A fata morgana is an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions. These complex superior mirages appear on the horizon. They can be seen either on the sea or land and at different altitudes with some being observed from aeroplanes. These mirages can take all forms, mountains or towns on the sea, to ships that fly in the air. Continue reading
Blistering Barnacles! The bane of many a seafarer, the humble barnacle is responsible for a multi-billion dollar biofoul industry. Here are some unusual facts about this tenacious crustacean. Continue reading
Humans as a species have been responsible for some pretty lousy abuse of the oceans, especially in recent history. For once though something we are placing into the ocean is a force for good. Underwater statues are being placed on seabeds around the world and they seem to be having a positive effect. Continue reading
Nautical knotwork, decorative knots, fancy knotting, creative rope craft and knotting are just some of the phrases used to describe the traditional craft that was popular with mariners the world over during the age of sail. Continue reading
Crewing updates June 2020 from the Lovesail members are being added and updates to existing events as the world begins to open up again. Here are a few of the most recent. To view all the crewing and sailing events log into your Lovesail account and click on the crewing and sailing events tab along the top menu bar. Continue reading
I want to talk a bit about Internet Service Providers (ISP) filtering content and the overblocking that can occur with these filters. In the UK at least, since 2013 all ISPs have been filtering content that might be adult or illegal in order to protect minors. All new customers will now automatically be opted-in to the ISP’s own content filter. Unless you specifically change your settings you may be seeing a reduced number of sites on your device. I’m not up to speed with the filtering of content in the US but would imagine it’s on a state by state basis. What are these filters, what are they blocking and are they always blocking the right sites? Continue reading
The bowline must be the most popular knot in the sailing world. One of the first knots to be mastered by the novice sailor it is considered to be one of the most versatile and trusted knots a sailor will use. Whilst, not the strongest knot it is easy to tie even with one hand and can be untied when under load. So why is it called a bowline? Continue reading
We are very excited this week to have a guest article on the blog. Sue Williams is a woman sailor and author and has written her memoirs, Ready to Come About, about a North Atlantic circumnavigation on a 37′ yacht with her husband David. Here she describes the events that led up to the trip and some of the mishaps they had along the way. Continue reading
Crewing Posts May 2020 – Members are posting events despite the unknown. Lockdowns around the world do seem to be easing but just bear in mind dates could change. Priorities are always to stay safe and practise good hygiene and the appropriate social distancing rules for your area. Continue reading
The most popular board on the Lovesail Pinterest account is the one entitled Lighthouses Around the World. When I created it I had no idea just how many lighthouse there were in the world (18,600) and how beautiful and unusual some of these could be. So here is a collection of just a few of these wonderful lighthouses. Continue reading