Olympic Trials and Boat Projects
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This page was last updated on July 24, 2004
14 July. Olympic Swim Trials
The city of Long Beach knows how to throw a party. And they know how to host big events. Famous for the Grand Prix, Long Beach is on the map, again, for its production of the Olympic swim trials.
Entrance
to the Olympic trials behind the main pool bleachers.
From the opposite angle,
the warm-up pool behind the bleachers as seen from
the fenced-in causeway. The main pool is on the right
A couple of months ago the arena parking lot across the street from our marina was emptied and construction of two above-ground swimming pools began. After the pools came spindley-looking stands made of pipes, four floors high, surrounding the main pool on all sides.
Olympic hopefuls have been competing here for the last six weeks, followed by water polo players in the world championships. It was great fun for us to sit in the cockpit listening to the wildly cheering crowd and the announcer yelling, "It's a new world record!"
15 July. TV Mounting
Our initial cruising plan, oh so many years ago (two or three), was bare-bones cruising, going to sea with a minimum of luxuries -- hard-core cruisers. However, as we've evolved, entertainment has become increasingly important. We knocked around the idea of ditching the TV, but then decided that a little AC/DC model with built-in VCR was the way we'd rather go.
Stan installed a mounting arm to secure it up out of the way and a DC plug to accomodate the TV as well as the laptop, which plays DVDs. He also installed a web strap that will hold the TV in its stowed position.
TV mounted in the forward salon
TV stowed above the DC plug Stan installed
on the back of the settee
16 July. Shadetree Awning
The Shadetree awning installed at its highest point
None too soon, the Shadetree awning arrived in the mail, a welcome addition as the June Gloom dissipated and July heated up. The awning is made of treated Dacron and shaped with folding fiberglass tent poles. With SolMate's slip facing west, the afternoon sun beats on the bow and into the V-berth. This slick awning can be lowered down to the bow pulpit to create a cool Florida room up front for cat and crew to lounge in while savoring the evening breezes.
18 July. Kitty Bed
Kitty in his afternoon napping spot
The shelf above the companionway used to hold our spotlight, instrument covers and other sailing paraphernalia, but with our universe shifting to its new feline orbit, that nice little storage location was preempted by you-know-who.
20 July. Kitty Net
Stan kitty-proofing the deck
Yet another manifestation of our shifting universe...
Our first uncomfortable encounter with sailing kitty convinced us that Gale needed
protection from
himself -- that curiousity thing. We're hoping 100 feet of netting will corral him on deck
when he's exploring.
