“…we have better maps of the surface of Mars and the moon than we do the bottom of the ocean. We know very, very little about most of the ocean.” Gene Feldman.
When HMS Victory is mentioned thoughts immediately turn to Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. However, there is another famous HMS Victory, the predecessor to Nelson’s flagship.
I was given my copy of Breverton’s Nautical Curiosities as a gift from an old boyfriend. The boyfriend has long gone now but my Breverton’s remains by my side as a much-treasured item.
A fata morgana is an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions. These complex superior mirages appear on the horizon. They can be seen either on the sea or land and at different altitudes with some being observed from airplanes. These mirages can take all forms, from mountains or towns on the sea to ships that fly in the air.
Blistering Barnacles! The bane of many a seafarer, the humble barnacle is responsible for a multi-billion dollar biofoul industry. Here are some unusual facts about this tenacious crustacean.
Humans as a species have been responsible for some pretty lousy abuse of the oceans, especially in recent history. For once though something we are placing into the ocean is a force for good. Underwater statues are being placed on seabeds around the world and they seem to be having a positive effect.
Nautical knotwork, decorative knots, fancy knotting, creative rope craft and knotting are just some of the phrases used to describe the traditional craft that was popular with mariners the world over during the age of sail.
I want to talk a bit about Internet Service Providers (ISP) filtering content and the over-blocking that can occur with these filters. In the UK at least, since 2013 all ISPs have been filtering content that might be adult or illegal in order to protect minors. All new customers will now automatically be opted-in to the ISP’s own content filter. Unless you specifically change your settings you may be seeing a reduced number of sites on your device. I’m not up to speed with the filtering of content in the US but would imagine it’s on a state-by-state basis. What are these filters, what are they blocking and are they always blocking the right sites?
The bowline must be the most popular knot in the sailing world. One of the first knots to be mastered by the novice sailor it is considered to be one of the most versatile and trusted knots a sailor will use. Whilst, not the strongest knot it is easy to tie even with one hand and can be untied when under load. So why is it called a bowline?
We are very excited this week to have a guest article on the blog. Sue Williams is a woman sailor and author and has written her memoirs, Ready to Come About, about a North Atlantic circumnavigation on a 37′ yacht with her husband David. Here she describes the events that led up to the trip and some of the mishaps they had along the way.
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