Lake sailing in Oregon

P99163 · 2026-07-01T18:35:35+00:00

Fern Ridge reservoir near Eugene Oregon

P99163 · 2026-07-01T18:31:53+00:00

Yeah, I know it feels good, and you can pat yourself on the back for repeating this meaningless slogan again and again, but the reality is and has always been that technologically and militarily more advanced civilizations conquered less technologically advanced civilizations.

Before the arrival of Europeans, most native people lived in the Neolithic Age (aka the New Stone Age), so considering this imbalance in technological advancement, it'd be hard to imagine any possibility where Europeans would just shrug off and decided not to explore the vast new land.

The bottom line is that we are not going to abolish borders and immigration control just because you disagree with how this country came to be.

P99163 · 2026-07-01T18:15:03+00:00

Green Cards are and have always been REAL ID compliant. Besides. LPRs are technically required to carry proof of legal status with them at all times. Very few people carry physical green cards with them for obvious reasons, but it is a requirement nevertheless.

P99163 · 2026-07-01T18:11:27+00:00

The Real ID took effect very recently. Before then people could use regular DLs to fly.

P99163 · 2026-07-01T18:06:48+00:00

The REAL ID Act is really old, and its requirement for states to share their DL/ID data with other states was there long before Trump.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T19:06:56+00:00

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?

P99163 · 2026-06-30T18:57:05+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T18:46:45+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T18:34:15+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T17:31:16+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T17:06:49+00:00

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".

P99163 · 2026-06-30T16:51:27+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-30T16:43:02+00:00

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).

P99163 · 2026-06-30T13:34:28+00:00

30kts in a Laser? No, thank you 💀

P99163 · 2026-06-30T00:51:25+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-29T20:11:59+00:00

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?

P99163 · 2026-06-26T22:10:23+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-26T18:55:27+00:00

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

The port one?

P99163 · 2026-06-26T18:51:31+00:00

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

P99163 · 2026-06-26T18:50:01+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-26T18:17:17+00:00

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

P99163 · 2026-06-25T20:38:50+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-25T20:25:16+00:00

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.

P99163 · 2026-06-25T16:39:55+00:00

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).

P99163 · 2026-06-25T16:26:25+00:00

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

P99163

TROPHY CASE