Monday, September 15th, 2008
This article was written by Reivy Mason on behalf of BoatClassifieds.US, a popular boat classifieds website.
This article is an exploration of boating as a hobby to someone who has never done it. Sometimes, there are certain things to take into consideration with the onset of picking a new hobby. The ability to deal with some potential shortcomings is helped along with a few helpful hints. The overall experience of boating can be very relaxing if being relaxed is your ultimate goal.
A Novice’s Look At Boating
The ocean air, the constant breeze and the sun glowing down on you are some of the reasons why you might take a look at boating as a hobby.
A vessel afloat over millions of gallons of water may not frighten many people, but it probably does frighten a few. Being scared usually has something to do with what size of boat you are on, but most of the time it’s the water itself that concerns people. The fear of just floating on the water, whether it is in or out of a boat, is enough to make people say no thanks to boating. Taking a look at different options when deciding whether or not boating is for you would be a good place to start.
First things first. Are you afraid of the water? If the answer is yes, then boating may not be the right fit for you. You may have to look at why you have this fear. Is it fear of drowning, being alone on a boat or being lost at sea? You can help to eliminate this version of the phobia by having someone else go with you. Sometimes the knowledge that you are not alone out there helps to take some of that anxiety away. If something happens to you, they can always help you or get help from someone else.
If this fear exists because you don’t know how to swim, then perhaps swimming lessons might do the trick. You could take private lessons, take lessons at a health club or at the “Y.” A friend who is an avid swimmer can even teach you. Basically, if you learn how to keep your body afloat, you can alleviate much of your fear of boating.
A life jacket is a requirement to have on a boat, no matter what type of boat it is. Whichever type of boat you decide to be on, keep in mind that the life jacket is there to help you. Put it on and get familiar with it. Learn how to adjust the jacket properly and make sure it fits correctly. You don’t have to put it on right away. You can wait, but if you are further out from shore and get nervous, then put it on.
Some questions you may ask yourself are, “What type of boat would I like to be on?” “Do I want to own one or rent one?” When getting into boating, you have a few options, not unlike many other hobbies. There are some important things to consider. If you want to own a boat, be prepared to look into the maintenance of the vessel. Also, storage would be an area to look at if you don’t have the room for it where you live. Renting a boat could be a good option if you don’t have time, patience or knowledge to take care of the boat yourself.
A sail boat is relaxing, especially if you’re not in a rush to go out and come back the same day. You would have to watch the weather to make sure it’s a good day to do the sailing. An askew wind or rough waters can take you far from your mark. A motor boat is a little noisier getting you there, but can get you there in less time. It gives you more time to enjoy your destination.
Once you get where you’re going, drop anchor and relax. Don’t worry about all the technical terms for the boat or what you’re doing with it. If learning is what you want, you’ll learn all of it soon enough. As a novice at boating, you will take the opportunity to learn as much as you can with your new venture and find that it can be fun and very relaxing in the end. So enjoy the ocean air, the water, the sun on your face and your book and welcome to the world of boating.
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Saturday, September 13th, 2008
I know, I know, you have been getting “Jay’s Blog withdrawal.” I haven’t written in a few days. It’s not because I don’t love all of you, it’s just because I have been a little tired.
Ever since we got this Bowflex and I started playing tennis again, it seems as though I am constantly sore. I mean, my muscles are always in recovery. My shoulder hurts, my back hurts and I think I pulled a butt muscle.
The muscle injury in my shoulder is from twelve years ago when I “over served” a few days in a row. I was so thrilled that I could actually serve, that I went to the club day after day to practice. Well, lets just say that I must have served about a thousand balls. I am not sure I even got any better. If today’s playing is any indication, I didn’t. Oh well, it’s working itself out, with the help of some Motrin and ice.
I remember when I could do a good workout and then go back and hit the gym the next day. I am trying that now, but unfortunately, it’s not the same. Apparently, it now takes two and a half weeks to recover. Maybe that is exaggerating a little bit, but for any of you over 30 years old, go out and get drunk. Then, come back here and tell me how long it took you to recover from that. My point is that we are falling apart. That is why I am trying to stay in shape as best I can.
I have now been to two tennis clinics and have had two private lessons. I learned a lot in yesterday’s lesson, only to apply none of it in today’s clinic. I don’t know what happened. I guess I am going to have these kinds of days. Tomorrow, I am going to hit with a youngster from the club. He is a really cool kid (17 years old) and is going to kick my butt. He has been playing since he was four years old. His father is the pro that gave me yesterday’s lesson. I think he is pretty lucky to get free lessons for life. I told him that today. Tomorrow, we are just going to hit back and forth, with no games. He is great at giving advice too, which I appreciate.
At least I am now learning the proper way to hit a tennis ball. After all these years of playing tennis, I never actually had a real lesson. I mean, I guess I had a few lessons over at the town beach when I was like five, but those don’t count. These are real, hour long tennis lessons. I walk away actually thinking I might get better.
Now to the point of this blog post. I have been using the same tennis racquet since I was 21. It’s one of those cheap ones from some store like Jamesway or Caldor. I am not even sure where I got it. I have been using it with some success, but thought that since I am going to need to get it restrung soon, I may as well get a high quality racquet to play with. I tried a few different racquets at the club and there is a huge difference in quality and playability.
A few days ago, I ordered a new Prince O3 Speedport Black Team tennis racquet and received it today. It’s the latest from Prince. I did a lot of research on different racquets and am hoping this is the one.
Here are the specs:
- Length: 27.0”
- Headsize: 100 sq in
- Cross Section: 23-24-22mm
- Weight: 9.9 oz/280g unstrung
- Balance: 13.6 in/34.5 cm, 1 pt. Head Heavy
- Grip: DuraPro+
- Rec. Strings: Syn Gut w/ Duraflex 16
- Power Level: 975
- Swing Weight: 295
- String Pattern: 16 x 19
If you notice in the photos above, the great feature of this racquet is the “Os” on the sides, where the strings go through. These “Os” are supposed to make the racquet more aerodynamic. When I read that, I said, “Yeah right.” Well, as is turns out, you can actually hear the wind whistle through the racquet when you swing. It cuts through the air much easier than my other one.
I had this racquet strung at 57lbs, which is too loose. The recommended stringing tension is 58lbs, plus or minus 5. 57lbs is too loose for me and I may play with it for a while and then cut the strings out to get it strung tighter. We’ll see. I can always wait for them to break too.
I am going to give this racquet a try tomorrow and let you know how it plays.
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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
Even the sun is getting lower in the sky.
I just read an article about “Lipstickgate.” I am sure you know what I am talking about. Obama said, “You can put lipstick on a pig…” and McCain is allegedly crying about it. Well, this is what it’s come down to folks. While a friend of mine is waiting to see if his house will be foreclosed on, we are arguing about pigs wearing lipstick, 55 days away from the presidential election.
Now, let me first tell you that I have mixed feelings about the whole mortgage issue. I don’t feel like getting in to them here. My point is, the mortgage thing is a valid issue that we can and should be discussing instead of beautiful pigs. Catch my drift?
I remember waaaay back a few weeks ago, right after the Democratic National Convention, I told my mother that I was finally proud to be a Democrat. I wrote an email to an old colleague the same day and ended it saying, “It’s a great day to be a Democrat.” Man, it felt great to say that. After eight years of cowering in our unpatriotic caves, someone with some guts was standing up to all the nonsense in this country. Sure, I wasn’t flying one of those ridiculous little flags on my car, but I still felt proud and (finally) patriotic. We had a good ol’ fight on our hands.
Oh well, I should have known that sort of pride and confidence in politics wouldn’t last long. Now we have the tit-for-tat that will bring us all the way to another election day. Anything to stay away from the real issues, I suppose.
I have already been to the tennis club three times since I joined. I took one lesson and went to two clinics. There were about twelve people in the first clinic and four in the second. The clinics don’t give me as much individual attention as the private lessons, but they do keep me on top of my game. I also get the opportunity to meet and play against a wide variety of people, which is important. I like the clinics, but I think I prefer the private lessons more. My goal is to go to both the Wednesday and Saturday clinics and have one private lesson per week. I hope to also get some matches, or just hitting, in too. Without a doubt, I am having a good time, I just wish I was there more.
If you have been sneezing or have felt allergies more than normal lately, that may be because of our good friend, the Ragweed. Our other good friend, the Goldenrod usually gets blamed for the allergies, but it isn’t the most likely culprit, due to its heavy pollen. Both plants bloom at the same time, so it’s hard to tell which one is causing the issue.
I took this photo in the side yard this afternoon.
I have been thinking lately that I need some more clothes. I probably have enough, but they are getting kind of old looking. I was actually on the Old Navy website yesterday with my shopping cart full, when I started having second thoughts. I remembered back to my disappointment every time I buy something other than jeans from that place. The clothes really aren’t quality.
I left that website and went over to L.L. Bean’s website. I found a few things I like and then changed my mind again. I looked at a few of their models and thought I would have to stamp a big “L” on my forehead to wear some of that stuff. Why do their models look like such herbs? They need some new ones (call me).
I decided that it might be best to go out and buy some clothes in person. Maybe tomorrow we can take a trip up to the Prime Outlets in Lee, MA. Those are usually pretty good and I find good stuff up there. It’s not too far from here either. With the crisper air now, it can make for a good day.
Other than that, I am not sure anything too interesting is happening. Any questions?
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