[Alberg30] Creative Hail Solutions

Tue Sep 2 09:19:09 PDT 2003

Bill;

One idea.  We did a project in south Texas and the construction workers there wore "cowboy hard hats".  No, really: they look just like cowboy hats but are made of hard plastic, like real haed hats.  If you had one of these, your face, shoulders and head would all be protected from hail, rain, sun; boom.  Better than those buckets that get so hot and clammy and make such an awful echo when hit by beer cans. Wait a minute that was college; hail is probably just as bad though, maybe worse. 

I have this other idea.  A friend is one of the leading multi-media integrators (I am not really sure what that means but, I know he is up to the task) in the country and we are collaborating on the multi-stage "remote-tification" of Mahina (A30, #148).  The first stage involves remote control of the boat from below.  I was originally thinking of poker games but I suppose it would work during hail storms as well.  Phase one systems include the following "normal" gear;
  a.. radar (does anyone know if radar actually works in a hail storm or, for that matter, during a poker game) 
  b.. VHF (for listening to those amusing, "damn motor won't start" stories from motor boats with names like; 
    a.. My Way [Frank Sinatra lover], 
    b.. Big Whopper [Burger King franchise owner], 
    c.. Dividend (never worked a day in my life) 
    d.. Fish-R-Us (gone-R-I) 
    e.. Papas Pastime (cute), 
    f.. Daddies Diva (a little weird) 
    g.. Mammas Not Home (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas) 
    h.. Sweet Revenge (got the best divorce lawyer)
  c.. stereo (to drown out the hail noise) 
  d.. auto pilot with remote control  
  e.. all the typical instruments  (speed, wind [speed, direction, angle], smell. decibels, foot-candles, carbon [mo, larry and lady-di oxide], compass, velocity made [good and bad], GPS, fish finder, fish bait finder)
  f.. wet bar with ice maker (of course, you won't need it for the hail storm but it will be useful for the poker game, in fact, if we only play poker during the hail storm, we can replace the ice maker with a simple hail collection system)
Other, less common, systems will also be required;
  a.. mast head, motorized video camera (with zoom) connected to plasma screen mounted on bulkhead below (to confirm radar contacts and try to spot those pesky little boats that don't show up so well on radar) 
  b.. 300 watt PA system with 360 degree rotating speaker to A) occasionally announce our presence and politely request other vessels get the hell out of our way, B) blow the ear drums off of those motor boaters that play rap music using those trunk sized base speakers [perhaps "Riders in the Storm" by the Doors]) 
  c.. remote controlled, electric roller ferruling and sheets 
  d.. sonar (to ping submarines that, because we can't see them, I understand are much more numerous than most sailors believe; In fact, for fear of snagging a periscope in the wrong place, I seldom go swimming in the Bay any more) 
  e.. big, big generator in place of the engine (just hook up a big electric motor to the prop)
A nice added touch would be to tint the windows like you see on most big black cars and SUVs so, when sailing around, people will think we are invisible.  

Speaking of invisible, that gets me to stage two which is fully remote sailing.  This is a hot idea.  Think how easy it will be to get the video game generation more interested in sailing.  It will be much better than any video game (sailing or not) because when the kids steer the boat into the dock, it will actually HIT the dock.  A great combination of highly realistic video game and reality TV.  Here is the additional equipment we would need;
  a.. a bunch more remote controlled stuff like halyards, anchor, dingy, dock lines, fenders, boat hook(s), cocktail waitress, card dealer (last two not necessary for hail storm unless combined w/ poker game) 
  b.. a complete, radio controlled remote operating system like on those model airplanes; ONLY, ours would be connected to and integrated with a full scale model of an A30 cockpit, deck  and rig installed (in the new garage I will have to build because mine is not 30'-3" long and 40' high) connected to hydraulic systems that duplicate the exact motion of the boat, REAL TIME 
  c.. one of those radio controlled airplanes to provide the overhead view demanded by most video game players (this could be operated by the players friend or mentor and could be armed so they could try to strafe the boat to keep from getting bored) 
  d.. air bags that deploy when the full scale model duplicates the motion of the real boat actually hitting the dock, freighter, whatever (you know how these kids are with their video games) 
  e.. another really big generator
This is a great solution for A30 sailors, like me, who live in Pittsburgh.  I could get a six pack, head to the garage and go sailing.  If I got good enough, I could start to race and maybe beat Townie.  

Anyway, food for thought.

Roger Kingsland
Chief Financial Officer (AKA, check writer)
Mahina Manu, A30 #148
N40°  29.288'
W79°  54.228'

Author's Disclaimer; This email was produced exclusively by the sender and, in the interest of expediency, without the benefit of editing by others.  The sender, thank goodness, is a much better architect/sailor than speller/editor and, frankly, constantly laments an obvious flaw in "spell check," it does not know what the author is thinking.  Please accept the sender's sincere apologies for any "typos" that may appear in this document.  If present, they are certainly unintended and hopefully do not cloud the message, or spawn any unnecessary lawsuits.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Blevins" <billblevins at mac.com>
To: <public-list at alberg30.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 8:41 PM
Subject: [Alberg30] Hail

> I was just at the dock aboard Sabrina around 7:15 p.m. Tonight and took
> cover below during a thunderstorm that had very large hail. Two rounds of it
> lasting about 10 minutes each ending around 8 p.m.
> 
> The winds weren¹t too bad and nothing broke so all is well, but it started
> me thinking what I¹d do if I were caught on the water out in golf-ball (or
> larger in this case I think) hail if I could not go below to take cover.
> 
> Have any of you dealt with that situation?
> 
> Bill Blevins
> Sabrina #158
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