No sailing yesterday

I tried to sail again yesterday. The idea was to reach the sims in the far South of the USS, south of Sailors Cove, but I crashed almost immediately. There is quite a dangerous point, just out of the gate of the Hollywood sim at the intersection of four sims. Intersections are always dangerous and should be avoided but that one is particulrly dangerous. It must be the 3rd/4th time I get caught there.

I was stacked right at the intersection and I kept crashing every time I tried to TP away. Eventually I logged in at home instead of at the last location and I was able to get myself free.

In the meanwhile I got an IM that my flying fizz had been found in the Blake Sea - Windlass sim, many many sims away from the crashing point. I tp'ed there to recover the boat and found myself in a quite gorgeous tropical island.



After thanking the avie that contacted me and chatting a bit, I decided I liked the landscape there and since there were beach beds and torpical fruit drinks available I decided to relax there a bit




Aianna joined me there for a while and we had some fun when a funny owl avie piloting a cute submarine came manouvering. It really looked like he was trying to make us admire his ship and behaved more like a peacock than a owl :))

My SL evening ended with a highly emotional event where lady Aletheia Jacobus read some of her beutiful poems. Listening to Lady Aletheia is a powerful and fantastic experience: her poetry is beautiful and her reading skills are among the best I have listened to.





Have a happy friday and a good weekend

W

third day of sailing

For the third day in a row I spent my SL evening getting acquantied with the new sailing area. This time Princess kept me company aboard the Star of Faeria.



We left the beautiful Sailors Cove, where I had landed the night before, and headed north toward the portion of Blake Sea going between the Sailing Sims. We turned east and sailed on the border between the Blake Sea and the sims around Hollywood.



We header in the direction of the Nantucket Yacht Club, which is a a really lovely area and provides a great view, not without facing a nasty crash on out way. Fortunately in the USS it is possible to rezz almost anywhere so it was easy to restart from where we crashed. (not so in the Blake Sea. One need a map or rezzing areas)



After boarding the NYC we headed straight south (I'd like the wind to be a bit more stable in the Blake sea. There is a lot of difference between the wind in it and in the USS) and we boarded the coast of Nautilus until Nautilus City. We ended out trip in the canal going straight into the heart of Nautilus City. There are some spectacular buildings in that area.



Before starting the trip, I spent some time looking at the much improved SL map on the slurl.com site looking for a route from the Nautilus area to the Corsica continent. I do not think it is possible: all the potential passages look blocked, but I may still have a close look. I think a NE route offers the best opportunities. I'll keep you informed :)

Fair Winds

W

more images from the Blake Sea and the USS

Yesterday I took a new cruise into the Blake Sea, this time using the Morning Star, and taking the ship into the USS as well. Lord Lisle was briefly with me, before his pilot nature took over and he decided to fly in the area, and after him Aurora joined me and kept me company. We went by the Hollywood sim, where I showed Aurora the famous statue of the drowned thas she did not know and after that we headed south to Sailors Cove.



It is a bit strange to find Sailors Cove in the SE portion of the region while it used to be in the northwestern part, but I guess this is Second Life :) An institute of dynamic geography is needed :)

I love Sailors Cove. It is such a lovely place and I like it more and more every time I visit. I am very tempted to rent a docking place there for one of the small boats. The Star of Faeria maybe.



Maybe tonight I'll take there one of the small fast boats. The Little Star would be fun !

Fair Winds

W

Exploring the Blake Sea

Yesterday evening, looking at report and announcements about the opening of the Blake Sea, following the moving of the USS I took the Battlestar on the eastern edge of Nautilus City (where it is possible to rezz) and I headed to the new waters.



I have mixed feelings about this operation. It is surely a wonderful opportunity for all those who love maritime activities in SL and expecially sailing. And in the past weeks I have been so attracted by the idea that I have started to look at the prices of small seaside plots to be able to have a base near this wonderful area (don't! they are simply outrageous, in the order of 100k for a 512 plot). And I still playing with the idea to rent at least a docking space somewhere in the USS for one of the small boats.



But these same thoughts have also made me think of the great unbalance this operation has brought into SL. It is very clear that the lands aroung the Blake Sea, both the mainland in the larger Nautilus continent, and the private estate of the USS are more equal than the others. There is no match between a seaside parcel in the original mainland or in the Southern Continent and one close to the Blake Sea. And no other estate will ever be able to offer access the same amount of world that the USS have now. I love Beek Haven for instance, and the Sea of Antiquity, and I used to sail a lot in the water of the elven lands. But there is no match honestly. They are still great for roleplaying but they have become very small for fun sailing. This new situation will be (and already is) reflected in the value of the properties and of the commercial spaces located in the different areas.



Aside from this consideration, that I think are worth keeping in mind when looking at the way SL will be evolving in the coming months, the area is surely a lot of fun for all those that love sailing in SL. I did not even get into the USS, just a quick round trip to the eastern edge and back, and it took about one hour. I met many people with boats of all classes, and the Battlestar was a lot successful, with some people coming onboard for a visit :)

I even saw several planes flying over the area, and at one moment I crossed this beautiful airship.



I did not take a great care in taking pictures. The evening were crowded in SL and the lag was bad enough, so objects were rezzing slowly but I was many spots worth another visit and a better photo coverage :)

until the next visit ...

W

sailracing

This is a "live" post: I am attending a sail race (as a spectator) in the Zinneman sim of the United Sailing Sims.
These boats are SOOOO fast ! The wind fills the spinnaker and pushes them faster and faster ! Just being here and watching is great fun!



I can't image the fun being in the race ! :))



have fun with a sail race !

W

the sailing paradise

I had read about it several times but I had never actually been there, except for a couple of TPs here and there. It is an area of over 125 sims all intended to enjoy the sailing experience.



The region is called United Sailing Sims and it is made by several regions that have connected over time, like Sailors' Cove that connected at the beginning of the summer.
It is a fantastic area: open waters, islands, beaches, yacht clubs, race courses, different styles in the different regions. Everybody who likes marine landscapes is going to love it.



I left with Mykyl from Isla de Jacqinda, the headquarter of Trudeau Classic Sailing Yachts, after having rezzed my Morning Star (a Trudeau Tradewind), and I headed north-west through newest canal opened there and in the direction of the beautiful Sailors Cove area.



The pictures show the the beauty of the region. Different regions have different styles. Somewhere the feeling is tropical. In other places it reminds more of a New England scenery. There is a great feeling of freedom: even with the Draw Distance set at the maximum one can see unlimited water all around.



Mykyl and I enjoyed the cruise very much (by the way: she was wearing a lovely swimsuit patterned with stars that Aurora had created for her). Unfortunately she had to leave to RL too soon and we were forced to dock.



It was a beautiful trip: the region ensures hours and hours of fun. I still have to explore most of it, all the eastern and southern portions. By the way ... I have found out that sims that I know and I have visited in the past by TP'ing there, like Hollywood, or Nantucket are part of the region. I look forward to reach them by sea and to dock there!

Have fun with your own sailing

W