Water Sports!

 Not near the Sea?

Since many people do not live near the sea, they have to find a alternative such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs that are the next best thing for small dinghies, water boarding and canoeing many other types and they are very popular!, 

Perhaps because in some cases they are safer, but on lakes and rivers currents do remain a danger to paddle boards and rafters, even in controlled environments, when errors of judgement are made?

Jet skiing and many motors sports can be done on a lake are worth the practice before doing on the sea and that applies to all the above since the sea is unpredictable than being flat calm in some cases!

Off to the Moon! Part-Two.

Stepping Stones?

It is still not known if the U.S. government will keep the International Space station going in favour of commitments to a New Moon base, but what is clear this will be part of the next step to go on to establishing something more permanent  on Mars?

Claims of six to thirty years are still the various estimated times for such missions, commercially it might be six years to pull off a stunt, but to be serious thirty is more practicable since many things still require testing and approval?

With the recent discovery of water on the poles of the Moon, this will encourage the base plans to go ahead perhaps within the next six years, but keeping ISS has a half-way point would be wise in the initial stages of this vast project!

Ski Planes and Floats.

Aircraft and Helicopters with...

Many aircraft and helicopters are capable of operating from ice and water, because they are fitted out for the job. This is seen in both Canada and Russia, were even aircraft up to medium size can be adapted.

 Aircraft from light Cessna's and Pilatus to DHC Beavers and Caribous to dedicated helicopters such as the Mil Mi-14 Haze. operate in hard and difficult conditions to supply essential goods to their respective isolated communities who depend on these types.

Nearly every helicopter can be adapted to carry floatation gear, but the Mil Mi-14 was designed with the hull of a flying boat.

Fire Engines. Part-One.

Water Carriers.

Humanity has developed because it has been able to harness fire, to make it and to use it in daily survival. But at times fire can attack us, with devastating consequences. The construction of large villages, towns and cities has lead to the development of mobile water carriers.

The river and bucket system will not work in a large city, so the concept of the first fire carts came with the invention of the pump. London, New York, Paris all developed their take on this horse drawn water tank. Each vehicle had place for water, ropes, ladders and sand. The crew sat on an open cab or hung on to the sides.

Even with the development of the engine this outlay continued, right up to the 1940's era.

Roll on, roll off..

RO/RO Ferries.

This is the type of shipping that brings in the buck's. Right across the globe, where ever a ferry is needed the 'roll on -roll off system is employed. 

Over the years there have been many accidents and disaster in relation to ships leaving or entering ports with their doors open, before actually docking or leaving. Water has entered and ships have capsized with sometimes great loss of life. Greed seems to be the main factor in many of these cases, despite international agreements on safety.

Originally the 'roll on- off concept was for ships that carried trains and later adapted for truckers. This is probably the best system to date and will continue until some other shipping design replaces what we have today.