Hey there,
@pkondz! I was just thinking of you today because Nathan was talking about his upcoming trip near to your neck of the woods. He's got work at a comic convention in Winnipeg next weekend. I, sadly, won't be making the trip due to the small matter of school. Alas, sometimes you gotta' make the hard choices.
But he's looking forward to it, I think.
Oh! You're studying biology. Is that the mid-term? Oops! Not supposed to think about that. Sorry!
The midterm...blech...I just got back from a three-hour tutorial, where the TA explained 6-hours worth of lecture material... The course is mostly bio with a bit of chemistry and physics thrown in, all in an effort to explain the science of hearing, or "audition." Our professor's first language is not English. 'Nuff said. The TA, who speaks English quite fluently, basically teaches the course. I learn about 10% material in lectures, and 90% in tutorials with the TA. My studying should be consisting of learning things like:
This:
And this:
...but it's mostly just me watching
youtube videos of hair cells dancing to 1950's tunes and such:
Not too bad. We waited about 15 minutes in the standby line, plus another 5 or so to sit in the middle section. I'm glad we did, too, because I found out later in the trip that the side sections—along with having a drunken view—aggravate my motion sickness. I wouldn't want Nathan's mom's first ride to make her sick.
Yep! I like the
idea of boats. I just get seasick if I jump in a puddle too deep. But I manage on something as short as this ride, or the boat from MK to Wilderness Lodge, etc.
Sure! Here ya go:
(From a former skipper)
The propulsion system was originally a 4 cylinder diesel motor (up until about 2005 they were all 82hp 236 c.i.d. Perkins) Now they have switched to Yanmar 115hp turbo diesels due to emission requirements. The diesel motors drive a hydraulic pump that helps to turn the propeller shaft 360 degrees, as well as providing the torque to turn the propeller itself. This gives the propeller assembly a full 360 degrees of radial turning motion as well as providing the thrust. It is like an upside down oscillating table fan that can turn around and around limitlessly. Because there is no direct mechanical link between the drive shaft and propeller shaft, due to the hydraulic torque generator, the drive shaft will never bind up. The hydraulic steering is on a 1 to 1 ratio with the propeller assembly, therefore a knob is located on the steering wheel indicating direction. With the knob at 12 o'clock the vessel is straight ahead, with the knob at 6 o'clock the vessel is in full reverse. The throttle only controls engine speed, pulling the throttle all the way back only disengages the torque generator. There technically is no reverse gear.
There are two small thrusters located aft, one on each side. You can tell where they are located above the water line by noticing a short red stripe on the aluminum bumper alongside the vessel. These thrusters are a late addition. Due to the number of sudden torque generator failures, the pilot had no way of stopping a boat in full motion should the hydraulic system malfunction. After a few 'incidents', namely the Friendship #3 ramming the boardwalk in front of Spoodles and shattering it's tempered glass windshield all over the guests walking along the boardwalk, engineering decided to add an extra safety system to allow the pilot to stop the boat in case of engine failure. The thrusters are electric, run off their own batteries and have no directional capability. They will immediately apply full reverse thrust if the pilot pushes the big, red, candy like button forward of the original console and steering wheel. There are two small joysticks, and the thrusters can be used to apply forward or reverse thrust individually to guide the boat back into the dock if necessary. Turning the boat in this situation, you would just apply reverse thrust to one, and forward thrust to the other to turn in the desired direction.
The boats also have a second, identical motor in the engine room strictly for running an electrical generator for lights, sound and climate control. it is in not used at all for propulsion. Even the electric thrusters have their own batteries and are not hooked into the generator.
There. Did that help?
I'm
so pleased I now have your eternal gratitude.
Oh..um...wow...ok, I guess I need to do a little work on my specificity in situations like this.
Fun lesson, though! I feel smarter! Almost makes up for how dumb my schoolwork makes me feel!
I should think so!
Just once, when I'm in it, I'd love to see people I know, looking in.
Again with the specificity...oh dear.
How was that? I've heard mixed reviews.
It was pretty good! We had fairly good experience the 2-3 times we ate here. Though there was a time that I got a rice bowl type dish and was told it wouldn't be spicy...DEFINITELY was. I mean, I know I'm a bit of a wimp, but Nathan was shocked when he tasted it at how spicy it was when I was told it wouldn't be at all. Otherwise we liked it. They've gotten rid of whatever weird ordering system they seemed to have in past, and now it seems to function like a typical quick service restaurant. Food quality and variety was decent and we had great CMs there. Not my favourite QS place, but I'd go back if I stayed here again.
Yep! One man embarrassedly struck up a conversation with me about them because his wife had been looking for them everywhere and he just wanted to find them so she would give it a rest. He was pretty disappointed when I told him I ordered them online. He'd been in every store with ears in every park and he kind of had a dead-in-the-eyes look about him at that point.
Have they ever ridden in a car on the highway???
But I've been enjoying as I read and NOW I'm commenting
Sounds like something my MIL would have done years ago before the dementia started. Again, something difficult to do with a large group; find food that pleases everyone........
Those who stayed really enjoyed their meals here, though.
N's family loved Soarin'! Even his mother, who deals with motion sickness slightly worse than mine and had to close her eyes once in a while, thought it was great.
