Ask me about Taleisin...

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Eben

Absolutely not! In my day job all the "impossible to solve" problems always end up with me. It's the sense of accomplishment that follows after pulling something off that I love. With a boat like Taleisin we will get to experience things that most people on boats never will. While I get that most will argue that they wouldn't want to, it feels so awesome when you're able to do something that most people wouldn't even dare to take on.

A silly example of this is that I learnt to shave with a straight razor, we have electric razors today so it would seem pointless. If you ever want to feel alive, put an insanely sharp blade to your throat and shave it! Sure there's risk, but the experience is what its all about!

That's all well & good but I'd keep it away from your balls!

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

That's all well & good but I'd keep it away from your balls!

Trust me, you're very aware of not dropping it

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Eben

Trust me, you're very aware of not dropping it

Actually I was referring to manscaping. Apparently quite popular here in the US. Just not recommended with a straight razor no matter how much you enjoy a challenge.

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Actually I was referring to manscaping. Apparently quite popular here in the US. Just not recommended with a straight razor no matter how much you enjoy a challenge.

Each to their own, Sometimes I think my values are from a time long gone...

I enjoy a challenge and will take calculated risk with associated mitigation, but that sounds a bit too much even for me....

[Jim Cate]

Eben, I'm curious: are you going to exclusively use celestial navigation when you go offshore, in keeping with the sentiments expressed in your recent posts?

Jim

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

@cshrimpt #3

Here you go. Ms Google knows everything:

Straight forward -even if it IS Welsh :-)

TrentePieds

Pronunciation in the video is correct. Tally-ess-in.

Taliesin means "Shining brow", and was the name of a great 6th Century Welsh Bard. Welsh is indeed straightforward, but what throws everybody is the adoption of a similar lettering system to English, but a completely different alphabet. So it looks the same but isn't.

For example the Welsh alphabet includes ch, dd, ff as 'one' letter each. 'Ff' is pronounced like f in forest, and 'f' is pronounced like v in valley. It is pronounced exactly as it is spelt, but those different letters really throw English speakers.

This alphabet replaced the Coelbren y Beirdd (Bard's alphabet), a system of runic letters, that WASN'T a forgery invented in the 18th Century as some sources try to insist (if it was an 18th Century forgery, how come inscriptions over 3,500 years old can be translated today? Also, the Greeks acknowledge that they adopted their runic lettering off us, but in a different alphabet, so it isn't translatable into Welsh).

As you can probably guess, I highly approve of the name of this boat.

PS According to the Book of Kings (all Welsh Kings are well documented, Wales is a Kingdom - or collection of Kingdoms, with one overall 'King of Kings' - and not a Principality), Taliesen was Merlin's father, as well as a great warrior and poet.

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Eben, I'm curious: are you going to exclusively use celestial navigation when you go offshore, in keeping with the sentiments expressed in your recent posts?

Jim

Excellent question!

My plan is to learn how to do exactly that. I will how ever not be stupid about it and I will have GPS as a backup onboard. I've got a few books on the subject that I'm working my way through along with everything else. In fact I'm looking for an old ships chronometer as well....

I very much want to learn and master these skills. I don't know how successful I will be, but I'm going to give it a very good go! I also know that I wont learn these things over night, that's why I've got some training wheels to assist me. Anything worth doing requires effort!

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by Eben

Excellent question!

My plan is to learn how to do exactly that. I will how ever not be stupid about it and I will have GPS as a backup onboard. I've got a few books on the subject that I'm working my way through along with everything else. In fact I'm looking for an old ships chronometer as well....

I very much want to learn and master these skills. I don't know how successful I will be, but I'm going to give it a very good go! I also know that I wont learn these things over night, that's why I've got some training wheels to assist me. Anything worth doing requires effort!

Have fun with it (it's worth doing, and I want to scrape the rust off myself when I get my boat), but don't forget navigation computers were used over 2,000 years ago . . . . . .

{The Antikythera mechanism}

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Ribbit

Have fun with it (it's worth doing, and I want to scrape the rust off myself when I get my boat), but don't forget navigation computers were used over 2,000 years ago . . . . . .

{The Antikythera mechanism}

There's also the "because I can" factor. If you take all the risk out of it, you take all the fun out of it too. We drive manual transmission cars, it's very unusual for people our age to do that. We do this by choice too.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Eben

Excellent question!

My plan is to learn how to do exactly that. I will how ever not be stupid about it and I will have GPS as a backup onboard. I've got a few books on the subject that I'm working my way through along with everything else. In fact I'm looking for an old ships chronometer as well....

I very much want to learn and master these skills. I don't know how successful I will be, but I'm going to give it a very good go! I also know that I wont learn these things over night, that's why I've got some training wheels to assist me. Anything worth doing requires effort!

Well, good onya, Eben. But as one who used celestial whn there were no reasonable alternatives, don't leave home without your GPS! Celestial is an adequate means of location when well practiced, AND when the sky cooperates. Ann and I were returning to SF from Hawaii in 1983 (our first blue water cruise) and had eleven straight days of overcast sky as we approached the west coast. To be honest, I was pretty damn worried! As it happened, one evening the sky cleared just at sunset, and I was able to get a round of evening stars... O Joy! And I was astonished to find my DR was only out about 35 miles, and that we were but sixty-odd miles from the Farallones. The DR's accuracy was fortuitous and damn lucky, but even more so the clearing was lucky... we could well have arrived in coastal waters in poor viz conditions and had a bad outcome.

I kinda feel that sailing by celestial alone is similar to sailing engineless: having the skills to do so is laudable and rewarding, but depending upon those skills to overcome the forces of nature and Mr Murphy at sea are an unnecessary risk to one's well being. As you gain experience in sailing and voyaging, you may come to agree with this... who knows?

Anyhow, do enjoy the process and the sailing!

Jim

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, good onya, Eben. But as one who used celestial whn there were no reasonable alternatives, don't leave home without your GPS! Celestial is an adequate means of location when well practiced, AND when the sky cooperates. Ann and I were returning to SF from Hawaii in 1983 (our first blue water cruise) and had eleven straight days of overcast sky as we approached the west coast. To be honest, I was pretty damn worried! As it happened, one evening the sky cleared just at sunset, and I was able to get a round of evening stars... O Joy! And I was astonished to find my DR was only out about 35 miles, and that we were but sixty-odd miles from the Farallones. The DR's accuracy was fortuitous and damn lucky, but even more so the clearing was lucky... we could well have arrived in coastal waters in poor viz conditions and had a bad outcome.

I kinda feel that sailing by celestial alone is similar to sailing engineless: having the skills to do so is laudable and rewarding, but depending upon those skills to overcome the forces of nature and Mr Murphy at sea are an unnecessary risk to one's well being. As you gain experience in sailing and voyaging, you may come to agree with this... who knows?

Anyhow, do enjoy the process and the sailing!

Jim

Very wise words, a simple hand held GPS takes up very little space so there's no reason not to have it.

I will ask you this though, did you have a feeling of accomplishment after that experience? Would you have felt the same if you used modern technology?

I can totally respect that you'd rather sail the way you do now. I might come round to that one day myself! I am getting one hell of an education because of the route we decided to take.

Worst case scenario I end up sailing with an engine, but I will be able to at least say that I gave it a go. Same goes for GPS and celestial navigation. If I don't try, I'll never know my limitations. I've just got to minimise on the amount of stupid I commit.

If something is too easy, it's easy to take it for granted. I see this everyday.

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, good onya, Eben. But as one who used celestial whn there were no reasonable alternatives, don't leave home without your GPS! Celestial is an adequate means of location when well practiced, AND when the sky cooperates. Ann and I were returning to SF from Hawaii in 1983 (our first blue water cruise) and had eleven straight days of overcast sky as we approached the west coast. To be honest, I was pretty damn worried! As it happened, one evening the sky cleared just at sunset, and I was able to get a round of evening stars... O Joy! And I was astonished to find my DR was only out about 35 miles, and that we were but sixty-odd miles from the Farallones. The DR's accuracy was fortuitous and damn lucky, but even more so the clearing was lucky... we could well have arrived in coastal waters in poor viz conditions and had a bad outcome.

I kinda feel that sailing by celestial alone is similar to sailing engineless: having the skills to do so is laudable and rewarding, but depending upon those skills to overcome the forces of nature and Mr Murphy at sea are an unnecessary risk to one's well being. As you gain experience in sailing and voyaging, you may come to agree with this... who knows?

Anyhow, do enjoy the process and the sailing!

Jim

One more thing about the engineless sailing. I can state unequivocally that because there's no engine in Taleisin I've learnt to respect the water and wind a LOT faster than I would have otherwise. Currents is not something to be messed around with and neither is stronger winds (doesn't even have to be that strong). If we had an engine, I would probably not be as aware of these things. What I can't say is whether or not this is a good thing.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Eben

One more thing about the engineless sailing. I can state unequivocally that because there's no engine in Taleisin I've learnt to respect the water and wind a LOT faster than I would have otherwise. Currents is not something to be messed around with and neither is stronger winds (doesn't even have to be that strong). If we had an engine, I would probably not be as aware of these things. What I can't say is whether or not this is a good thing.

I get it. Modern day sailors have become motor sailors. It's to the point now that if your engine won't run sailors will not even consider leaving the dock. And when the motor does run most do not hesitate to turn it on when sailing becomes inconvenient. It's much too much work to keep the boat moving in light air or against a current, especially when you've got a schedule. As a result skills are lost & achievements are muted. The fact is that if you install a motor you WILL use the motor & every time you do you'll miss what you would learned or that sense of accomplished you get by simply sailing. Personally I commend your spirit. Everything on boats, and on land, these days is geared towards making the experience easier, more comfortable & less challenging & in the process everything becomes more complicated. A classic engineless wooden sailboat is the perfect antidote.

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I get it. Modern day sailors have become motor sailors. It's to the point now that if your engine won't run sailors will not even consider leaving the dock. And when the motor does run most do not hesitate to turn it on when sailing becomes inconvenient. It's much too much work to keep the boat moving in light air or against a current, especially when you've got a schedule. As a result skills are lost & achievements are muted. The fact is that if you install a motor you WILL use the motor & every time you do you'll miss what you would learned or that sense of accomplished you get by simply sailing. Personally I commend your spirit. Everything on boats, and on land, these days is geared towards making the experience easier, more comfortable & less challenging & in the process everything becomes more complicated. A classic engineless wooden sailboat is the perfect antidote.

A kindred spirit. I work in cyber security and software development, life is over complicated. It's so nice to step onboard Taleisin and have things be simple, albeit more challenging!

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Eben

A kindred spirit. I work in cyber security and software development, life is over complicated. It's so nice to step onboard Taleisin and have things be simple, albeit more challenging!

A software developer with an engineless wooden boat. I love a good contradiction.