Friday, February 11, 2011

The Pix are Out...


Local photographer (and aspiring rock star) Greg Pyros snapped some photos of the concert (see previous post). Now that it's dipping into the 50s at night, everybody bundled up against the cold... especially those of us who live in Mexico year 'round and walk around comfortably in 100+ degrees in the summer. Anyway, here we are doing our jazz sets...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Benefits

One of the benefits of living in Mexico is good weather.
Also good friends.

The 1st Mate and I elected to perform (along with several amateur and professional bands) in a concert tonight at the Fiesta Hotel in San Carlos. A benefit concert for the local orphanage. Tickets were 100 pesos per person and included two free drinks and free music. A low cost dinner menu was offered and... did I mention the weather was good?  The event sold out.

The entertainment was to start at 5 pm, so at 3 we all showed up for sound checks... at least the gringos & gringas did.  One Mexican group did their sound check at 5 pm. But it's Mexico, and nobody sweats the small stuff... like what time it is.

In this photo, sound engineer Ron Daisley is setting volume levels for the Trailer Trash Royalty band, and yes, they're amateurs. They've gathered each winter for years to play country/western/bluegrass music in their trailer park to amuse themselves and their neighbors.

Between the soundman and the bermuda-short-wearing bluegrass guitar player, sits the 1st Mate chatting with the producer. And you can see it's a lovely location overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

How did we do? Well, the producers want us to come in and spend some time in their recording studio, so I guess it turned out ok. They'll be posting some photos by a very talented amateur (and friend) and some video in the next few days. I'll update this blog then, so stay tuned.

Finally, I had a chance to chat with a sax player about other jazz musicians in the area and I've got some warm leads. Very beneficial for all concerned.

In other news,
I ok'd the adoption of the white puppy we had fostered for a few days.. or a week.
We've decided we'll call her Daisy.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Design Stage reaches maturity

Like a fine wine, the Green Flash has evolved to a pretty good design. The image below was created in three different computer programs (four, if you count a Windoze emulator). The first was Adobe InDesign CS5 for 2D planning and layouts, then FreeShip for Windows to create the 3D hull, then to Google's Free Sketchup 3D program to create decks, bulkheads, floors, etc.
The rendering above was done in Sketchup7 using a plugin called IDX Renditioner ... a close up of the cockpit is here...
And this is the non-rendered 3/4 view of the Flash without the pilot house in place. The Flash has an inside steering (hydraulic/electric) station for inclement weather and/or night watches.

Directly under the interior steering station is the diesel genset and electric motor propulsion system, in sound proof enclosures.

Now that bulkheads are designed in, I can start creating a shopping list for the materials. The structural bulkheads will be doubled 3/4" marine ply covered in an off white laminate, the others will be doubled 1 inch foam sheets, with the same covering. Deck will be doubled 1" foam sandwiched between layers of fiberglass and/or carbon fiber and epoxy.