the horse's mouth

Cuban Navy.

Tags: humor, strange boats

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Come On Out. I just want to talk.

Honestly, I just want to talk.

Tags: shark, marine life

The Swedish Navy Captures Shanghai.

The Swedish ship Gotheborg shoots off her cannon near the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

Links: Gotheborg | Gotheborg Wikipedia

Photo: Eugene Hoshiko / Ap

Tags: gotheborg, shanghai, tall ships

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Keep Smiling.

FotoHorse

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Jason Polakow Takes On Teahupo'o

Prepare to launch.

Launch!

Houston, we have air.
Bobby are you sure you don't want to try windsurfing?

Da wave brah.

Read Jason's story at WetDawg.

Photos: Phil Erikson | Red Bull..

Tags: windsurfing, board sailing, surfing, jason polakow, teahupoo, teahupo'o

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Three Sailors Killed In The English Channel.

Police are investigating the deaths of three sailors on a British yacht which disappeared in the English Channel, amid a suggestion their boat was sunk by a large ship on its way to a prestigious regatta. More.

When you go out to sea, you need to always be aware.

Tags: sailing mishaps, sailing

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United States Navy Seal In Action.

The US Navy uses seals as swimming guard dogs to protect the fleet while in harbor.
No worries mate, I work for fish.

Tags: usn, us navy, marine mammal force protection, seals

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Man Overboard!

Where's Waldo?

Tags: oops, humor, whitewater rafting, watersports

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Meanwhile, Check Out This Wave.

Andy Marr rides a nice one in Dungeon, SA

Photo: Nic Bothma | Epa

Tags: surfing, south africa, big waves

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505s.....Not!

Fog, that's what I got. The photos of the 505s sucked, so I sucked down some wine and took a photo of a wine glass with my Canon A620. It's an abstract.

FotoHorse

Pity The Powerboaters.

A lot of them aren't very bright.
Enos goes for a swim.

Tags: humor, oops, powerboaters

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505 North Americans Final On Saturday. San Francisco.

They'll be tearing up the water starting at 11:00 AM off of East Beach. You can be dammed sure that I'll make it down to the shindig with my camera.

In honor of this year's clam bake, here is a classic video of a 505 wipeout. Please excuse the chessy music, it's a French video. Great food, awesome wine, pretty girls, and bad music. 3 out 4 ain't bad. Enjoy.

Oups
Video sent by h2ojoe

Force 5.

Force 5 sailors are laid back like most dinghy sailors....unless you're a skiffhead.

The Force 5 was desinged by Fred Scott in 1972 to compete against the Laser, Banshee and Cyclone. Most boats are on the East Coast of the United States. The Force 5 is made by  Weeks Boats.

note: There is nothing worse than belonging to an orphan class.

Specifications
Length	13 ft. 10.5 in.
Beam	4 ft. 10 in.
Hull Weight	145 lbs.
Mast Height	20 ft.
Standard Sail Area	91 sq. ft.
Junior Sail Area	62 sq. ft.
Draft board up	3 in.
Draft board down	3 ft. 2 in.
Crew Capacity	500 lbs. (1-3)

Here is the next generation boat. They are trying to come up with a fast, simple, sit down dinghy for one or more sailors without a trapeze and a million strings to pull that is fast, safe, comfortable, and easy to sail.
Sounds like my kind of boat.

Tags: dinghy sailing, sailing, force 5

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The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Part 3 By Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

"There passed a weary time. Each throat
Was parched, and glazed each eye.
A weary time! a weary time!
How glazed each weary eye,
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;
It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a water-sprite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.

With throats unslacked, with black lips baked,
We could not laugh nor wail;
Through utter drought all dumb we stood:
I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,
And cried, 'A sail! a sail!'

With throats unslacked, with black lips baked,
Agape they heard me call:
Gramercy! they for joy did grin,
And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.

See! See! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without a breeze, without a tide,
She steadies with upright keel!

The western wave was all a-flame.
The day was wellnigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright Sun;
When that strange shape drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the Sun.

And straight the Sun was flecked with bars,
(Heaven's Mother send us grace!)
As if through a dungeon-grate he peered
With broad and burning face.

Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
Are those her sails that glance in the Sun,
Like restless gossameres!

Are those her ribs through which the Sun
Did peer, as through a grate?
And is that Woman all her crew?
Is that a Death? and are there two?
Is Death that woman's mate?

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Nightmare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold.

The naked hulk alongside came,
And the twain were casting dice;
'The game is done! I've won, I've won!'
Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out:
At one stride comes the dark;
With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea,
Off shot the spectre-bark.

We listened and looked sideways up!
Fear at my heart, as at a cup,
My life-blood seemed to sip!
The stars were dim, and thick the night,
The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white;
From the sails the dew did drip -
Till clomb above the eastern bar
The hornèd Moon, with one bright star
Within the nether tip.

One after one, by the star-dogged Moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.

Four times fifty living men,
(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.

The souls did from their bodies fly, -
They fled to bliss or woe!
And every soul, it passed me by,
Like the whizz of my cross-bow!"

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Check Out My New Kayak Sail.

It works great on a run.
I didn't see the laser kayak this weekend because Keith wasn't around.

If I've Said Once, I'll Say It Twice, Laser Sailors Are Insane!

Via the (mad as a hatter) Tillerman.

Aloha Aunt Alice!

Aloha `oe, aloha `oe
         E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
         One fond embrace,
         A ho`i a`e au
         Until we meet again

May the mangos taste sweet forever.

Speaking Of Lasers.

I might pick up his and her Laser sit-on-top kayaks this weekend down in Santa Cruz. I hope they are in good shape, Santa Cruz is a long way to go to look at a bad boat.
They would increase the fleet to 5 yaks. Current fleet: 2 Innova Safari inflatables and 1 Knysna surf ski.

Tags: kayak, paddle

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Why Do So Many People Hate Laser Sailors?

Maybe it's because they love to drink and are always falling off of their boats.
Show us the love.

Photo via .sNIPEOUT.

Tags: dinghy sailing, sailing, laser, drunk again

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The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Part 2 By Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

"The Sun now rose upon the right:
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind,
But no sweet bird did follow,
Not any day for food or play
Came to the mariner's hollo!

And I had done an hellish thing,
And it would work 'em woe:
For all averred, I had killed the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
'Ah wretch!' said they, 'the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!'

Nor dim nor red, like God's own head,
The glorious Sun uprist:
Then all averred, I had killed the bird
That brought the fog and mist.
'Twas right', said they, 'such birds to slay,
That bring the fog and mist.'

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.

Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down,
'Twas sad as sad could be;
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!

All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody Sun, at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the Moon.

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot: O Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

About, about in reel and rout
The death-fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue and white.

And some in dreams assured were
Of the spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.

And every tongue, through utter drought,
Was withered at the root;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.

Ah! well-a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung."

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