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.
The most popular board on the Lovesail Pinterest account is the one entitled Lighthouses Around the World. When I created it I had no idea just how many lighthouse there were in the world (18,600) and how beautiful and unusual some of these could be. So here is a collection of just a few of these wonderful lighthouses.
Today (21st April) is National Tea Day in the UK (and also the Queen’s birthday, not a coincidence I feel). I thought the history of tea would make a good read given that no good boat galley would be without a good supply of tea. It’s a fascinating story with tales of drug dealing and industrial espionage…