WOW.....what a weekend we had.....

Finally, got the name put on the boat (see pic); made the switch in berths so now we come in bow first, and went on our very first cruise.* Actually we are so new at this we motored around the "safe" harbor, practicing, practicing and more practicing.* Then we went out about a mile or so into open water and OMG what a thrill.* We saw two dolphins breakin up through water and it was fantastic.* I probably sound like a real goober to most of you salt of the sea trawler guys, but I had to share this with someone who'd understand my sheer delight.* Threw in a pic of my hubby Rocky at the flybridge helm, happiest I've seen him in years.* Only negative thing I encountered was my life vest, gonna have to find something different.

That is what it is all about! The first cruise on a "new" boat...lifelong memories for sure. I can still remember the first cruise of our previous boats and the fun and feeling it was, particuarly the first time out on our first cruiser. Now- time for your first time to anchor out and grill dinner and watch the sunset!

Woodsong: Already????? You sure???? Not even sure where we'd go...LOL. Time to get out the maps I guess. Who'd think you could get so excited about something like this at our age, what a delight.

-- Edited by Rocky on Monday 27th of September 2010 11:43:11 PM

You are fortunate to have an outstanding landmark to find your way home.





So, beyond exploring Monterey Bay, do you anticipate further exploits?

Congrats on the first cruise! I believe even the most seasoned cruiser gets a thrill out of watching dolphins swimming alongside.
Steve W.

Hey, Rocky....way ta go. I like the look of that name. We are just in the very process of negotiating with a signwriter to supply our boat name to place on the stern, as it had to be sacrificed with the paint job. I am thrilled with how Lotus has come up. All Sunday, when I was down painting inside the gunwhale, (the last area left to do), people walking by on the dock kept stopping and saying things like, "Wow doc, she looks like new....or "I was just saying to my man here how good does that boat look?"....and other similar comments, so I guess it was sure worth it. How did you get the name - separate letters, or fixed in a tacky backed strip? Also did you put it on yourselves or get a pro to do it?

Mark: I see you are familiar with Moss Landing and you're right, great landmark.

Peter: We ordered the name through Capt'n John's Boat Lettering as he advertised a higher grade vinyl lettering. Reviews/Comments on his site from customers indicates lettering has lasted in excess of 8 years, hope we get the same results. We put the lettering on ourselves and its really pretty easy to do. Letters are fixed on a backing paper with a film over them and backing has the center already determined for you, so you match that center up with the center of your transom and tape the center (like a hinge) and apply one side at a time. Complete instructions came with lettering, and we followed it and it came out great. Took about 30 minutes to do the whole thing.

Steve: I was really hoping to see some whales, but guess we weren't out far enough for that, but the dolphins were a huge treat.

AWESOME!! Love how the name turned out!**I love seeing dolphins.* Seeing whales, at least close, is kind of scary to me as I have read too many stories of rammings and what not. * I prefer the whales a little farther off!

Re life vests,*first of all, I applaud you for wearing one!* If you can, borrow some different ones and see what you like.* One of our friends has a waist pack inflatable and I may get one for calm conditions inside the bay.* I have a "kayak" style that zips up that is nice if it is cool as it is insulating and it is like wearing a back rest/pad so it makes for comfy lounging.* I also have two different auto inflatable ones (I had to buy a second one with a built in harness before we sailed to Hawaii).* The spinlock deck vest is VERY comfortable to wear but it is pricey.*

Hey Jennifer, thanks for the compliment on the name. I'm pretty pleased at how well it turned out.

Whale ramming??!!! Had no idea they'd do that. Maybe I don't want to see one up close and personal after all. The dolphins were spectacular. The previous owner of our boat told us they went out occasionally to whale watch, but discontinued that activity after a whale went underneath the boat and he felt quite confident it was intending to upend them, but surfaced on the other side and went on about it merry way. Interesting.

I was going to start another thread, but maybe will just ask here on this one. Whats everyone's choice of vest? I know...the one you'll wear, have heard that time and again, no concerns of that with me, its the 1st thing I put on, and and the last to take off. Jennifer, what brand kayak vest to you have that you like? Anyone else out there feel free to chime in.

Yeah, you gotta watch out for those denizens of the deep.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38339576/

re PO's whale fear, that is EXACTLY what I am talking about.* We have had two encounters like that and are permanently freaked.

I have a west marine kayak vest.* Depends on your figure if they are comfy or not.* the more "boyish" you are they better they fit.* So they work fine for me.*

it is a lot like this west marine action reflex vest $49.99 (I've had it for several years)*

If I don't want the padding and insulation I prefer an inflatable as they are light and comfortable.


this is the waist pack I am thinking of ($89.99) but it is manually inflatable so you must be conscious to deploy.* I would only use that in VERY CALM and really hot conditions.


what do you have now and what do you dislike about it?

After Jennifer's post, I googled whale encounters and this one came up. Don't ya know those folks were crappin apples, beyond scarey. I'll take to dolphin watching I think....LOL

I'd heard those people are suspected of harassing the whale to try and get a good photo as apparently / supposedly they knew the photographer and it seemed a bit much of a coincindence he managed to capture that image randomly????* too freaky, even if they were trying to "provoke" it, who would expect THAT to happen!!

Jennifer: Thanks for supplying the pics. Currently, I grabbed a vest the POs left behind, as it did fit, zips up and has a collar, which I didn't like at all, made me hot. The biggest reason I didn't like it though was the fact that when you sit down, it pushes up and chokes me, or at least I feel like I'm getting choked. And, I don't think its pushing up because its too big either, as it zips perfectly, wouldn't want it any looser or tighter. I may just have to go into West Marine and try some on. Someone told me COSTCO carries life vests too.

Regarding the whales going under a boat, that would permanently freak me too. Our little CHB isn't all that big, not that that would matter much, not too many boats could handle a whale, except maybe a freighter or something along those lines. In googling whale encounters I read alot about the damage commercial whale watcher boats do, they drive the whales to shore sometimes; guess my point is its not necessarily the whales fault but us humans, We give these mammals no peace whatsoever.

Just read your post Jennifer. Precisely my point, they harrassed it and suffered the consequences of that harrassment. Bet they think twice about taking photos in the future. If that happend to me, I think it might permanently keep me off the water!!!!

Had it happen to me.**The whale was wider than my boat is long.
On another thread, on boaters on the go it was discussed.

SD

Skipperdude: Tried to find your thread, however, not able to find it, would like to read your whale story.

To keep this whale thing in perspective, I think it pretty clear the whale just misjudged it's breach. I suspect the reason is they navigate and identify where things are by sound/sonar. I don't think it is entirely coincidental that most whale/boat collisions are with (silent) yachts. So, don't be scared, just keep your distance, but if they do come near, have the engine on idle in neutral, then they will know exactly where you are.

I just saw an article on the photo, in Soundings, I think it was. The story they have is that the photo was taken by a guy on a whale watching tour boat and the sail boat just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.* There is supposedly a series of photos following the whale breaching and sounding.

Rocky wrote:

Skipperdude: Tried to find your thread, however, not able to find it, would like to read your whale story.

Click to expand...

Look in Voyagers and boaters on the go* Humpback whales.
*Bottom of the first page.

SD

*

Thanks...found it, and read all posts with interest. An experience I'm not at all sure I'm ready for. Mammals of this size and intelligence, dancing around my boat, going underneath or whatever, is probably more than I care to handle. I freak easy. Probably should have named our boat "DON'T PANIC"...LOL

I used to think whales knew right where you were because of boat noise too until a juvenile humpback surfaced on a head on course to me about 5' to port and 20' ahead.The back and fin just humped up right there. It was no baby (prolly) about 2/3rds to 3/4
grown * * ....bigger than my Willy at any rate. The whale suddenly realized where we all were and rolled away from the boat to the right putting the fluke vertical alongside the port bow. The boat moved around a bit sorta like a mild earthquake. Contact for sure but not threatening. It was in a spot where there are lots of whales. I saw a huge humpback 2 or 3 min later w a smaller one right behind presumably mommy and teenager. I ran up between several sleeping humpbacks*in Stephens Passage in the 70s and that was even more exciting. They all blew, humped up, stuck their flukes up and dove. Some were closer than 75' and I didn't see them again.
Now when I go in company w whales I vary the throttle every min or two to keep them posted about my presence. I hate the whale watching. I think we should alter course when we get fairly close away from them * * *.....NEVER toward them. We should leave them alone and whale watching is clearly (in my opinion) harassment.


-- Edited by nomadwilly on Wednesday 29th of September 2010 09:38:41 AM

Well, for Christmas you know what you can buy each other.* There is a grey and pink breast cancer auto inflatable vest and Leopard print but the Leopard print might be a little TOO MUCH.* The periwinkle is a nice color.*

We have whales off Everett year around and they have swum up the river.* My son kite boards off of Everett and he says it quite exciting having whales spout*close to him.* He fell once and the kite got tangle so he had to be*blown in through a pod that was passing through.**He said that was really scary.* He does not go way out there any more!* The whales in the Puget Sound are use to boats and people.*

Phil
Hey....how are you? Can you believe we FINALLY got her out in the ocean, I'm still all jacked up about it and its been 2 days ago...LOL. If I was in the water with a pod of whales I would have literally come undone, there would have been no rescuing me, I'd have just died right there. I can see why your son won't venture out that far now, WOWIE, what an experience. Supposedly Moss Landing has year round whale watching, we've just never gone out on any of those excusions. I've now decided these excusions are not a good thing, I really believe its harrassing to the whales.

BTW....somewhere on this site someone mentioned cleaning out the tubes of the heat exchanger with "something." I can't find the thread and I can't remember if it was wooden dowels, or maybe even a gun cleaning bristle type rod, or what. Anybody remember this conversation?

compressed air and bloow brushes are typically for huge exchangers, you could probably get by with a wire bottle type brush. You can also soak thething in mild citric acid solutions to clean it also. Muriatic acid solutions for bad buildup.

Thanks, will give that a try, seems easiest.

I received this recently in an email*and since we've been talkin "whale encounters" that it was a pretty interesting photo.

THIS WAS SENT BY A FRIEND WHO LIVED IN ALASKA FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.
*
*

The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end of the road in Sitka . The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak). The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist. I haven't talked to him yet, but haven't heard of any injuries out of the experience.
==================
Yep, that is me in the picture. Yep that is a whale that was just around the corner from the ferry terminal.
"Paddle really fast" is the only thing I could think of at the time..
Also thinking that I don't look like a herring, don't smell like a herring but with the same herring instinct of "get the hell out of the way of that big mouth!!"
Still living to tell yet another story..
Rich K
Sitka's very own Dr. Richard Kraft during one of his routine oral examinations:

WOW!!!
*Can you imagine what that was like.*Talk*about your close encounters.

SD*

-- Edited by skipperdude on Tuesday 5th of October 2010 10:11:10 AM

It is photoshopped!* Otherwise the kayaker would be dead of a heart attack!!*

"A March 2010 article by Sitka Sentinel Staff Writer Shannon Haugland provides more details about the image's subsequent "escape" into cyberspace:

Sitkan Tim Shobe is known for taking photos so good they're "unbelievable.'' But none is quite so unbelievable as the one he took of his friend Rich Kraft paddling through the mouth of a bubble-feeding humpback. The photo of the humpback is real, and so is the one of Kraft. But the two together? Not real.

"He sent it to me, and I showed it around work,'' said Kraft, who is a physician at SEARHC-Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital. The image included a quip about Kraft conducting an oral exam. "It was just a picture to get a chuckle,'' Kraft said. He thought his friends would enjoy Shobe's photographic and PhotoShop skills -- and the joke -- and sent it along to a few people about 10 days ago.

But in the world of the Internet, such things take on a life of their own. Before Kraft knew it, the photo had come back to him after reaching several other people. The question was always: "Is this real?'' The caption "one plus one can still equal one" and the joke about an oral exam were missing, which probably resulted in some people being deceived, Kraft said.

He even received a call from an Anchorage reporter, and an offer from a cousin to send it to National Geographic.

Click to expand...

Thus, as has happened many times before, a skilled - and perfectly innocent - piece of Photoshop malarkey has escaped into the wilds of cyberspace and managed to dupe a hefty number of recipients along its journey."

from* http://www.hoax-slayer.com/kayak-mouth-whale.shtml


-- Edited by Pineapple Girl on Tuesday 5th of October 2010 11:51:28 AM

Ok.
fooled me.
How can you tell if a pic is photoshopped what ever that means.
What ever happened to. When a picture was worth a thousand words.
Now worth about 2 cents.

SD