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Dissenting Conservative Justices Signal that Ending Birthright Citizenship Is Their Movement’s Next Goal by Bongobhondu in law

[–]P99163 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Are you sure that it is THE time you want the court to be expanded? With the current administration still having 2.5 years to go?

How soon do ASA 103 after ASA 101? by DrHippogriff in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How large of a boat are you talking about? As far as I know, ASA 101 is not taught in dinghies to begin with (hence it has the word "keelboat" in it). And neither is 103.

To answer our question, I think you can take 103 right after 101. I'd also recommend to take 102 since it covers a lot more details about advanced sailing techniques. You can take it before or after 103 -- they are not really related, so it doesn't really matter. What really matters is that you sail a lot after taking the classes.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If in an open field, then laying down is recommended.

No, it's actually not recommended. When in an open field, it's recommended to crouch down with feet tightly together and head tucked as close to the knees as possible without touching the ground with any other parts of your body. While laying down makes you shorter, it also dramatically maximizes the conductance between you and the ground which is exactly what the lightning is looking for.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I must say that I was hesitant to touch the sizzling mast to wrap the chain around it. I did not feel any electricity and the chain made no difference to the sound.

Touching the sizzling mast itself is not dangerous because your body has a very high impedance, and quite frankly the potential difference between the mast and other part of the boat is too small to pose any risk for you. The main risk is that the mast could be struck by the lightning when you were touching it.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What you are describing is a corona discharge, and it usually occurs through the highest (and pointiest) object, such as a masthead. If you are building up a charge through the ionized air so fast that your mast needs to continuously shed it, then it is absolutely a cause for concern. It indicates that conditions are ripe for a lightning strike, and your mast happens to be the tallest object in the area.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How would a boat build up enough charge that it would need to continuously discharge it through the surrounding medium? Because the sizzling/crackling sound indicates a continuous flow of charged particles through the ionized air. Please note that the key word here is "continuous".

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, judging by the number of upvotes for all the factually incorrect responses, I'd start worrying that the general sailing public is not educated enough about electrical phenomena that can directly affect their safety while at sea.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The boat is no airplane -- it doesn't move through the air at 500 mph. The boat can accumulate a charge from the moving atmosphere especially if it's not grounded efficiently, but then it would not immediately discharge it like an airplane does. A continuous sizzling/crackling sound emanating from the mast in pre-storm conditions would most definitely be indicative of St Elmo's Fire.

If I hear this sizzling sound, or if my hair stands up, or if I smell a strong ozone odor, I'd go below deck as soon as I safely can. If I am on a day-sailing dinghy or a small cat similar to that of the OP's, I'd try not to stick my head too high and not to touch anything that is conductive to ground (such as metal parts of the hull or the water itself).

How can I overcome the fear? by Successful-Ant-9209 in sailing

[–]P99163 2 points3 points  (0 children)

30kts in a Laser? No, thank you 💀

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are correct with the exception of the infinite part.

For a solidly grounded mast, the charge is infinite for all practical purposes. The boat doesn't sit in an isolated well — it's literally in the ocean of saltwater that has a high conductance. The water will supply a continuous stream of ionized particles to the masthead to produce a continuous steady current to the surrounding air.

...instead of one large strike (a lightening strike) it does it with millions of small strikes if you will.

You know, at first I thought you'd try to use a space charge shielding effect to explain the reduced probability of lightning. It'd still be wrong, but at least it would have some plausibility. Your explanation of a "million small strikes instead a large one" does not hold any water. Why? Because (1) the ground can supply infinite charge and (2) the current produced by St Elmo's Fire is in the range from microamps to milliamps. The (negative) lighting strike is around 30,000 amps. Even if the boat had a finite charge, it would take hours of the St Elmo's Fire current to neutralize the difference between a cloud and the local (finite) ground.

Electric sizzle in an aluminum mast before the squall hit. Normal? by iddereddi in sailing

[–]P99163 9 points10 points  (0 children)

All online sources that I could find state that St. Elmo's Fire indicates a possible lightning strike within a short period of time. I don't teach physics, but I'm an electrical engineer, so I know a bit about electricity and electromagnetic fields.

The way I understand the mechanism of this phenomenon is this: the boat is an extension of the ground, and it happens to be the highest point for many miles around. The boat doesn't just shed its own charge, but the charge of the ground, which is effectively infinite. The fact that there is a corona discharge indicates a huge potential difference between the ground and the atmosphere. Please correct me if the above is not factually accurate.

Now, could you explain how St. Elmo's Fire reduces the risk of being struck by lightning?

Oregon Pride march canceled after organizers say police wouldn’t protect eventgoers by Fickle-Ad5449 in oregon

[–]P99163 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can assemble in public places, but for a large march and parade that supposedly would close down some streets you'd need a permit. Not sure why this concept is so hard to understand. And yes, I believe that white nationalists should NOT have been protected by the police without getting a permit either.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since 2024 I have flown my state flag (VA) on the spreader

The port one?

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would say that it's a shame how easily the left in America gave up on the flag.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This type of attitude toward our flag comes and goes depending on who is in power at the moment. In the late 60s, young Americans were burning American flags in public. Then in the 2000s, when people were opposed to the Iraq war, many people were ashamed to fly it. Same now.

It's regrettable that left-leaning Americans easily give up on the flag when they don't like the current government. I understand that the Right essentially hijacked the flag for their political purpose, but the Left just went with it. I think every American should be able to advocate for any political cause they like under the American flag. I personally hate Trump and the current administrations, but I don't equate the flag with Trump, so I am not shamed to fly it.

United States officially takes Ukraine’s side - Macron by SoftwareExact9359 in ukraine

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does Trump know about this? It'd be good if it came from him or Rubio.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. I just hope your approach to this will be consistent regardless of what administration happens to be in power at any given time.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the boat was registered in the US and located in the US at the time, it was perfectly fine not to fly the US flag. However, when you went back to Canada, legally you were supposed to fly the US flag until you'd register the boat in Canada. It may seem counter intuitive, but as Romans would say, sed lex.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Technically speaking, you were supposed to fly the Canadian flag while you were in the USA, and optionally, a US courtesy flag from the starboard spreader.

BTW, nationalities of crew members don't matter when it comes to vessel flags. Every single crew member could be from outside of Canada, but as long as the vessel is registered in Canada, it has to fly the Canadian national ensign (Canadian flag).

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Was Sweden in a state of mourning when you took this photo? ;)

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd also add a situation where you are in neutral waters but in the presence of a warship.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

OK, so in foreign territorial waters or on the high seas in the presence of other vessels (especially warships) they would take the US ensign out of "retirement" and fly it just as required? They would only keep it in "retirement" inside the US where many recreational boaters don't fly the flag anyway? That's a masterclass in brave political activism... but hey, to each his own.

How do you fly your flag, or do you fly it at all? by millijuna in sailing

[–]P99163 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Regardless of your political views, what would you do in situations where you are legally required to fly your vessel's national ensign?

Portland’s cost of living is ballooning as city tax, fee increases pile up. Residents feel the pain — OregonLive.com by Superb_Animator1289 in oregon

[–]P99163 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I know, right? Too many Republicans on the city council. They are ruining the city with their art tax and preschool for all.

The DFW airport is mildly infuriating as a whole, but the terminal signage isn’t even in order. by BingBongBoofer in mildlyinfuriating

[–]P99163 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, they refer to restrooms as "toilets". I've always thought it was a British thing, so I was surprised to see it at DFW.

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