text:
If you need Polymer Clay or Jewelry or even Clay in PA, look no further. www.hotfrog.com showcases more than 17 Polymer Clay businesses across PA. To find more related businesses and to filter by locality, use the left navigation menu.
Philadelphia, PA
Art studio featuring portraits, paintings, murals, polymer clay, and more
saegertown, pa
Bead Goodies: Lampwork Frit, Polymer Clay Canes, Lampwork beads
Williamsport, PA
Handcrafted polymer clay and precious metal clay bead jewelry using Sterling Silver and 14kt Goldfilled findings
Precious Metal Clay
wynnewood, pa
Polymer Clay (Fimo clay, Sculpey clay, Premo), polymer clay supplies, tools and projects
Malvern, PA
Learn how to create four new exciting jewelry designs using soldering, metalsmithing, stone setting, stamping, riveting, and more in this year's April issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist
Jewelry-makingArtist MagazineLapidary Suppliesrockhounding
Artist MagazineLapidary Suppliesrockhounding
Beaver, PA
The Interference Channel is a small online shop making custom wearables, recycled accessories, and other fun, odd inexpensive items you can't find anywhere else.
Pittsburgh, PA
custom stained glass, architectural stained glass, mixed media portrait masks, masks, mixed media art
Alley, PA
The Clay Alley * 75 Kinsey Drive * Gettysburg
Sculpting Supplies
Saegertown, PA
Shipping is FREE on all frit purchases (USA & Canada only). My shopping cart is not
Drexel Hill, PA
What we make, as well as information on custom pieces
Viva Decor is managed by Ingrid Pott and Andreas Franken Precious Metals Paints Viva Decor is always interested what our clients are doing with different product Marble Ink Viva Decor is always interested…
Scranton, PA
About us; Beads & Crystals is Northeast PA's Bead Store
Craft Storage
West Chester, PA
Albrightsville, PA
No results available
Small Business Hub
Sharing tips, ideas and advice to help grow your small business
Hotfrog AdVantage
Hotfrog AdVantage ads appear above the rest in Hotfrog feature pages. By upgrading today your ad will appear in front of potential customers before they notice your competitors.
Create your free Hotfrog business profile
Follow Hotfrog on:
Share on:
Hotfrog Small Business Hub


text:
Nov. 17, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Stanford women's cross-country team placed third in the NCAA Championships on Saturday to earn their highest national finish since winning the title in 2007.
Paced by sophomore Aisling Cuffe, Stanford's top four finished within 15 seconds of each other, from places 21st through 43, at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park.
The Cardinal men finished 16th. It was a difficult performance for a team that entered the meet with a No. 2 national ranking. Benjamin Johnson led Stanford with a 48th place finish.
In the 6,000-meter (3.7-mile) women's race, Iowa State's Betsy Saina outsprinted Oregon's Jordan Hasay down the stretch to win in 19:27.9. Though Hasay dropped to third, she led the Ducks to the team title, with 114 points, followed by Providence (183) and Stanford (198).
Stanford's Pac-12 champion Kathy Kroeger ran in the top 10 for much of the race, but was unable to hold the pace and dropped to 24th in 20:05.0, close behind Cuffe, who was 21st in 20:03.8. Hatton, a freshman, was right behind in 28th, in 20:06.2, and Jessica Tonn was 43rd in 20:18.8.
Stanford, ranked No. 4 going into the meet, was the only team to place its top four among the top 43.
Justine Fedronic, Stanford's 800-meter record-holder, emerged in the top seven late in the season and was a personal-best fifth on the team, finishing 150th in 21:05.5. Julia Foster was 161st (21:11.9) and Megan Lacywas 189th (21:27.5).
This was the first time Cuffe finished as Stanford's No. 1 runner since winning the season-opening USF Invitational in Golden Gate Park on Sept. 1 - a meet that Kroeger did not run.
In the 10,000-meter (6.2-mile) men's race, Arizona's Lawi Lalang, who outpointed Stanford's Chris Derrick to win last year's title in Terre Haute, Ind., lost for the first time in his collegiate career. The sophomore finished third, behind Texas Tech junior Kennedy Kithuka (28:31.3) and Arizona teammate Stephen Sambu (28:38.6).
Top-ranked Oklahoma State placed four runners among the top 24, and its entire top five among the top 53, to win with 72 points. Wisconsin was second with 135 and Pac-12 champion Colorado was third with 158.
Stanford, which scored 408 points, was led by two runners who had their high team finishes of the season. Johnson, a senior from Albuquerque, N.M., was Stanford's No. 1 for the first time this year. He ran 30:15.9.
Erik Olson, who hadn't finished higher than fifth on the team in any race this season, was Stanford's No. 2, finishing 87th in 30:37.3. Joe Rosa, normally Stanford's No. 1, was 112th (30:51.2). Next for the Cardinal were Tyler Stutzman (137th, 31:02.5), Miles Unterreiner (140th, 31:03.2), and Jim Rosa (166th, 31:16.7). Stanford's No. 7 runner did not finish.
Unterreiner, a track and field All-American competing in his final collegiate competition, boarded a plan immediately after the meet in an attempt to reach Seattle in time for his final interviews for a Rhodes Scholarship. Unterreiner, a Rhodes finalist, had his first round of interviews on Friday in Seattle before arriving in Louisville on Friday night.
The ability to participate in both the cross-country championships and Rhodes interviews was made possible by a private donor, who allowed use of a private aircraft so that Unterreiner could have the opportunity to take part in both.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For a long time (or at least as far back as the launch of One Direction's second line of dolls), we've often wondered what exactly a famous person would do with a doll molded in their likeness — "The Brandy Question," if you will. Do they play with them? Take them out on the town? Dress identically? Well, thanks to Britney Spears and Mario Lopez, here's a new idea: hold doll parties exclusively for people famous enough to have had mini-me's crafted in their likeness. #NoPeasantsAllowed
But seriously, the above photo was taken during the "Work Bitch" singer's appearance on "Extra" this past Wednesday, where she held a pretty party/ surrious interview with host Mario Lopez. After gabbing about Britney's sure-to-be-flawless "Britney: Piece Of Me" Vegas residency, Lopez reached into a bag and pulled out a "…Baby One More Time"-era Brit-Brit collectible along with an A.C. Slater doll from his "Saved By The Bell" days. Britney appropriately fangirled out and spilled that she love-love-LOVES "SBTB"! Awwww, #JustLikeUs
Honestly, the only thing missing from this precious moment is an accompanying soundtrack to go with it, preferably a "Saved By The Bell"-meets-"Work Bitch" mashup. Here, we'll get the ball rolling: "When you wake up in the morning/ And the laundry's out of order/ YA BETTA WORK, BITCH!"
Photo credit: Britney Spears' Instagram


text:
Recent Forum Posts
View More
Recent Comments
- 2 years ago iLove iPhone, iLove iMore, save me from BlackBerry, can't take this anyMore!
- 3 years ago Hey guys! Love the contests. If I get chosen, I'd appreciate an iPad Mini in Flat Black. Thanks! @HausOfRom
- 3 years ago I bought myself a 2012 13" MacBook Pro, non-retina...
- 3 years ago Thanks for all the contests!
- 3 years ago An Apple a day keeps the BlackBerry away. I'm in dire need of an Apple.
- 3 years ago Thank God they didn't use those prototypes as the final product. Especially that iPad.
- 3 years ago The thing I would like to see most in the iMore 2.0 update is a more mobile-friendly iMore, without ads (or at least not as...
- 3 years ago This is a great article, hopefully Apple would read it and draw inspiration from it! This certainly voices many people's...
- 4 years ago This app is perfect for me, thank you for posting it! I wouldn't have found out about it before. I'm currently doing...
- 4 years ago I'd make the world a better place.
- Member for
- 4 years 9 months


text:
Click here to view document of compiled annual reports in portable document format (PDF)
Faculty Building Advisory Committee
Committee Membership:
Abraham, Lawrence D. Professor, Curriculum and Instruction Armendariz, Efraim Professor, Mathematics Bose, Henry R. Professor, Biological Sciences Dison, Thomas W. (vice chair) Director, Recreational Sports Ezekoye, Ofodike A. Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Garrison, James D. Professor, English Gilbert, Jack (chair) Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry Haley, Brian Student Government Representative Knapp, Mark L. Professor, Communication Studies Leary, Daniel E. Associate Professor, Architecture Neikirk, Dean Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Schwartz, Jonathan Student Government Representative Todd, Janice S. Associate Professor, Kinesiology and Health Education
Administrative Advisers:
Clubb, Patricia L Vice President for Employee and Campus Services Rishling, John L. Associate Vice President, Campus Planning and Facilities Management Sanders, Sidney J. Director, UT System, Facilities Planning and Construction
The Faculty Building Advisory Committee (FBAC) met eight times during the academic year and will continue to meet as necessary during the summer months. With the exception of a student representative, Mr. Schwartz, who failed to participate in any of these meetings, all members of the committee are acknowledged for their commitment of time and energy to the activities of the FBAC during this year.
Committee Activities:
Erwin Center and Basketball Practice Facility: This completed project was critiqued through an on-site inspection. No additional recommendations resulted.
Hotel and Conference Center: The FBAC reviewed data regarding location and appropriateness of the facility planned to accommodate visitors to The University and to provide high-quality space for conferences. Recommendations regarding this project were provided to the president.
Dormitory: The FBAC and its Master Plan Subcommittee have been deeply involved in the planning for a new residential facility on university property at the north end of Whitis Avenue. Recommendations regarding this project have been provided to the president and the design of the facility is under on-going review.
Pavilion: A proposal from the UT Ex-Students Association for construction of an open-air, covered pavilion to the north of the present facility was reviewed and critiqued by the FBAC and its Master Plan Subcommittee. Recommendations regarding this project were provided to the president.
Welch Hall Patio: The Master Plan Subcommittee of the FBAC critiqued plans for an outdoor project on the southwest corner of Welch Hall and made recommendations regarding the pergolas associated with it that were implemented.
Plaza Project for Graduate School of Business: The Master Plan Subcommittee of the FBAC critiqued plans for an outdoor project on the south edge of the Graduate School of Business. The recommendations made by it for this project are being implemented.
Ad hoc committees: An important responsibility of the FBAC continues to be providing representation on ad hoc committees involved in the programming and design phases of major construction projects, including both renovations and new buildings. There currently is active participation on committees for the following projects: Scarbrough Property Dormitory, Gregory Gymnasium Aquatics Complex, Guadalupe Street Reconstruction, Experimental Science Building Renovation, PAC Fire and Life Safety, Welch Hall Infrastructure Evaluation, Biomedical Engineering Building, Child Care Facility.
At the request of the president, the FBAC undertook development of a policy to address the acquisition and placement of public artwork on campus. This policy has been submitted to the president and is expected to be finalized by September 2004.
John C. (Jack) Gilbert, chair


text:
Images: 'Attack' departs for joint NTC rotation
Photo by 1st Lt. Alun Thomas
Soldiers from the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, depart for a National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., rotation at Robert Grey Army Airfield, Jan. 11, Fort Hood, Texas. The battalion will train alongside the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., in a joint mission during the month long exercise. (Photo by 1st Lt. Alun Thomas, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)
This work, 'Attack' departs for joint NTC rotation, by Alun Thomas, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.
Date Taken:01.12.2013
Date Posted:01.23.2013 09:44
Photo ID:818525
Size:1.27 MB
Location:FORT HOOD, TX, US


text:
Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu island, Tonga to Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Total miles: 1052
Average speed: 4.0
Max: 122 Nm on day 9
Min: 64 Nm on day 3
Time: 11 days 1 hour
Motor: 111.1 hours 41.8% of this journey
The South Pacific has an interesting weather pattern. You get high and low pressure systems following each other and the low's bring very strong wind with very high gusts. The high pressure system brings low winds with about 3 days of calms. There is normally a low pressure system crossing the path from Tonga to New Zealand every 5 to 7 days. Everybody therefore warned us that we can expect to encounter one "storm" on this passage. Our experience of the low coming through whilst at Tongatapu (74 knot gust) caused everybody to be a bit nervous about the trip to New Zealand.
We therefore studied the weather maps very carefully and waited for the "correct" window to start sailing to New Zealand. We saw 2 high systems following each other, without any lows (storms). This is actually the perfect window for this trip, except that you can expect to motor quite a bit. We left Tongatapu island along with 9 other yachts. On the first night there was quite a few yachts around us and it was interesting to see how they moved during the night. Some sailed on a more westerly course to stop at Minerva Reef whilst others went ahead with the advantage of size, speed, etc.
We were three boats of similar size and speed that stayed together for most of the voyage . Daniel, from Angeline, got the weather prediction daily from his Dad in New Zealand. He would then contact us and Privateer with the update. Sometimes we could not hear Angeline, and at other times we were unable to hear Privateer. We were however able to get the weather update from either of them. It was the first time during the 14000 mile journey that we were able to stay in a group sailing together.
We sailed in light winds for the first 4 days before we started motoring to get out of the calms. We sailed through patches of coral drifting on the water, looking like islands. There were very big coral (like a baseball) between the smaller pieces.
We sailed with full sails in the light wind and Ntombi was making good miles. It was such a delight with low seas that we were convinced she is the best boat on the voyage. The bigger boats fell behind due to their weight constraint. Whilst motoring on one of the calm days, we heard a strange noise from the prop-shaft and it was growing loader. I was unsure what caused the noise and I decided that it would be advisable to double check the cutlass bearing. We therefore took the sails down, stopped the engine and waited for Ntombi to get to a standstill in the middle of the ocean. Luckily the waves were almost non existent and I took my snorkel gear and dived down to inspect the cutlass bearing. Francina was almost hysterical when I went into the water. The cutlass bearing was still fine and there was no need for her to worry about me.
On Monday, 19 November the barometric pressure was 1016 and rising. On Tuesday 20 November the barometric pressure started falling whilst it was overcast and we sailed through patches of rain. We realized that there is a low pressure system coming through and we can expect stronger winds. On Wednesday it was raining and the wind became stronger with very strong gusts. We reefed down and were still sailing over 5 knots. The wind however changed to a South Easterly and we were unable to sail directly to Kerikeri in New Zealand. We were either sailing to the east or to the west, but not making any way towards our destination. The connector of the one glider broke, as well as the stack pack fastener. Francina's sewing of the stack pack fastener on the voyage to Tonga was not very well, because it was the same one that came loose. At 17h00 we decided to heave to and wait for the wind to change or ease to 10 - 15 knots. We were able to get some sleep before we started motorsailing at 23h00 to arrive in Opua at 9h45 on Thursday, 22 November 2012, still raining.
The breakwater is the Q-dock where you have to moor for the clearing in process to be completed. The breakwater is not connected to land at all and there is a toilet for the boats without holding tanks. When we approached the Q-dock we saw Angeline was already moored and Daniel helped us with our mooring lines. Biosecurity was already waiting for us to get on board to complete the documents and relief us from any seeds (beans, popcorn, etc) and fresh produce, which is not welcome in New Zealand. Next in line was customs, which also represents immigration. Lastly, the representative from Security came on board to find out if we are carrying any drugs. He explained the process and told us that the last step in the clearing in process is the sniffer dog. They however never brought the dog on board. When we were cleared, we moved to a walk on mooring in the marina.
We had to visit the marina office for the formalities there and discovered that we needed insurance in order to be in the marina. We therefore had to go to The Marina Shop to take out insurance on Ntombi. We also had to visit the customs office to complete the process of importing Ntombi into New Zealand. Our passports were stamped and we are therefore in time for our Permanent Residency visa to be effective. Only a few years to get citizenship.....
It is ironic that we started this very long journey in March on Francina's birthday and we completed it on my late Dad's birthday.
Two main islands comprise New Zealand: North Island with 44 200 square miles and South Island, with 58 200 square miles. Both islands are long and narrow and 1100 miles separates the northern and southern extremities. No point is farther than 68 miles from the sea. The country is predominantly mountainous. As huge and permanent as the mountains seem, New Zealand has changed its shape many times, for it is a region where the earth's crust has long been changing. This is particularly true of the volcanic and thermal area. The remarkable thermal activity is most spectacular at Rotorua, where geysers spout and mud pools bubble and plop like boiling porridge.
The hot shower and 'no movement' on Ntombi allowed us to sleep right through the night. We did not even woke up once, which is a first in 8 months! The next week or two will be spent working on Ntombi, seeking employment, sourcing a car and sorting out a few administrative challenges for SA, like SARS returns, etc. Luckily Bill from "The Marina Shop" has kindly offered his car for us to use to go to Pahia, Kerikeri and/or Whangarei. We also met a few South Africans in the marina and the towns close by, ready with advise.
Awesome. As soon as you have setteled please contact me
20121027, Tongatapu
Total miles: 1456
Average speed: 4.3
Max: 137 Nm on day 10
Min: 59 Nm on day 2
Whilst we were at Hiva Oa, we asked David from "Ranchos of the Seas" about his wind steering. He raved about the Pacific windpilot that is already 30 years old and never been touched. Even the gears are still the original. One of the bushes in the pilot was a bit loose. He contacted Peter from Windpilot to enquire about replacing the bush. Half an hour later he got a response from Peter suggesting that he does not need to replace. The pilot was still fine. He said it was spooky, because it seemed as if Peter sat at his computer waiting for mails to come through responding almost immediately. We contacted Peter for a quote and had a similar experience, even with the 11 hour time difference. Which business in Germany responds on a Sunday?
We ordered the Pacific Windpilot and it was sent to Tahiti airport, on flights from Hamburg to New York to Tahiti (2 days). We went to the Faaa airport in Tahiti to collect the Windpilot. The process at customs took longer than the fitting of the system on our return to Ntombi. There is only 4 bolts to fasten the bracket at the stern. No ugly birdcage like I envisaged in South Africa when everybody recommended a wind steering system. The wind steering systems I looked at in Cape Town were all fitted with welding works and really looked ugly at the back of the boat.
The big supermarket, Carrefour in Punaauia is only 10 minutes walk from Marina Taina, where we were moored, and it was the cheapest. Beef and Lamb were imported from New Zealand and sold at very reasonable prices. I enjoyed fresh meat every night during the stay in Tahiti. The French loaves are subsidized and only costs 50 Pacific Francs. It is very nice and crispy to eat especially whilst hot. Every week there is cheese on special and we were able to enjoy it with the freshly baked bread.
Whilst waiting for the Windpilot to arrive, I decided to get the rigger to make up a spare inner shroud. I read that the inner shrouds are the most likely to break and it would be good to have a spare on board. When I removed the shroud to see if the t-bracket they have in stock will fit on our mast, I saw that 2 strands of the inner shroud were already broken. We therefore decided to replace all the rigging before we leave for New Zealand. Everybody is saying that we will sail through at least one storm and we do not want to take any chances with faulty rigging.
We went to the 7th day Adventist church in Papeete on Sabbath. The service was in French with a Tahitian translation. A Chinese translator was allocated to us and he translated the whole service in English for us. He also arranged for the youth leader to take us back to Marina Taina after the service.
On the Wednesday we went to Motu Uta to replace the forestay. When we pulled away from the jetty in strong wind, I felt loss of steering. I immediately realised the stainless steel c-pin replaced in Apataki was sheered off. We were unable to go back on the jetty and therefore used the headsail to cross the harbour into the channel leading passed the airfield. There were 2 ferries coming into the harbour and we had to manouvre to keep out of their way.
When we reached the entrance to the channel, we put out the anchor. Francina contacted the harbour master, informing him of the dilemma. Whilst I was busy aligning the holes to get the broken c-pin out, the torch also died on me. I battled with a small handheld torch. With the grace of God I managed to align the holes and pushed the broken one out with the spare. It only took a few minutes, whilst it took very long in Apataki to remove the previous c-pin.
One of the days that we went to Papeete (capital of Tahiti), I saw a few guys with MTU shirts/overhauls. I stopped them. The one guy was in Cape Town a few years ago and we shared a few "do you know this person" memories. Tahiti was exactly what I pictured it to be. It met all my expectations and I could live here, if it was not for the French language barrier.
Ntombi is registered in New Zealand and we are therefore flying the New Zealand flag. As we sailed through the pass, leaving Tahiti behind, a Swiss boat came past, entering into the channel. He shouted at us "Going Home?". On my response "yes" I suddenly realized that I am going home, my new home. I suddenly felt a big emptiness in my heart thinking of South Africa, the people I met, friends I made over the years, my colleagues and my family. Suddenly my vision became blurred and I had to pick the tears from my eyes. Yah, I am going home.
The wind steering exceeded my expectations. The sail is much more comfortable than using the autopilot. It is a crew member I definitely recommend. The Simrad autopilot served me well, but I belief the wind steering works better in most circumstances. It also do not need any amps, only wind.
We had a slow start. On the day we left Tahiti, it was raining, the baromic pressure dropped to 1015 and all wind disappeared. The same scenario repeated itself a day before we reached Tonga. The pressure dropped from 1024 to 1015, heavy squals washed over us and then the wind died on us in the late afternoon. At 2h00 in the morning we started motoring until we reached Tongatapu at 17h30.
Thursday, 25 October was Francina's Dad birthday. Our calender only had 3 hours on this day due to crossing the time meridian. We went into the future within a blink of the eye. Tonga's motto is "where time begins" because they are 13 hours ahead of UTC.
The Pacific ocean is still very highly confused seas and nothing is predictable. The wind changes direction 360 degrees within 4 hours starting from North, moving anticlockwise. Suzie, the autopilot still worked during these peculiar situations.
On one of the days I caught 2 fish. The first fish of the day was a flying fish and we decided to let it loose. It was it's lucky day. The second fish was approximately 5 - 6 kg big. We however threw it back because the Bible says you can eat fish with fins and scales. This one only had fins and was therefore not fit for human consumption. The American Navy also confirmed the same fact after extensive research.
Contrary to my previous opinion of Ntombi, I belief she is a very comfortable boat and her length is acceptable. The bigger the boat, the bigger the cost - mooring, haulout, antifouling, rigging, etc. etc. A longer waterline immediately gives you the advantage of desperately extra speed - unlike us crossing from Panama to Marquesas in 43 days, whilst bigger boats took 32 days. An eleven day difference can be a l-o-o-n-g time.
We entered Tonga through the Ava Lahi channel approaching with the waypoints given in "World Cruising routes". A very big ship came out of the harbour and we were able to confirm our waypoints (from c-maps) into the harbour is correct. It was getting late and we saw that we would not be able to make it into the harbour before sunset. We decided to anchor out at Fafa motu and had a very peaceful sleep. Fully rested in the morning, we motored to Pangaimotu, dodging some coral reefs on our way and anchored at the Big Mama's yacht club.
Updated 9/11/2012
We stayed on Ntombi until Monday morning for Immigration, Customs and Agriculture to visit us and complete the checking in process. Contrary to the resources available, we were going to the mentioned offices instead of them coming to us on the boat. Immigration is in town, a good 2 mile walk (one way) from the wharf, then you need to walk to customs - another mile from the wharf in the opposite direction. Agriculture is luckily on your way back from Customs. To check out, you also need to visit Port Control to pay harbour fees (calculated on gross tonnage per day) which is on your way to Customs. They are busy with a new building next to the fuel dock which will host Customs to ease the clearing in/out process, but also to keep an eye on boat movement. Whilst we were standing inside the harbour, Customs and the Police came onto the wharf observing the ships/yachts with binoculars. As SA citizens, we were required to pay for entry permits at TOP69 (approx US$43) each.
Located at the heart of the the South Pacific, the ancient Polynesion Kingdom of Tonga is one of the most scenic and unspoiled of the Pacific Island nations. There are 176 islands (only 40 inhabited) located just to the west of the International Date Line, southeast of Fiji and South of Samoa. Tonga is the first Pacific nation to greet the new day (UTC + 13).
Tongatapu island is the heart of the Tonga islands and home to the capital Nukualofa. Here is the center of government and business and it is where the King of Tonga and the royal families reside. The people are very friendly and most of them speak English. There is a very big fruit, vegetable and local handicrafts market (Talamahu market) in the center of Tongatapu. It has an abundance of local foods at reasonable prices, except pineapples, which is very expensive.
There is also the Tu'imatamoana Fish market located along the waterfront, just before the main wharf where you can buy fish and seashells in the afternoons. We took the local bus to Houma, 15.4 km from town to visit the blow holes. Waves send water spouting 18 m into the air through natural vents in the coral rock, creating one of the most impressive sights in the South Pacific, according to the Tonga brochure. Whilst in Houma, we spoke to a local person who spent 27 years in New Zealand. He told us that Tongans do not pay anything for their land or houses. Everything is owned by the community and is for free. You only need to pay for water and electricity.
We completed our checking out process and were ready to depart on Sabbath morning (3 November). On Sabbath we saw the latest GRIB files which indicated a low pressure system coming from Fiji towards Tongatapu causing heavy winds crossing our path sailing to New Zealand. We therefore decided to stay in Tongatapu waiting for the next weather window to sail to New Zealand.
O boy! What a wind we experienced whilst at anchor at Pangaimotu island. The gusts came through ranging between 20 and 40 knots. There was however one that lasted only a few seconds, but it measured 74 knots. I was busy washing the dishes in the galley and all the water ran out of the zinc into the bilges. Luckily we have the automatic bilge pump that kicked in and started pumping out the water. It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt much longer and all we could do was praying. It is almost like driving a car and when you brake it starts skidding. You can see the accident is going to happen, but there is nothing you can do about it. All happens in slow motion. We donated our wind charger to the sea during this gust. It was blown off the pole whilst the only piece that remained is the bottom that fits over the pole which I secured in St Helena with an additional bolt. Only one yacht dragged anchor, but luckily the anchor wedged itself into the sand where it got stuck and the yacht did not move afterwards in the gusts that followed.
There were two distress signals, one to the east and one to the South of Tongatapu. The one boat was rolled over and demasted in 10 meter waves. They lost some hatches in the process. The woman on board suffered head injuries. Another yacht turned back to aid them assistance, whilst an aircraft hovered over them speaking to them on the radio whilst help was on it's way. We do not know anything about the other boat, south of Tonga yet. There EPIRB is unregistered and the Tonga Navy was searching for them. We have not heard anything yet.
It looks like the wave height will be down over the weekend and the weather is looking much better for a passage to New Zealand leaving on Monday morning. We will keep a close look at the weather over the weekend and if everything is favourable, will leave on Monday, 12/11/12.
Baie bly om te hoor dat julle veilig is. Kannie wag om te hoor wat die afgelope maand gebeur het nie....
Sterkte en groete daar
Dave and Arlene (Durban SA)
so glad to hear from Monique (my colleague at Standard Bank :-) ) and now see that your dream became reality. It shows : dreams can and will come true if you believe in them. Have a good safe trip and all the best for you and Johan.
20120928, Tahiti
Distance: 229 miles 2 days
The engine on Ntombi is not powerful enought to motor against the current If we try to go out of Apataki whilst the current is flowing into the lagoon. Laurent calculated the correct time for us to exit through the pass - current flowing out - which is after 12h00. We therefore had a slow sail from Apataki Carenage to the pass to ensure we do not arrive before 12h00. Sailing the 10 miles from the boatyard to the pass took us past coral heads and oyster farms. Luckily we did not have to swerve out for any - maybe it was because we sailed in a direct line to the village where the pass is. The pass is well marked with bouys and it was therefore fairly easy to exit Apataki. Definitely not the same experience as our entrance of the north pass.
Whilst at Apataki Carenage we were told of a yacht that was lost on the reef outside the southern pass. The single handed sailor arrived at Apataki during the night and waited for daybreak to enter through the pass. He went to sleep and the currrent took him onto the reef. We saw the yacht when we were leaving Apataki (see photo in gallery).
We continued in fair winds to Tahiti, passing Kaukura atoll. With modern technology and knowledge of the atolls we were able to sail close to Kaukura before we tacked away and about. It looks as if this atoll has a few more motu's (coral sand with palm trees) than Apataki. We passed the atoll around 18h00 on day 1 when the wind started picking up and the waves as well. It is a pity, because the sail during the day was very nice with low wind and low waves.
We are very thankful that we have maps of all the atolls (not all very detailed) on our way to Tahiti. I can understand why sailors avoided this area in the past and why it is known as the dangerous Tuomotu Archipelago. It is much easier with GPS and maps to find your way around the atolls.
When you look at the atoll, you see a motu (a patch of coral sand with coconut trees) and ocean between them. The ocean is however covering (or not) a reef and you cannot sail over it. Some atolls have only one and some two passes where you can enter into the lagoon. Some atolls do not have a pass deep enough for yachts to enter.
The Society island group contains 12 major islands with a windward cluster of 5 and a leeward cluster of 7 islands. Tahiti is part of the windward group and was previously known as Nouvelle Cythere. It is the largest and best known island of the group. Tahiti has an area of approx 400 square miles and is formed of volcanoes connected by an isthmus. The capital city of Papeete is a modern city of more than 128 000 people built around a coastal lagoon. It is also the distribution center for supplies to all of the islands of French Polynesia. Papeete(the Water Basket) is also the home port to the French fleet.
The wind did not get very strong on the first night, but I was still struggling to sleep. It is normally like that on the first night of a voyage. The swells were a bit higher but not too uncomfortable. During day 2 we had a few rainstorms passing which brought the usual stronger wind with no wind after the rain. I became seasick during the very slow sail with low wind. We changed the sails to cater for the strength of the wind and from then onwards it was a very nice sail. I must admit, I can continue sailing in fair winds like this. Unfortunately we had to slow down again to ensure that we do not arrive in Tahiti during nightfall.
Ntombi is sailing like a horse and not a donkey anymore. The new antifouling made a huge difference and maybe our confidence as well. The log is working and the propshaft is not a worry anymore. We are therefore ready for the rest of the journey to New Zealand.
We passed Tetiaora island, which Marlon Brando bought after the shooting of the "Mutiny of the Bounty" in the sixties, around 2h00. I had another restless night (night 2) due to Tahiti getting closer and the worry is always there that you might not wake up when you do fall asleep. I do not want to land up on the reef like the sailor outside Apataki. At 4h00 the lights of Tahiti was more visible and we started making progress to arrive around 7h00. It was an experience to enter through the pass and see the airplane taking off almost over our heads. We had to ask permission to sail passed the airport because the leaving airplane might take your mast with it. After permission was granted we sailed in the channel passed the eastern entrance of the airfield and had to request permission to sail passed the western entrance of the airfield again. We are still waiting for them to grant us permission.
We anchored at Marina Taina and went ashore to find a supermarket and fresh produce. Interesting enough, the lambrib from New Zealand is the cheapest meat per kilo. Even the local chicken is double the price. The baguette (French bread) is subsidised and costs only 50 US cents. When we went back to the boat, the wind was becoming very strong. Johan realised that there is a problem with the little Yamaha engine on the dinghie. After investigation he found that it is not circulating water to cool the engine. It is however almost Sabbath and he will try and fix the engine on Sunday. Johan used his gas barbeque to cook the lambrib inside Ntombi. He told me ages ago that he cannot wait to get to New Zealand to eat a whole lamb rib. Well, New Zealand just came closer than he thought. The wind called Maraamu (SE wind) became very strong and we were unable to move Ntombi to the "yacht in transit" area as indicated by the Marina office. We can now understand why Gilbert wrote in his book, "And the wind carried us" that there were days when they were unable to go ashore. In a wind like this, we will also not be able to go ashore.
The wind died down during the night and we were able to move Ntombi very early in the morning. We were very lucky to find an open mooring in the indicated area. They are normally very scarce. Eric, an ex South African living on his boat at this Marina came to enquire about Ntombi. He recognised the name as Zulu and was puzzled with the New Zealand registration. He offered Johan a lift to the shops but he obviously could not accept because we are keeping the Sabbath.
We watched Dwight Nelson's sermon on the Chosen - why we are a chosen people. We realised how fortunate we are for God to have chosen us to be His children. I also read the chapter of the "Time of Trouble" in The Great Controversy.
On Sunday morning Johan opened the Yamaha engine to find that the impeller is broken. He asked Eric for a lift if he goes ashore. He took us with to the supermarket and Johan stopped at the chandlery shop for an impeller. They unfortunately did not have one in stock and we will have to go to Papeete to the Yamaha agent, or order one through the local chandlery shop. The windpilot that we ordered from Germany will be sent by airfreight on Monday morning (Europe time).
Johan went with Eric and Daphne to Yamaha agent to buy the impeller and fixed it on Monday. We now have our dinghie working and can get ashore as and when we require. The parcel from Germany will be on a flight on Thursday, 4/10/2012. We will therefore spend a bit longer than anticipated in Tahiti.
We got the package on Friday, installed the windpilot. Whilst waiting for the parcel to arrive we discovered that our inner shroud had two broken wires. We decided to replace all the rigging and that was only completed by Wednesday 10/10/12. Checking out proved to be more challenging and we are therefore only able to leave Tahiti on Friday, 12/10/12. The next stop is in Tonga when we will join the "all points rally' group of yacht to sail to Opua, New Zealand.
20120909, Apataki
The Tuamotu Archipelago is home to the Puamotu people. It is an enourmous arc of exclusively coral atolls lying between the Society and the Marquesas groups. The seventy-six islands have a land ara of 343 square miles spanning a distance of a 1000 miles. The first European who set eyes on the Tuamotus was Jacob LeMaire, a Dutchman (1615).
Raroia is probably the best known because of the raft Kon Tiki who landed here in 1947. The Kon Tiki, captained by Thor Heyerdahl, drifted 4300 miles for 3.5 months from Peru. He wanted to proof that the Polynesians could have originated from America.
The French used the Tuamotus for nuclear testing. This program was initiated in 1963. Phosphate was produced at Makatea before it was exhausted in 1966. The income of the area is from Goverment subsidised cobra production and pearl farming.
We left Hiva Oa island in the Marquesas for the dangerous Tuamotus to haul out Ntombi. We sailed past Tahuata island in squally weather. There was only one cat moored close to the white sandy beach, but we decided not to join them.
We had a nice light wind, but it died down during the night. The wind however picked up between 9 - 10 and unfortunately died down again at noon. The ocean was not as rough as it were from Panama to Marquesas, obviously due to low winds.
The log was still not working, even thought the guys did a splendid job scrubbing the hull. We were able to sail at 4 - 5.5 knots in low winds where we were only able to reach 3 knots before the scrub.
When the wind picked up again, we had a very pleasant sail. The wind changed direction to a South Wester which is peculiar for this time of year. There was funny cotton wool type clouds (Altocumulus) earlier in the day, and when Johan researched the meaning, he found that it means a cold front approaching with unstable weather. There was rain storms all around us, but none of them affected us.
It reminded me of the Israelites in Egypt, before they were lead out by Moses. The Egyptians were hit by plagues whilst the righteous Israelites were unaffected. God is great in His protection of us.
The sky was a very unusual colour of blue just before sunset. It was the most beautiful 'painting' of deep blue background and a few white clouds close to us. It seemed as if we will be out of the stormy area by the morning. The water surface was almost flat, as Johan's dream Pacific.
At 21h30 the simrad (autopilot) went into standby mode. We realised that we were in the strongest wind of the whole trip (40 + knots). Luckily we reefed down to no 3 for the night. We were unable to steer Ntombi and we therefore locked the tiller and let her drift. She went south for a few miles during the storm that lasted for 3 hours. The only damage observed in the morning was one glider on the mainsail. God is great in His protection of us.
The wind was still strong in the morning and we decided to rig the stormjib on the mast. We balanced it with a small headsail and were sailing at an average 4.8 knots. We spent the Sabbath listening to various teachings on audio. I also read a few chapters in the Great Controversy. At Sabbath closing we realised that we were sailing too fast and would reach the pass to the atoll in darkness.
We let out ropes at the stern to slow us down, but it did not help. We were still sailing at 5 knots with the ropes, spitfire and very small headsail. Eventually at 23h30 we were heaving-to. It was such a nice, calm feeling inside the cabin. We slept (obviously with watches) until 5h00 in the morning. We started sailing again in very strong wind. A big vessel passed at our stern. We reached the northern pass of Apataki by 11h30. C-maps is a few hundred meters out with their co-ordinates of the pass.
It was a very scary experience. We saw clear shallow water on the side and breaking waves ahead. Some of our material indicated a 130 meter entrance, but they obviously made a 100 meter mistake. The entrance was also not at the expected waypoint. Neither was the leading degrees working, unless we did something very stupid.
I pulled in the headsail, but made a mistake in the excitement and let it out. Luckily I was able to correct the mistake before we reached the entrance whilst motoring. The wind was very strong and dead ahead (South Easter). Johan stayed close to the one side to ensure that he will be able to make a u-turn in the event that we do not find deep water to go through the narrow opening. We however found deeper water (17 meter) and he basically followed the depth sounder. We depth went down to 7 meter and went up again.
Once we were inside the atoll the waves were building up over a distance of 17 miles (the diameter of the atoll) and reached a height of 2.5 meters. As we go over one wave the nose dives in and another wave breaks over the deck. The following distance of the waves were too short. The heavy waves lasted for about 1/2 a mile until we reached a depth of 40 meters. Afterwards the waves were a little better.
We turned to the south east towards Apataki Carenage. We let the headsail out at 70 % whilst the engine was running to help us sail into the strong wind. There are a few coral heads indicated on the C-map chart. I wanted to go and check the distance on C-maps when I saw we were heading straight at a reef. Luckily Johan was at the tiller and could swerve away. Whilst I was on C-maps Johan saw bouys straight ahead and had to swerve once again. These bouys are placed at the pearl farms. Luckily we were able to avoid hitting any of these.
We needed to tack a few times whilst Johan hand steered to Apataki carenage. At 17h30 we enventually reached calmer waters and could see the shore of a small coral island. Alfred met us in his powerboat and indicated a mooring bouy that we could use for free.
What a welcome site and it really looked like "landfall of paradise".
We were exhausted and went to bed early. We did not even went ashore. The following morning we visited the office to make arrangements for the haul out. It was agreed to haul out the afternoon at 13h00. It was done very professionally and it took only 20 minutes before we started with the powerwash. We saw that the antifouling was actually still in good condition after sailing 13 000 miles. The antifouling was done on the Vaal by Peter Watts and he used Sigma Coatings with Ivory primer.
For the first time since I can remember mosquitos are byting me. It started around 16h30 on Monday. Alfred told me that the wind changed direction and that is causing the mozzies. Well, they truely love my blood. They rarely bite Johan and on the odd occation when they do, it is around his ancles and it does not itch at all. A fellow yachtie told me to stay in the sun to avoid the mozzies. Well it helped a bit, the amount on my body at a single time came down to 1 or 2 instead of 4 to 5. Alfred made a fire with dried coconut 'shells' to keep the mozzies away. We continued this practice of a fire at 16h00 everyday. The smoke is apparently driving them away. I had to however use peaceful sleep and I burned mosquito coils inside the boat. During the day and most of the night I also burned my citronella lamp inside the boat.
On Tuesday morning we continued with the preparation for the first coat of antifouling. Johan removed the propshaft in order to put the bearing back in place. He discovered that the fishing line distroyed the bearing. We ordered a new cutlass bearing from Tahiti, which would arrive at the airport in the village 10 miles away on Friday. We applied the first coat of antifouling.
Johan removed the cutlass bearing bracket. He took it with to the airport in the village to ensure that the bearing that we ordered will fit. When it arrived, he sent it back with the bracket for fitment because it is not standard size. Veronica, a French woman who came to collect their boat papers, took it with her to Papeete. All flights to Apataki was cancelled untill Thursday. We will hopefully get the cutlass bearing bracket and fitted bearing back on Thursday.
Walking to the toilet at night I saw seashells moving around. Johan said it is hermet crabs. There is not sand on the beach, only coral sand, which looks more like gravel or fairly big "stones".
The people on the island is very friendly and helpful. The grandfather is still working very hard to prepare copra. He also goes into the village 3 times a week, delivering lettuce and eggs which is part of the grandmothers farming. Alfred and Paulina provided me with fresh fruit like papaja, figs, lemon, lime and very big grapefruit. Their two sons also lives on the island and the elder son, Tony is the owner of the Carenage. The whole family works together during haulouts. Each one knows what is expected of him and they function like a well oiled machine.
We were invited to a pot luck dinner on Saturday evening. There were traditional Polynesian fish salad, rice, cous cous, octopus oven baked and fried, 'herderspastei', coleslaw and dessert was pumpkin in coconut milk and chocolate brownies. Everybody was speaking French most of the time but we still had a very enjoyable evening.
Although it seemed as if we have too much time on our hands waiting for the cutlass bearing, we were very busy every day. We found a water leak that Johan fixed. He serviced the Yamaha engine and found parts seized due to the salt. He replaced the broken glider on the mainsail, fibreglassed the broken batten as well as the drawer. I made a cover for our small scatter cushion, packed the pasta in plastic bottles, scrubbed the floor with fresh water, etc. There is never a dull moment and always lots to do on a boat.
The owner of the catamaran Moemoea Nui (meaning Dream Big) that was hauled out on Saturday told Johan that the recommended route to New Zealand is via Tonga. He has sailed this route a few times already and Johan appreciates his advise.
We will most probably only leave on 25th for Tahiti.
20120901, Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas
French Polynesia is an overseas territory of France and it consists of 4 island groups, Society Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Marquesas and Austral islands. The plan is to visit Hiva Oa in the Marquesas, Apataki in the Tuamotu and Tahiti in the Society Islands. The Austral Islands are out of our way and we will therefore not visit them.
The four island groups, comprising of 109 islands, spread over an ocean area of 1.5 million square miles. The combined land area of these four groups is a little over 1500 square miles with an overall population of 245000. Approximately 69% live in Tahiti, part of the Society islands.
The islands are high volcanic islands, except the Tuamotu Archipelago. They are composed entirely of low-lying atolls, except one, Makatea, which is a raised atoll. The Marquesas were discovered by the Spaniard Alvaro de Mendana de Neira in 1595. He named them after his benefactor Las Marquesas de Mendoza from Peru. Cook stumbled upon them in 1774.
There are 6 large and 6 smaller islands. The best known of the Marquesas islands is Hiva Oa, it is also the biggest. it is very fertile and a heavily wooded high island, 23 miles long and 10 miles wide. It is renowned as the last home and burial site of Paul Gaugruin, the French painter, and Jacques Brel, the Belgian singer. They attrack a lot of tourists from both France and Belgium. There is an airport and we saw the airplane arriving and departing a few times during our week visit. The Polynesian name for the Marquesas is 'Te Henua Enata', The Land of Men.
White bread and 4x4's are busy taking it's toll, especially with the woman of the island. Most of the woman are overweight, but the men is more healthy. They still perform hard physical work and also row in the afternoon for excercise. Most of them have a very proud stature. The spoken language is French, and only a handful are able to speak English. Even the police officers where we had to check into the country were unable to speak English.
We went on a tour of the island on a 4x4. The trip took us through spectacular scenery, with wild rugged ridges and deep lush valeys. We also visisted Puamau, the site of the biggest 'Tikki' in Polynesia. Tikki's are stone statues, representing the gods or famous chiefs from the past. There were different tribes living on the island and they practiced cannibalism. They ate the members of the opposite tribe if they caught them. There was a prison on site, close to the "braai" area where they burned and eaten humans. There was also a stage where the musicians would perform. The whole village would gather around for the ritual and the feast. According to the tour guide, there were 100 000 poeple on the island before the Europeans got there. They brought virusses, etc and the local people died out to a mere 2000 at early 1900's.
In Hiva Oa we began seeing heavily tattooed bodies, a feature common to the whole Pacific. In the early days tattoos were a sign of status in the community.
We got 2 local guys to scrub the bottom of Ntombi. They had a speargun available in the event that a shark might attack whilst working on the boat. There were a lot of sharks in the water in the bay. It is not advisable to swim.
We attended Gerard's birthday party on Papillon. It was a delightful evening, although we were a bit lost when they spoke French most of the time. The food was very good.
One of the single handed sailors, Pierre, developed infection from a small cut on his leg and landed in hospital for a few days. The Doctor reckon he would have died if he had not gone to hospital when he did. We got a bit scared and stocked up with anti-biotics and disinfectant.
The French bread sticks, baked every morning was devine. We obviously indulged in a few of those per day.
Great excitement when the police came with their guns on board one of the yachts. They held the skipper and the crew for the whole day, fine combing the boat for drugs. The next day they were back with a sniffer dog. The skipper says he does not know why they targeted his boat. Local speculation is that there were police from Papeete and they practiced their skills. We will never know the reason, but the yachties were a bit traumatised as a result. They just spent 10 days sailing without a rudder, was towed into harbour and 2 days later this ordeal. They are also on their way to New Zealand.
Another single handed youngster is also on his way to New Zealand. He left 2 days before us, but will be island hopping until Fiji before he sails down to Opua in New Zealand.
David, from Rancho of the Seas told us about Apataki Carenage which is much cheaper than Papeete, Tahiti for the haulout of Ntombi. Daniel confirmed the above and we decided to book for haulout in this remote atoll. The pictures look very nice on internet. We desperately need to fix the propshaft and will antifoul at the same time.
I am constantly "correcting" myself. I made a remark previously about Tamarind and that I did not like the taste. Well, we enjoyed Tamarind fresh from the tree and it was very nice. They need to be dry (not green) and the sweet/sour taste was delightful.
On Sunday morning a Volvo 60 boat arrived with 8 woman and 4 men on board. They only spent the night before they left for Fatu Hiva. They are also on their way to New Zealand for haul out and preparation for the Sydney to Hobard race next year.
Frant, with his 3 sons and daughter in law, is also planning to sail in the Sydney to Hobard race with his one son. He bought the fast 44 in New York and is sailing it to Australia. It is a good adventure for him and the boys to 'bond'.
The island does not have any facilities for yachties. There are no public toilets or ablusion blocks. There is however an open air shower which is used by the local people. They come in the morning before work to shower and others use it in the evening. We also used the shower when it was available. Next to the shower is a tiled concrete slab that I used to do my washing. We took some water in a see through collapsable water tank and saw that the water was not very clean. Luckily we did not need to fill our water tanks.
There were no fuel available for sale on the island either. You need to order fuel and it will be delivered with the Copra boat. The islanders were not too clear on the frequency of the boat. Some material stated that it visits the island every 2 weeks. We only saw a tuna boat coming in from Tahiti, selling Tuna to willing buyers.
90% of the population on the island are members of the Catholic Church. We enquired about an Adventist church, but they were unable to understand us. The tour guide was of the opinion that there are adventists, but he was unable to tell us where they meet. We therefore spent Sabbath watching DVD's and reading from Great Controversy. Johan shared information about the Illuminate and Freemasonry with Daniel. He also copied some of the DVD's on the subject from us.
We spent 8 days in Hiva Oa before we sufficiently recovered to continue the sail to the Tuomotu Archipelago for the haul out in a very scenic environment.
20120826, Hiva Oa
Voyage: Pedro de Gonzalez, Las Perlas to Hiva Oa island, Las Perlas
Distance: 3886 nm Time: 42 days 9 hours Average: 3.82 knots
We left the very beautiful island at 7h00 on Sunday morning after we filled our water tanks. When we sailed passed the island, a whale was rolling in the water for us to see. We continued in light wind (10 knots) to pass the privately owned island of San Jose on our starboard side and found a .5 knot current. As we reached the island, two whales were calling and put up a bit of a show for us. These animals were fairly big and I do not want to hid any of those with my boat.
The island is quite big and there are beautiful sandy beaches. A good few bocas on the southern entrance to the bay caused waves to break against it. It was the first time in a while that I could "hear" the ocean. It was with mixed feelings that we left the last bit of land behind us. Just image, for the next 40 odd days we will not see land of people. Time to revive the soul.
The evening brought on lighting and thunder again. We caught a current flowing SW at 1 to 1.5 knots. The wind however died down around 23h00, but only for a short while. It started blowing agains from NNW varying between 9 - 15 knots. Moths and butterflies were attracted by the light on the boat, and we were 50 miles offshore. In the morning we saw more moths flying past Ntombi. And you wonder, how do they survive? and what are they doing this far out at sea?
The top batten of the mainsail broke again. Johan removed it and we saw that it was broken behind the previous repair he did at Shelter bay. It was overcast and rained for a good few hours from noon. Pancake weather, so I baked some. We alternated between steering by hand and the autopilot, depending on the strength of the wind. The autopilot are unable to steer the boat when the wind dies down. We also motored through some windless patches. The wind meter stopped working on day 3.
I woke up in the morning with the words "check". At first, I would not figure out what I needed to check. I listened and could hear the boat was sailing well, the sails were fine, the autopilot was functioning.... and then I realised that it must be dolphins playing outside. I rushed outside and what a spectacular view! Calm ocean, mild wind causing the wind charger to make the most beautiful howling sound. Beautiful because you know there is enough wind for Ntombi to move through the water.
There was a very big school of dolphins all round Ntombi. Some were swimming at the bow, others were 10 meters away, practicing their diving skills. Others were swimming in pairs, flapping their tails and anotehr were swiming backstroke. This continued for an hour.
By the time they left us, it was overcast with clouds all around and thunder rumbling in our ears. It rained and then the wind died on us again for 7 hours. It gave us time to do some maintenance work. We took turns to handsteer. Johan even fixed the water leek at the aft cabin. The angle of the wind is uncomfortable. It is variable and prdominantly a north westerly which cause us to either sail to the coast of Columbia, or the west coast of North America, with the wind on the nose. The wind is also shifting the whole time and we had to constantly tack in order to move a bit west towards Marquesas. We did not get wind in a direction that allowed us to sail directly towards Galapagos or Marquesas. This is going to be a very long passage if we do not find the trade winds soon. First day we covered a good 97 miles with 68 miles on day 2, 48 miles on day 3 and a mere 42 miles on day 4.
We caught quite a big tuna. By the time we reeled it in, something else was more hungry than us and ate half the fish. We therefore threw it back in order for the hungry hunter to continue his feast. It was too big for us, anyway.
I had a fresh water shower everyday in the rain and managed to preserve some rainwater for washing later. Day 4 was a bit more challenging because the rain came at 1800 whilst I got used to a late morning shower. It was still very good and I was even able to wash and condition my hari. Wow, this is luxury galore!
The dying wind and the "wrong" direction caused huge frustration to the skipper. We covered a mere 255 miles in the first 8 days whilst sailing 688 miles. The first 8 days we tried to find favorable winds to take us to Galapagos. We started tacking more frequently to go lower to the equator. Reason being to change the angle of the wind on the bow that will allow us to sail west, south west. Up to day 8 we were either sailing NW or SE instead of SW.
The log stopped working again. The first time we took it out whilst sailing, I was almost hysterical. Imagine you open a hole in the bottom of the boat with a 40 mm diameter. Luckily we have a plug that we insert to allow us time to remove the barnicles. After Johan cleaned it, we remove the plug and he inserts the log again. The only inconvenience is the packing and unpacking of the locker and drying the bit of water that do come into the boat.
On one of the less windy days, there was time to service the engine, polish the stainless steel, replace the o-ring on the toilet, etc. All part of the maintenance duties of a yachtie.
We started to get cold at night, looking for a blanket to cover the body whilst sleeping. I realised that the cabin temperature dropped from 32 degrees Celcius to 27 degrees by day 8.
The cold Humboldt current is the cause of the lower temperatures. We were once again almost ran over by a cargo vessel. Luckily we installed AIS that warned us of the danger. Johan kept watch whilst I contacted the skipper of Royal Klipper to change course to avoid a collision with us. He was very friendly and took action immediately to pass at our stern.
Johan reckon that this was the most difficult sea to sail of the whole trip up to now. The most frustrating part was the low wind or no wind. The wind was also changing 180 degrees in 30 minutes. The swells are uncomfortable, looking like boiling water. The hight of the swells is low, but the direction is not consistent with the wind direction. 6 hours or more during a day without any wind became the norm. One night we wat from 19h00 until 7h00 the following morning without wind and the current pushing us back where we came from.
Sailing is a mind cleansing process where you have 24 hours a day withoug outside company. The radio does not even work. We read the Bible, books about the Bible and listen to teaching about the Bible. Johan said he started longing for the 'trees' in his life - people. Those who provided shelter from the wind and shade for the sun. Most of the trees does not exist anymore because they are in the long sleep. The rest is still as tall but drying out and the tree feller will come and visit them shortly. This also made him realise that he became the big tree to provide shelter and shade. Old wood must be chopped out for the younger to grow tall and the tree feller will be looking in his direction soon.
Looking at the stars, you realise how small you are. You realise who you are that God cares about you? A small piece of dust in the Universe and God loves me? We saw a lot of cracks in our lifes and realised there is only one way to mend it. And God said, if you love Me, obey my commandments.
On day 11 Johan caught a sailfish, 1 meter. It looked so majestic and alive. It jumped out of the water, shaked the tail and dived down again. To reel it in was quite a process. The sails does not allow you to slow down the boat and we did not want to loose the fish. When the fish was 10 meters from the boat, it however came loose. We gave a sigh of relief because neither of us wanted to kill such a beautiful fish.
It reminded me of the old testament times when you had to slaghter an animal as offering for your sins. Jesus dies on the cross for our sins and we do not have to offer anymals anymore. It however still cause great turmoil in me to kill even a fish.
Confused seas is a result of the current flowing from east to west and the wind is blowing from the south to the north around day 14. This caused swells within swells and it looked like boiling water in a kettle First 14 days the wind was blowing from SE and only changed on day 14 to a southerly wind. It feels like the most difficult part of our journey until now. It seems as if every leg of the voyage has some challenges and it is never the same. You cannot use the knowledge acquired and are therefore in a constant learning process. No training course can give you the knowledge that you need, it is only through the practical experience that you learn how to manouvre. Each boat is also different and what works on Ntombi might not work on any other boat.
Day 19 was the first really pleasant day on the Pacific Ocean. The water is not as confused as usual and the sun was shining for most of the day with blue skies and clouds only at the horison. The clouds is just as confusing as the sea. What we experienced until today was clear sky with clouds on the horison but 10 minutes later you had clouds all around you and it stayed like that for days. It was therefore a welcome change to see the sun for the whole day.
Day 22 has some "achievements". We ate the last fresh carrots and cabbage. We opened the last of the coconuts picked up at Pedro de Gonzalez island and enjoyed the sweet juice before indulging in the flesh. We crossed the half way mark from a miles perspective. What a pshychological achievement.
On day 29 we saw a fishing vessel at night and the highlight of day 31 was a school of dolphins passing Ntombi.
On day 37, the distance from Balboa equaled the distance that we still need to sail to Whangarei in New Zealand. Half way in the Pacific!
It is also Johan's birthday and he ordered Fray Bentos meat pies (tinned, bought at St Helena), but the ocean was not calm enough to cook them in the stove top oven. We decided to leave it until we get to Hiva Oa. I cooked rice, mixed with the last onion, mixed veggies and some herbs. Johan added some corned beef for his birthday dinner. We had soda cooldrink, chips and fruit cake as well. We enjoyed a simple birthday party like school kids - they say you become like kids when you get older....
Day 42 and we cannot wait for the morning to see the island. We know it is out there somewhere and if it was light we would be able to see it. What a rude awakening at 4h00 when the autopilot stopped working. I started hand steering whilst Johan tried to mend the autopilot. He struggled and eventually found the problem and fixed it, and he fixed the backup that broke sometime during the voyage as well. I had steered until 11h30 with Johan taking over for 30 minutes at a time for me to take short breaks.
We saw the island only around 9h00 due to the cloud covering it, but went through a number of squalls before we eventually arrived at 17h00, anchored in the little harbour with big rollers. We want to spend at least a week before we continue to the next set of islands.
Lots of love


text:
Reporting agencies may specify the location of a hate crime incident as one of 25 location designations. Information regarding the location of hate crimes indicated that:
Of the 3,919 racially biased hate crime incidents:
Law enforcement agencies reported that 1,227 hate crime incidents were motivated by a bias against the victim's religion. Of these:
Of the 1,017 hate crime incidents stemming from a sexual-orientation bias in 2005:
There were 944 hate crime incidents in 2005 motivated by an anti-ethnicity/national origin bias. Of these:
Fifty-three incidents were prompted by an anti-disability bias. Of these:
Three multiple-bias hate crime incidents occurred in 2005:
Contact the Communications Unit of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at (304) 625-4995.


text:
Tsitsikamma is one of the most beautiful parks in South Africa. There is swimming and snorkeling, as well as hiking. Much wildlife can be seen, including dolphins and whales. Overnight lodging is available, and day hikers are welcome too.
myAfrica is an open resource. Most listings, such as this one, are editable by logged in users. Help build on the value of this resource by expanding existing listings.


text:
Log in as: Job Seeker | Employer
New User?
Forgot Employer password?
Forgot Job Seeker password?
search jobs
career centeremployers
contact us
we can help
Employer Name:
Areva Resources Canada Inc.
Employer Address:
Contact Name:
Human Resources
Contact Phone:
Reporting to the Manager of Surface & Materials, this position is responsible for the following duties:
Responsibilities include:
-Develop and maintain inventory classifications/commodity codes
-Analyze SAP generated inventory reports in developing economic order quantities
-Reconcile inventory
-Site materials SAP Functional Lead
-Analyze and recommend inventory min/max levels
-Oversee inventory reduction efforts
-Oversee inventory disposal
-Administer cycle count program
-Identify and maintain slow moving & obsolete stock
-Assist in warehouse material flow and efficiencies
-Develop and recommend material naming convention
-Maintain SAP vendor lead-time information
-Maintain inventory turn over
-Assist in developing material inspection process
-Monthly inventory KPI reporting and development
Skills and Qualifications for the position include:
-Minimum 5 years experience in inventory management
-SCMP professional certification with PMAC would be an asset
-Equivalent combination of education and work experience would be considered
-Proven team player, innovative and able to liaise with departments on site and take the lead in various assigned inventory related projects and processes
-Proven Project Management skills including the ability to influence the implementation and the use of inventory best practices
-Contribute to the development and the implementation of inventory continuous improvement strategies
-Strong attention to detail and analytical skills
-Strong communication, planning and leadership skills
-Advance level in MS Word and Excel
-Experience with SAP is a strong asset
Work Location & Schedule: McClean Lake 7 in / 7 out - 77 hours/week
Pick-Up Points: Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, Buffalo Narrows and the designated communities in the Athabasca region of Camsel Portage, Uranium City, Stony Rapids, Fond du Lac and Wollaston
Vous désirez plus d'information
en français sur ce poste?


text:
Cape football and cheerleading camp dates announced
Cape Henlopen High School football will hold two football camps and one cheerleading camp this summer. From 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday, July 17 to 19, at the high school there will be a non-contact football camp for boys as well as cheerleading camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 15. The football camp will be instructed by the high school football coaches, and the varsity cheerleading coaches and squad will instruct the cheer camp.
Camp is designed to give athletes a chance to develop skills and gain knowledge in fundamentals of the sports. The cost of the camp is $30, which includes a T-shirt.
Bill Collick's wing-T football camp at Cape Henlopen High School will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Thursday, July 23 to 26. The camp is a non- contact program intended to instruct players on the wing-T fundamentals and offers the opportunity to improve techniques for the upcoming season. Former college coach and current college compliance director Dwayne H. Henry, along with other college and high school coaches, will be instructing the camp.
Cost of the four-day event is $45. The wing-T camp is open to all students entering grades eight through 12 in 2012. To get information and register, go to www.leaguelineup.com/capevikings.


text:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Move Left = LEFT ARROW
Move Right = RIGHT ARROW
Move Down= DOWN ARROW
Jump= A, S or D
Dr. Robotnik is searching for the six Emeralds of Chaos so that he can take over South Island and rule all of its inhabitants. He has been turning animals into robotic slaves to aid him in his search, and it's up to Sonic to put an end to it! Use your arrow keys to roll along in pursuit of the evil doctor, while using the A, S or D keys to jump over obstacles or attacking robots. The more Chaos Emeralds you collect, the more points you score. Collect them all for a shocking surprise. If you want to retain your normal life style as a humble hedgehog, you must complete this mission quickly!
Sonic 3D Blast
Track & Field ™
Virtua Fighter 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Frogger ®
Shinobi III
Dance Dance Revolution
Double Dribble ™
Streets of Rage 2
Ecco the Dolphin
Altered Beast
Sonic the Hedgehog
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Sonic Spinball
Golden Axe
Sonic the Hedgehog 3


text:
13 Critical Facts About the Condition of the State Colleges and Universities
|Fact 1
|New Jersey state colleges and universities rank nationally #3 in productivity for baccalaureate/masters institutions.
|Fact 2
|At the campuses, 97% of state college/university students are New Jersey residents. During the past decade, minority enrollment, full-time enrollment, and residential enrollment, and retention and graduation rates have increased despite declining state support.
|Fact 3
|Major gifts and grants to the state colleges and universities have increased significantly, with some of the largest in the institutions' history received recently.
|Fact 4
|In FY 2012, states on average devoted 9.9% of its budget to higher education, whereas New Jersey devoted only 7.7%, according to a National Association of State Budget Officers analysis (Fall 2012).
|Fact 5
|With declining state investment, students' share of educational costs has risen to about 65%, from about 30%, since FY 1990.
|Fact 6
|The share of family disposable income needed to pay for tuition at New Jersey state colleges and universities has risen to 17.3%, from 12.6%, since FY 2002.
|Fact 7
|Underfunding of state-negotiated labor contracts since FY 2000 amounts to over $200 million absorbed by the colleges/universities, or passed on to students in the form of higher tuition and fees.
|Fact 8
|New Jersey is one of only 7 states with no capital budget for higher education facilities in recent years. The first general obligation bond issue for higher education facilities since 1988 was passed in 2012.
|Fact 9
|Tuition is among the highest in the nation for like institutions because of the long absence of capital funding and the state's failure to pay the full cost of labor contracts and a larger share of operating expenses.
|Fact 10
|New Jersey state colleges and universities have among the highest debt in the nation, yet receive high bond ratings; and bond agencies find the debt to be well managed. Bond raters' continued concern is state regulation that could turn back the clock on responsible enrollment and financial policy set by boards of trustees.
|Fact 11
|The public has confidence in state college trustee boards. In past polls of voters, when given the choice among three options to provide accountability, voters say they trust college presidents and nonpartisan trustee boards over New Jersey state government by a 4:1 margin.
|Fact 12
|New Jersey ranks 46th in the nation in four-year public college/university enrollment capacity (undergraduate seats) to serve its citizens, partially accounting for New Jersey ranking 1st nationally in net loss of college bound students (about 30,000 annually).
|Fact 13
|State colleges and universities overall have increased their six-year graduation rates by about one percentage point per year since the 1992 entering cohort; four-year graduation rates have increased even more rapidly in recent years. NJ state college/university averages consistently exceed the national mean by several points.


text:
Isn't it amazing how quickly they grow? YoTV's presenter Akhumzi Jezile hosted his celebrity friends -and The Social, among select media- to a weekend away at Sun City in the North West, this past weekend- something that's becoming a norm in the industry.
Close pals including Musa Mthombeni, Samkelo Ndlovu, DJs Nutty Nys and Miza, Boity Thulo, former Generations actress Kagiso Rakosa, Selimathunzi presenter Lunga Shabalala and even current Miss SA Teen Celeste Khumalo all arrived on Friday afternoon and only began preparing to leave the resort on Sunday afternoon.
All manner of misbehaviour ensued, but poor ol' Akhumzi still has a little longer with the popular Sabc 1 programme, so we won't reveal too many details about what was said or consumed during the entire weekend.
We're certain Mzansi Magic's Headline -yes Trevor Gumbi and the roving camera and mic was also there-, Vuzu or Selimathunzi will air some of the funny footage.
We will say this though; even though The Social had fun, we were rather disappointed there was no cake!
Happy Birthday, dude!


text:
Finished in two sleek metallic colours, the new AEG UltraMix food processor is a practical and sharp looking stand mixer that will help you with food preparation and instantly become the new highlight on the kitchen countertop. Available in the KM4000 Watermelon Red and the KM4400 Tungsten Grey, the AEG UltraMix comes with a large 4.8 litre bowl, small 2.9 litre bowl, whisk, non-stick flat beater, non-stick dough hook and pouring shield.
This food processor from AEG follows the success of UltraMix Pro hand mixer and allows you to prepare from the scratch crispy breads, delicious cakes, airy muffins and pasta - among other dishes that certainly taste their best when they made at your own kitchen with carefully selected, fresh ingredients. See Breville stand and hand mixer.
The robust AEG UltraMix features powerful 10-speed, 1.0 kW motor, rugged all metal housing, very efficient height-adjustable planetary stirrer for uniform results in the bowl, one touch opening, blue backlit rotary selector and LED light for better visibility during the food processing. Seen in stores for around € 350. AEG. Previously, Kenwood Chefette mixer with rotating stainless steel bowl.
Posted in Food Processors & Blenders at March 6, 2014 11:16 AM
Appliancist is an online magazine about the latest Home Appliances & Home Appliance Trends. Covering High-End Luxury Kitchen & Bathroom Appliances.


text:
|Pole Vault
|Chehalis, Washington
|High School:
|W.F. West High
WSU CAREER. JUNIOR (2009-10): Indoor - Redshirt season...Outdoor - Redshirt season.
SOPHOMORE (2008-09): Indoor - Equaled PR pole vault height of 3.90m/12-9 1/2i twice during season - at Vandal indoor and at Vandal Collegiate meets in Moscow...finished 12th at MPSF Championships (3.70m/12-1 1/2i)...Outdoor - Won WSU-UW Dual meet with improved NCAA RQ leap of 3.86m/12-8...reached a PR height and improved NCAA RQ mark of 3.97m/13-0 1/4 to tie for ninth place at Pac-10 Championships (5/17/09, Eugene)...that height is fifth-best in WSU history...tied for 12th at NCAA West Regional with clearance of 3.91m/12-10.
FRESHMAN (2007-08): Indoor - Reached a season-best pole vault height of 12-2 1/2i (3.72m) at the Husky Classic (2/16/08, Seattle)...tied for 16th at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships with a mark of 12-1 1/4 (3.69m)...Outdoor - Cleared pole vault bar at a height of 12-1 1/2 (3.70m) twice during season with the first time a WSU vs. Washington Dual meet.
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. Earned six letters at W.F. West High...two as a left side hitter in volleyball for coach Paula Bridgewater...four varsity letters for track coach Mike Aust... junior and senior years captained track team...placed fourth in pole vault at district meet as freshman and then district champion and placed third at state sophomore year...junior season won pole vault title at Shelton Shaner Invite, setting meet record of 11-9...repeated as district champ...finished third in the pole vault (11-9) at the 2006 state 3A championship meet behind current Cougar vaulter, Kendall Mays...selected for Pac-9 League all-area athletes award...junior year cleared 12-0 in pole vault at the Golden West meet...senior season won the Shelton vaulters award...set W.F. West Classic meet pole vault record...won third district title...finished second at 2007 state 2A meet with clearance at 11-9...competed in club gymnastics for 11 years, advancing to level ten with wins at league, state and placed at sub-national meet.
PERSONAL. Born in October 1989...father John Huestis is an engineer who played football at the University of Montana...mother Nadine Ellis is a nurse who was a gymnast at the U. of Montana...younger brothers Christian and Parker...younger sisters Sierra and Tiffany...majoring in marketing at WSU.
HUESTIS' WSU BEST Pole Vault - 3.97m/13-0 1/4 (2009)
PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS PERFORMANCES 2009 Pole Vault t-9th 3.97m / 13-0 1/4
NCAA WEST REGIONAL PERFORMANCES 2009 Pole Vault t-12th 3.91m / 12-10


text:
Book Signing at Bilbrew Library
Raven L. Smith will discuss and sign her book about living with lupus at A.C. Bilbrew Library, 150 E. El Segundo Blvd. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 2:30 p.m. Smith is a 14 year-old author who has been diagnosed with the disease. Her special guest will be Lou Rawls, Jr. The event is free and open to the public.
Suicide Awareness 5K, 10K Walk/Run
Kevin'sCausewillsponsora5and10Kevent and health fair at Victoria Community Regional Park, 419 E. 102nd.St., on Oct. 15. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. The run will begin at 9. Register online at http://kevinscause.org. For information, call Wanda Jackson at 310- 310-4790.
Catholic School Reunion
A reunion gala for Catholic schools in Southern California is planned for Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens, 120 S. Los Angeles St., from 5 p.m. to midnight. The organizing committee is seeking classmates from classes of 1970 through 1989 from the Compton area. See the So. Ca. Catholic School Reunion Committee Class of 1970-1989 Facebook page. Tickets are on sale now.
Weekly book club
There's a new book club in town set to meet every Tuesday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 325 W. Compton Blvd. Call Michelle Richardson at 310-218-8864 or 310-714-1707 for information.
Monthly Block Club Commission Meetings
Block Club Commission meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Blue Room, 600 N. Alameda St. Meetings are open to the public. The meeting this month will be on Aug. 22. For inquiries, contact 310-605- 6331 or email email@example.com.
- Login to post comments


text:
by Peggy Sweeney
The Sweeney Alliance
I fell in love with Robin Williams during the movie, Patch Adams. I disliked Philip Seymour Hoffman in the same movie. Over time, I came to find both actors on an even par, I loved them equally. Now they are both dead.
Depression is an evil demon that reaches into the core of someone, be they Robin, Philip or the thousands of men and women who die by suicide each year. I have had a brother-in-law take his own life. I have read story after story after story of brave men and women in the armed services and those who serve their communities as police and correctional officers, firefighters/EMS and 911 dispatchers who fight this same demon, but lose the battle over depression.
Please do not judge Robin or Philip or the others. Do not call them weak. They suffer from a mental illness that, at times, is cast aside as not an important illness, something that we only talk about in whispers. They are often told to suck it up. Be a man! They are shunned.
If you learn nothing else from this posting, please do NOT take depression lightly. If you have a loved one that struggles with depression, please hold them close and do everything in your power to help them.
To my brother and sister first responders, the time has come to STAND TALL and demand help! If you are in command of your department, damn it get real and get your men and women the help they need and deserve. Quit worrying about the money angle of your department or climbing the ladder of success. There is no price on a person's life.
And finally, my heart goes out to the families and departments who has been touched by the death of their loved one or comrade to suicide. Please do not turn your back on them. Their grief is unimaginable.
Dear Robin, Philip and the others, go rest high on that mountain. The pain and suffering are over. Much love and many HUGS.
About the Author: Peggy Sweeney is a mortician (retired) and bereavement educator and the president of The Sweeney Alliance. She has developed and taught countless workshops for coping with grief and trauma including How to Understand Grief Seminars (HUGS) and the Grieving Behind the Badge program for emergency response professionals. She has reached out to her community through Comfort and Conversation support group for bereaved adults and teens. She has written numerous award-winning articles and is the editor of the Journeys Through Grief Newsletters. Peggy is a member of the Comfort (TX) Volunteer Fire Department, and a former EMT-B. Peggy received the 2014 Firefighter of the Year award for her department.
If you would like additional information about GRIEVING BEHIND THE BADGE, please contact Peggy through her email email@example.com.
Read her Survivors of Suicide article here.
Subscribe to the Journeys Through Grief Newsletters here.


text:
Emmy Awards
Emmys 2013: Kaley Cuoco Stuns on the Red Carpet (VIDEO)
The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco (Penny) got glam for the 2013 Emmy Awards in L.A. on September 22. The blond actress rocked the jewel tone trend, wearing a red Vera Wang gown, Aldo heels, a Jimmy Choo clutch, and Neil Lane jewelry. The Big Bang Theory was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Check out the video above, featuring Kaley strutting her stuff on the red carpet. What do you think of her look? Sound off in the comments!


text:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if my baby puts the Forever Safe™ blanket or garment in his mouth?
A: It is acceptable for baby to put a Forever Safe product in his mouth. After all, babies explore the world through their mouths! Of course, the products are not to be actually ingested. The EPA has approved X-STATIC® for use in children's products. The amount of silver is small in reality, but a small amount of silver yields large results. X-STATIC silver is a natural, powerful solution.
Q: Is X-STATIC silver non-toxic?
A: X-STATIC is tested and confirmed as non-toxic for babies. Silver is a naturally occurring element. Chemicals are never used. The EPA has approved X-STATIC silver for use in these products.
Q: What is 'X-STATIC'?
A: X-STATIC fibers are permanently bonded with a layer of 99.9% pure metallic silver. This silver layer is the key to X-STATIC's powerful antimicrobial properties, as it creates an ionic shield that permanently inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi on our baby blankets and clothing. (Read more about X-STATIC.)
Q: Can Forever Safe products be laundered?
A: Yes, Forever Safe products can be washed normally at home. The X-STATIC silver is permanent and does not wash out. Machine wash cold separately. Tumble dry low. We do not recommend fabric softeners (as it will reduce the silver's ability to do its job). Do not bleach. Bleach will adversely affect its properties. Do not iron.
Q: Can you see the X-STATIC silver in the blankets and clothes or is it invisible?
A: You can see the X-STATIC silver against the cream fabric with your eyes - the silver stripes are 99.9% pure silver, not dyed.
Q: Are the blankets or apparel chemically treated?
A: No. There are no chemicals used. X-STATIC is flexible and soft. It is knitted directly in the fabric during the production process at the mill. It is inseparable from the core of fabric of the blanket or clothes. It is NOT a chemical treatment or layered on top of the product, but rather is intertwined.
Q: Are Forever Safe products anti-static?
A: Yes. The X-STATIC silver-enhanced fabric reduces static cling, meaning that lint will not be attracted to the item. It also reduces the chance of a small static shock that sometimes happens from the friction of laundering.
Q: Can silver reduce dust mites on the fabric?
A: Yes. Dust mites are a common allergen found in bedding. In the study "Laboratory Assessment of the Efficacy of a Fabric Treatment to Control House Dust Mites" sponsored by Noble Biomaterials Europe, they found that X-STATIC silver reduced dust mites in fabric by at least 95%. Bacteria are the food source for dust mites. Because silver inhibits bacteria from growing, the dust mites are without a food source, which prevents them from wanting to live in the fabric. The fabric is an unwelcome home for mites. Please note that any effects are on the fabric only, and this does not extend to the air or environment.
Q: What does antimicrobial mean?
A: Antimicrobial means that it inhibits the growth of microbes. Microbes are bacteria that can cause disease and infection. They are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the human eye. To give you an idea, millions of microbes could fit on the tip of a pencil. (Read more about antimicrobial silver.)
Q: What is the science behind X-STATIC silver's antimicrobial properties?
A: Exposure to oxygen and heat causes silver to oxidize, creating silver ions. Positively charged ions are attracted to negatively charged bacteria. The polar charge drastically inhibits bacteria, preventing mutation and reproduction. There is an unlimited reservoir of silver ions so they never "run out". This proprietary X-STATIC technology is powerful, natural solution for healthier fabrics. (Read more about antimicrobial silver.)
Q: I've heard of using a 'silver spoon' to feed babies. Does this have anything to do with X-STATIC silver?
A: Besides being a modern idiom, the idea of the silver spoon goes back centuries because the silver on the spoon naturally fought disease-causing bacteria, therefore giving the infant the chance at better health. (Typically only wealthy families could afford this, hence comes the phrase 'born with a silver spoon in your mouth'.)
Q: Are there other products on the market that are powered by X-STATIC silver?
A: Proven by Olympic athletes, US Special Forces and NASA Astronauts, X-STATIC delivers unmatched protection and performance. Made with 99.9% pure silver, X-STATIC enhances products with permanent anti-odor and antimicrobial performance. X-STATIC is a proprietary silver-based antimicrobial solution used for mission critical healthcare applications, including advanced wound care, infection control and odor elimination.*
Q: Are the silver stripes in the fabric dyed or colored?
A: The silver stripes are not dyed or colored. The silver-gray stripe is only a result of seeing the 99.9% pure X-STATIC silver that is knitted in.
Q: I've gotten a dark mark from wearing some metals before. Is this a concern with Forever Safe silver?
A: Nickel can cause dark marks on the skin. Some "silver" jewelry, including sterling, is combined with a percentage of nickel. Forever Safe products do not contain nickel, and are 99.9% pure silver, which does not leave any marks.
Q: What fabric is the binding made of that is featured on Forever Safe blankets?
A: The Forever Safe baby and toddler blankets have a binding made of satin fabric. Satin is cool and smooth to the touch.
Q: How can I find out sizing information for Forever Safe products?
A: Specific sizing information is listed on each product's page, on our website. If you have additional questions, please call our Customer Care team at 800-372-2018 or email us at email@example.com.
Q: Do you have clothes for premature babies?
A: We do not feature specific clothing sizes for premature babies at this time, but size small would be the best option for them.
Q: What is a wearable blanket?
A: The wearable blanket is like a dressing gown that is sewn shut at the bottom. It's a rectangular sack that zips up over baby. The zipper is centered on their chest but zips away from the face and mouth so that they cannot play with or chew the zipper. Baby can still kick and move, but he'll always be warm because he can't kick off the blanket. Many parents choose this option because it won't cover the baby's face or interfere with breathing.
Q: What is a Snooze Sack?
A: A Snooze Sack is a wearable baby blanket. The wearable blanket is like a dressing gown that is sewn shut at the bottom. It's a rectangular sack that zips up over baby. The zipper is centered on their chest but zips away from the face and mouth so that they cannot play with or chew the zipper. Baby can still kick and move, but he'll always be warm because he can't kick off the blanket. Many parents choose this option because it won't cover the baby's face or interfere with breathing.
Q: What is your return policy?
A: Please visit our Returns page for our full policy.
Q: What is a Never Lost Blankie?
A: Our Never Lost Baby Blankie is a small, square blanket measuring 20 x 20 inches. A satin tab with a snap allows you to loop it around another object and attach it securely. The tab is located on the corner of the blanket. It connects right to your stroller or baby bag so that you'll never be searching for it, and even feisty little ones can't pitch it over the side when you're not looking. That's why we call it 'never lost'.
Q: Do you have adult sized throws or blankets with Forever Safe silver stripes?
A: We do not currently have adult size throws or blankets with X-STATIC technology. However, our toddler blankets are approximately the same size as a regular throw and could be used as such.
Q: What is Genuine Serasoft® fabric?
A: Serasoft fabric feels like a plush toy, such as a teddy bear. Sera means "night" in Italian, thus the plush blanket suggests a Soft Night, conjuring up thoughts of a cozy, comfortable sleep. The height of the fabric fibers is relatively low. Serasoft is one of Berkshire Blanket's exclusive fabrications.
Q: What is peached fleece fabric?
A: Peached fleece is fleece fabric that is brushed in a special way to increase the softness. The fabric fibers have little to no height, and appear relatively flat.
Q: How warm in comparison are the different fabrics?
A: Cotton is the most lightweight and breathable and is ideal for warmer weather. Fleece is both breathable and warm, so it would be considered the middle of the three choices, great for all seasons. Serasoft is the warmest fabric of the three, and slightly heavier, so it is ideal for cold weather. Cotton is light, fleece is warmer, and Serasoft is warmest.
Q: Can I get a sample of Forever Safe fabric?
A: We do not currently offer swatches of Forever Safe fabric.
Q: Do you carry other baby products without X-STATIC?
A: We do have a category with baby and toddler blankets with normal fabric that does not contain silver. We have assorted fun prints! Shop here.
Q: Can I buy Forever Safe in stores?
A: Forever Safe is not currently available in stores. It's offered exclusively here online at BerkshireBlanket.com. You've made it to the right place!
*Products containing X-STATIC solely protect the finished product itself from microbial growth. Any public health claims related to X-STATIC products are expressly limited to products regulated by the FDA and do not apply to products regulated by the EPA.
- Shop by Fabric
- Blankets
- Bedding Sets
- Sheets
- Throws
- Throw Pillows
- Baby Blankets & Bedding
- Toddler Blankets & Bedding
- Nursery & Travel Accessories
- Baby Apparel
- Special Nursery Collections
Forever Safe with Pure Silver
- Clothes & Wearable Blankets
- Baby Bedding
- Toddler Bedding
- Gifts & Accessories
- Peached Fleece
- Genuine Serasoft
- Jersey Cotton Knit
- Forever Safe Benefits
- Antimicrobial Properties
- Temperature Regulation
- Anti-Odor
- Treating Eczema Naturally
- X-STATIC® Silver
- Reducing Dust Mites
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Fabric Comparison
- Minky Bedding
- Kids
- Wearables
- Gifts
Style Collections
- Matching Collections
- Peaceful Pebble Quilted Bedding
- Diamond Sweater Knit Bedding
- BB Unique Teen Bedding
- Dorm Room Campus Collection
- Designer Collections
- Cottage Living Bedding
- Arctic Fog Collection
- Harvest Slumber Collection
- Emerald Dreams Collection
- Coastal Breeze Collection
- Destination Preppy Bedding
- Design Décor Embroidery
- BB Décor Luxury Throws and Blankets
- Velvet Plush Collection
- Statement Throws
- Mary Phillips Designs Gift Pillows
- Specialty Collections
- Polartec Blankets and Bedding
- Tech Accessories
- Travel Accessories Collection
- Pet Blankets and Throws
- Top 20 BestSellers
- Two Tone Velvetloft Collection
- Fountain Scroll Collection
- Seasonal Collections
- Fall Blankets & Throws
- Winter Blankets & Bedding
- Spring Blankets & Throws
- Summer Blankets
- Christmas Holiday Blankets
- Sale
shop by category...
shop by fabrication...
learn more about forever safe...


text:
Validated by Ernst and Young, presented by Nicholas Gilbert, and witnessed by several select members of local sports elite, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA world leaving the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery with the first and fourth overall selections in the upcoming draft.
With the two overall selections, the team had been given a 22.7 percent chance at landing the first-overall selection. Mathematically, the Cavaliers should have received the second and eighth selections overall – the selection received from the Los Angeles Clippers in return for Mo Williams, with a 2.8 percent chance of being the first overall leapfrogged the team's own pick which had a 19.9 percent chance.
To be held on June 23 in Newark, New Jersey, general manager Chris Grant and the rest of the team's front office will now be tasked with ensuring that the Wine and Gold land the pieces which they feel will best help right the ship – Grant has long said that the team is confident in their potential selections wherever they may fall.
It has been widely speculated that Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert will do what is necessary to better the team's chances of improving between now and the exact time names are called with the Cavaliers logo on the backdrop, but for now, at least we know what cards the team has been dealt and Chris Grant can rest relatively easy.
Thank you, Los Angeles.


text:
I've been dealing with the following problem for a few days now and would kindly ask you for suggestions on what did I configured wrong.
In my Office I need 2 networks, one for my desktop & notebook & android, my camera and my printer, the other one for the whole office & colleagues.
- Router (main router, for the whole office, works perfect) Static IP from the ISP with gateway and DHC (all correct) IP: 10.40.1.5 Subnet: 255.255.255.0 DHCP enabled, WiFi disabled
Cable from LAN port 1 on Router 1 to WAN port on Router 2
- Router (only for me, LAN works, camera works, WiFi connects and sometimes works – very poor performance + terrible ping, loosing packets, than drops) Dynamic IP from Router 1 (10.40.1.20) IP: 10.1.40.5 Subnet 255.255.255.0 Gateway: 10.40.1.5 DHCP enabled, WiFi enabled
What should I do? If I try it with another router the problem is the same. What have I missed? I'm kind of new in this, but I educated myself to set it up and get it working, but I can't google up a solution for this.
Thank you for your help.