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Around mid June my beloved Digital SLR left me. It took a while to be able to replace it, and in the end could not afford to replace the slr. I bought a smaller good quality point and shoot and have been using that since the second week of September. So what I am saying is there was a ton of great sailing where I was not able to take any pictures. A bit of a bummer but it is all fixed now and I am back in action.
The new camera, for anyone that is interested, is a Canon S1-IS. There is a S2, but I bought the S1 because it was a lot less expensive because it is an older model. The S1 IS has 10X optical zoom with image stabilization (The 'IS' part) that works very well. The image quality is pretty good but the best things about this camera are that most of the function buttons are external and not buried in menus. The controls are well laid out for me, the telephoto works well and is usuable...but the video just totally rocks! I feel as though I got a digital camera and digital video camera all in one package here. I will eventually post some video but am still monkeying around with compression programs and such. I can tell you that looking back on hot, sunny....windy September days in the middle of our Canadian winter will be a serious joy.
I also had a nice bit of good luck in that I got a very nice job restoring another small sailboat. I shall be doing all this work during the winter, fitting it between my guitar jobs. I am looking forward to this project as it is a fine distraction from my usual work and brings me back to my boat building and repair days. Repairs will encompass standing and running rigging repairs, modifacations or replacement, structural as well as cosmetic. New sails as well. This going to be fun.
This page is a mixed up bunch of images that I have taken since I got the new camera.
Summer of 2005.
These folks just bought their boat this year and are new sailors and new to the lake. The boat is a San Juan 21 and a very common design in these parts.
I borrowed the spinnaker off the little sailboat I am working on and took it out for a spin on Annie M. It worked pretty well even though it was a symetrical chute style. Not the best for a boat with a long bowsprit. It was enough to see the value of such a large light wind sail and we hope to get or make a similar Asymetrical one day. Ghosting along in little apparent wind is a kick.
You see people moving the strangest things.....
A nice shot of the first mate...a very hot, and windy day in September. next two pix below from the same day.
Always trying to catch
Clarence and Nightcrawler. I believe on this day it was a race to windward.
We actually ended up 'winning' this time. Although Clarence's clever tacking
maneuver using a shore eddy worked the first time, the second did not, as he
was becalmed while we had a nice puff. I might be the first time I 'beat' any
other boat at anything. ~:0)
Note: If I ever have the good fortune of being able to build my new boat, there
won't be many sailboats on the lake that will be able to catch me then. I am
working on a scratch custom design with my favourite naval architect, John Welsford.
It is a no compromise speedster but with classic lines. Some day maybe......
John's site is here. http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/index.html
Here is another crew we see periodically on the lake. Jeff Coleshill and his buddy...who's name escapes me at the moment.
The boat is an old MacGregor design....around 25 feet I think. Cutter rigged. Jeff is Mr. Super relaxed Sailor. They have a great time on the lake. Click on any of these three images a larger version.
