Stale Forum

[jssailem]

Nice.
I spent the afternoon at the Waggoner’s Guide booth. Selling guides, chatting with boaters. Even got asked to sign my first autographed copy. What a hoot.

 

[mermike]

Had a great sail today back up to PL this morning. We left around 7:00AM to catch the ebb anf the early breeze, which was forecast to abate by noon.Winds started at 15 kts and built to 17 kts. Too much for the spinnaker but good eniough for wing and wing. We crossed the VTS lanes to Foulwesther Bluff just in time to see a nuclear sub heading our way. We pulled waaay over, not needing to the discuss the fine points of the COLREGS with any of the escorts.

 

[jssailem]

Lucky you. Take any pictures?

I hear if you float a camera on a Mylar balloon and trail it on a string behind you boat no one seems to care.

But if you stand up in the cockpit and aim a telephoto lens the escorts might stop by for a security check.

 

[mermike]

I took pictures but my phone is a couple of years old and they're pretty blurry. My passenger has a Samsung 23 something and the camera is amazing. Plus I can't post pictures from the mobile app, no idea why.

 

[jssailem]

Technology is sometimes baffling. Search out a 12-15 year old they are likely to know the answer and a few hacks they might say are helpful. Beware about offered hacks.

 

[markwbird]

That's livening things up?

 

[shemandr]

... We crossed the VTS lanes to Foulwesther Bluff just in time to see a nuclear sub heading our way. We pulled waaay over, not needing to the discuss the fine points of the COLREGS with any of the escorts.

Off New London they are usually armed.

 

[mermike]

I have no idea whether the subs here are armed. I can't think of a reason why they would not be.

 

[mermike]

The escorts were very obviously armed.

 

[jssailem]

I have no idea whether the subs here are armed.

You can be sure when they slip beneath the surface in the Juan D’Fuca on their way out to the ocean they are ready to go to work whatever they are called to do.

Juan D’Fuca

Max. length	96 mi (83 nmi; 154 km)
Max. width	12 to 25 mi (10 to 22 nmi; 19 to 40 km)
Average depth	100 m (330 ft)[1]

The boats are way faster beneath the surface than above.

 

[mermike]

The dimensions are surprisingly similar to the Great Salt Lake. 90 miles north to south. 30-40 miles at its widest. The difference is in depth. 33 ft vs 330 ft. Much of it is 4ft or less.

I spent a couple of years out there running crew boats and motor barges when Amoco was drilling for oil. They had a floating rig on the lake in the late '70's- early 80's. Found a bit of low grade crude. Then the recession hit and everything slammed shut.

 

[jssailem]

I believe you float higher in the Great Salt Lake than in the Strait.

 

[mermike]

It was said you could float a crescent wrench in the north end. I forget the concentration but it was significant. The shallow depth and weight of the water made for steep, short period waves when the wind was up. The boats would be caked with salt after a trip to the rig.