The DX Hound

[K1JJ]

Yaz is going sailing tomorrow. It's about time I made him a custom strapped hat for the sun.  Here he is modeling his exclusive DX Engineering cap.
The big brim is perfect to block the sun and the hidden straps keep it positioned well.

I bought him some doggie sunglasses, but they didn't stay on well, thus the big cap.

Got any dog pics to post?

T

[W2DU]

Wish I could go sailing with you and Yax, Tom. I grew up around sailboats, as my Dad built a few. His were built of welded sheet steel, preformed so as to not need any ribs. This way they were much lighter and stronger than those built with wood. His prime version was 'Polaris', 27' length, 9' beam, and 1' draft, excepting screw and rudder. I'll include a pic in an attachment. In the pic near shore, your's truly is holding the tie line.

Have fun!!

Walt

[W2DU]

I can't resist showing one more pic. My Dad did build boats other than sailers. The one in the pic is a 36' cruiser shown from the bow. I'm the little guy sitting on the cabin roof at 9 years. My Dad even built the anchor.

Walt

[AJ1G]

Got any dog pics to post?

T

Y0GI

[Steve - K4HX]

Walt, your OM was an impressive builder!

Keeping with the hat theme.

[WA3VJB]

Yaz is going sailing tomorrow. It's about time I made him a custom strapped hat for the sun.  Here he is modeling his exclusive DX Engineering cap.
The big brim is perfect to block the sun and the hidden straps keep it positioned well.

I bought him some doggie sunglasses, but they didn't stay on well, thus the big cap.

Got any dog pics to post?

T

ME WANT POWER BOAT
GO FAST
PICK UP BABES

SAILING IS FOR OLD DOGS THAT STAY ON THE PORCH

[Steve - K4HX]

Who needs a boat?

[KE5YTV]

Your pictures scare me Steve. I've seen this before in Jaws !! 

[W1JS]

Tinkerbell.

Youngest daughter moved back home "with her little dog, too".  Daughter moved out again, dog stayed... 

[KB5MD]

Yaz, he be styling......

[Steve - K4HX]

LOL. I can hear the scary music now.

I hope there are no big sharks in the northern part of the Chesapeake Bay!

Your pictures scare me Steve. I've seen this before in Jaws !! 

[W1AEX]

I bought him some doggie sunglasses, but they didn't stay on well, thus the big cap.

Got any dog pics to post?

Yah, the pups don't seem to have much luck with sunglasses! The pics are of Buddy, my son and daugher-in-law's first little adventure terrier, at the lake in 2008. If you attempt to put a hat on him, he'll remove it and shred it less than a minute. He loves being out in the water almost as much as sunning himself like a rock star. What a life...

[Bill, KD0HG]

ME WANT POWER BOAT
GO FAST
PICK UP BABES

SAILING IS FOR OLD DOGS THAT STAY ON THE PORCH

My bro used to own a jet powered ski boat, a massaged Chevy 454 was the motive force.

The thing could throw a rooster tail of water many yards out if he aimed the jet up.

So, his fave technique was to slowly cruise by a beach and yell to the folks, "Hey, you wanna get wet?"

They did.

Boat had a big red sticker by the gas cap.."Money".

Yes, he also used to wear gold neck chains in those days.

[WA3VJB]

Here's a guy needs some engine work, Bill.

I heard the call come in this afternoon while I was out there, that there was a plane down in the water.

He planted it in about a foot, foot-and-a-half, and may have friggen walked to shore.

That's a good crash (one you walk away from).

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/video/1309463255KentIslandPlaneCrash

[WD8BIL]

.... a massaged Chevy 454 was the motive force

You can't say massaged or fondled here, Bill!

[WA1GFZ]

deyellaifed 454
Walt, your Dad made some real boats

[K1JJ]

Great pictures. Love that TinkerBell outfit..     Keep 'em coming.  

Walt:  FB on your dad using sheet steel to make boats - very strapping. Great homebrewer's technique. I wonder how the weight compares to fiberglass using ribs?  Steel sheet without ribs and only a 1' draft is nice.  That large truck your OM used for towing is something else, especially in that day.  

You would laugh at my "fleet" of boats - a canoe and kayak rigged with homebrew sails, daggerboards and outriggers. But we always have a ball out there.  Yesterday Yaz had the time of his life. The winds let us cover about 12 miles total - we visited islands, sand bars, raced a few other sailboats and had a packed lunch on a hill overlooking the water.  Got a sunburn, so gotta watch it.  I notice my sail (homebrew) works FB for everything but sharp angles upwind. It needs some fine tuning, as the top tends to flutter when pushing it hard.  I paddle when I must - sail when I can. All depends on the wind.

Rob: That's a nice sea kayak pictured with Buddy.  Maybe you two shud join us on the ocean expedition this summer...

Here's some shots from last fall. We sailed the same area yesterday. Didn't bring the camera this time.  Hope to hit the ocean coast in a few weeks.

T


Yaz usually sits in the back, but I let him up front sometimes to see the action.

[W2DU]

Tom, your kayak-sailer sure looks like fun! I'd sure like to sail it!

Glad you like my Dad's boat work. He was a welding engineer with a fabulous creative mind. Building boats was strictly for his enjoyment of sailing them as a hobby. I remember one cruise we made with the 36 footer. Starting from home port in Bay City on Saginaw Bay, we cruised down the West coast of Lake Huron, past Sarnia, entering the St. Clair River. crossing Lake St. Clair into the Detroit River. This was in 1929, where we witnessed the high-speed boat competition between Britisher Kaye Don and US Gar Wood. Wood was the predominant boat builder in that era. That race (and cruise) was a terrific experience for a ten-year old, me.

During the 1920s the anti-freeze of choice for auto radiators was alcohol--before ethylene glycol. The alcohol would evaporate, the remaining water would freeze, and the engine block would crack. Thousands of engines were lost.

However, one of my Dad's creations was a method of welding the cracked blocks. He built a furnace, or oven, of high-temperature-resisting bricks around the blocks, heated the blocks to high temperature with a large acetylene-driven blow torch. With the entire block heated to the high temperature, he safely welded the crack without any further cracking of the block due to differential temperatures within the block. After cooling down, the block was good as new. Saved people a lot of cash. Just one of his many creative endeavors.

Along with being W8YNG, Dad was also an astronomer, and built some highly modernized large telescopes. He was certainly a terrific role-model Father who ushered me into the scientific community.

Walt

[W2DU]

I'd like to add one of the reflecting telescopes my Dad designed and built. It was built for the Daytona Beach Stargazers's Association in 1938. It was published in the Oct 1938 edition of Scientific American, and also in the book, 'Amateur Telescope Making,' by Albert Ingalls.

The scope is mounted on the rear-axle housing from a 1937 Chevrolet, obtained at a junk yard. It had a motor-driven source of movement that gave it Earth-rotating synchronization.

Walt

[W7TFO]

Here are the two pups at the QTH:

Jenny, chow.  She is the boss....

Leonardo, Aussie/Border Collie mix.  He is the new guy on the block.

73DG

[Mike/W8BAC]

That telescope is a show stopper Walt. Beauty and simplicity in one. I can see the need for a mechanical drive by your father but nothing but junk to build it from. His finished drive system would probably win an award today for a builder with enough know how to put it together. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. Thanks for the pictures.

Mike

[Steve - K4HX]

Can't forget this guy!