Loose Bike Nut on a Sailboat

My basic transportation is by bicycle. There is a Nissan in the marina parking lot that is collecting dirt although I clean the windows every morning.

Road bike converted to Fixie

Last week I had to take my son Dylan to LAX but he drove his VW GTI and I drove it back where it sat awaiting a return trip with me doing the driving to LAX and he hauling us back.

Waiting on side street while son clears customs

The trip back was slow using PCH in search of Mexican food for Dylan taste.

He had been invited to ride in China at a festival on his BMX bike. It is really not a BMX bike that one would race on a track but a twenty inch (wheel size) that is used for stunts and tricks.

He has performed in contests and shows all over the world with the exception of Australia where somehow the trip was cancelled.

Track bike on the beach

my Bob Jackson next to dock box

flat tire with tublar tire

bike strips down for bathhouse

My bike collection includes several different styles of rides. One is stored outside of my sailboat attached to the dock steps with several locks. It is a Schwinn High Sierra that has had a colorful past having been stolen twice here at the marina before it was given to me.

It is possible to store several bikes inside my sailboat cabin One is just fine, two will work and three is too much.

For protection against
rust and to making living possible on the boat several complete bikes plus extra wheels set are store in a gated locker storage close to my boat.

My Instagram @Captain Dewayne and I have a following of 118. My son Dylan Stark @whoisdylan has a mere 39.8K followers a mere drop in the bucket compared to my loyal fans.

He is also on YouTube where he has his own site

Personally I went from riches to rags purchasing video cameras for Dylan at an early age. Fortune is a little better now as he gets camera for free. He uses his IPhone and a Sioeye Camera for filming and an Apple for editing.

Here is the first of his recent China trip.

The second in the series as he cruises China

Finally the last part Chapter 3 at Fire Festival

As a reader of books I until recently didn't read many about bicycles but with free downloads from my public library to one of any of my three Kindle devices. Yesterday I finished On Bicycles: 50 ways ....and found out that I am in that small percentage who use a bicycle as a form of transportation. Of course my riding also includes for fun and station in shape. The label on my Wranglers shows a 31 inch waist. The book shown talks about the great riding places and cities where bicycles are in larger numbers. San Pedro is built on hills unlike other cities built on Rock and Roll. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the South and the Los Angeles Harbor to the East riding West is all hills and North is introduction to the ghetto.

What is in a name?

My boat is located in a upwind slip and is the second slip after you walk down the gangway. The transom is in full view to walkers that navigate the sidewalks around the marinas. There are three marinas on the west side of the "West Channel" and the sidewalks wind around which allows one to walk from 22nd Street almost to Cabrillo Beach.



One evening when I was still under a roof I was watching a science show on television about the falling water levels of large lakes in Africa and how evolution can change fish species when land bridges separate bodies of water.

This led to some internet searching which led me to Lake Malawi then Likoma Island. This is where I discovered a luxury resort:  Kaya Mawa The words in the Nyanja Language means: Maybe tomorrow

As a six year old I learned the song "Manana" as it was always sung during the Sing a Long when I went with my family to the Shrine Auditorium Family Shows.

The faucet she is dripping and the fence she's fallin' down
My pocket needs some money, so I can't go into town
My brother isn't working and my sister doesn't care
The car she needs a motor so I can't go anywhere

My mother's always working, she's working very hard
But every time she looks for me I'm sleeping in the yard
My mother thinks I'm lazy and maybe she is right

I'll go to work maÃana but I gotta sleep tonight
(maÃana, maÃana, maÃana is soon enough for me)
Oh, once I had some money but I gave it to my friend
He said he'd pay me double, it was only for a lend

But he said a little later that the horse she was so slow
Why he give the horse my money is something I don't know
(maÃana, maÃana, maÃana is soon enough for me)
MaÃana, maÃana,

My grand parents lived on Vermont Ave at 78th Street in Los Angeles. My father and I would walk to the Shrine with my Uncle Bryon early on a Saturday afternoon to stand in line to get good seats. It was an all day wait. After the doors opened we would get seats in the center just behind the orchestra. My Uncle and I would save the seats while my father walked back to 78th to get the car and bring my grandparents back. Before the ushers opened the doors my father and I would explore USC and all the interesting points in the neighborhood. 

Never went to USC as a student but my daughter Frances taught there.

So back to my boats name, If asked the shorter version is, it means "Manana"

My Schwinn locked to dock step

neighbor's rack on steps

Love this boat's name

When you live on a boat with a bicycle you need a rack too.

Bikes on powerboat stern

What is in a name?

My boat is located in a upwind slip and is the second slip after you walk down the gangway. The transom is in full view to walkers that navigate the sidewalks around the marinas. There are three marinas on the west side of the "West Channel" and the sidewalks wind around which allows one to walk from 22nd Street almost to Cabrillo Beach.



One evening when I was still under a roof I was watching a science show on television about the falling water levels of large lakes in Africa and how evolution can change fish species when land bridges separate bodies of water.

This led to some internet searching which led me to Lake Malawi then Likoma Island. This is where I discovered a luxury resort:  Kaya Mawa The words in the Nyanja Language means: Maybe tomorrow

As a six year old I learned the song "Manana" as it was always sung during the Sing a Long when I went with my family to the Shrine Auditorium Family Shows.

The faucet she is dripping and the fence she's fallin' down
My pocket needs some money, so I can't go into town
My brother isn't working and my sister doesn't care
The car she needs a motor so I can't go anywhere

My mother's always working, she's working very hard
But every time she looks for me I'm sleeping in the yard
My mother thinks I'm lazy and maybe she is right

I'll go to work maÃana but I gotta sleep tonight
(maÃana, maÃana, maÃana is soon enough for me)
Oh, once I had some money but I gave it to my friend
He said he'd pay me double, it was only for a lend

But he said a little later that the horse she was so slow
Why he give the horse my money is something I don't know
(maÃana, maÃana, maÃana is soon enough for me)
MaÃana, maÃana,

My grand parents lived on Vermont Ave at 78th Street in Los Angeles. My father and I would walk to the Shrine with my Uncle Bryon early on a Saturday afternoon to stand in line to get good seats. It was an all day wait. After the doors opened we would get seats in the center just behind the orchestra. My Uncle and I would save the seats while my father walked back to 78th to get the car and bring my grandparents back. Before the ushers opened the doors my father and I would explore USC and all the interesting points in the neighborhood. 

Never went to USC as a student but my daughter Frances taught there.

So back to my boats name, If asked the shorter version is, it means "Manana"

My Schwinn locked to dock step

neighbor's rack on steps

Love this boat's name

When you live on a boat with a bicycle you need a rack too.

Bikes on powerboat stern

Water Balloons at Sea

These pictures were shot during a volunteer training sail on March 26, 2011 with the LAMI youth training program.

Each trip I have been on (this is my third) has a mixed crew. Some are new faces, some are familiar but the ship and safety drills remain the same.

This morning, we start at 10:00 A.M., both ships sailed south towards the Port of Long Beach inside the break water. There wasn't much wind.

The two different ship crews are competitive and often engage in mock battles but only one brigantine has a gun. They may have a loud black powder gun but we are armed with a water balloon launcher and plenty of water balloons. We are close enough to each other for several balloons to get someone wet.

Ready to launch

Balloon launched

Balloon hits target

Exy's chief pitcher winds up ready to heave a water balloon

The battle is over and each side claims the victory.

She changes course and sail away from us.

The course was not set but you can see the mainsail and main stay sail

Notice the smooth water and the drooping pennant and ensign.

She head to sea searching for whales and we stay inside dodging barges and container ships.

Every line has a function and a place to be stowed when not in use.

Whale Fiesta

Almost every morning we leave the marina and I take my dog Dede for her morning walk. She likes to head for Cabrillo Beach to look for the squirrels that run around the park. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a hanging sign announcing the Whale Fiesta.

So I entered the date in the back of my forgetful storage device under my hat. Then this Friday morning I saw a tractor moving sand and dumping it under the direction of two fellows that were measuring the placement of each load of sand.

They also had two large books opened to pictures of whales.

Friday the form was just a lump of sand. Then Saturday the shape started to form.

Then you add a fire hose and water.

And whales need lots of water,

And then it started to rain.

When I fist came over early Sunday morning the whale was a work in progress. Later after ten I rode by bicycle back over to take more pictures which wasn't a great idea as my bicycle doesn't have a roof and the sky opened up.

The following pictures were taken Monday morning.

I guess somebody had fun whale walking.