Burning wind turbine caught on camera
Well here’s what would seem to be a highly unusual incident that greeted the good folk of Scorby Sands off the coast of Norfolk , UK one morning recently. The photograph was captured by a local resident. The accompanying video was graphic as the fire burned out of control.
The turbine fire in the nearshore wind farm at Scorby Sands spread smoke along the English coastline. The operator of the wind farm, Germany’s RWE, reported no one was injured, but operations were suspended for a period. The Coast Guard said there was an evacuation of personnel in the wind farm as a precaution but that no one was working on the particular tower when the fire began.
65 year old Mark Fuhrmann paddles his way into the record books
Mark Fuhrmann is clearly made of tough stuff. I am even more impressed given his age (which matches mine) and I know full well I could never achieve such a feat of endurance! After 268 days in his kayak, 1,643 hours of paddling and a journey of almost 11,000km, 65 year old Mark Fuhrmann has completed his epic “Reverse the Bad” charity expedition across Canada and the United States; and in doing so, he becomes the first person to solo kayak the ‘Greater Loop’ circuit, beginning (and ending) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and traversing the Great Lakes, the Illinois, the Mississippi, the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, before hitting the Gulf of Mexico and heading up the Atlantic Coast.
A smiling, but understandably exhausted Fuhrmann, stepped out of his kayak for one last time greeting well-wishers with the memorable line “can I get a beer please?” As it happened, it seems he got more than one!
“It’s been a hell of a trip,” he exclaimed, “but worth every minute of exertion, discomfort, and pain. Not only to raise money and awareness, but also to have such a genuine experience; one where I feel I’ve really connected with nature, people, and something deep within myself.”
I add my heartfelt congratulations to Mark on his amazing achievement.
Historic tug Lyttleton in need of help
Those who follow my scribblings will know I have a soft spot for old, iconic vessels from yesteryear and here is another fine example in need of serious assistance to keep her on the water.
The historic tug Lyttelton, built by Ferguson Bros, Port Glasgow, was working in her namesake port nearly four years before the Titanic was launched, and she is still going strong. One of Christchurch’s iconic landmarks, she is used for summer afternoon cruises operated by the Tug Lyttelton Preservation Society. However, necessary work means the coal-fired veteran will not be out of the harbour.
The operators say: “Our boiler tubes need to be replaced before we can sail again. This means we will not be sailing in 2023-24. The last time our 240 tubes were replaced was in the early 1980s, and of course, prices have gone up a little since then.
“The replacement of the tubes, along with installing an electric pre-heater, which will not only reduce coal use and carbon emissions, but it will also lower the workload on our sailing team and help extend the life of the boiler itself, will cost around $300,000.”
Invisible superyacht concept by designer Jozeph Forakis
Pegasus was presented earlier in the year by Jozeph Forakis as the world’s first 3D-printed superyacht. Conceived as a zero-emission design, the 88 metre concept yacht has been dubbed “virtually invisible” in both its profile and environmental impact. Mirrored glass and a tiered superstructure allow the vessel to blend in with the surrounding landscape, while the interior centers around a multi-level “Tree of Life” hydroponic garden, designed to provide guests with fresh food and air purification.
Sounds amazing – and who would have thought one could 3D-print a superyacht; but I am personally just not convinced of the aesthetics – just my opinion. If I had so much money to burn on a superyacht, I think I’d want it to be highly visible to everyone!
Flower the wonder narrowboat towing horse
Let me introduce you to a horse named Flower, an eight-year-old mare. Recently, the Shropshire Union Main Line near Norbury saw a Shropshire Union fly-boat hauled by a horse, perhaps the first time that’s been seen on that stretch of water for 100 years. This rare and wonderful sight is the well-known boat Saturn, which Flower hauled effortlessly.
David Ray of Norbury Wharf Ltd said: “Flower did really well. She is usually ridden by my daughter, Elizabeth, and we use her to pull a cart, but this is the first time we have used her to pull a narrowboat. We are all really pleased with how it went, and we hope to be able to do more.”
Sometimes turning the clock back to a bygone era is rather appealing and reminds us of how things used to be.
Florida man arrested after fourth attempt at “Hamster Wheel” voyage ends in failure
Over recent times I have brought you some crazy and weird stories, but I have to say this one is right up there, and having read it, I am staggered by its absurdity. Do read on.
Once again, the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted and detained a former professional athlete for an ill-advised fourth attempt to cross the Atlantic in a drum-like paddle wheel device of his own design.
Reza Baluchi was making another attempt to make a human-powered ocean voyage with an improvised craft. His vessel was a human-powered cylinder, which has been compared to a hamster wheel.
Baluchi’s previous attempts have not fared well either. After this incident, the Coast Guard warned him that he would have to conduct any future voyages in this device with a support vessel alongside, or not at all. Baluchi has repeatedly breached that order.
The latest attempt ended shortly after it began. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted Baluchi about 70 miles off Tybee Island. This time, Baluchi told officers that he was on his way to London, and he resisted a boarding. Baluchi allegedly told the Coast Guard that he would take his own life if anyone tried to detain him. He later upgraded that threat by claiming there was a bomb on board, and that he would detonate it to prevent arrest. After a two-day standoff, Baluchi admitted that there was no bomb onboard. One day later, he was in Coast Guard custody. Baluchi has been charged with obstructing a boarding and violating a captain of the port order. “Based on the condition of the vessel, which was afloat as a result of wiring and buoys, USCG officers determined Baluchi was conducting a manifestly unsafe voyage,” the arresting officer said in a charging document.
Frankly, I have few words to add to this bizarre story.
One of the world’s weirdest vessels has been scrapped
I read recently that the end was nigh for one of the world’s strangest looking vessels, which has now been scrapped. The vessel, known simply as FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform), was a unique oceanographic research tool that exemplified the ingenuity of scientists and engineers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, which operated the vessel. Launched in 1962, the unique vessel was designed to “flip” from a horizontal to a vertical position by filling its ballast tanks with water, allowing the 355-foot vessel to remain nearly motionless in ocean swells. It was this characteristic that made it such a valuable tool for science exploration.
“It was like being on land except in the middle of the ocean. It was just glorious,” remembered Scripps oceanographer John Hildebrand, who used the platform’s stability and relative silence to study marine mammal sounds. “There were things you could do with it that you couldn’t do any other way.”
Although the unique vessel has been towed off for the last time, a piece of it remains at Scripps. The institution has arranged for one of FLIP’s booms to be removed and mounted onto a pier, where it will continue to be used to deploy instruments into the water. That’s a nice, nostalgic touch. Farewell, old friend.
Another day another dollar as the saying goes. Back next month.
Mike Schwarz
