Monthly Archives: October 2012

Maiden Voyage

Posted on 2012-10-26 by TJ

Getting “Gulf Winds” from Point Roberts to False Creek at the end of October was not going to be particularly easy, and as it turned out I chose a day in which the weather was about as nasty as I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in life, sailing | 2 Comments

“As I see, I will, and as I will, I do”

Posted on 2012-10-20 by TJ

I’ve been on the West Coast for almost two months now, and my primary plan has come together nicely: I love it when a plan comes together. My plan was to buy a Gulf 32 with mostly original gear for … Continue reading →

Posted in life, sailing, technology | 4 Comments

Some notes on controller software

Posted on 2012-10-17 by TJ

Thesis: the PID controller is a hack. Argument: PID controllers are the bread-and-butter of robotics, and they are a reasonable starting point for any control problem. They work reasonably well for a wide range of problems, they are simple to … Continue reading →

Posted in mechanics, software, technology | Leave a comment

Some notes on fiberglass blisters

Posted on 2012-10-14 by TJ

I’ve been reading a lot about the “boat pox” that many fiberglass hulls suffer from. There is no shortage of ideas as to what causes this issue, but very little in the way of science, which is publicly testing ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in sailing, science | Leave a comment