Finally bought a decent boat, and had a tight squeeze (pic heavy)

[Vulpinus]

I finally took the plunge today, after a few weeks of procrastinating, and treated myself to a Bandit 60. I've sailed a few freebies before but I'm effectively new to SL sailing.

I'm fortunate to have a little plot on the sea, next to a bit of protected sea/land on one side but otherwise surrounded by rental companies (boo!) who have almost completely blocked the sea right up to the edge of the world. I can sail about an hour in one direction before finally hitting a solid wall, but it occured to me I might be able to go the other way too...

There's a little gap in the corner, where the rock walls of the rentals don't quite meet.  My good eyeball told me it was just possible, so I gave it a shot...

 

Facing into the rental comapanies' blockades - my house is on the right

 

I had already made sure the way could be opened, anyone can open it

 

Lining up - using the motor because I didn't want to scratch my new boat

 

Getting closer...

 

Breathe in...

 

Made it through unscathed - "You have 15 seconds before being ejected"... better get a move on

 

And away we go... there's much more sailing in this direction

 

I have subsequently done that under sail, much more quickly. I crashed into the rocks trying to go back home though, just catching the wall on the right and then being booted by the security orb before I could line up again. More practice needed. At least I haven't hit any ban lines on the water areound here (yet).

[Vulpinus]

I finally took the plunge today, after a few weeks of procrastinating, and treated myself to a Bandit 60. I've sailed a few freebies before but I'm effectively new to SL sailing.

I'm fortunate to have a little plot on the sea, next to a bit of protected sea/land on one side but otherwise surrounded by rental companies (boo!) who have almost completely blocked the sea right up to the edge of the world. I can sail about an hour in one direction before finally hitting a solid wall, but it occured to me I might be able to go the other way too...

There's a little gap in the corner, where the rock walls of the rentals don't quite meet.  My good eyeball told me it was just possible, so I gave it a shot...

 

Facing into the rental comapanies' blockades - my house is on the right

 

I had already made sure the way could be opened, anyone can open it

 

Lining up - using the motor because I didn't want to scratch my new boat

 

Getting closer...

 

Breathe in...

 

Made it through unscathed - "You have 15 seconds before being ejected"... better get a move on

 

And away we go... there's much more sailing in this direction

 

I have subsequently done that under sail, much more quickly. I crashed into the rocks trying to go back home though, just catching the wall on the right and then being booted by the security orb before I could line up again. More practice needed. At least I haven't hit any ban lines on the water areound here (yet).

[Kless]

And now... Kless' Super Easy Guide To Yachting!

First, locate a beach with build enabled.  This might take a bit of searching.

Congratulations!  You have found the perfect spot!  It's now time to look in your inventory for your boat!

Once you have located your boat in your inventory, select it and drag to the ground.

...being extra careful to allow enough space for a full-sized yacht to rezz itself.  PROTIP: boats go into water.

Beach sand is generally soft enough to dig oneself free in a couple of hours, depending on how large your boat is and how deeply you are buried underneath.

Now, if you have mistakenly rezzed your boat on the beach and not conveniently in water, you have two options; one, wait for high tide.

...or two, realize this is SL and there is no such thing as high tide -- start pushing.  This option also works if you're just the impatient type.

A successful launch of a boat depends on several factors.  In the meantime, just be happy it's floating.

Congratulations!  It's time to change into swimwear and prepare to board!

...but first, be sure to tether your boat to shore or to dock with some rope.

 

 

Next week: four handy ways to chase down and retrieve a drifting boat.  See you then!

 

[Celestiall Nightfire]

Great post!   Fabulous looking sailboat!

Also, a pox upon the heads of those who toss up ban lines and security orbs!

[Celestiall Nightfire]

Love your post!  *laughing*  

Waiting for next installment to see outcome of your hapless girl!

*grins*

[ZoeTick]

Hmm, your post reminds me of someone pretty wonderful, Kless.

But she's gone.

[Vulpinus]

Kless, Thank you for that! My first good laugh of Sunday. If you don't recover that Nekka and you see a shiny new Bandit 60 going past with a few rock scrapes on the prow, feel free to wave and hitch a ride.

[Vulpinus]

---

Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

Also, a pox upon the heads of those who toss up ban lines and security orbs!

---

Too right! Orbs I can live with if they give me enough time to crash into their rocks (please folks, at least make them phantom) and still get across, but otherwise I feel like "take off and nuke the site form orbit" sometimes.

In the first direction I was sailing, past the small protected area, there are a few builds that go right to the world's edge. That seems the predominant issue around here.

I found that if there was the slightest gap though, or even no gap but there wasn't too much in the way, that I could 'brute force' my way through. That was with a power boat with a good run-up though, not sure I could do it with this one.

It's all part of the fun I suppose.

...

On a completely different note, I was sailing away in a completely empty water sim when I came across a small space shuttle thing sitting on the bottom, owned by Gov. Linden. Litterbugs, really!

[Callum Meriman]

I'm a little bit of a sailing and flying fanatic and I love this sort of thread.

Kless I love that and laughed so hard, thank you, you made my day. That was truely wonderful.

Vulpinus, congratulations on joining the sailing fraternity too. I hope you have as much fun as all of us!

On orbs. Well, try being 154cm or 168cm tall depending on my mood I have been hit with orbs that instantly eject people shorter than 6'. No warning at all. You are skippering a boat with crew and passengers and suddenly Whoosh "You have been ejected because you are too small" and a page full of IMs from your friends wondering where you went.

It would be lovely if people were considerate though and kept orbs to their house alone. (it's a huge personal gripe of mine as I sail and fly so much)

As for tight squeezes even the wonderful Blake Sea is not really immune, but maybe not as bad as your (dare I say) Back Yard Passage through the shoals?

It can be hard to get into Ahab's Haunt, especially if you hit one of the sim crossings at the three chokepoints wrong and are trying not to cheat by fudging a perfect wind direction.

 

A picture of my schooner nears Ahab's. I love her, maybe the best ship in Secondlife in my opinion, but I am after fun more than speed and this with 9 controllable sails and the best rudder system I've used is a true joy to sail.

[irihapeti]

(:

[irihapeti]

jejeje (: