salts   wooden boats

 
Enter what you want to search for, to search for an "exact phrase" by enclosing it in quotes. You may search for a combination of words and phrases

en

Learn more about our "How to Tie Knots" DVD/CD
December 2nd 2024 - 22:05

Bosunīs Log

January 18th, 2012
January 18th, 2012

Bosunsmate.org is Back Online

After going dark for 12h participating in the global #SOPAstrike

On January 18th at 8am PST we intentionally replaced the BosunsMate.org website with a redirect to the #SOPAstrike site effectively disabling our web site for the first time since 1992. This extraordinary action was taken to show support for the thousands of web sites and millions of people who spent the day rallying against this flawed proposed legislation.

Why are all us geeks so focused on these SOPA/PIPA bills in the USA?

In short because they would most likely cripple the foundation of the Internet you have grown to know and use every day. As is so frequently the case, at best, the legislation was written by people that donīt really understand technology or at worst it was intentionally deceptive to provide unprecedented control to censor and manipulate the Internet (the conspiracy theorists can hash that one out)

The undeniable fact is that the modern Internet is bringing our world closer together. It has allowed people across the globe to become friends and gain a better understanding of foreign cultures. In our opinion it is the best hope we currently have to come closer to a peaceful coexistence on this planet - why? because through unfettered communication we understand each other better - the ignorance that breeds hate starts to disappear. For this to continue it MUST not be censored.

These bills pose a direct threat to our ability to communicate, innovate, and grow as a species. PLEASE support the effort to stop them. Because, itīs About more then just the Internet. Itīs not just About the geeks (we just happen to understand the technology behind it) Itīs About the world we live in and all our futures.

For more information watch this video from http://www.fightforthefuture.org/pipa

Share this:
August 12th, 2011
August 12th, 2011
en

Mapping Enhancements

The vessel tracker mapping system has been updated again

The vessel tracking system has been updated to include several enhancements that make it both easier to use and faster.As always, we have more in store but finding the time to fit it in around the īday jobī can be a real challenge!

In this more recent update the maps themselves have been switched over to the Google map data. This looks a bit better even if itīs a bit less accurate then the marine charts. This has the added benefit that the maps will load faster thanks to Googleīs world-wide content delivery network. In addition to this we added a series of back-end updates that further optimize the code allowing the maps to be generated faster as well.

A less visible change is our new Adobe Air app that is being used on the boats themselves to make reporting positions easier for the crew. The new app replaces a manual email system that was previously in use. We have plans to create a iOS and Android app soon as well but for the time being this is making things a lot easier and eliminating a lot of little glitches along the way.

Share this:
September 13th, 2010
September 13th, 2010

    Colregs Lights & Shapes

    using HTML Canvas to dynamically visualize lights

    Initial lights testing
    Initial lights testing
    For some time now I have wanted to improve the lights and shapes section of bosunsmate.org to include a more interactive experience with more light configurations. The HTML Canvas element that allows direct drawing in a web page should finally allow this...

    The image shown is a screen-shot of our test area where all four of the light diagrams are generated by the web browser. There are no uploaded graphics involved. This means we can store instructions to tell the browser how to draw each configuration and change things like size, time of day, eventually even distance from the target to create a very dynamic experience. Adding new configurations for different regions and/or conditions will not pose a problem either.

    Granted it is going to take some time to polish the code and create a comprehensive database of different configurations, but the possibilities are extensive and we should see the first implementation coming online soon.

    Share this:
    February 19th, 2010
    February 19th, 2010

      SV Concordia Lost - All Hand Safe

      The West Island College Class Afloatīs tall ship sinks off the coast of Brazil

      The tall ship S.V. Concordia (from www.classafloat.com)
      The tall ship S.V. Concordia (from www.classafloat.com)
      Just Starting to get news articles About the loss of a vessel I can best describe as one on which I always wanted to Sail but never did. It is always sad to hear of the loss of any vessel, tall ships make that loss feel closer to home. All initial reports indicate that all hands are safe and accounted for - that is the silver lining.

      According to the Class Afloat web site, which at the time of writing this article has no mention of the incident; The Concordia, was specifically designed and built in 1992 for their programs.

      Currently there seems to be no information About the factors leading up to the incident or what exactly happened although on news source states the vessel "capsized and sank" and suggests sea conditions may have been a factor.

      Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be on the SV Concordia can contact Foreign Affairsī Emergency Operations Centre in Ottawa by calling either 1-800-387-3124 or 1-613-996-8885.

      our thoughts and best wishes go out to the crew, family, and friends during what must be a very trying time.

      UPDATE: best news source seems to be the CBC:
      http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/02/19/ns-brazil-ship-sinks-students.html


      Share this:
      July 30th, 2009
      July 30th, 2009

        Killing a Virus on a Friendīs Machine

        killing the dswave32.dll and itīs associated garbage

        I spent the last 2 days working on a friendīs computer to remove a nasty little virus that the anti-virus software didnīt seem to do much About apart from detecting it. To help, I reported my findings over on my technical blog - but I thought it might be good to cross post that here for your reference.

        My Technical blog entry is here: Killing the dswave32.dll

        Basically the procedure involved a lot of scans from various programs while the computer was off the internet. Then some manual deleting of files, more scans, and some reinstalling of key components.

        In the end the virus was eradicated and we can all smile again. But if youīre interested the technical blog post has some good detail on how I nabbed it.


        Share this:
        July 20th, 2009
        July 20th, 2009

          Inhibeo Egrotatio

          Calling in sick for work? Throw a good latin name at them...

          For those times when you really need to call in sick from work - you might as well have a good illness to use for the big "phone call" Seeing as Latin is frequently the language of choice for things medical... here is a good one "Inhibeo Egrotatio"

          Translated directly (and word for word so itīs probably wrong) it should mean "Employee Sickness" but it sure sounds good doesnīt it?

          Ok, why am I going on About this - well itīs one of those goofy moods you get into after a friend tells you they are overworked and you suggest they call in sick and then your brain goes out of control...

          So, what better then to share silly thoughts with others - in the feeble hope that perhaps it will generate a small chuckle for them too.

          Tags: jokes
          Share this:

          More Items...

          July 18th, 2009
          July 18th, 2009

          Positions Rolling In

          Great to see the tracks from Swift and Grace as they sail through the summer

          click to view detail
          Itīs great to see the positions coming in from the summer program as the Pacific Swift and Pacific Grace ply our local waters. For the armchair sailor like me, this is about as close as we can get to be back out on the water...
          July 9th, 2009
          July 9th, 2009

          2009 Minor Softball Team

          A fun way to help out in the community

          click to view detail
          The 2009 PawPrint MiniMite Team
          Back in 2007 I started sponsoring a minor softball team in Sechelt. This year they sent a little bag of goodies after the season had ended. It contained a photo, ball cap, and card of thanks.
          July 7th, 2009
          July 7th, 2009

          Clarks Maritime Online

          A new web site for some old friends

          click to view detail
          Screenshot of the clarksmaritime.com site
          Iīm pleased to announce the launch of the Clarks Maritime web site, a home for the various nautical endeavours of Martyn and Margaret Clark (who will be familiar to many of you by name) This site was a joy to design and produce.
          July 6th, 2009
          July 6th, 2009

          Which OS - My MS Muddle

          XP64, Vista, or wait for Windows 7 - trying to unravel the OS arena

          click to view detail
          In my ongoing quest to get more performance out of my system, and thus more productivity for my day-to-day existence Iīm starting to bat around what will be my next operating system choice. As much as I complain about Micro$oft I know it will be some form of windows - the only question now is... which one!
          July 3rd, 2009
          July 3rd, 2009

          Getting over a cold

          not with much help from these pills...

          click to view detail
          Spent the last 2 days getting over a bit of a cold - but it seems a good excuse to post these funny "pills" my parents gave me for my birthday. In reality they are just mints but I love the idea as a great joke.
          July 1st, 2009
          July 1st, 2009

          Robertson II - Two Years Later

          Looking back, 2 years after we lost the Robby

          click to view detail
          Sailing off the Sunshine Coast
          Strangely I received an email about the Robertson II just yesterday - exactly two years after the tragic night that she ran aground and left us forever. It reminded me that so many who will be touched (wounded) by learning of her fate, probably still donīt even know it.
          June 30th, 2009
          June 30th, 2009

          Firefox 3.5 Launch

          The fastest Firefox launching today

          click to view detail
          As promised Iīm going to keep this blog going - but talk about whatever Iīm currently thinking about and not necessarily try to make it relate to nautical happenings - so here we go with that... Today marks the launch of the latest version of Firefox (my favorite web browser) and I simply must rattle on about it.
          June 28th, 2009
          June 28th, 2009

          SALTS 2009 Summer Program Starts

          ... and I return from being the ghost of blogging past

          click to view detail
          Today marks both the start of the SALTS 2009 Summer program, and my return to trying to keep this site up to date with some news of happenings around my world. I Was a bit reluctant to return to blogging here because my nautical endeavors have been reduced of late - but - probably better to continue and be less nautical then not to continue at all.
          September 2nd, 2008
          September 2nd, 2008

          Google Chrome -

          click to view detail
          Sample of the comic-book release notes
          Just when you thought it you knew the browser contenders - along comes Google Chrome to rock the boat. I feel like the proverbial bowl of petunias saying "Oh no, not again..." but here we are - released in a unique Google way - comic-book style...
          August 25th, 2008
          August 25th, 2008

          Oh My Gotcha!

          click to view detail
          For anyone considering an upgrade to MySQL 5.1 BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE I just spent the morning working with a web host who also spent the night after what should have been a simple upgrade completely fried several databases! We did find the workaround though...
          August 19th, 2008
          August 19th, 2008

          More on AIS

          click to view detail
          AIS Receiver
          Over the weekend I finally got my Java based AIS decoder software working and have started to post technical details on my AIS information pages for the benefit of others looking to accomplish similar tasks.
          August 18th, 2008
          August 18th, 2008

          Are they done yet?

          click to view detail
          I know that a lot of people love them but for those that donīt, myself included, I think itīs about time to turn off the Olympics and get on with real life...
          July 31st, 2008
          July 31st, 2008

          My First Computer

          click to view detail
          Heathkit H89 Computer
          I just found a photo online of my very first computer (now I feel old) it was called the Heathkit H89 (kit because you build it yourself) and was given to us by a friend of my father who built it.
          July 29th, 2008
          July 29th, 2008

          Street Level Maps Ready

          click to view detail
          Sample Street Map
          After a little over a week of work I finally have the entire Sunshine Coast road network mapped out, including ferry routes and some of the major routes to get here.
          July 17th, 2008
          July 17th, 2008

          Fun With Street Maps

          click to view detail
          Sechelt Street Map Example
          Now that the new mapping interface is running well, it seems many of my customers want street level data - only problem is that that data is very expensive (roughly $25,000.00 per year!!!) so I needed to find an alternative...
          July 12th, 2008
          July 12th, 2008

          Log of the Pacific Grace (2007-2008)

          click to view detail
          Throughout the voyage of the Pacific Grace 2007-2008 during the "Pacific Odyssey" offshore voyage Bonice Anderson kept a meticulous log of what transpired. A bound copy was presented to her upon their return. You can download a copy of it here.
          July 11th, 2008
          July 11th, 2008

          Power Failures, Wind Storms, and Forest Fires

          click to view detail
          East Porpoise Bay Forest Fire
          Some days are mundane, yesterday was anything but. It started in the morning with an unseasonable wind storm - gusting about 40kn plus all morning. Then, for obvious reasons the power flickered off rendering my work day basically over. On going outside to find something "powerless" to do, I first sighted the water bombers descending over Sechelt...
          Tags: storm wind forest fire ...
          July 9th, 2008
          July 9th, 2008

          New Tracking Map Interface

          click to view detail
          Sample recent vessel positions map
          I have mentioned this quite some time ago - but itīs finally online and running for the 2008 summer SALTS trips. New and Improved interface for vessel tracking that uses an advanced open-source mapping engine along with custom chart data for coastlines around the world.
          June 23rd, 2008
          June 23rd, 2008

          R.I.P. Mr. Carlin

          click to view detail
          George Carlin
          One of my favorite comedians has passed away. While he is well known for his sometimes unpredictable performances and for pushing boundaries - my favorite aspect of his humour was always his intelligent look at English grammar and the idiosyncrasies of our society.

          Older Items...

          2008
          2007

          2006

          2005

          RSS feed Feed Description
          Subscribe to the complete The Bosunīs Mate News RSS news feedAll News RSS feed Complete RSS feed
          Subscribe to the The Bosunīs Mate News RSS news feed for this category onlyBosunīs Log RSS feed for: Bosunīs Log
          A Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed is an xml data file that provides a summary of the information contained here. It is not designed to be viewed in your browser, but instead by rss reader software. If you do not know what this means - you can safely ignore it, as it is provided for advanced users with rss reader software only.

          wooden boats
          Copyright © 1987-2024 The Bosun's Mate