The Flying Hawaiian

[model 10]

Runor has it she casts off her lines tonight.

[SkiprJohn]

Good to hear. Tell us some more rumors.
kind regards,

[TaoJones]

A "generally reliable source" is reporting on SA that the Flyin' Hawaiian has been turned 180º at her dock and given until the 19th to shove off.

TaoJones

[clewis3642]

Nonsense. The yacht floats at the dock now. Builders are installing windows and solar panels. No one knows when the boat ah....sets sail or whatever. Think Days of Our Lives. One long soap opera.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by clewis3642

Nonsense. The yacht floats at the dock now. Builders are installing windows and solar panels. No one knows when the boat ah....sets sail or whatever. Think Days of Our Lives. One long soap opera.

Turned 180° at the dock doesn't mean it turned turtle, newb, it means if it was pointing NW previously, it's pointing SE now. Capisce?

And I wouldn't assume that "yacht" is going anywhere without being towed. If it does make it out to deeper water without getting stuck in the soft muck on either side of what is a very narrow channel, that's when it's going to get very interesting, very quickly. Strong winds and currents can challenge even competent, experienced sailors who actually know what they're doing.

TaoJones

[cal40john]

I wonder if this thread will beat the record of the last one to get yanked.

[TaoJones]

The July Latitude 38 is now on the street. If you can get your hands on a copy and turn to page 81, you'll find a nice story about the Flyin' Hawaiian. Though the story is somewhat dated, now, because of the necessary lead time to get it in the mag long before the issue was printed (about a week to ten days ago), it's still worth reading.

The article mentions that the exorbitant cost of marine-grade components forced the builder, James "Hot Rod" Lane, to resort to more cost-effective workarounds. For example, the article indicates that when "...he saw the price of marine-grade running lights and chain plates, he and Michael [his son] built their own."

Okay, that sounds good. What else?

Because he couldn't afford actual masts, he adapted what he could find. The article goes on to state, "...he found that all sorts of discarded gear could be utilized simply by applying some ingenuity. For example, the big yellow cat is equipped with a decades-old commercial-grade radar with a six-foot array; an old but reliable GPS; passive water heaters adapted from pool-heating panels; two 750-gallon/day watermakers run off a pressure-washer pump; a 1932 searchlight with a hand-blown 400-watt bulb; and a compass from the sister ship of the Exxon Valdez."

You have to admit, the Lanes personify the saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way." And it certainly appears they'll never go thirsty.

Some of Mr. Lane's friends have advised him that he should do some sea trials, but he thinks otherwise. "I'll do my trials on the way to LA," he said. Assuming they make it that far, Mr. Lane intends to cash in some used sails at Minney's in Newport Beach before shoving off, bound for Hawaii.

Attached is a picture included in the article. In it, you'll see Michael, Hot Rod and Hot Rod's mother, identified in the caption as "Grandma Carol" standing on the, uhm, back porch?

TaoJones

PS: If you can't locate a copy of the July Latitude 38, you can download a copy from their website, here: Download Latitude 38

[scoobert]

does this guy have a blog?

[ontherocks83]

Remember we can never prove his idea didn't work, we can only prove that he ran out of money.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Remember we can never prove his idea didn't work, we can only prove that he ran out of money.

i think i should go on ebay and buy it for 80K. if i made the trip i could write a book. i will have a good boat in tow of course, lol

[senormechanico]

I think he should cut it up into 20,000 pieces, sell them for 5 bucks apiece with a Certificate of Authenticity as the 2014 version of a "Pet Rock for Sailors and the Biggest Mistake of All Time for Non Professional Boaters".

After expenses, he ought to clear his 80K.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I think he should cut it up into 20,000 pieces, sell them for 5 bucks apiece with a Certificate of Authenticity as the 2014 version of a "Pet Rock for Sailors and the Biggest Mistake of All Time for Non Professional Boaters".

After expenses, he ought to clear his 80K.

but after a few years it will just be folklore and no one will believe it ever happened or existed. Kind of like the moon landing. We'll all own a piece of "history" that will forever be disputed.