This is the sixth in a series of videos describing the roles of crew members aboard the BMW ORACLE America’s Cup Racing Yacht. In this episode, we learn about the “work horses” of the crew: the grinders. It’s like working out on a gigantic exercise machine for 10 hours a day. Physically demanding, the grinders work in pairs, using a variety of winches to shape the sails in coordination with the trimmers. Sailing upwind, the loads are huge: about 4 tons on the headsail sheet and 5 to 6 tons on the mainsheet. During the pre-starts and tacking duels, the grinders work like demons to keep up with rapidly changing sail settings. “You need to remember to breathe,” says veteran grinder Graig Monk. “If you keep your breathing rhythm right, you recover quicker.” You can view the entire 22-minute BMW ORACLE Racing Crew video on Sail.TV. For updates and coverage of the 32nd America’s Cup from Valencia, Spain, tune into Sail.TV. Be sure to subscribe to this free video podcast series and our other sailing podcasts at TheSailingChannel.TV.

Solar “Loon” goes Cruising
The Loon (2005), the world’s first commercially available solar-powered recreational boat, developed Monte Gisborne, is finally going mainstream. With two new partners, the Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Co. is building a redesigned Loon and a larger houseboat in a new manufacturing facility near Kirkfield Ontario. The first 6.7 metre (22 ft.) Loon should be ready by summer. The company is also looking at tourism and ferry boat markets in several countries.In 2005, the Gisbornes took a solar-powered family boating vacation on the Trent Severn Waterway “without burning a single drop of oil.” Travelling 40 kilometres each day, they used 50 cents worth of electricity, easily supplied by the sun. (A similar trip by cruiser could cost hundreds of dollars.) In 2006, the Loon made a similar cruise on the Rideau Waterway. The Loon’s six solar panels produce 720 watts of power, 800 watts with a supercharger and carries eight, six-volt batteries. The batteries are charged from the sun or by “plug-ins”.Gisborne’s first electric car, the ElectriFly, has competed at the American Tour de Sol five times, winning once. (theStar.com | Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Co.) [ boatinginCanada.com | boating in Canada News & Archives ]

VirtualSailboatShow: CapeHorn Self-Steering
TSC interviews CapeHorn’s Eric G linas at the 2005 US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD. Eric gives TSCC a firsthand look at this unique self-steerer designed by his famous uncle, Yves G linas, for his record-breaking 1983 circumnavigation aboard an Alberg 30 sloop. The CapeHorn places the self-steering quadrant inboard and enables its servo-pendulum to be controlled by a small autopilot if the wind completely dies. Be sure to subscribe to this free video podcast series and our other podcasts for cruising sailors at TheSailingChannel.Com. We are surveying our podcast viewers to learn more about you and the sailing content you want. If you could give us a few minutes of your valuable time, we would greatly appreciate it. Click here for the survey or visit www.TheSailingChannel.Com.

VirtualSailboatShow: Ice Blink Producer, Greg Roscoe
At the 2006, 37th Annual United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD, Greg Roscoe, producer of the sailing documentary, Ice Blink, is interviewed by TheSailingChannel’s President, Tory Salvia. Ice Blink is a remarkable documentary film about a conventional family of five, the Martins, living a very unconventional life afloat. In our exclusive interview with the film’s producer, Greg Roscoe, we learn how he followed the Martin story for many years, finally meeting them after they completed their arctic voyage and settled not far from Greg in Maine. For nearly twenty years, Dave and Jaja Martin cruised the world’s oceans, circumnavigating in a 25-foot boat while having their three children along the way. They are now living ashore following a four-year journey to Greenland, Iceland, and Norway in their 33-foot steel sloop, Driver. Greg tells us how he shaped the Martin’s digital video footage, added family archival photos, and shot new interviews with the couple and their children to create Ice Blink: A Family Navigating Life’s Ice-Clogged Waters. View TheSailingChannel’s Exclusive free Video Preview of Ice Blink. If you like this preview you’ll love the 56 minute documentary available on DVD. Ice Blink has been selected for airing on US National Public TV. Buy the Ice Blink DVD for $17.95 (plus $5 S&H for US buyers and $9.50 S&H for Int’l & Canadian buyers) and get a music video extra set to Jamie Cullum’s All at Sea from his Twentysomething album. US BUYERS: INT’L & CANADIAN BUYERS: Buy the companion book that inspired the documentary. Into the Light: A Family’s Epic Journey is full of humor and fun. Dave and Jaja Martin’s inspiring narrative delves into a family s choices and ultimate goals. Read the details of their sailing adventure to Iceland, Norway, Spitsbergen, the Faeroe Islands, and Scotland. $22.95 (plus $8 S&H for US buyers and $12 S&H for Int’l & Canadian buyers). US BUYERS: INT’L & CANADIAN BUYERS: Buy the DVD/Book combo and get the best deal for just $35.95 (plus $8 S&H for US buyers and $12 S&H for Int’l & Canadian buyers). US BUYERS: INT’L & CANADIAN BUYERS: You can also purchase Ice Blink on TheSailingChannel.tv web site at http://www.thesailingchannel.com/iceblink/index.html. Be sure to subscribe to this free video podcast series and our other podcasts for cruising sailors at TheSailingChannel.tv. And watch more sailing coverage from our partner, SailTV on TheSailingChannel.tv.

2001 Sea Ray – $5,990
Model: Sea RayYear: 2001Three to choose from:CF#: 3710LE 5,990CF#: 3686LE 3,000 (needs new motor)CF#: 3660LE 3,500 (needs new motor) CONTACT INFO:bmahan@houseboats.com…

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