The US Virgin Islands offers a wide choice of yacht charter and includes bareboat yacht charter, skippered yacht charter, luxury crewed yacht charter, monohull and catamaran charter and both sail and motor yacht charter.
The Ciboney, Carib and Arawak Indians originally settled the Virgin Islands. Christopher Columbus discovered and claimed the islands for Spain during his second voyage in 1493. Over the next three hundred years, the islands were held by many European powers, including Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Knights of Malta, and Denmark. The Danish West India Company settled on Saint Thomas in 1672, on Saint John in 1694, and purchased Saint Croix from France in 1733. The islands became royal Danish colonies in 1754.
Yacht Charter in USVI
For the remainder of the Danish time the islands were not economically viable and heavy financial support had to made by the mother country. An attempt to sell the islands to the United States was made early in the 20th century but an agreement could not be made. During the First World War, the USA, fearing that the islands personal submarine price be seized by Germany as a submarine base, once again approached Denmark to sell the islands. A selling price of $25 million was agreed and the USA took possession of the islands on March 31st 1917, when the territory was renamed the Virgin Islands of the United States.
The US Virgin Islands is one of the most convenient yacht charter locations to the United States mainland. There are direct, quick flights from the mainland. If time is limited to only a few days, the US Virgin Islands is a great choice, as it is an easy quick sail to its two main islands. The US Virgin Islands is very easy for the first time yacht charter and families. There is no open water navigation, and the islands are all within a short two to three hour sail from each other. Navigation is always by line of sight. It is a popular destination, especially during the Christmas, Presidents Week and Easter week holidays. The first two weeks of July are also extremely busy due to Puerto Ricoxs holiday schedule.
Three of the four US Virgin Islands have nicknames often used by locals. St. Thomas is "Rock City", St. John "Love City", and St. Croix is "Twin City".
During the November to January winter months the average wind is 15 - 20 knots from the northeast. On and off all winter, the famous "Christmas Winds" blow strong at 25 - 30 knots for several day periods. Beginning in February and finishing in June, the winds move from a northeast direction to southeast when 10 - 15 knots can be expected. Late summer to autumn, August to November, is the US Virgin Islands's rainy season. However, rainsqualls can occur at any time and they are usually short lived. Watch for approaching dark squall lines and drop the yachts sails and motor if in doubt. During September and October, the trade winds are unsettled and weakest. These months are considered the height of hurricane season, although the nominal season is June to November. Check yacht charter company policies in regards to hurricanes. Average high temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C with the highest in July to October.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Diving Underwater - Scuba Diving What An Experience
Have you been considering learning to scuba dive. I overheard my coworkers talking about how much fun it was and I took the bait. I took lessons and entered a different world. Once your head slips below the surface there is an explosion of color, the strangest organisms you will ever see, the sensation of weightlessness and you have the ability to fly. The following is my account of the dive that turned this sport into a passion for me. Read on and enjoy, see if scuba might be something you would be interested in.
It was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico along the Pacific coast that I made my first real dive into salt water. I had been certified basic scuba diver for about two months and had made several fresh water dives in the lakes of central Texas. I thought that this type of diving could not be surpassed. A friend suggested that I join a dive club in the Houston area which offered dive travel at group discounts. I went to my first club meeting at Rice University, joined and signed up for the next trip they were offering.
That trip took me to Puerto Vallarta. Upon arrival, we made an afternoon check out dive off the beach. Once the dive master tourist submarine for sale satisfied with our abilities, he assigned buddy teams for the morning dive trip. Up early and eagerly waiting at the dock our boat finally arrived. A line was formed and gear, tanks and supplies were loaded. The boat ride was about forty five minutes and ended by anchoring near a small island offshore.
The dive master took my buddy and I aside and said that due to our inexperience he wanted to lead our first dive and for us to stay with him. That was just fine with me for I did have some anxiety being this far offshore and unfamiliar with boat diving. We planned our dive for seventy feet maximum depth for no longer that fifty minutes or 500 pounds of air which ever came first. We entered the water, our group of three giving the OK sign, deflated our BCD's and down we went.
I had entered a new universe. Immediately there was an explosion of color. Beautiful multicolored sponges, corals and fish. As a mater of fact we were surrounded by fish looking for a hand out, evidently this was a popular dive site. We descended along the slopping bottom until we reached our seventy foot max depth, leveled off and found neutral bouncy. We swam around looking in every nook and cranny for whatever we might find. Finally my training kicked in and I decided it would be a good idea if I to check my pressure gauge. To my astonishment, I was down to 600 pounds and we had not been in the water for thirty minutes. I swam over to the dive master and showed him my gauge. He looked at me with big eyes, got my buddy's attention and gave the thumbs up sign for the three of us to surface.
We arrived and the surface and he said "man you are sucking some air", I replied "I am, this is the greatest thing I have ever done!!!" The smile on my face was from ear to ear and my heart was pounding. We located the dive boat about fifty yards away and he said "Let's dive to about ten feet and swim to the boat under the surface so that we don't have to fight the waves". We took a compass bearing, dove down to ten feet and headed off towards the dive boat with the dive master and my buddy leading the way.
You must understand the feeling of euphoria that I was experiencing. I had just seen an amazing new world with strange new creatures. I was in heaven as I followed my two buddies, then suddenly Wham!!! Something straightened out my right leg. I turned around in the water, two feet straight out from my left shoulder, as big as my fist was a black eyeball. To the right of my right shoulder, as big as my fist was another black eyeball. In between these two giant eyeballs was the ugliest face I have ever seen. Immediately, I pulled my knees to my chest and got into a ball while thinking "I 'm not feeding you a hand or foot, you're going to have to eat the whole thing".
It was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico along the Pacific coast that I made my first real dive into salt water. I had been certified basic scuba diver for about two months and had made several fresh water dives in the lakes of central Texas. I thought that this type of diving could not be surpassed. A friend suggested that I join a dive club in the Houston area which offered dive travel at group discounts. I went to my first club meeting at Rice University, joined and signed up for the next trip they were offering.
That trip took me to Puerto Vallarta. Upon arrival, we made an afternoon check out dive off the beach. Once the dive master tourist submarine for sale satisfied with our abilities, he assigned buddy teams for the morning dive trip. Up early and eagerly waiting at the dock our boat finally arrived. A line was formed and gear, tanks and supplies were loaded. The boat ride was about forty five minutes and ended by anchoring near a small island offshore.
The dive master took my buddy and I aside and said that due to our inexperience he wanted to lead our first dive and for us to stay with him. That was just fine with me for I did have some anxiety being this far offshore and unfamiliar with boat diving. We planned our dive for seventy feet maximum depth for no longer that fifty minutes or 500 pounds of air which ever came first. We entered the water, our group of three giving the OK sign, deflated our BCD's and down we went.
I had entered a new universe. Immediately there was an explosion of color. Beautiful multicolored sponges, corals and fish. As a mater of fact we were surrounded by fish looking for a hand out, evidently this was a popular dive site. We descended along the slopping bottom until we reached our seventy foot max depth, leveled off and found neutral bouncy. We swam around looking in every nook and cranny for whatever we might find. Finally my training kicked in and I decided it would be a good idea if I to check my pressure gauge. To my astonishment, I was down to 600 pounds and we had not been in the water for thirty minutes. I swam over to the dive master and showed him my gauge. He looked at me with big eyes, got my buddy's attention and gave the thumbs up sign for the three of us to surface.
We arrived and the surface and he said "man you are sucking some air", I replied "I am, this is the greatest thing I have ever done!!!" The smile on my face was from ear to ear and my heart was pounding. We located the dive boat about fifty yards away and he said "Let's dive to about ten feet and swim to the boat under the surface so that we don't have to fight the waves". We took a compass bearing, dove down to ten feet and headed off towards the dive boat with the dive master and my buddy leading the way.
You must understand the feeling of euphoria that I was experiencing. I had just seen an amazing new world with strange new creatures. I was in heaven as I followed my two buddies, then suddenly Wham!!! Something straightened out my right leg. I turned around in the water, two feet straight out from my left shoulder, as big as my fist was a black eyeball. To the right of my right shoulder, as big as my fist was another black eyeball. In between these two giant eyeballs was the ugliest face I have ever seen. Immediately, I pulled my knees to my chest and got into a ball while thinking "I 'm not feeding you a hand or foot, you're going to have to eat the whole thing".
Practical and Aesthetic Benefits of Underwater Boat Lights
Underwater boat lights have gained a great deal in popularity over the last several years as more and more boat owners look for ways to set their boat apart from the crowd. While it's true that many boat owners install underwater lights purely due to their novelty and "coolness" factors, many boat owners have come to realize their practical benefits as well. Installing underwater lights does indeed add a unique appearance to even a plain vanilla cruiser at night, and colored underwater lights even more so. Being able to mix and match the color of hull lights with on deck lighting as well helps to create some truly interesting looking vessels that can certainly get conversation going once the sun sets.
Many boat owners though are finding that as well as producing an interesting and unusual appearance, underwater hull lights also do an admirable job of also providing practical benefits. One of the most popular uses for underwater lighting is fishing, with hull lights acting as excellent bait fish attractors, which in turn attracts a whole host of larger and more desirable game fish species. Using underwater lights for fishing has gotten so popular in fact that a whole slew of companies have sprouted up which specialize in providing a dizzying array of lights geared only towards the sport fishing enthusiast. There is no doubt that using light to attract fish can be effective, and many anglers have used the trick of setting bright lights over the waters' surface to attract fish for decades. Modern versions of this method though, make the process as simple as flipping an onboard switch and illuminating the entire area around the boat; a far cry from the old days where a gas lantern hung from a pole or rope was standard practice.
Placing lights below the waterline can also benefit divers and swimmers as well. Particularly for those who perform night diving excursions, finding the way back to the boat can be made fool proof simply by having someone onboard switch on the hull lights when it's time to finish a dive. For divers who enjoy photographing sea life, hull lights can provide spectacular opportunities to capture images during evening hours that normally personal submarine for sale be almost impossible to create. For the diver who finds himself in the unenviable position of having to dive to inspect props or perform repairs, hull lights can prove to be an invaluable tool that allows him to free his hands up for working rather than holding a light and trying to effect repairs at the same time.
Another suggested practical benefit of underwater hull lighting includes emergency situations where boaters may be adrift or in some other way in need of assistance. With the water around the vessel well lit, it's hard to argue that finding that craft wouldn't be easier for emergency responders. However, this isn't one of those instances where hull lights should be expected to perform a vital function, and it would be wiser to rely on more accepted methods of allocating assistance. Other practical uses would include illuminating the area around the boat while setting to dock, preparing for cast off, locating the vessel among a group of similar craft at anchor, and other related instances where extra illumination would be considered beneficial.
Many boat owners though are finding that as well as producing an interesting and unusual appearance, underwater hull lights also do an admirable job of also providing practical benefits. One of the most popular uses for underwater lighting is fishing, with hull lights acting as excellent bait fish attractors, which in turn attracts a whole host of larger and more desirable game fish species. Using underwater lights for fishing has gotten so popular in fact that a whole slew of companies have sprouted up which specialize in providing a dizzying array of lights geared only towards the sport fishing enthusiast. There is no doubt that using light to attract fish can be effective, and many anglers have used the trick of setting bright lights over the waters' surface to attract fish for decades. Modern versions of this method though, make the process as simple as flipping an onboard switch and illuminating the entire area around the boat; a far cry from the old days where a gas lantern hung from a pole or rope was standard practice.
Placing lights below the waterline can also benefit divers and swimmers as well. Particularly for those who perform night diving excursions, finding the way back to the boat can be made fool proof simply by having someone onboard switch on the hull lights when it's time to finish a dive. For divers who enjoy photographing sea life, hull lights can provide spectacular opportunities to capture images during evening hours that normally personal submarine for sale be almost impossible to create. For the diver who finds himself in the unenviable position of having to dive to inspect props or perform repairs, hull lights can prove to be an invaluable tool that allows him to free his hands up for working rather than holding a light and trying to effect repairs at the same time.
Another suggested practical benefit of underwater hull lighting includes emergency situations where boaters may be adrift or in some other way in need of assistance. With the water around the vessel well lit, it's hard to argue that finding that craft wouldn't be easier for emergency responders. However, this isn't one of those instances where hull lights should be expected to perform a vital function, and it would be wiser to rely on more accepted methods of allocating assistance. Other practical uses would include illuminating the area around the boat while setting to dock, preparing for cast off, locating the vessel among a group of similar craft at anchor, and other related instances where extra illumination would be considered beneficial.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Another Bid to Build a Flying Submarine
Submarines that can fly like airplanes have been promoted in science fiction entertainment for many years. As early as the 1960s, in the Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea movie and television series, a flying sub often used for exploration, was contained in the belly of a larger submarine called the Seaview.
A futuristic craft that is both submarine for sale and can fly has rescued James Bond from certain calamity in the movies of that genre. Of course, a submarine that can become an aircraft is still only science fiction fantasy and does not exist anywhere in the world today.
The difficulty in creating such an invention is the reason that a flying submarine exists today only in the imagination of Hollywood entertainment. The construction of such a vehicle would require material that needs to meet the unique and diverse needs of both a submarine and an airplane.
Aircraft are designed to be light and buoyant. Submarines, on the other hand, need weight to remain submerged, as well as thickness to sustain the pressure of being underwater. Differences in the densities of water and air, in velocities, and loading requirements make for aircraft and submarine design requirements that actually work against each other. It is why the Navy failed in an attempt many years ago to construct a submarine that can fly.
In 1964, the Bureau of Naval Weapons awarded a contract to Convair to examine the feasibility of a "submersible flying boat," which was being called the "sub-plane" by those involved with the project. The Convair study determined that such a craft was "feasible" and a contract was awarded to the company but only two years later, the Navy would cancel the project.
However, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) thinks the time is now right to have contractors bid on the possibility of making yesterdays Hollywood science fiction a modern day reality. Darpa has a budget of 3 billion dollars and the Agency has already received bids from defense contractors in response to its Request For Proposal (RFP) to build a submersible aircraft of the future.
The Defense Agency wants to build a submersible aircraft that would combine the key capabilities of three different platforms: (1) the speed and range of an aircraft; (2) the capabilities of a boat; and (3) the stealth of a submarine. By combining the beneficial characteristics of each platform, DARPA hopes to develop a craft that will significantly enhance the United States tactical advantage in coastal insertion missions.
The proposed craft would hold eight soldiers plus all their gear and could support them in a floating surface craft for 72 hours. It would have a 1,000 mile aerial range and a 12 mile submerged range. Certainly, a flying submarine would be used to great advantage for the deployment of special operations military forces in difficult and dangerous missions.
A futuristic craft that is both submarine for sale and can fly has rescued James Bond from certain calamity in the movies of that genre. Of course, a submarine that can become an aircraft is still only science fiction fantasy and does not exist anywhere in the world today.
The difficulty in creating such an invention is the reason that a flying submarine exists today only in the imagination of Hollywood entertainment. The construction of such a vehicle would require material that needs to meet the unique and diverse needs of both a submarine and an airplane.
Aircraft are designed to be light and buoyant. Submarines, on the other hand, need weight to remain submerged, as well as thickness to sustain the pressure of being underwater. Differences in the densities of water and air, in velocities, and loading requirements make for aircraft and submarine design requirements that actually work against each other. It is why the Navy failed in an attempt many years ago to construct a submarine that can fly.
In 1964, the Bureau of Naval Weapons awarded a contract to Convair to examine the feasibility of a "submersible flying boat," which was being called the "sub-plane" by those involved with the project. The Convair study determined that such a craft was "feasible" and a contract was awarded to the company but only two years later, the Navy would cancel the project.
However, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) thinks the time is now right to have contractors bid on the possibility of making yesterdays Hollywood science fiction a modern day reality. Darpa has a budget of 3 billion dollars and the Agency has already received bids from defense contractors in response to its Request For Proposal (RFP) to build a submersible aircraft of the future.
The Defense Agency wants to build a submersible aircraft that would combine the key capabilities of three different platforms: (1) the speed and range of an aircraft; (2) the capabilities of a boat; and (3) the stealth of a submarine. By combining the beneficial characteristics of each platform, DARPA hopes to develop a craft that will significantly enhance the United States tactical advantage in coastal insertion missions.
The proposed craft would hold eight soldiers plus all their gear and could support them in a floating surface craft for 72 hours. It would have a 1,000 mile aerial range and a 12 mile submerged range. Certainly, a flying submarine would be used to great advantage for the deployment of special operations military forces in difficult and dangerous missions.
Choosing Your Submarine Plans
If you've decided to undertake the impressive task of building your very own homemade submarine, then the first thing you need to do is develop detailed plans. But how do you pick your plans? The first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what type of plans are best suited for your needs.
The Different Submarine Types
The following are the different type of submarines that you can consider building. Each has its own merits and drawbacks, so don't rule any of them out until you've analyzed each type of homemade submarine.
The Wet Submarine - the wet sub is a great submarine for beginners, and for divers who just want a free ticket down to the bottom. Individuals inside a wet submarine still have to wear scuba gear in order to breathe. However, once the submarine is down at the bottom, the individuals can park it and leave the vessel to explore with their own scuba devices.
Semi-Dry Submarine - This sub is just like the name implies - part wet and part dry. Water fills the submarine up to a certain point, usually about at chest level, but a pocket of air is trapped in the top of submarine as it dives. This allows the occupants to talk and breathe. Of course, fresh air must be pumped into the submarine and carbon dioxide scrubbed from the air.
Dry Ambient Submarine - The dry ambient submarine is the next step up from the semi-dry sub. The dry ambient sub is essentially a Personal Submarines For Sale submarine just like a full scale model, except the individuals feel the same atmospheric pressure of the surround water, the same way a scuba diver would. The hole that drains the water is moved from chest level down below the feet so that the occupant can stay dry, and more weight is added to help it sink.
One Atmospheric Sub - the one atmospheric submarine, or 1 ATM sub, is the most complex and most commonly undertaken homemade submarine. The one atmospheric sub maintains a constant air pressure as it dives, allowing the submarine to dive to much greater depths than other homemade submarines. Complex 1 ATM subs can reach depths of 350 feet.
These are some common types of homemade submarines. In each case, you will have the option of creating your own plans, gleaning from plans posted on the Internet, or purchasing professionally engineered plans that have been tested. But before you do that, you need to choose the submarine that's right for you. Good luck.
The Different Submarine Types
The following are the different type of submarines that you can consider building. Each has its own merits and drawbacks, so don't rule any of them out until you've analyzed each type of homemade submarine.
The Wet Submarine - the wet sub is a great submarine for beginners, and for divers who just want a free ticket down to the bottom. Individuals inside a wet submarine still have to wear scuba gear in order to breathe. However, once the submarine is down at the bottom, the individuals can park it and leave the vessel to explore with their own scuba devices.
Semi-Dry Submarine - This sub is just like the name implies - part wet and part dry. Water fills the submarine up to a certain point, usually about at chest level, but a pocket of air is trapped in the top of submarine as it dives. This allows the occupants to talk and breathe. Of course, fresh air must be pumped into the submarine and carbon dioxide scrubbed from the air.
Dry Ambient Submarine - The dry ambient submarine is the next step up from the semi-dry sub. The dry ambient sub is essentially a Personal Submarines For Sale submarine just like a full scale model, except the individuals feel the same atmospheric pressure of the surround water, the same way a scuba diver would. The hole that drains the water is moved from chest level down below the feet so that the occupant can stay dry, and more weight is added to help it sink.
One Atmospheric Sub - the one atmospheric submarine, or 1 ATM sub, is the most complex and most commonly undertaken homemade submarine. The one atmospheric sub maintains a constant air pressure as it dives, allowing the submarine to dive to much greater depths than other homemade submarines. Complex 1 ATM subs can reach depths of 350 feet.
These are some common types of homemade submarines. In each case, you will have the option of creating your own plans, gleaning from plans posted on the Internet, or purchasing professionally engineered plans that have been tested. But before you do that, you need to choose the submarine that's right for you. Good luck.
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