This is a Martin 16, the type of boat we use most often for paraplegic sailing. I’ve labeled the parts of the boat so you can see the set up. The steering is controlled by a joystick, onto which you can see the woman holding. The steering can also be controlled by an able-bodied sailing partner from the back by two lines that are hooked up to the joystick.
There are also a couple different quadriplegic setups where the sailor can press buttons or use the huff-and-puff system where the sailor can blow or suck air from a tube to control the sails. I personally have only seen the button system installed but never had a chance to take pictures thusfar.
According to experienced sailors, the Martin 16 is impossible to broach. It does heel a lot in heavy winds, however. I find that it is extremely important to know how to sail rudderless, especially when you’re partnering with someone who can’t control the boat at all, is a newbie and/or want to keep the heeling to a minimum, because the aft steeing controls are hard to reach when you’re hiking. You don’t want your sailor to be uncomfortably sliding around in their seat on every tack.
You’re always with competent sailors during races so they’re going to heel as much or little as they want. As a sailing partner, you’re mostly acting as tactician, an extra set of eyes to check the layline because the heeling creates a gigantic blindspot, and an extra set of hands to pull in the sails as you round the gybe mark.
Also, I finally got a chance to race with D. He was hilarious and he knew his shit. We got two bullets out of three that night. Fucking amazing.
Instagram FAIL, Five Other Photo apps WIN
Curious about all the hubbub about Instagram, we subscribed to the service shortly before Facebook bought Instagram.
Noted people wailing about the ruin the darkside would bring. We were still fence sitting however, the filters and frame features were primarily the reason for joining and we were not impressed, having used better apps. As to the the integrated social network, smart idea and possibly the main reason Instagram was such a big hit, but other photo apps also have sharing functions.
Then mid-December 2012, Instagram’s new terms of service came out:
… a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.
That outraged many folk. Kick your users in the teeth will ya? The darkside that is FB manifested itself finally! Goodbye Instagram! You can backpedal all you like but we’re gone.
The photo app hunt begins! With Photoshop as the gold standard, Photoshop Express’ “lite” mobile app makes sense when away from access to the full version. PSEx has all the basic functions needed for improving mobile snaps. Just don’t bother about the few preset effects and borders that seem tacked on as an afterthought. But what else is there?
So after trying several free IOS photo apps available for mobile users, here are our top 5 picks:
1. Snapseed (Google, Nik Software)
A refreshing take on imaging software (watch out Adobe!) and comes with a fascinating tilt shift control. The interface is cunningly designed for touch screen functionality on the tiny mobile screen with non-intrusive controls and well thought out functions and options. Selective Adjust uses control points to select areas for color or tonal adjustment. Absolutely brilliant for pro-PS users!
2. Tadaa - HD Pro (menschmaschine Publishing GMBH)
Has a masking function (works with finger or stylus) to select an area to apply blur, saturation, contrast, brightness, HD clarity and other effects. Many FREE HD goodies with rapid capture, EXIF support plus best part of all, “you keep the copyrights to your photos” (developer quote). Excellent!
Pixlr-o-matic app: Added omph to a boat being built (image partially processed via Paper Camera, JFDP Labs Limited)
3. Pixlr-o-matic (Autodesk)
A decent selection of filters with lighting effects that can add pizzazz to flat sailing photos taken on a gray day. More effects (PLUS packs) available on purchase. Frames come with grunge effects like scratches, dirt, light leaks, print textures for those of us who grew up with (analog) printed photography and have seen, touched real vintage photos of grandfolks. Fun!
4. RetroCamera (CLBITZ Ubiquitous Communications)
All the effects you never knew you wanted plus the kitchen sink, somewhat ruined by an in-your-face overly attached girlfriend helpful help menu. If you can ignore the beastly menu, there’s endless hours of play! Makes you want to research tin types, clothing and poses of ancestors to recreate a true old-timey look. Put on your best pirate costumes and vogue!
Bow of the full-sized replica Andalucia Galleon, which visited Manila in 2010.
Vintiq app: Bow of the Andalucia Galleon, just add costumed crew with espada.
5. Vintiq (GMY Studio)
Another retro/antique/vintage look imaging app. Absolutely useless for sailing photos unless you have a real tallship, a galleon or some old map with a kraken to make faux nostalgic photos. Still fun with the right photo to play with.
Vintiq app: Taal Lake map circa 1911 (Lake Bombon back then) now looks like a treasure map, complete with “towns obliterated” in the bottom legend. A sobering note as Taal Lake is our favorite sailing venue.
New Year in the Philippines
The view of the Metro Manila skyline from Monterey Hills in San Mateo, Rizal.
Photographed by: Paolo Nacpil (capturedphotos)
Won 1st place Multihull class on both days of the Balai Isabel Round Taal Volcano Regatta 2012! Congratulations to Ms. Pinpin who skippered Teddy’s home-built W17 trimaran for the 1st time with crews PHBYC sailor Dave Gesilva (day 1) and PSA sailor Roel Batalagan (day 2). Thank you Teddy for sponsoring our entry and for lending your gorgeous W17 and a hug to W17 designer Mike Waters who is helping us refine her further for optimal sailing performance.
Taal Lake Yacht Club in cooperation with Balai Isabel, organized and held the Regatta on Nov 24/25 at Talisay Batangas, home to both clubs. Wind speed first day under 20 knots. Day 2 wind speed about 19-22 knots with gusts up to 25knots, constant whitecaps. Our max speed was 11.8 knots. more »
Photo credits: Carla Kramer, TLYC, Nick De Lange, CSP.
While all the proposed Philippine flood solutions will take years to build or implement or for attitudes/bad habits to change, here’s the perfect amphibious vehicle for dealing with floods (AND lousy roads), we would love to have right now:
the VW Schwimmwagen (from FreakCitySF).
Just imagine future jeepneys and local vehecles built following this design. (photo source)
History
(source)
Ferdinand Porsche saw the potential of an amphibious version of the VW Kübelwagen (type82). The German Army was searching for a vehicle could handle snow, sand, mud and other rough grounds. He combined these qualities and added all-wheel drive which had been developed at about the same time for the VW (type87). The development project was called the type 128 which appeared in 1940…
Thirty examples were built in 1941 at the Wolfsburg Volkswagen Works and delivered to the Army’s Engineer units. The type 128 had a boat-shaped body. The army was very impressed. In 1941 Porsche received instructions to further develop the type 128.
Professor Porsche thought that the type 128 was too large and so unstable. Porsche started to create a smaller Schwimmwagen, which resulted in the project: type 166. The first 125 vehicles were produced by the Porsche Team and they were hand-made in Stuttgart. These cars are also known as “Vorserienschwimmwagen” or preseries Schwimmers.
In the water the engine drove a three-bladed propeller at the rear of the Schwimmwagen. The type 166 was very popular, mainly because of the off-road capabilities thanks to the 4wheel drive…
(Image source last 2 photos) Can’t get enough? Check out this video.
Schwimmwagen, WANT!
Here Comes That Rain Again!
MANILA, Sat 18 Aug 2012-With Typhoon Kai-Tak/Helen now messing with South China and Vietnam, yesterday’s lovely hot day made the boat group seriously consider heading out to Taal Lake this Sunday for a bit of sailing. Bad weather/low wind for several months had scuttled sailing plans and the sailors have been yearning to get back on the water. However yesterday’s weather “Invest 96W” coming in from the Pacific has strengthened today and has now been updated to tropical depression (TD) status.
My very amateur storm chaser opinion: Incoming not-yet-named TD will bring a fringe of at least 2 days rain and the fact that there is barely a knot of wind point to wet weather (and wind) within 20 hours. Perfect rowing, kayak and stand-up paddleboard weather for now. You can serenely paddle SUPS in no wind then plug in a windsurf rig to surf like heck when the wind builds up enough to overpower small sailboats.
Is it time to take the ocean kayak and paddle to work or just bring the Schwimmwagen? Track weather developments in our latest favorite (unofficial) weather site, 28storms.com or Twitter:@robertspeta
Video content on the 28storms.com typhoon tracking page is provided by Robert Speta of westernpacificweather.com. Mr. Speta is a broadcast / operational meteorologist with seven years of operational forecasting experience in the United States Navy. He has also produced local forecasts in over 20 countries.
Other favorite sites for weather info before deciding if it’s safe to sail:
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
- check out satellite imagery of ABPW10 (Western/South Pacific Ocean) - Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)
- Typhoon2000.ph - unofficial Philippine typhoon news
Image courtesy of Weather Underground, view satellite tracks of Philippine PAR storms developing in the Pacific. The various weather sites have mobile weather apps for IOS, Android, etc platforms, which are well designed and highly recommended. Useful to get quick updates on Twitter from these sites. As 28storms.com and Typhoon2000.ph rely on donations to continue giving their timely, very useful services, please donate to them.
If good weather holds this weekend, try a Starboard Philippines SUP in Punta Fuego:
Thanks For Warming The Water Up
London 2012 Paralympic Sailing Competition
Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain
The Olympics are over, the water’s been warmed and in 14 days’ time the Paralympic Games will be underway.
From 1 September 40 teams featuring 80 sailors will fight it out on the already warm Olympic and Paralympic waters at Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain with three medals on the line. More »
Follow: @IFDS_updates
Relive The London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition
An exceptional fortnight at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition showcased the sport to the world and to thousands of fans that lined up on the Nothe Spectator area.
Metro Manila was badly flooded and practically paralyzed last week, from strong non-stop rain from the southwest monsoon. Flood water rose waist deep before noon last Wednesday near Cainta Junction. Nearby neighborhoods heeded warnings from their barangays and moved into evacuation centers. Some of our PWD sailors fled their homes for their workplace. About 250 physically disabled Tahanang Walang Hagdanan workers plus their families only received food around 3am Thursday as rescue trucks had to wait for the flood to subside to safely get to TWH.
Mud and garbage brought by floods have destroyed homes, food stocks, appliances and possessions. Our sailors thank everyone who helped and sent donations to address initial crisis needs, however any extra help to recover from flood damage is still requested. Social Media for Social Good: Donate for Philippine Flood Victims also PWDs/disabled Filipinos #reliefPH http://goo.gl/W0Flx
Outkast’s video tribute to flood victims - a charming take on flooding, but the reality is sad, terrifying during the event and economically crippling in the aftermath. Outkast - Idlewild Blue (Don’tchu Worry ‘Bout Me) (by Veny1960)
Enough of PHI flood grief! Sailing as seen by non-sailors, a hilarious Irish commentary. Brings to mind all my earnest emailed descriptions of sailing adventures to friends who were too polite to mention I spoke gibberish. Love and mental hugs to all friends and sailing support fans out there, whoever you are, for having faith in us sailors playing in the seas and lakes.