Apropos of Nothing

Saturday, March 14, 2009

The British Seagull Outboard

Another dead brand which that continues to enjoy popularity among a fairly large group of

enthusiasts. Dead simple technically, lightweight and reliable, they were used extensively as a

"kicker" auxiliary motor for sailboats.

Relentless Quest, Lobsterboat Racing - Trailer

Trailer for an upcoming video production about lobsterboat racing in Maine.

Great Michael Lewis Article on the mishegoss in Iceland

Wall Street on the Tundra

Iceland’s de facto bankruptcy—its currency (the krona) is kaput, its debt is 850 percent of G.D.P., its people are hoarding food and cash and blowing up their new Range Rovers for the insurance—resulted from a stunning collective madness. What led a tiny fishing nation, population 300,000, to decide, around 2003, to re-invent itself as a global financial power? In Reykjavík, where men are men, and the women seem to have completely given up on them, the author follows the peculiarly Icelandic logic behind the meltdown.

by MICHAEL LEWISApril 2009

Friday, March 13, 2009

Dead (But Not Forgotten) Brand of The Day - BULTACO

Bultaco was a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer best known here in the US for it's excellent dirtbikes. My Uncle had a couple of these in the 70's and even though they effectively ceased production in 1979, they continued to enjoy an excellent reputation into the 80's. Even today there is a cultlike following that transcends their modest production volume. Having what I consider one of the best ever logo's certainly doesn't hurt either, demonstrated by the fact that you can still readily purchase Bultaco tee-shirts and stickers.

Trivia: Bultaco was formed by Francisco "Paco" Bulto and the company name is a a combination of the first four letters of his last name and last three of his nickname. And CEMOTO is an acronym for "Compañía Española de Motores"

55' Florida Bay Coaster by Benford Design Group

I first fell in love with these boats from small ads placed in the back of boating magazines for a book of boat designs called "Small Ships" by Jay Benford. The book is a surprisingly good collection of imaginitive and practical designs by Benford inspired by traditional working boats. Despite the resemblance to the coastal "Tramp Steamers" of the past, the design is thoroughly modern well thought out with a clear emphasis on extended cruising or living aboard. This boat has Heads which can honestly be called bathrooms, full sized appliances, extensive storage and even an office. The deck well in front of the pilothouse has room for a Jeep and a good sized outboard launch (not a dinghy) on a rack above, either of which can be lifted with the hefty crane

just forward of the well deck. The shallow draft of this design allows the boat to get close enough to shore for the Jeep to be offloaded directly onto the beach with the crane. This particularly nice example was recently constructed by Johnson Yachts of NZ.