Milwaukee: hammered
Milwaukee: hammered
On Saturday we drove eighty miles north to spend the night in Milwaukee, home of breweries, Harley-Davidson, and a beautifully original art museum designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, which was our primary destination. Carol had seen it before. I had not and was struck by the play of light and shadow in the interior as much as I was by the bird and ship-like exterior.
Along the way we stopped at GANNET, where I took my newly purchased hammer and easily drove the recalcitrant U-bolt up through the deck. Having the right tool does make a difference.
This was more important than the mere relating of it. I’ve already ordered the pad eyes and line I need to reinforce the lower shroud.
I also took a few minutes to place the cardboard cut-outs I had made of solar panels at various possible locations, which proved useful. The difference between a rectangle 18½” x 16¼” and one 22⅛” x 20½” does not seem great; but, as the cutouts revealed, on GANNET’s deck is critical. The Ganz 30 watt panel is too big, so I will go with smaller Aurinco 25 watt panels near the stern.
I am still undecided about two more panels forward of the mast and will need to take another look before I decide. Aurinco also makes 25 watt panels 47½” x 6”.
While in Milwaukee Carol drank a Miller Lite beer. I did not. She said it tasted good. But then it was a warm day.
In addition to visiting the museum, we took a tour boat ride from the Milwaukee River, which runs through downtown, out into the harbor and, briefly, outside the breakwater.
Milwaukee is built around a bay that wouldn’t be much of a harbor without breakwaters that run for several miles. Although the wind was light and waves only a foot high, once on Lake Michigan I felt again how awkward powered vessels are compared to those under sail, moving not with waves but stumbling through them.
The photos were taken with Carol’s iPhone. She took some. I took others. All have been cropped or adjusted with Apple’s Aperture.
above and below: works of art or a piece of work
Sunday, May 27, 2012