Moth Blog Mojo

I kind of lost my moth Blog Mojo recently. It is not the fact that I have not had anything amusing, insightful and relevant to say because that has not stopped me in the past, I just kind of been in hibernation here. So here is my attempt to get in to summer mode by rambling on about various stuff.

Thanks to Dion and Dirk who joined the IMCA Direct. Sorry guys that you did not get emails from the website (because I forgot to change the email server when I changed to a NigeISP.com hosted server.) However I think I have fixed that problem now. (Please note if this is working you will probably find email in your SPAM folder if you request a password reminder or go through the Direct joining process).

I am the 3rd confirmed paid up direct member of the IMCA and I have a Blog (which is part of the rules: 14.3) so my name is in the menu list of Members Blogs & Sites. So if you are a paid up member of your national IMCA and want your name in the list then get your National committee member to send me a mail confirming this and I will add you to the list.

So what news is there from the Austrian Moth sphere! Well I have designed and built something I am very proud of. It is largely built out of recycled materials and been something I have been planning to do for a while. It is 3.8m by 2.5m and solid. Is it a solid wing sail? NO it is better than that, it is a huge high bed/platform for Max. It is so cool and it is a bit Wallace and Grommit, with its secret trap door etc...

What does it have to do with Moths? Nothing, but it does remind me that design and build is something I have to do each winter in some form or another. However with the lack of local racing last year (1 race) and 3 moths in the workshop at the moment it is hard to really get motivated to try and build new stuff. Testing it against Laser 16's is not really helpful, so each event I go to with other Moths I learn so much basic stuff so that is what I am going to concentrate on. Therefore I have hopefully fixed the adjustable kicker and downhaul so that I can change these during the race not just between races. There are plenty ideas but for me it is important to get the basics right and some kind of routine where I can evaluate changes within it.

We had our first Historic Moth Beer evening at the Pad with all 4 Moth owners that I know of in Austria. Where Niki presented info about his new boat and the CNC milling machine work he has been doing with Clemens. I presented Max's high bed... We looked at the list of events we could do and if we could find a common training time. The conclusion was that with the various commitments in peoples lives it was not going to be easy. However the plan to get lots of sailing in together. With some help from the wind gods it could work. There will be 3 (maybe 4) boats at the Euros from Austria and there are a lots of great events "near" us so it is all developing slowly in the right direction. All we need now is the ice to melt.

Talking of ice I read that maybe Manfred is zooming around our playground now. There is a party at the pad on Friday so if you are passing through then I always like to have an International International Moth VIP at the Pad Parties so Manfred let me know if you are around Vienna on Friday evening.

The reason for the Party (This all links together as if I planed it! Mojo or stream of conciousness? I think is is just me rambling on because I have gone of topic again.) ...is I get my Fiancée back! Kati has been away in Spain for 5 months studying. I had a great Christmas in Galicia but the rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the Plain. It falls all the bloody time. I no longer will accept any racist jokes about England and rain. So I have been living on my own for the first time in my life. I would like to dispel the idea that people living on their own go slowly mad, but I can not, they do. So if I invent some second personality to comment on my own blog it is not me copying NakMarkLark it is probably genuine mental health issues.

I think that is a good point to stop.