Which ones?

Shades... Important in the sun, important when u wanna look cool, important to remove when swimming.

New shades

These are new... get them for free at Tradewinds YC in Dex... They come in three colours...

Fav shades

These are my good old favourite DG shades...

Blue shades

And these I kinda found in my inventory... Not quite sure what I think, but I'll give them a go... Till I figure out which ones to use...

Kids in Second Life

Uhh, ehrm... Kids in Second Life? It's kind of a controversial subject. I see quite a few discussions on the internet going: Is it allright for grownups to log in to Second Life disguised as a five year old? I really dunno... Never tried that; Probably never will. But the other way around??? That's another story...

Moored at Tradewinds YC

I've been "hiding" in Minecraft for a while now; Why? I have kids and they love it. Recently I've shown Second Life to a six year old, and whoa... She loves it. It's way more real than Minecraft. That was her spontaneous reaction. Yesterday we went sailing... long trip in one of Ana's motorboats. She absolutely loved it. Just navigating, finding interesting islands, looking for marinas before dark, going to sleep in the boat, waking up, having breakfast and then off to new islands... I wonder if the Lindens realize what potential they are missing out on here..? The ten year old said it even better: Who needs the Sims, when there's Second Life?

Dear Sailing Gods

Dear Sailing Gods!

I hope you enjoy sunny weather, a fair breeze and your favorite coctail onboard your no doubt luxurious leisure yachts up there or where ever you are. I try to imagine a modified Wally 1001 with an intergallactic Volvo Penta S-drive or something, but that's probably not even close.

Down here, we're not that lucky. In RL we've now seen 6 or 7 consecutive weeks with bad wind, too much rain and day temperatures between 13 and 19 degrees Celcius. One night in july the temperature went down to 8C. That's like february temperatures. Rainy, unstable and windy weather all summer! What is going on? Where's that global heating?

Writing a complaint

So instead of sailing in RL and praising the good weather and the good Sailing Gods, I now find myself lying here on my virtual boat writing a complaint. How's that? I mean really? Are you trying to force me off the real live ocean and into the virtual counterpart?

Finally sunshine

Well, I got news for you guys up there. Real sailing is in fact way better than virtual sailing, but you need to fix the weather. Seriously. People here on earth will turn away from both real sailing and real Sailing Gods; Be adviced that in virtual sailing there are virtual Sailing Gods. Obviously.

Perhaps I just need to unwind a bit

Oh no, this is not a threat. I'd never dare to threaten you guys. I am just observing. Yes Sir! That's what I do. In case you need help with the fixing let me just tell you this: My friend Craig was so good as to show me an article about the sun cooling down. Our sun. For the next 300 years or so. That's no fun. No, I didn't bother finding that link. It was depressing enough to read it once. You'll need to google it. I suppose you have internet. After you've googled it then please please pretty please... fix it.

Checkout from Noodle aboard Unwind, currently anchored in Dex, SL.

It's so real...

The landscape and seascape in SL can be truly amazing. It isn't always, but many places around the big oceans are really nice. Palms, blue water, small sandy bays, diving resorts and houses with their feet in the water. Some areas have loads of small islands with houses, heli-platforms and what's nuts. Here's a sample chart from an area like that somewhere in Fruit Islands:

Small islands in the North Sea

The yellow dot is me and my view. These areas are fun to sail in a small boat that sails well at a realistic speed. It takes a lot of navigation, and upwind it's really hard work to avoid spending time on the beach. Some islands allow that... Others have security systems installed and they will teleport you away. Just you. Not your boat. Anyway... the islands are sooo sweet. Here's a closer view:

Islands

This particular island was nice enough to not have an automated alarm system, so here's a shot from the garden. Just so you can get the idea of how exquisite this area is. I mean, who wouldn't wanna stay here for a weekend..?

A view from the garden

Sadly it isn't my island, and it isn't my Ushuaia moored there, but the thing is... it could be. Futhermore: Just off the coast I met Arwyn Silverweb and Cooky Swindlehurst. They were out to dive; Here's a shot of the to of them... Diving in SL is great. In fact it requires an entire series of posts to justify it... This is just off the coast of this "house-sized" island:

Diving in SL is great

The thing is, however nice these areas are, I always thought they were a virtual thing only. Not from the real world. That gave me mixed feelings about spending cash for one. Not any more. They are real. Just have a look at this one from the dreaded real world:

An island exported from SL to RL

Yes, it's real. Complete selfsustained island with pier, helipad, pool and a reef protecting it all. It's called "East Sister Rock Island", and you can see it right here on google maps. It's in the Florida Keys, and it's for sale... Get it right here. There's even a video. The only problem is... it's USD8.5M, which is more than many ppl make in a lifetime. I guess that's why they can sell the islands in SL; They'll set you back only a tiny fraction of a fraction of the real thing... Still, I know now that I need to add the Florida Keys to my bucket list.

Found one that's round and has a pier, a pool, aircon, a reef and all the other stuff except the helipad. I suppose you could set it down on the beach, but it will blast some sand around...

An island that made it from RL to SL

Yes, that's me floating in the pool... dreaming of the Florida Keys... Cheers!

Shy patrol boat

Hmm... This has been anchored here for a while now. I thought I'd hop on board and have a look. Looks like a powerfull ship with no guns? There should be a button to push somewhere.

The shy patrol boat

Strangely, when I clicked it to hop on... it moved away from me. I did shower today, so it's either the system messing up or the boat that's just being shy. Will try again sometime soon.

Blogging and stuff

To blog or not to blog... I dunno which is more fun: Blogging or playing SL. They are different things yet closely coupled. At least to me. These past few months I haven't had much time to play. Life! First Life that is... I am sure you all know what it is like. Sometimes it is just work, work, work. Luckily it can also be such an immersive experience that there is no time for other immersive experiences. Such as Second Life.

Blogging from Second Life

To be honest there are also times when I need a vacation. That goes for my Second Life too. I know there are other SLers that take time off the grid. Good thing that the real sailing season has started. That always restores balance in my universe. So here's me blogging again and I even went sailing. Tried out Anas International Folksboat. Nice lil thing... Different but nice. More on that soon. Oh, and happy International Workers Day. I will celebrate by sitting on my boat sipping red wine while eating nachos with cheese.
Cheers ;-)

What is real water

Some people are busy saying SL water isn't real water. Of course they're right, but what they really mean is that SL water doesn't look like real water as there are no waves. Not neccesarily so. Here's a sip from the virtual waters east of the Tradewinds coast:

Virtual water

And here's a shot from RL. It was taken yesterday. Driving home from work when it suddenly occured to me that my RL water did in fact look quite a bit like the virtual water of SL. Flat an with very regular  small waves with a very distinct direction.

Real water

So it's different. Yes, but it's not that different. Really. The picture above is also looking east off the coast of Copenhagen. The wind is around 5-6 meters per second from west, and those teeny waves are just breaking because they're washing up on the beach. Obviously - in RL - we'd have bigger waves if the wind is from east, but that's kinda rare...

Crazy week

After yet another crazy week in RL, - SL offers five minutes of relaxation and dreaming...

Have a break

It's not nearly as good as the real thing, but it's enough to kinda get in the mood. That slow-moving empty minded state you're in when your moored in RL with absolutely nothing to do except tanning, swimming and maybe brewing a coffee to go with the freshly sliced fruits...

Good mooring

All you gotta do is rez a boat, sail for a few minutes and then start looking for a good mooring spot. I think I found one...

Good relaxing

There's plenty of areas just right for this kind of non-action action. The beauty of this virtual world keeps impressing me. The builders continue to add new details: Graphics, sounds, animals and what not. Check this out...

Motoring about

And when ever you've had enough, with a push of a button you are under sail and the ocean is right there... Ahhh! If only I could have a boat like this in RL. Thanx Dutch - for building the virtual edition.

Going for the big blue

To all sailors out there: Have a great weekend. Let's get out and find some real water to sail...

Secret spots

We all have our secret safe spots; Quiet rooms or mental places to go to when everyday life is too chaotic. In the world known as RL, these zen-spaces has become almost a collectors item. SL is full of those spots, and I love them.

Gotta love those blue colours

Sometimes hard racing can do the job: Clear the mind. Erase worries and stressfactors because it is so immersive. Sometimes a quiet place is more appropriate. For instance it is quite impossible to think straight about something while racing. Except for racing itself of course.

Remote beach

Billionaires can buy an island. Ordinary people cannot. SL comes to rescue. In SL everyone can afford a private island. Even better: It's not even neccesary to own an island for yourself. There's loads of remote beaches with only the view, the ocean sounds and an occasional bird flapping by.

Relaxing

Crazy? Hmm... I don't think so. It's a matter of convenience; Add a bit of imagination maybe ;-) Who'd have time to visit a real remote island once every week? In the virtual world you can have a quiet moment anytime you need it. Had a bad meeting? Need a five minute break with your mind at rest? Just click teleport and you're there. Too weird? Then check how Taru uses whil...

Missing action

Luckily I am not missing in action; I am just missing the action. Yes, I know spring is here, but it seems the temperatures arent rising. The past few mornings, the lawn has been icy. The car too. So, I logged into the virtual world to get some virtual sun and water, and what did I see?

Boats

A handfull of lasers disorderly thrown on the beach at Tradewinds.That didn't help much. The itch is there, and it's growing; I need blue water and sunshine and possibly a close race too.

Wind

See? There's wind. It's a perfect day for a race. Now, where's that calendar with the racing announcements. Hmm... While I look for that, I'll go sit in my boat and relax a bit and not think about work. Ahh, there it is. On the Tradewinds site.

Dreams

Mondays at 1300? If that's SL time, it's around midnight CET. Hmm, I wonder if that calendar is updated. We'll see. I definately gotta make my way back into some racing action, cause I just can't wait another six weeks for RL racing to begin. Catch u inworld...

PS: Here's a little something to make you smile... 49er suits.

A new sailor

While I've been busy living my first life I am happy to report that virtual sailing in Second Life is still growing. New virtual sailors continue to arrive:

Sailing in Second Life

Check it out over at mirrorworld. There's also a report from a Laser race over there. (It's in Danish).

That question

So... The times of wonderful summer cruises are over. At least for 2013. It's august, and it's back to work. Some call it the chaingang, others call it the treadmill. Whichever name you prefer, it is true that it's somewhat of a transition: From a mindset of complete laissez faire to a stressfull workday with goals, deadlines and bosses bossing you around.

Relaxing in Havna

I've been offline for almost a full month. No phones, very little internet, just a few papers and lots of water. It's most recommendable. After a few hectic days back at work, it's great to hop online and just sit and relax in Havna. I think I'll go there for a sail one of these days. It kinda reminds me of Nyhavn i Copenhagen, except Havna is more quiet.

Beautiful Berdav cruiser

I found this beautiful Berdav cruiser. It looked very inviting, so I sat there and just enjoyed a magical moment. No stress, no people, just me, the waves and the virtual sun-up to the east. That's when that question popped up. Not fair actually. I mean, I am just back from my vacation, and this question usually pops up some time in february. I tried to make it go away, but I couldn't...

The question is

The question is: Why don't I sail more. Right now it is raining in RL, so it is more of a work day than a sail day. The thing is, this question is pushing for an answer, which I cannot provide. I begin to fear that I'll have to make changes so that I can sail more. RL & SL. The more I think about it, the more it seems right. Sailing is the answer to so many questions.

The answer is

Hmm. I'll start planning for more sailing today. No wait. No time for that today. I'll set a deadline for when I start making plans for more sailing. Hmmm. It is nice to get back to work, but sometimes the vacation mindset just won't leave. That makes it hard work gettting back to work, dont' you think?

It's still there

Logged in to check up on stuff... See if SL Sailing is still there, and it is. First I met these two sailorgirls. One had a Nacra 17 covered with Oracle stickers. The other one had a Flying Catfish 33. I highly recommended the Nacra 17, but the Catfish was kinda new to them, so they went for it...

Fair winds

Then I rezzed my Laser and sat down to enjoy the sunrise for a while. The sunrise at Tradewinds is still spectacular. The sunrise in SL generally is. Some say the red colour is really caused by polution. Dunno if that's true in RL, but it can't be in SL :-D Anyway, here's another couple of sunrises from SL. Here's a couple of shots from a beautiful early morning sail. Oh and I won't forget the Viking ship either.

Sunrise at Tradewinds

Not much happened for a few minutes, but then I smiled as the sweet Samlara said hi. We talked a about about this and that and kids and stuff. Always nice to hear what's going on inworld. Sadly she had to run to RL. We all have to do that on occassions.

Sailing

So there I was. Laser, water, sunset, me... perfect sailing conditions... I cruised around for a while, and then I popped into RL again. Nice to know it's still there... the sailing, Tradewinds, the people. I kinda miss it all. Got to find more time for playing... maybe even do a cup once in a while. A virtual one. There's one running right now... "Second Sol". It seems there's no Tradewinds team in the game, and the qualifications just closed. Read all about it on Janes site, here. Also, check the scores: "Grumpy Old Mens Yacht Club". I wonder how Ronin qualified for that, hehe.

New sailing blogs

While I've been busy in RL, - get back to that, SL is still there, still running. Check out this guy, Aeran Stipe. He's chosen to paddle around the waters of SL. There's a few good shots there, and there's charts and the paddlestories of an explorer.

A chart full of familiar names

It is not so much the kayaking, though I'd love to do that in the early morning before going to the office; It's the locations. Aeran seem to have a nose for good locations. I'll pop over there from time to time, and check out, if there's a location that needs to be sailed. With sails ;-)

Then there's Jaspars log. It's here. It kinda looks like a logbook of a happy sailor experiencing the happiness and the opposite of virtual sailing in SL. Good shots and descriptions of places and boats.

Singlehanded

Me, - I need to sail too, but right now, the weather is way too good for virtual sailing. Sea ya ;-)

My Three SL Wishes Meme

I'm a little late in the game, but here goes... It's not like I found a magic lamp in the sand, but I do have wishes for SL. Ofcourse there's the usual suspects like more stability, easier sim border crossings and less lag. Everybody wants that. Then there's the wishes of Strawberry Singh. Better reputation for SL, more building talent and, - oh the stability-thing. I can so relate to those wishes.

Thinking hard

Still, there's other things and other angles... Lets start with building...

1) Easier building.
I know Strawberry wished for more building talent. I'd turn that upside down. I think building should be easier. Think about Minecraft for a minute! It's dead easy to build in there. Perfection is not within reach, because everything is build from cubes; Mountains, clouds, trees; Even the Avatars look "cubistic". The entire world has an appearance kinda like a lego world on steroids. There will never be sailing there, because there's no wind, no way to make several cubes act like an item,  - and there's no scripting language either. The building process, however, it is extremely simple. After five minutes in creative mode I had a house with doors, windows, roof and a terrace overlooking the lake. It all looked like lego, so I won't be staying in Minecraft, but... I hate that I need to go outside SL to build. Make the tools better, and put them inside SL.

2) Better physics.
This one is probably impossible. It relates to sailing. Make the water, the waves, the wind, the physics of moving though - or on - water better. Advanced physics would probably be a selling point, because SL would be a much better gaming ending, - and a much better engine for flight, sailing and driving simulators. What if SL had waves? What if moving stuff through the water caused ripples? What if the wind caused ripples on the ocean surface? It doesn't have to be all about mesh clothing for teenagers does it?

3) Lower tier.
Everyone talks about that. Lower tier would be nice. Talk about product loyalty. What's keeping ppl in SL? The sailing, the people, the parties... lotsa stuff actually. However, if we all had a bit of land, an island or just a piece of dirt in the dessert with our stuff on, - wouldn't that be the single best creator of loyalty? I'd wanna build and rebuild a marina a million times. Hold parties. Test new stuff. Sadly the tier is way to high for that; Much higher than with any budget cloud host. SL must make money, but maybe it could be done differently. How about lowering the tier to get ppl to build houses and stay in the game. Then maybe put a VAT on the markeplace instead. This would boost ppls ability to build their own stuff and put it on the market, and who cares if they take say 10% of each sale? I mean, they are providing the system, are they not?

Hmm... What else?? Better boats ofcourse, but that's entirely up to us; The ppl of SL. Maybe put it on my iPad??