Monthly Archives: January 2009

Biscay Storm – record winds around Bordeaux

The Red Alert was correct. And yet late last night the ordinary forecasts for Bordeaux and Biarritz were still talking about 50Km/hour gusts. Around 8:00 this morning, an all-time record gust of 159Km/hour was recorded at Cap Ferret, just south … Continue reading

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Storm Warnings – lucky Mich’ Desj’ hasn’t arrived yet

The Volvo crews are preparing for heavy weather tomorrow morning in the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan, with 6 metre seas and gusts up to 50 knots. The real problem is that they’re beating into it. Meanwhile, Mich’ Desj’ and … Continue reading

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Shanties – work songs of the sea

Square-rigged sailing ships were labour-intensive. It required the co-ordinated muscle of several men to weigh anchor and to hoist and trim sails. The working shanties were the songs used to provide that co-ordination and to encourage greater effort. Most were … Continue reading

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Can Boat Batteries Poison you?

While researching the subject of electrical installations on boats, I came across warnings about poisonous and corrosive gases that could be given off by lead-acid batteries in various situations. They were always just baldly stated, with no references to chemical … Continue reading

Posted in EQUIPMENT | Tagged | 1 Comment

Boat Handling – getting off a lee shore dock

You are lucky enough to be moored to the outside of a marina pontoon, with no more fingers between you and the open fairway. However, a fresh breeze is blowing you hard against it. The classic ‘foolproof’ way of getting … Continue reading

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