20 meter trampoline.
Even though it was a sea trial,the boat's foils are out of the water and things get very fast very quickly. There's very little of the boat in the water. It's about aerodynamics, it's about control systems, hydraulic systems. It's not Brain Surgery, it' Rocket Science---reminds me of Open-Wheel Racing technology and Life in the Fast Lane, at the Indy 500.
Even though it was a sea trial,the boat's foils are out of the water and things get very fast very quickly. There's very little of the boat in the water. It's about aerodynamics, it's about control systems, hydraulic systems. It's not Brain Surgery, it' Rocket Science---reminds me of Open-Wheel Racing technology and Life in the Fast Lane, at the Indy 500.
Chasing Ben Ainsley's Landrover BAR On The Solent during the sea trials for The Anerica's Cup in Portsmouth
The Time Machine September 2015
The last time I attended The Southampton Boat Show.
How Swede It Is-The smaller the boat the bigger the Captain September 11. 2015 |
Had some business in Bournemouth today, and on the way back stopped by SO'TON for the UK's Leading Outdoor Boat Show. In the background is The Queen Mary 2, Cunard's flagship. Sailed that last year and it was cool to see her docked alongside all these wonderful yachts.
The best ships are friendships
I always get an amazing feeling when I walk past a ship I have "lived" and worked on with the person I love, my wife Sarah.
If ecstasy is doing something out of your ordinary experience, and nostalgia is the pain of remembering something beautiful-then that sums up cruising---it's an amazing lifestyle!
It's a miracle that I "Get to go" to work on ships-If a miracle is a shift in thinking-then it takes a special kind of shift to count your blessings, ride the wave and enjoy the ride.
The QM2 and the Cunard brand, is no miraculous exception. This is not your typical cruise ship. In fact, The Mary is the last of the great ocean liners- passage ships designed for 12 months of brutal Atlantic sea crossings: NY to SO'TON. Her keel sits higher above the water line, 7 decks instead of 5, which makes it cut water better and makes for a smoother sail.
The Mary Sailing towards The Verrazano Bridge |
I Remember these transatlantic crossings- 'the shortest bridge between Europe and America.....and when I went under the Verrazano Bridge, and saw Lady Liberty after 5 days at sea, I felt born again:
After all-The whole object of traveling is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on ones own country as a foreign land.
After all-The whole object of traveling is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on ones own country as a foreign land.
Time Machine June 25 2015
Portsmouth-America's Cup with Oracle Team USA Training Day
Took a bit of video and some great photos of not only Oracle's Rig, but also Emirates Team NZ, Softbank Team Japan and The Swedish Team Artemis out in The windy Solent.Out at historic Portsmouth Naval Dockyard and met up with 2x America's Cup Champion, Skipper Jim Spithill, from Oracle Team USA, going for #3 next SundayBack to Today's Photos: |
Oracle Team USA |
Softbank Team Japan |
Emirates Team NZ New Zealand