Category Archives: Sailing

We’re all astronauts

It amuses me every time I see or hear of some child claiming to aspire to become an astronaut. The poor thing doesn’t realize we’re all astronauts, back to the oldest generation and ahead to our farthest descendants.

What else could we be, denizens of a water world shining by reflection of Sol, our system’s sun, and sailing around it in the black void at 18.5 miles a second. Good thing we can’t feel the speed, I suppose, but not being able to only increases our blindness to what is really going on. Where we really are, have been and will be—space travelers all.

Neil Armstrong buried at sea

I had no idea. Shows what happens when you ignore most of the media most of the time. The first moonwalker, who performed that feat in July 1969 when I was rather preoccupied on patrol in Vietnam, died at 82 in August.

I knew that part. I didn’t know he was cremated and his “ashes” and “dust” were buried at sea in the Atlantic somewhere off Florida. Probably directly east of the launch pad, though it doesn’t say.

Meanwhile, a day or so after the retired Endeavor space shuttle flew by McGregor, Texas, on its 747 carrier, Space X tested its Grasshopper, a vertical landing space vehicle, there. For now, it’s the first stage of X’s Falcon 9 powered by a Merlin engine—and the classic scifi image of the landing space rocket. If they ever do succeed at making that routine, we’ll know our space future is on the way.

The Navy’s ultimate suckup

I have relatives who won’t like me saying this. But when it’s true, it’s true. Naming capital ships after living politicians is the ultimate suckup. Case in point: The USS George H.W. Bush. This is pathetic ass-kissing, whatever the stated reason.

Via Instapundit.

Women and children first?

Children, okay. But women? Why should they get in the front of the line? You can’t dump on the “dead white male” and expect his chivalry to continue.

It’s sexist, isn’t it? Singling women out in any other way is, so why should we be appalled that women weren’t ushered to the lifeboats first on that sinking Italian cruise ship? Let ‘er swim, I say.

Children, certainly. Up to, say, age 16. But let their fathers take them as well as their mothers. Or both at the same time. Then we can fight about why the dogs and cats and their childless masters and mistresses should be left behind altogether. Heh.

This just in from the Civil War…

The (apparently) world’s first combat submarine, which few alive today have ever seen. Now you can be one of them. You’d never have gotten me in that thing. I’m the descendant of  infantrymen. But I can’t help but admire the sailors who volunteered for the H.L. Hunley—and perished.

Missing sailing

The wind, the waves, the sails, the, uh, etc. Sometimes I miss the old boat.

A little history joke

“…in 1620, the Mayflower set sail for Virginia. As of this writing, she has still not reached her destination.”

Via Dr. Boli’s Celebrated Magazine.