Provincetown Sleigh Ride

Nantucket Sleigh Ride is what they called being hauled around the ocean in a skiff with a harpoon in a whale - in the days of Ahab.

Dave Lamoureux paddles his 12 foot kayak off Race Point, Provincetown, Mass and gets the same thrill when he - occasionally - hooks a blue fin tuna - and 3 times now - lands one. The pictures are above and the story HERE

Images: Captain Andrew Poce via Dave Lamoureux, and the New York Times

Unnamed Tall Ship

From Bowsprite

Changing New York 1932-1935: Photographs by Berenice Abbott

The great photographs taken by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Arts Project 1932-1935, are available online thanks to the New York Public Library. Below are some thumbnails. Click on Changing New York 1932-1935 to view the images.

They are: St. Bartholemew's Church and Waldorf Tower, Starrett Lehigh Bldg - West Street, tug, Lackawanna RR- Freight Station-North River, Pier 11, Penn Station, rail freight cars - East River piers, Central Jersey RR rail-ferry station - North River, East River Skyport, Manhattan Bridge

Good design: Portsmouth Lobster boats

Lobster boats, Portsmouth - 2009. Thanks to Tugster

Obama Type Cast

Transat Jacques Favre: Rescue at Sea

There is little more dramatic and rare than a rescue at sea. Sebastien Josse, the great French solo sailor, and his crew in the short-handed Transat Jacques Vabre (a peculiarly French obsession) had that rare and wonderful (looking back) experience. The Portuguese Air Force video is below. The Team BT Imoca 60 has been found and is now under tow.

The race began November 8. It is a long way to go for a cup of coffee: from LeHavre, France to Port Limon, Costa Rica. There are four classes. Today is day 9 and the fleet is west of the Canaries.

Groupama: hull damage forces abandonment of Jules Verne Trophy try

Jules Verne Trophy attempt abandoned.

After five days at sea, averaging 25 knots, with a 345 mile lead over the current Jules Verne record holder - Bruno Peyron's Orange 2 - Franck Cammas and his nine crew aboard the giant trimaran Groupama 3 have abandoned their quest to claim the Jules Verne Trophy after sustaining damage. The boat is now headed to Cape Town for repairs. They crew hopes to restart from France in January.

The trophy was offered to the first yacht to sail around the world in less than 80 days. Phileas Fogg went around the globe in 79 days 6 hours 15 minutes and 56 seconds. The current holder is Orange II skippered by Bruno Peyron in 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds.

The race rules are wonderfully simple:

Route

• The Jules Verne Trophy's starting point is defined by an imaginary line between the Créac'h lighthouse on Ouessant (Ushant) Island,France, and the Lizard Lighthouse, UK. Circumnavigate the world leaving the capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn to port. Cross the starting line in the opposite direction.
• The starting line is open as of the official ratification of the trophy's rules by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

Rules

• Propulsion of the boat must solely be by natural forces of the wind and of the crew.
• The Jules Verne trophy is open to any type of boat with no restrictions.
• Crew size is not restricted.
• The circumnavigation must be completed non-stop and with no physical outside assistance.
• Challengers must respect safety rules.

Keeping it simple: Subway signs

Personally I don't like Helvetica, or Courier (which the New Jersey Rules of Court demand). And I do hate the 8 point internet protocol helvetica default. Don't like Verdana (like this), either. I like Times New Roman, Georgia, and other justified types. But, though purists may lament the MTA's occasional errors, you have to admit that those plain Helvetica fonts work well for subway signage.

Images: New York Times

The A Train: Bound for Sea!

Ocean Dumping or Artificial Reef Building? That is the question.

Some like the Basel Action Network say it is junk science that sends junk subway cars to the ocean bottom.

Others, like the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Ocean City, Maryland bought the line and the old cars, and, well, dumping them at sea.

Personally I would pile them higher and deeper.