gardendanceRail. Trains. Gotta say stuff like that once in a while since this isn't sailing quarterly magazine.
Wanswheel -- help me out. Scientific American Supplement, April 20, 1878. Last article, and picture...
Rail. Trains. Gotta say stuff like that once in a while since this isn't sailing quarterly magazine.
Patrick Boylan
Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message
Going on two hundred years ago, had you spoken of the "port side," you would not have been understood, for the opposite side of "starboard" was then "larboard." Or, had you been traveling on the Mississippi, you might have spoken of "stabbord" and "labboard." (Reference: Life on the Mississippi, by the well-known Sam Clemens)
Johnny
Port and starboard, or so I've heard, are leftovers from some ancient boats that didn't have a rudder in the middle of the back of the boat, but rather a long steering oar that stuck out on one side, usually the right side since most folks are right handed. They called the platform steerboard. Since that steering oar stuck out to the right they couldn't easily have the dock on that side, so the other side of the boat was the side that they tied to the port.
I always have problems with port and starboard. It reminds me of being at Grandma's house. She'd say something was on the west wall of the front porch. I'd tell her I didn't have a west hand, only a left or a right hand.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Quoting Patrick: "By the way, real sailors call the back of the boat the stern. The front is the pointy end."
From the Glossary in The Bluejacket's Manual 1944: "Fantail: the part of the stern of the ship extending abaft the the sternpost; the after section of the maindeck on destroyers and cruisers." "Abaft: behind, or farther aft. The mainmast is abaft the foremast." And, "Bow: forward part of a vessel."
"Sternpost," however, is not in the glossary.
gardendance Wizlish, Garden Dance Bloopers will be on the 25th anniversary golden special edition blu-ray boxed set. I'm afraid you'll have to be happy with the regular single DVD for now, since I paid a bunch of marketing consultants who told me to do it this way.
Wizlish, Garden Dance Bloopers will be on the 25th anniversary golden special edition blu-ray boxed set. I'm afraid you'll have to be happy with the regular single DVD for now, since I paid a bunch of marketing consultants who told me to do it this way.
gardendance one of my companions pointed out the SS United States's 2 propellors on the "fantail". I had no idea what a fantail was
Here you go.
Murray, "around the berthed SS United States", the best I can do is alongside, since berthed means one side is tied to a pier.
When we moved my boat from Essington, PA to its current home in northeast Philly May 2011 one of my companions pointed out the SS United States's 2 propellors on the "fantail". I had no idea what a fantail was, I kept looking at the spot where I'd expect propellors to be, the bottom of the boat. Finally I saw them on the deck at the back of the boat. They were indeed huge. My next trips that far south weren't till 2014, by which time the owners had sold one of the propellors for scrap.
By the way, real sailors call the back of the boat the stern. The front is the pointy end.
You need to have excursions sailing around the berthed SS United States.......
MookieIf you have never watched Bill Dance Bloopers, I highly recommend them. They will keep your heart healthy!
What about Garden Dance Bloopers?
Can't wait for the Bill Dance Chevy Chase fishing experience.
Maybe - he seemed to like quiet!
I fished from about 5 years old until I started looking more like a Bill Dance blooper, so I now just watch.
If you have never watched Bill Dance Bloopers, I highly recommend them. They will keep your heart healthy!
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Mookie gardendance Those fisher guys like to sit in one place for long times don't they? ditto chess players.
gardendance Those fisher guys like to sit in one place for long times don't they?
ditto chess players.
Fishing? For some reason, the sport never really appealed to me. Fifty or so years ago, I would visit a retired man who liked to, when the weather was good, go down to his pond, sit in his boat and fish. From time to time, I joined him, to keep him company. In those itmes, he caught one fish--and gave it to his brother.He gave me a fly rod--which I used only once aftrer moving from where he lived, before giving it to a friend who enjoyed fishing. The occasion of the use was helping secure a large tank my company was shipping somewhere, and we needed to fish a line beneath the tank when we were securing it to the truck it rode on.
I remember about four occasions when I did catch fish--three when I was in high school, and one a few years later.
One day my class took the day off from school, and went over to the Catawba River, where several of us fished from a boat one of them brought. I caught one, and, since we were not ready to quit fishing, and left it in the water with a line through its gills--when we got back to it, it had been partially eaten, and one of my classmates opined that a turtle had gotten to it.
Once, when I rode my bicycle the three miles or so (mostly on a US highway) to my second-best friends house, we went fishing in his father's farm. I caught a bream and took it home--and my mother told me that I would prepare it for my supper. SHe tole me what to do, and it was nice to eat the fruit of my own labor.
The summer before my last year in high school, my brother in Birmingham took me down to Baton Rouge, where I spent two months with my oldest brother and his family. One day, we went down to a bayou below White Castle. If we had wanted mullet, we would have had the boat full in no time--they were jumping all over the place. We took crappies and bream home; my bothers cleaned them, and my sister-in-law cooked them.
The last time was several years later, when some other counselors and I at a church camp went out one morning, caught several fish--and gave them to the cooks at the camp.
gardendanceThose fisher guys like to sit in one place for long times don't they?
Once again, I guess in the absence of more competent photographers, I'll have to take some pictures of these things myself and post them for you.
The rotators are gone, but there's plenty of the hump and arrest structures that led to and from the rotators at both Port Richmond and pier 124. One of those places has 2 tracks, it must have had at least 2 rotators. I can't remember which one.
Tioga Marine Terminal's certainly visible from the river, unless one of those pesky container ships is in the way, but I've never seen any serious activity when I've sailed by it. The other major container facility in Philly, Packer Ave, has shown me lots of tractors marshalling containers and giant cranes, sometimes multiple cranes loading and unloading the same ship, which boggles me. Apparently they dispatched those ships so well that there were outgoing loads ready to go as soon as a few incoming loads got out of the way.
But I can't say there's any decent railroad activity at Tioga or Packer that one can see from the river. Bear in mind again that so far I've only sailed by them with normal people on board. It takes a special person to sit in one place on a river waiting for a train to come by.
Another thing I've never tried is fishing. I got one collapsible rod as a present about 25 years ago and have never assembled it. Those fisher guys like to sit in one place for long times don't they?
Before we begin staging interventions for anyone in this thread, perhaps we can steer it back to what you can expect from the boat ride - for example, what, if any, visible remains are left of the several rotary coal dumpers once located along the Philly waterfront - I believe there were such facilities at Port Richmond and also at Pier 124, and perhaps other locations (on-line info is conflicting). Also, what's happening at Tioga Marine Terminal, and is it visible from the river?
schlimm Denial is a prominent feature of alcohol dependence. Consequently, trackrat is unlikely to respond favorably to well-intentioned advice.
Denial is a prominent feature of alcohol dependence. Consequently, trackrat is unlikely to respond favorably to well-intentioned advice.
I don't see where Ray's denied that he's alcoholic. If it makes you feel any better, I deny that I'm alcoholic, and that's not just a river in South America.
And if anyone thinks that I must be an alcoholic because I gave it up, let me tell you, I can start anytime I want.
CSSHEGEWISCH trackrat888 Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!! I've managed to avoid such a situation in my life. You're a lot less likely to become a crime statistic if you exercise good judgment and keep your wits about you. It may be time for you to seriously consider going on the wagon.
trackrat888 Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!!
Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!!
I've managed to avoid such a situation in my life. You're a lot less likely to become a crime statistic if you exercise good judgment and keep your wits about you. It may be time for you to seriously consider going on the wagon.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
CSSHEGEWISCH trackrat888 "...Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!!" "...I've managed to avoid such a situation in my life. You're a lot less likely to become a crime statistic if you exercise good judgment and keep your wits about you. It may be time for you to seriously consider going on the wagon..."
trackrat888 "...Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!!"
"...Oh now come on who has not zig zaged around a major city from the bar back to the train station or hotel. This is a daily occurance for retrobates commuters in Boston or DC. Thats why I like DC Union---The Liquor Store is in the station!!"
"...I've managed to avoid such a situation in my life. You're a lot less likely to become a crime statistic if you exercise good judgment and keep your wits about you. It may be time for you to seriously consider going on the wagon..."
Hello,Paul:
You have to remember when dealing with some folks, the issues are in Their perspective vs.Your own perspective.
A 'seasoned citizen' who has lived a number of years, while learning from their experiences vs. an individual who has not been around as long. While they have failed to see 'the ball' since the game started.
One person's priorities are not necessarily those of another.
dakotafred gardendance And to anyone else who might think of sailing with me, I've given up alcohol. I just got tired of lying to my doctor every exam when he'd ask how many drinks I had each week, it's a lot easier just to say none. To me, that's a poor reason for giving up something as important as alcohol. Doctors are trained to say you're supposed to give up or cut down on alcohol or tobacco. Doesn't mean they know what's best, that you have to do what they say or even that you owe them the truth. If we can't reach our age and be our own man, when can we? And how long do we want to live, anyhow?
gardendance And to anyone else who might think of sailing with me, I've given up alcohol. I just got tired of lying to my doctor every exam when he'd ask how many drinks I had each week, it's a lot easier just to say none.
And to anyone else who might think of sailing with me, I've given up alcohol. I just got tired of lying to my doctor every exam when he'd ask how many drinks I had each week, it's a lot easier just to say none.
dakotafred ACY T.R.: I could be mistaken, but it seems like you're the only one who has mentioned roaming around Philadelphia drunk or hung over. This might be relevant to you, but it seems irrelevant to the subject of going on a boat ride with G.D. I kind of wish you'd keep it to yourself. Thanks. Tom I dunno, ACY, it sounds like Track leads a more various life than most of us, and I rather enjoy reading about it. He does get around.
ACY T.R.: I could be mistaken, but it seems like you're the only one who has mentioned roaming around Philadelphia drunk or hung over. This might be relevant to you, but it seems irrelevant to the subject of going on a boat ride with G.D. I kind of wish you'd keep it to yourself. Thanks. Tom
T.R.:
I could be mistaken, but it seems like you're the only one who has mentioned roaming around Philadelphia drunk or hung over. This might be relevant to you, but it seems irrelevant to the subject of going on a boat ride with G.D. I kind of wish you'd keep it to yourself. Thanks.
Tom
Next time I am in Philly I will drop off a case of cheap local beer like Yningling at the dock for Garden Dance in exchange for a ferry ride over the Deleware to NJ Riverline. I enjoyed my ride but I was not in best moods after a Oil Train ride from Port Deposit and a SEPTIC ride with a layover in Philly Penn Station. I prefer Big Boats like http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/amfortitude.htm
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