May 26 2005
We’ve got a matress made by Dean Douglass (came with the boat) and it’s the most comfortable thing EVER!
With a layer of Hypervent under it, it stays dry.
They are now called Marine Matress Company and in Poulsbo, try 206 650-6465.
Nick & Cindi
May 26 2005
I am happy to report that my DSL line has been up and running since Monday. This is Speakeasy’s “OneLink” service, i.e. no phone service required. I also installed a wireless router, so if anyone within coverage wants to tap into my line, we can split the cost using netshare (the ID is d5Uv92wpK).
So far, the service has been very fast and reliable. I will keep a log of any downtimes/glitches I suffer during the coming months.
Speakeasy’s customer service is very good. I had a few problems getting the line delivered, but those were mostly caused by Qwest (who own the copper wires).
If you want to get your own DSL line, I am writing down a few gotchas which you might want to be aware of before you order.
Continue Reading »
May 17 2005
I emailed Harry last night and got this reply back this morning. I’m guessing he took my advice and got into some Marquesan beer. I smile when I imagine him down there with a great tan, Irish flute in hand and showing off the tattoo, he has gone native!
“I also got a very large Marquesan tattoo on my shoulder!”
May 16 2005
So you thought $80 million wouldn’t buy you anything these days?
How about a shiny new logo?
before:
after:
The English Are Coming!
Our brains are specialized in discerning features that stand out from the common, the ordinary, which explains why we pay an inordinate amount of attention to seeming “coincidences” (such as having a dream about the number 7, and the next day filling up our gas tank and the pump stopping at $7.00) and come up with the most elaborate theories, philosophies, and religions to make sense of said coincidences. The flip side of this trait of our brains is that we often fail to put things in the right context (such as remembering all the times we dream of something that does not materialize the following days).
That said, here is a weird coincidence: one day last week, we were driving away from Shilshole along Seaview Avenue, roughly midway between the railroad crossing and the bridge, when suddenly I see this Ford Explorer heading straight toward me in MY lane!, giving no indication that he might have inadvertently veered across the center line, or some such inattention. This car seemed bent on suicide by head-on collision! So I lay on my horn and my brakes, and get ready to swerve, but at the last moment, my would-be executioner veers off. Phew!
Less than a week later, I am driving toward Shilshole, having just passed under the bridge, when I happen to look in the rearview mirror: about 100-200 feet behind me, I see another car going in my same direction, but in the wrong lane again! Before I know it, another car comes from the opposite direction, and I wait to witness a head-on collision from my rearview mirror vantage point, but a similar thing happened between those two cars.
I can’t swear on it, but I think the vehicles involved in both cases were different. Both events took place in broad daylight.
Which makes me wonder: is there something about the (almost completed) new Seaview Avenue that gives westbound drivers the illusion that they might be on a two-lane one-way street? Does the concrete barrier maybe look like a median, instead of the pedestrian protection that it is?
Or could there possibly be some new Brits in our neighborhood, who aren’t used to driving on the wrong side of the street yet? (Or South-Africans, or Indians, or Japanese, …)
Either way, watch out for those westbound Brits on Seaview!
May 11 2005
Just recieved an email from Harry saying that he made it to Nuku Hiva on friday afternoon. He said the internet is very expensive in the middle of nowhere, so we may not hear from him again until Tahiti. Harry had a good passage with wind’s never over 30. His boat need’s very little work and he just need’s a lot of beer.. Congratulations Harry, I’m sure everyone is proud of you and wish they could do the same.
May 11 2005
My 15-year old foam mattresses are sorely in need of replacement. I’m looking for recommendations of a shop that makes good, comfortable, durable, liveaboard-grade boat mattresses (that stay dry!).
One place recommended by Sara and Michael is the Handcraft Mattress Company.
Any others? Thanks!
May 10 2005
First things first: it looks like the Port of Seattle is getting into the habit of posting a weekly construction update. For the benefit of those of us who come home late at night and don’t want to read the notice posted on our dock gates in the pouring rain, I am collecting every update on the Press & News page.
Next: a couple of topics on this blog have raised some interest and prompted a lively discussion.
The questions raised in the “Is the Reconstruction Meeting its Objectives” discussion are very interesting. I think it would be worthwhile to put them to Ms. Porter, the reconstruction Project Manager. If the port could designate an official spokesperson to address our questions (maybe even on a regular basis), it would help us a lot, I’m sure.
As of today, we have 19 registered members on this blog. It’s growing! (And I need to get the “Fleet” page to work…)
May 03 2005
The agenda for the May 5, 2005 Port of Seattle Commission Work Session is available on the Port’s website.
Go to the Press and News page to see all the latest items pertaining Port business.
May 02 2005
Just a quick test to see if I can do remote blogging via Winlink and HF radio.
May 02 2005
At the end of this discussion, Shilshole Liveaboard asked
Does anybody have anything good/bad to say about the two wireless services available in the marina, CascadeLink and BBXpress?
Thanks in advance for any list of pros & cons
Do I ever!
Ever seen one of these errors?
I have — one too many times! 
And BBX has seriously disappointed me in their customer support, and in the horrendous quality of their connectivity. So much so that I am about to jump ship: by the end of this week I should be able to report back on my installation of DSL with Speakeasy.
Here is my list of cons:
Under pros category, the only thing I can think of is the supposed coverage in many marinas in the NW, as well as membership in a nationwide network that covers a growing number of marinas all over the country. But if you have a stable home port and a reliable wired connection, it’s probably worth paying their daily rate the few times a year that you really need to get online in a different marina.
I have no experience with Cascadelink.
What do you think?
