In a great big way

Spent some time exploring. Saw a few new and beautiful places. Then I got stuck sitting here thinking... In a great big way, we should probably all spend more time just sitting, thinking, in a place like this.

Clear your mind I

Perhaps non-thinking would be even better. Just hearing the surf and the gulls, watching the ocean, clearing the mind. Perhaps also clearing a cool Corona... Then Craig popped up.

Clear your mind II

We sailed around in his boat, passed a few more pretty places and all of a sudden, I got that thought again. It is important to spend time like this. No plans, no stress, no target to make. Just being somewhere, going with the flow. I rushed to check the RL weatherforecast. Not too good right now, but I'll be ready.

A strange day at sea

Went out for a short sail in my latest toy, - probably one of the prettiest boats ever built in SL. Cruisers, racers and all inbetweens taken into account. Just look at those lines and curves...

The RM20

It's the RM20 from ReneMarine. The instructions are lengthy, and the boat has so many features I gotta try out before I'll even think of writing about it, and to be honest, I kinda forgot to take notes today, because...

Mayday?

This is what I met on my way to the Blake Sea. Running aground at high speed may lift the stern a bit, but this? This would require a speed way over normal boatspeed. This was not the only incident. A few minutes later I saw...

Dive, dive, dive

This... Very strange! Especially since my RM20 seemed to sail just fine. No glitches what so ever. Not even sim crossing problems. I scratched my head and thought ReneMarine must have done something right here; Then I headed back home, and...

There's a UFO south of Tradewinds

This one nearly hit me. I mean a flying saucer dressed up as a sailboat? Is that allowed in the Blake Sea? Where's the air traffic control when you need it?

Smooth sailing; At last :-D

The rest of the trip went pretty smooth. When I finally arrived safe and sound at Tradewinds, I realized that something new was going on. The Boatbuilders show has closed, still there's loads of boats. I am sure it will be announced on the Tradewinds website; If not, - expect pictures here. Soon.

More fantastic builds from ReneMarine here. Be sure to scroll down and check the Zeeschouw.

A new boat yard

We've been so lucky as to have both ReneMarine and Balduin Aabye's Yacht Design just around the corner from Tradewinds YC. Now, there's even more. While the Boatbuilders Show was on, the Mesh Shop landed to the NE of Tradewinds.

Looking south

Dutch from the Mesh Shop is building that VO70, and here's me onboard a VO70 in Dutch's boat yard, camera pointing south. You can just see the roof of the Tradewinds boatshed and the lighthouse in the back.

Different angle

Here we are again. Same boat, different angle. Boats are definately being built here. It all looks very modern and very marina-ish. Great fun to walk around just looking at stuff. Little details everywhere. I mean, - not just on the boats.

Travelift

There's even a travelift with a VO70. Not sure where it is going, but it looks great, and you get to study the details of the underwater hull. It's clearly not just a toy boat. Eventually this will sail.

Swing keel

There's just one tiny problem... Not many virtual boat builders have experience with swing keels. In fact I am not sure I ever saw a standard boat building kit swing keel support. I saw a virtual swing keeler once, but it is so long ago. Didn't take pictures, totally forgot the details...

Tradewinds in the game

Maybe it was from the now closed Wildwind boat yard. Hmm. I guess the important thing is that Dutch is very keen on making these monsters work; I wonder if there will be some kind of race, once Dutch is done building. Incidentally, here's a VO70 in Tradewinds colours. Hehe. I better go check if there is a poster, where Liv is looking for crew...

Here's more VO70 action. Here's even more shots...

A new one

Here's a new little cutie. It was on display at the Tradewinds boat builders show, but only for a few days.  It's from ReneMarine. Not sure if it is released just yet, but it was a boat builders show, remember?

What's it called?

It looks like a lot of fun, though the design is a bit old school. I wonder if this is the smallest ReneMarine boat yet? Sure is different from the Hanuman. Somehow it also looks familiar, but I can't quite figure out what the RL version is called. Can anyone help?

Between the sheets

This is not a post about Craig and me being naughty. Nor is it a post about a cocktail inspired by boatly devices or weird liquids such as the Windex. Incidentally, that is an interesting question: What would be in a drink called "Between The Sheets, sailors edition"?

Tight sheets

Anyway, here we are, - all relaxed and between the sheets. Oh, I don't mean in the sense of being physically entangled in the sheets. Let's leave that to real life sailing, hehe; The important thing is, there is a sheet. A working sheet.

Loose sheets

See the stretching? In, out... Tight sheets, loose sheets. What a pleasure. If you check the other virtual boats in SL, very few of them actually have sheets. The boom and the jib might rotate, but there's no ropes to make them do so. The Flying Fizz is the exception.

Sheets on wheels

On the KTaba 20 there's even a set of blocks, one at either end of the sheet. All we're missing now is a twofold fiddle block configuration. Not entirely sure if that's the correct english term. In any case, it is very nice.

Since it is friday, it might also be nice with a drink... How about composing a "Between The Sheets, sailors  edition" !! I suppose you'd start by gently pouring some boat-rubbing, but... then what?

Distinguished class

Craig of the Ktaba tribe has gone and done something very nice and very extraordinary. Something seen only on a few very special virtual boats sailing the SL waters.

Wooohoooo

The Ktaba 20 now enters the distinguished class of boats with... Can you spot it?

(Hint: Even the brand new and super delicious Melges 24 hasn't got this feature. Naahnee naanee naanaa ;-)

VO70 Action

Oh Yeah... I talked to Dutch again, and we played a little with those VO70 boats. I already wrote a bit about them. These things really begin to look amazing, and they're gonna be absolutely fantastic, once they're completed.

Weeee

Imagine a fleet of these sexy monster boats racing, - say... from Tradewinds Yacht Club in Dex down the narrow straight west of Wicktro round the Fastnet Rock in the Blake Sea and then back again to a huge party?

RCs en miniature?

Never mind the party. Just imagine ten of these virtual VO70s hoisting the Gen, and then they start planing past Wicktro so fast they barely notice it. Dunno bout you, but I wanna be there, when that happens. It's gonna take a little while though. 

Crazy things

If you look closely, there is no-one on board, so what's actually happening here? Currently, these boats might as well be RC boats. Yes, we do have virtual radio controlled boats; Seems a bit crazy to me, but hey...  

Pretty sure TYC rounds first here

To tell the truth, a VO70 is a crazy machine too. As are those AC cats. Crazy. I mean, the AC45s are crazy enough. Elite sailors wearing helmets! What will be next? Seatbelts and airbags?? I am not sure words exist to describe the larger ones, and... will they require spacesuits or american football outfits? 

Close up

I guess the VO70 is a more normal boat for more normal sailors, as helmets aren't required. I might wanna wear gloves and put on some kind of knee protection. But that's about it. After all Volvo is known first and foremost for safety "on board". Oh, one more thing for protection...

This looks intense

Sun screen! Going round the world isn't always a ride on the sunny side. Somehow, I got a feeling that racing a virtual VO70 will be a very sunny experience. Bikini's will be allowed; Perhaps even required. Let's see if the cameras prefer scared little boyz in helmets or little girls in bikinis, teehee...

Santa baby...

There are loads of virtual boats available, and many of them are very nicely made. Some even sail pretty well, but right now... Santa please... I want one of these for Xmas, and can we please make Xmas happen a little earlier this year? I promise I will be nice and not yell "Starboard Bow" at beginner sailors. At least for a year. As usual these images deserve full screen viewing.

Want more? Here's a few shots of a VO70 and me..