Archives for category: VEHICLES

Getting Closer!

May 31, 2013 //

We’re up on Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia. Monday, after months of planning, we left the Bay Area, our truck loaded with supplies for our months-long sailing trip, en route to meet a boat we’d never seen, except for its online profile.

After several trips up north and still no boat, we found an an Aloha 32, a well-regarded, Mark Ellis-designed, cruising boat named Carmana, on Vancouver Island. In mid-May we decided to make an offer.

Shortly thereafter we hired a surveyor to assess the boat. We waited a bit anxiously for the day of the survey. When that day came, however, the surveyor pronounced her a well-found little ship. All systems were go.

The Saturday before we left we had a little grilled pizza bon voyage party with friends. When I dropped off ice for the party, though, and tried to repark the truck… nothing. The starter, that had been acting up, had decided to pack it in. We were meant to leave in two days and it was Memorial Day weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags adventure, buying a boat, sailing, trip, trip report, WCXC

Categories - Beach & Ocean, - Canada, - Pictures, - Ships / Boats, - Trip: Sailing the Pacific Northwest, — British Columbia, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, PLACES TO SEE, VEHICLES

The Right Line

May 20, 2013 //

This video nicely illustrates how picking the right line can make all the difference.

Tags 4-wheel-drive, 4x4, Gen2, Mitsubishi, off-road, off-roading, offroad, video, WCXC

Categories - 4x4 / SUV, - Videos, —Montero, MEDIA, VEHICLES

Spotted: Cruising Boat, Aloha 32

May 20, 2013 //

We’ve been looking for a boat for our Pacific Northwest trip and spotted this one for ourselves. We put in an offer on it last week. Traveling up to the Pacific NW four times since last fall, looking for a boat to call our own was getting expensive. We saw this boat online and made an offer. We haven’t even seen it in person.

It’s an Aloha 32, a Mark Ellis design that’s similar to the Niagara 35, a capable boat that was, alas, out of our budget. Both are well-built, spacious, and do away with the ubiquitous v-berth to make room for more galley and salon space. (The berths in these boats are aft.) From what we hear, the boat does have some delamination issues in the deck. Whether they are major or minor issues, the survey will reveal.

We’re leaving to head up north in about a week, boat or no boat. I hope this one passes it’s survey. If not, at least we’ll be up there to continue our search. Good luck, Carmana!

Tags adventure, Aloha 32, Pacific NW, sailboat, WCXC

Categories - Canada, - Pictures, - Ships / Boats, - Spotted:, - Trip: Sailing the Pacific Northwest, - United States, — British Columbia, — Washington, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, VEHICLES

America’s Cup Sailing Catamaran: Oracle Team USA

May 19, 2013 //

Sailing catamarans have come a long way since the Hobie Cats of the 1960s. Today’s America’s Cup cats literally fly over the water on hydrofoil daggerboards and rudders, reaching speeds over 40 knots. That’s an absolutely incredible speed for a sailboat.

I used to sail my old Prindle 18 across SF Bay and we did maybe 15—18 knots and that was thrilling. We’re also hanging off the side!

The video above features the massive AC72, Oracle’s 72′ boat. The one below features the smaller AC45.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags America's Cup, boat, catamaran, flying hull, Oracle, sailing, video, WCXC

Categories - Ships / Boats, - United States, - Videos, — California, —- San Francisco, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, VEHICLES

Crossing the Atlantic Aboard an Ocean Liner

May 19, 2013 //

Ocean liners are the largest vehicles ever used for public travel. For example, The Michelangelo, the sistership of the one in the video, was as long as three football fields and weighed as about as much as 262 Jumbo Jets (747s). That many jets could carry could carry about 109,000 passengers, while the ship could carry only 1775. That left a lot of extra space for restaurants, casinos, and mechanical-horse exercise equipment (as you’ll see).

Of course, liners couldn’t compete with jets. This film was made in 1967 as the ocean liner era was coming to an end. It looks like it was an amazing way to travel.

Actually, you still can still travel that way, if you’d like. The QE2 makes the trip from New York to Southampton in seven days. Fares start at about $1,000/person for an inside stateroom.