Amped Wireless' UA600EX adapter quadruples your laptop's WiFi range when you're on a boat

from Engadget by Dana Wollman

For every gadget you can use on land, there has to be one you can use at sea, right? Just in time for yachting season, Amped Wireless released the weatherproof UA600EX High Power Wireless-N 600mW Pro USB Adapter, which promises to extend your notebook's WiFi range in areas where there are no hotspots to be mooched. That sounds ideal for boating, but thanks to some flexible mounting options and one heavy-duty 26.5-foot cable, it should also come in handy everywhere from offices to RVs. The single-band UA600EX runs on the 2.4GHz spectrum, and although the company stops short of saying just how many feet of leeway you can expect, it does claim to quadruple your computer's range -- whatever that happens to be. If you have a hankering to watch Deadliest Catch on your next fishing trip, you can nab one of these bad boys at the source link for a cool $110.

Continue reading Amped Wireless' UA600EX adapter quadruples your laptop's WiFi range when you're on a boat.

Attached find an article also detailing what Bob was really up to in Florida

Click picture to enlarge!

How to Change a Fan Belt

Lets see who can do this on a Yanmar!

Whitey McDonald - Master of the sea - in a very close call

Whilst in the Bahamas this winter, this monster made a sudden lunge for me, but alas, and to his eternal dismay, I was too quick with my trusty spear and dispatched the beast micro-seconds before he sunk his giant fangs into my throat ! And in another very close call I almost ran out of rum one day.

In other news - "Billy Bob" entertaining the crowd with saws at the Abaco Inn in Hopetown.

LOWISA's 6th annual Arctic Glacier Youth Ya Gotta Regatta

For 2011 we’ve reinvented the Arctic Glacier Youth Ya Gotta Regatta!! It was meant to be fun. Then it got serious. Seriously fun and for 2011 - this is one Sic Youth Regatta. It’s been described as one part sailing, one part motocross, and one part snowboarding; it’s unorthodox, "Un-Regatta" format is designed to emphasize fun, over results.

The format is fast paced, and it does not totally follow the stuffy Rules of Racing. No need to do the foul purging 360; dip your mast in the water instead! In our “Un-Regatta” that’ll purge your foul. Instead of the traditional start line we’ve got a Grand Prix hot dock start. And there’s no finish line either. Rather, you’ll have to ring the finishers’ bell on the dock. But not so fast, because at both the start and finish, you’ll have to speed walk to and from your boats. Why, because the PRO says so!!

We’ve done away with the round-the-cans racing format for the Arctic Glacier Youth Ya Gotta Regatta. Instead, it’s a pursuit style race which will start at Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club and finish at Kenora’s Harbourfront Thistle Pavilion. The starts are timed so that the slowest boats or fleets will start first and the fastest boats and fleets, last. It’s timed so that the majority of the participants will arrive at the Harbourfront at approximately 1:00 PM – just in time for FREE lunch and FREE Pepsi product beverages. Did we mention that this is a FREE regatta, thanks to our title sponsor Arctic Glacier Inc. – there’s no entry fee. It’s a dinghy event open to all youth who are under the age of 18 as at July 29th, 2011.

Some of the participants will be seasoned sailors, while others are novices and although there will be excellent racing, removing the win-at-all-costs atmosphere will make it fun for parents, team leaders, and kids alike. Did we mention too, that on-the-water coaching for the novices and the mid-sailors is not only welcome, it’s encouraged. For some kids, the freestyle will be the most memorable part of the on the water events. (Freestyle tricks will allow participants to deduct up to a maximum of 10 minutes from their on-the-water time). For others it will be the pursuit style course or maybe just the camaraderie at a new venue, and the relaxed atmosphere.
But that’s not all, AND THIS PART IS TOP SECRET AND NEED TO KNOW STUFF, so keep it in your sail bags.

Special Harbourfront Event:

Confirmation will be made at the Skippers’ Meeting. The FLASHMOB is anticipated for 2:00 PM, July 29th, in the area of the Thistle Pavilion, water side.

FLASHMOB - a tribute to Michael Jackson’s contributions to dance and music –preformed to his hit single, Beat It. See what it’s all about and learn the moves from You Tube videos like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je1KOcBYGjM. (Keep in mind that the FlashMob videos that are showcased are from megapolitans like Stockholm. Kenora is world class in every way, but there is a considerable population difference and the “mob” will be considerably less.)

REMEMBER: It’s extremely important that information relating to this FLASHMOB is held closely. Once you’ve viewed the YouTube link above, it will become clear that spontaneity and surprise are tantamount to its success. For maximum effect, information and details about the FLASHMOB should not be shared, but when sharing is necessary, information should be disseminated strictly, on a need to know basis.

There should be lots of other kids there and media coverage, too. Let’s make history together. What a blast it will be!!

Further Information: For further information please contact: saillowisa@gmail.com

2011 Calendar of Events

May 21 Saturday, Ice Breaker Social with Highway 59, Kid’s Crafts Saturday Afternoon, hosted by Jen and Dee Hall

June 10 Friday, Beer & Wings
June 17 Friday, Northern Harbour 1st Day of Summer Party, hosted by Hall Family
June 18 Saturday Summer Solstice Race to 22 ft Bay

July 1 Friday, Canada Day Cruise to Sanderson’s Beach
July 1-5 Friday-Tuesday, Warroad Race
July 15 Friday, Fish Fry
July 16 Saturday, Queen Island Pursuit Race, Kid’s Queen Island Treasure hunt
July 22-29 Friday – Friday, Cruise Week

Jul 31-Aug 6 Sunday – Satturday, LOWISA 46
Aug 19 Friday, Dark & Stormy Night
Aug 20 Saturday, Witch Bay Pursuit Race

Sept 3 Saturday, Safety Race
Sept 3 Saturday, Frock Night - Theme: Royal Wedding

Nov 10 Thursday, Fall Lift & Awards

Auberge has some new North Sails from Bowline Yachts. Radial cut dacron Main and 135%, 3DL 155%. Count down to Race 1....

Thank God Ski Season is Over!

Highway 59 booked to play at Ice Breaker Social May 21st

Dave Christianson will once again be playing with Highway 59 at the Ice Breaker Social this year, Saturday May 21st.

Highway 59 is a 5-piece rock and classic rock cover band, playing a wide range of song favourites from both yesterday and today - but mostly yesterday. Based out of Winnipeg MB, we deliver a collection of classics that keep audiences dancing and longing from the nostalgia of music from better days while avoiding the tunes that have been beaten to death for the past two decades.

FOR SALE Sorcerer C&C 34

Sorcerer is a lovingly maintained C&C 34 built and launched in 1981. The current owners bought her in 2005 and have continued in the last owner’s footsteps of maintaining her in tip top shape. She is currently up for sale by owner with an asking price of $49,000 Cdn.

Interested parties please contact Stewart at 204-781-4601 or by e-mail stewart.anderson@manulifesecurities.ca .

July has 5 weekends this year

This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This is the first time in 823 years we have had 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays in the same month.

5 weekends (Saturday & Suanday only) happen between 5-10 years. The next years we will have 5 weekends in July are 2011, 2016, 2022, & 2033.

Sort of an extra weekend of summer...

Start planning for LOWISA 46!

This year, based on 2010 survey feedback, we are returning to the traditional format of 6 days racing, with a layover day mid-week. Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey; you provided great feedback.

Registration will take place at Northern Harbour on Saturday July 30th. Once again we will be offering a seminar, which will provide information on local knowledge, and navigating, Lake of the Woods. We’ll run that seminar on Saturday afternoon, in the vicinity of the Northern Room, at Northern Harbour. Those who are new to the lake, will find it interesting and valuable. The Skippers’ meeting and Sailors Social will follow.

Racing gets started on Sunday, July 31st, and ends on Saturday, August 6th at Northern Harbour (Pine Portage Bay). Layover day will be midweek, at Ash Rapids Camp. We are confirming details but it looks like we will have a pump-put available at Ash Rapids on layover day. Dinner and the Awards Banquet, will take place on Saturday August 6th at Northern Harbour. We’ve got a band again this year, so our closing festivities will carry on well into the evening. We are in the process of finalizing the course and once its confirmed, the Website will be updated with details and links for advance registration. Our intention is to keep costs as low as possible, but we will be in better position to confirm the entry fees once we have total cost for pump out facilities which, we expect in the next few weeks.

There will be Children’s activities throughout the week with an emphasis on having the kids gather on the islands following the races for fantastic games activities and surprises galore!!!!

Final preparations are underway for the LOWISA Youth Regatta. The 5th annual Arctic Glacier Youth Ya Gotta Regatta will held at the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club again this year - the date is Friday, July 29th. We’ll get the NOR, SIs and Registration Forms up on the LOWISA and RLWYC Websites soon. As since its inception, there is no entry fee – its free; free lunch and beverages, a well run regatta with keeper trophies for winner over all, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in the Opti class, single and double handed entries. RLWYC has previously offered a use of 420s, on a limited basis, for the kids that don’t want to transport their own boats.

Red Bull Cold Rush Day 1 - Big Mountain event. Kenora's own Dave Treadway's winning line

Blast Performance Sailing

For those that are considering a trip to Vancouver, or wanting to charter a boat for the Van Isle 360 . A quick note about a performance sailing company being launched called Blast Performance Sailing located on Granville Island in downtown Vancouver. www.blastsailing.com

They will provide a CYA standard that builds on the Basic CYA learn to sail/cruise program with focus on performance sailing, sail trim and learning the fundamentals of keelboat racing versus learning to cruise.

• They will offer the CYA Basic Keelboat Racing standard as well as workshops for less experienced sailors who want to build their confidence, knowledge, and learn more about racing.
• They will also offer an Advanced CYA Keelboat Racing standard
• For serious racers, They offer match racing programs and competitive events that build high performance skills.
• They design charters for corporate clients who want to entertain their guests or colleagues through a relaxed day on the water, or who want to use sailing as a means to develop their teams.
• They are also the headquarters for the 2011 Van Isle 360 biennial race www.vanisle360.com The West Coast’s premiere Adventure race circumnavigating Vancouver Island. If you are interested, we can outfit you in a completely equipped Farr40 for the race.
http://blog.blastsailing.com/2011/01/18/how-about-a-fully-equipped-race-ready-farr-40-for-the-van-isle-360-with-a-support-trailer-to-carry--all-your-gear-for-only-18000.aspx

They are using two Farr 40 foot performance race boats, and for Blue Water Performance Cruising, a Baltic 51, highly qualified skippers and crew, and a range of performance products from Spinlock, Gill, Harken and PRO-tect tapes.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact them.

Racing Around the World Alone - CBC Premier and available on itunes

Wind Athletes Canada, an organization that supports Canadian sailing and the campaigns of several Canadian high performance sailors as they prepare for the 2012 games, produced this thrilling documentary.

Racing Around the World is the story of the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe race. 30 skippers embark on a quest to be the fastest to sail 27,000 miles around the world, non-stop, without assistance and alone on 60 foot sailboats. This is one of the most extreme challenges a human being can face. The sailors are alone at sea for months and physical and emotional strength are essential. Growlers (icebergs), sea mammals, and massive waves are a constant danger. On any day the forces of nature can bring an end to the best sailor’s well made plans. They harness the wind, hope for safe passage over the sea and push hard to win. They are a testament to the audacity of the human spirit.

Racing Around the World Alone is their story.


Racing Around the World Alone is now available for download via iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMovie?id=399723498&s=143441

RATWA will premiere on CBC’s documentary channel on January 31st at 21:00 ET and 22:00 PST

Our objective is to get the word out to everyone in sailing communities across Canada so they can view the film on CBC or purchase it from iTunes. Proceeds from distribution and iTunes sales assist Wind Athletes in supporting Canadian sailors. For more information about Wind Athletes Canada visit www.windathletes.ca

A Twisted Mind!

French artist Julien Berthier has designed a fully functional boat to look as if it is sinking. The 6.5m (21ft) yacht was cut in half with a new keel and motor added so it remains in the sinking position while being fully functional. He describes it as "the permanent and mobile image of a wrecked ship that has become a functional and safe leisure object."

Berthier has taken the boat (or should I say half-a-boat) across the English Channel to London and has toured it around Europe , getting plenty of offers of assistance from unwitting good Samaritans, who would presumably be either very annoyed or rather bemused by the contraption. The designer and artist designed and built the floating installation in 2007. He named his creation Love Love.

North U Racing Tactics Seminar

North U Racing Tactics Seminar, which will be offered during the Boat Show on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Convention Centre. The seminar will run from 9:00am - 4:30pm with a 45 minutes lunch break. The instructor will be Ross MacDonald, Silver Medal winner in the Star at the Olympics in Athens.

The fee of $95 per person includes a book and a free pass for the boat show. A CD for $40 can be purchased at the door. To register call Jim Flood at 452-1227. Everyone is invited!

Coming to Northern Harbour This Summer....

Those who follow the super-yacht scene know that these giant floating mansions have grown to incorporate all manner of amenities: helipads, bowling alleys, swimming pools, garages... anything and everything you might expect in a land-locked residence, only set out to sea. But this... this is something else altogether.

Called The Streets of Monaco, this design is modeled after a section of Monte Carlo - in more ways that one. The headline feature is an on-board karting track modeled after the famous grand prix circuit. But that's hardly the extent of it. As you can see, the design bridges the gap from naval architecture to actual architecture and on to city planning.

Instead of decks, it has buildings. Instead of a swim platform, a freakin' beach. It's also got submarines, helicopters, waterfalls, movie theater, spa and more, plus sleeping accommodations for 16 guests and the 70 crew it would require to keep this puppy going. All packed into 155 meters, length overall. (That's not a typo. We don't mean 155 feet. We mean 155 meters, equivalent to 508 feet.) That's about half the size of a modern super-tanker, cruise ship or Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. For better or worse - seaworthy or not - the design stays on paper for the time being.

Scary!

TheStar Canadian sail team could challenge for America’s Cup

TheStar Canadian sail team could challenge for America’s Cup

Caribbean 1500 - Sapphire - We arrived safely last Tuesday!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry we have been so out of touch! We lost our offshore email system
just as we were leaving and were unable to send email updates. This
is the first day I have been on email since we arrived. We are alive
and well and had a great trip.

We had winds behind us the whole way and Sapphire does not do as well
in those conditions. We left our spinnaker at home (because it takes
up a lot of room and we use it very little), so we did not make great
time. We did have a great time!! We caught 4 mahi-mahi and one that
was 63' long and weight approximately 55 pounds. Fred picked out the
lure, Jim caught it (took 45 minutes), Bill cleaned it and I took
pictures!! So it was a team effort. I will send out pictures in a
few days when I get a good signal, so you can see for yourself how big
he was!

We had dolphins visit twice, once they stayed a long time and we have
a picture and video.. not sure I can email that... it may be too big.
All in all it was our best trip ever! Thank you so much Jim and Fred,
you guys made it happen! They were outstanding crew members.

I will write more in a few days and hopefully include pictures! Just
wanted to get this out and let you know we are alive and well.

It was very sad that a boat was lost in the Bahamas. They were
advised not to go, but the owner's wife wanted off the boat so they
decided to divert to the Bahamas. The cuts going in can be very
dangerous with huge seas. A wave washed over the boat, taking the
dinghy and davits, the bimini and doger and mast, and everyone on
board. They crawled back on the boat and THEN put on their life vests
and deployed their emergency life raft. It was swamped and three of
them were washed up on the beach. One crew member was never found.
It was really a tragedy.

I will write more soon... just wanted to let all of you know we are
OK! Sorry you couldn't get the daily updates!!

The Crew of Sapphire,

Bill, Linda, Brie, Jim and Fred

Caribbean 1500 Day 6 - everyone (except Fogger, of course) wore their life vests & harnesses

Overnight, the sea was filled with big swells. Sunsets handled them all very well. As the wind started to clock back towards the NW and W, we were able to set our sails and surf those swells with few changes throughout the night. There were a couple squalls with wind gusts in the 30s & 40s, but they were short lived. During those periods, Sunsets just FLEW down the rhumb line like a rocket ship. You could hear and feel the power from down below. Up in the cockpit, everyone (except Fogger, of course) wore their life vests & harnesses and latched onto the jacklines (the safety lines that run up and down the length of the boat), just in case.

With the pitching of the boat and the incredible speed (she is rarely below 10knots) as well as a few mishaps, making coffee has become a two-person job. One person holds the pot and the melita filter with the coffee and the other person pours the boiling water. You can't do both yourselves because you need one free hand to steady yourself. Even adding the cream and sugar to your coffee cup is a challenge. You can't set the cup down to tear open the sugar or open the cream; otherwise your cup will tip over and spill coffee everywhere. You can't hold the pot and pour the water into it or the filter full of web coffee grinds will go everywhere when you let go to balance yourself after a particularly big wave. (Both of these examples are from recent personal experience.) But we all know how important coffee is, so we accept the challenge boldly and without reservation. (NO COFFEE, WHAT? THERE'D BE MUTINY, I TELL YOU!!)

The rolly-polly waves always put me to sleep. I just love being in a bunk and feeling the boat move around me. Since we have been pitching side to side, Howard and I have taken to sleeping across the width of our bunk instead of head at the top. That way we can have our heads on the UP side of the slant and brace our bodies against the wall of the cabin. Unfortunately, as you fall asleep, you forget to do the bracing thing. I walked into the cabin to find Howard fast asleep and sliding back and forth across the mattress. The boat would pitch to the right, and he would slide to the right. The boat would pitch to the left, and he would slide to the left. Within a short time, all of the sheets and blankets were scrunched up into a pile in the corner of the bunk. I'm convinced that there's not point in remaking the bed until we get to Tortola.

The weather report says the winds are supposed to die off today and into the weekend. But right now, we are getting 20-30knt winds on our beam and we are SCREAMING down the rhumb line to the finish. Unfortunately, this wind is not expected to keep up, but for the last hour it has been a spectacular ride with an absolutely gorgeous blue sky dotted with beautiful puffy clouds. We just surfed down a wave and hit 15knots of speed!! YEE-HA!! You don't get that every day. Unless I wait around for a few minutes and HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! Whew this is great!!

My only complaint is that it's HOT down below. Guess I'll just have to go sit in the cockpit and enjoy the sun and breeze. Ahhhh.

Gotta go-- looks like George may have just snagged another Mahi Mahi!!!

Kelly
aboard s/v Sunsets
N23-16 / W66040

Caribbean 1500 Day 5 - As Fogger would say: Going overboard is stupid; just don't do wo it.

Had the privilege of watching another beautiful sunset last night and an equally beautiful sunrise this morning. There is nothing quite as dramatic as watching the sun rise or set over water. Each and every time is special and unique. Of course, laying in the cockpit and looking up at the zillions of stars is pretty awesome too. The Milky Way is so thick and bright out here and shooting stars abound. Some of the stars are so bright we mistake them for ships.

We are about 700 miles from home and about 250 miles from the Bahamas rightnow. There are some large sea swells that have started to roll in as a result of weather out near Bermuda. They are beautiful (so far), but at 15-20feet high, they may not be that attractive after a couple of hours of UP and DOWN and LEFT and RIGHT and shouts of DUCK!! from our crewmates.

We try to set our sails pretty conservatively during the night so if a squall comes up, we won't have to try to raise or lower sails in the dark. Our boat is different from others this size-- the main sail has be raised and lowered from the mast on deck, not from the cockpit. To get out there, the crew ember takes the harness strap that is connected to his life preserver and attaches it to the boat at different points as he walks
forward. (As long as that crew member is not Fogger who is stubborn about wearing his harness. Tisk, tisk.) With the harness, if a big wave comes aboard and washes the crew member overboard, he may not go too far as long as he is tethered. As Fogger would say: Going overboard is stupid; just don't do it. So we won't.

We've had a couple intense squalls run up on us. Once or twice we weren't able to shorten sails. When that happens, it's a fast, fast ride (15kts at one point!!). It takes a lot of muscle power to keep the boat under control with 50knot winds!! The stressful part when it first hits probably only lasts less than 2 minutes, but it feels much, much longer. Once the bulk of the squall passes, it's amazing how fast Sunsets can actually progress.

Some of the fleet have reported seeing whales and dolphins. One boat had a seabird sit in the cockpit for a couple hours. Besides George's mahi-mahi yesterday, the only fauna we can report on is a stowaway stink bug!! We found him sitting on our ditch bag. Guess he wanted a guarantee that he'd get in the life raft if it was deployed. He's fish food now. [One less stink bug to chase out of your house, Anita!]

It's actually kind of lonely out here. Because we are a "fast" boat, the rest of the fleet is a bit behind us. We have seen NO ONE since we entered the Gulfstream. And we haven't heard anyone on the VHF radio either. In fact, we've only seen one freighter. That was late last night. Our AIS system alerted us that the freighter would be dangerously close to us if we stayed on our same course. Howard slowed the boat a little to let the freighter pass while I called them on the VHF radio to make them aware of our intentions. The last thing we needed was both of us slowing down to avoid the hit and then hitting each other. And, when we're going fast, it's surprisingly loud. The cockpit is blanketed by the sound of the water from our wake. You really have to speak up to hear each other. And down below, the occasional crashing as Sunsets cuts through the waves is both loud and disconcerting.

This afternoon, the big swells are here. Ed is hand steering under Fogger's watch. Steering through waves like this is as much an art as it is a science I think. You have to feel where the boat is going to go. You can feel her lift up on the swell, the wind catches her at the crest and spins her a bit and then she slides back down on the back of the swell. It takes strength
and talent to keep the sails full of wind so you can control the boat while all this is happening.

Swells make down-below living quite a challenge. Especially challenging is using the stove. The stove is on a "gimbal" so it pivots back and forth so that the food inside of it stays level. It's really challenging trying to get something in or out of the oven when it's wildly pitching. It really does take two people. See, cooking is NOT easy, I don't care what anyone says.

Gotta go. The sun is about to set and I don't want to miss it. And I have to get dinner going. I had planned for meatloaf tonight, but I simply cannot find the loaf in my freezer. [Janel--I think the scupper people took it.] So it's going to be chicken stir-fry of some sort and it's going to be served
in a bowl because it's way too rough to try to eat off a plate. Which reminds me, the foodies need a menu update:

Wednesday night: Jeff's pulled pork bbq and collard greens. hursday night: Janel's mock lasagna Today, for lunch: Pick your leftover (cause we had leftovers from every meal we served so far.)

More later.
Kelly aboard s/v Sunsets
N26-14 W68-18

Future Darwin Award Nominee

Another view:

Letter to Northern Yacht Club Mens Helpline

Hey Mate, really need your advice for a serious problem:

I have suspected for some time now that the missus has been cheating. The usual signs; phone rings, if I answer the caller hangs up; going out with the girls a lot. I try to stay awake to look out for her when she comes home but I usually fall asleep.

Anyway last night about midnight I hid in the shed behind the boat. When she came home she got out of someone's car buttoning her blouse, then she took her panties out of her purse and slipped them on.

It was at that moment crouched behind the boat I noticed... a "hairline crack" in the outboard mounting bracket.

Is that something I can weld or do I need to replace it?