Merry Christmas

[jcollins]

To everyone!

All those from the south and west coast, and Bermuda, take a Christmas cruise for us east coast guys that are frozen in! 15 degrees. brrrrr

[Capt Paul]

Thank you John!.

A Merry Christmas to all!

I took the boat out this past Saturday for a run, We are having a bit of a cold spell here, first time I heard the wife complain that it was cold on the water! It was only in the 40's. We are both transplants from the east coast (NYC) we know how cold it can get!. We are definitely spoiled..

Paul

[RobS]

John,
Nice touch with the thumbnails on the Index page.

Everyone,
Have a SAFE holiday!

[Veebyes2]

Merry Christmas to all you lot to the west of me.

Looking like a dry $ warm one here. Long weekend for us. We celebrate the English way here. 12/26 is a holiday too, Boxing Day. Got a dock party to go to at a friends house that day then a boat/dock party to go to on Sunday. That is as close as I get to boating for awhile.

[Mariner]

To everyone!

All those from the south and west coast, and Bermuda, take a Christmas cruise for us east coast guys that are frozen in! 15 degrees. brrrrr

Believe it or not, we're experiencing unusually cold and snowy weather. We've had almost two weeks of on and off snow, and about a foot of accumulation in the lower elevations. Yesterday was the first day it rose above freezing, but the snow is still here. It's been 22 years since we had a white Christmas, so this is pretty exciting. I did drain the water tank on the boat, but I don't expect any problems.

[jcollins]

Mariner,
I heard Seattle was shut down because of ice? You guys don't salt the streets to save Puget Sound? Is that correct?

[RobS]

Mariner,
I heard Seattle was shut down because of ice? You guys don't salt the streets to save Puget Sound? Is that correct?

Can't they just pour some Starbuck's Holiday Blend on the sidewalks and street......

[craw_daddy]

We Albin owners have much to be thankful for. If you have health & a good spouse -you have even more to be thankful for!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas & a happy & prosperous New Year!

--Dave

[Mariner]

Mariner,
I heard Seattle was shut down because of ice? You guys don't salt the streets to save Puget Sound? Is that correct?

It's true that, in general, we don't salt the streets here. We do, however, use a liquid-chemical de-icer that works down to about 22 degrees, which is sufficient for 90% of cold-weather events we encounter. It's extremely rare that we encounter sub-freezing temperatures and precipitation at the same time. However, if there is prolonged snow, once it drops below 22 degrees, the policy is generally to use plows to remove loose snow and pack it into a hard surface and then spread sand for traction. Different municipalities handle it differently, but that is generally what you see. This policy actually seemed to work very well, in my opininon until Christmas Day when the snow started to melt, and it turned into 9" of slush, punctuated by frozen chunks of ice. It was like driving on a road covered in large boulders and slippery mud. At that point, I was very glad I drove a full sized SUV with real 4WD and locking differentials.

The Seattle area generally shuts down whenever there is any measurable snow. The problem is that we're not used to, or prepared for snow events. Most western-Washington drivers have little or no experience driving in the snow. They tend to drive overly-cautious, and make critical mistakes. It's not uncommon to see a car sliding down a gentle sloping hill with all four wheels locked up because the driver has simply pushed the brake pedal to the floor. You'll see them slide right by you at 5mph with a terrified look on their face right before the slam into a parked car. They get into accidents because they have no idea how to drive in the snow. Compounding this is a general lack of road clearing equipment. Because they are only used every few years, most counties and cities don't invest heavily in snowplows and sanding equipment. The city of Seattle, simply can't plow all it's streets, even over a two week timeframe. They simply don't have enough equipment. The policy is, they clear the main streets, but don't clear the side streets unless residents submit a request, which has to work it's way through the city government, after which, of course, the snow has already melted. Our roads are not designed with freezing temperatures in mind. Seattle especially, has lots of elevated roadways that can't be safely plowed. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, if you've ever been here, you know that we have many, very very steep hills, that no amount of plowing, de-icing, or sanding, will make passable. They simply have to be closed, leaving residents and commuters stranded.

[Capt Paul]

Mariner,

I was reading your response to streets in Seattle being closed due to snow conditions and what flashed through my mind was that is exactly what would happen if it ever snowed in San Francisco. I couldn't imagine the calamity it woudl be. You can always pick out the newbees to driving in the snow up in the Sierras, I have seen them going sideways down the road just like you say.

They don't use salt in the Sierras, just plowing, sand and require chains in some cases, even if you have 4 wheel drive. I have been turned around in my 4 wheel drive 2500 Dodge pickup because I didn't have chains in my possession. Now they are always in the back just in case.

Paul

[Mariner]

Mariner,

I was reading your response to streets in Seattle being closed due to snow conditions and what flashed through my mind was that is exactly what would happen if it ever snowed in San Francisco. I couldn't imagine the calamity it woudl be. You can always pick out the newbees to driving in the snow up in the Sierras, I have seen them going sideways down the road just like you say.

They don't use salt in the Sierras, just plowing, sand and require chains in some cases, even if you have 4 wheel drive. I have been turned around in my 4 wheel drive 2500 Dodge pickup because I didn't have chains in my possession. Now they are always in the back just in case.

Paul

[jcollins]

The policy is, they clear the main streets, but don't clear the side streets

Same here unless your a member of the city council or you "know someone".