This crazy boat shaped like a donut features a large central barbeque!
I walked about Coronado yesterday and got material for a few blog posts. First, check out this crazy watercraft! I saw it while walking along Glorietta Bay and thought–what the heck is that?!?! It’s a floating barbeque! I’ve seen pictures of jacuzzi boats, but never something inventive resembling this! I wonder what the Coast Guard thinks of the thing. To me, it looks like fun!
The Barbeque Donut can be found at Seaforth boat rental dock in Coronado.
Perhaps you saw my post a little over a year ago about the very cool “Imagine Tent City” public artwork on Coronado. It stands just south of where I took the above pics. Well, I got many more really great photographs and have added them to that old post. You might enjoy checking it out!
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Fishermen enjoy a day on San Diego Bay with downtown skyline in background.
I made a discovery last weekend as I searched through hundreds of old pics on my computer. It seems I really like to photograph anything that floats in San Diego Bay! There’s just something very striking about purposeful objects that move across the sparkling water. Here’s a variety of photos…
Ferry approaches Coronado while navigating past other ships and boats.Kayakers paddle under the Coronado Ferry Landing pier.Kayaker checks out the water underneath Joe’s Crab Shack.Paddling away on San Diego Bay. Looks like a fun adventure!Guy in small inflatable with bucket, net and fishing rods hopes to catch something.USS Ardent (MCM-12) mine countermeasures Navy ship cruises along the bay.Huge Dole cargo ship brings in millions of bananas from Central America.Sailboat heads out from Shelter Island Yacht Basin past Scripps research ship Melville.Billowing sail is colorful under San Diego blue sky.Man casts from shore of Shelter Island, hangars on North Island in the background.A bunch of beautiful yachts in a row behind the San Diego Convention Center.Boats docked in large marina between Harbor Island and Spanish Landing.Maritime Museum of San Diego’s Swift Boat, PCF-816, returns from a harbor cruise.The Harbor Island Fuel Dock is always a hub of boating activity.Sailboat leans on the sparkling water of our endlessly fascinating Big Bay.
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Roving lady stilt walker with parasol welcomes people to Broadway Pier celebration.
I really enjoyed checking out a special event around the Broadway Pier today. San Diego’s bayfront is in the middle of a very large-scale multi-year renovation, and the completion of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Phase I was marked this afternoon with a public celebration!
The big Port Pavilion on the pier itself and various improvements and new structures around the foot of the pier have added color, new life and functionality to an area popular with both tourists and locals. A once narrow sidewalk is now a broad promenade, with lots of fun and exciting new features. There are new benches, shady pavilions, beautiful landscaping and other welcome amenities.
I’ll post some of my better photos, and you can enjoy a bit of what I saw…
San Diegans check out the newly revamped section of the North Embarcadero.New benches along Harbor Drive are festive today for the celebrationMusicians near entrance to Broadway Pier entertain folks for the Port of San Diego.A crazy magician wowed young and old on the action-packed pier today.Exactly who are you pointing at?New tables and chairs provide great view of the bay at end of Broadway Pier.Brave souls soar down a zip-line with a docked cruise ship in background.A kids fun zone near the pier featured a very cool Seal Tours amphibious vehicle.Chalk art created on the pier beneath the zip-line celebrates San Diego sights and tourism.Artist of Mexikota Art works on a canvas south of the pier near Harbor Drive.Folks check out a new sign which features nearby places on the Embarcadero.The unique design on this restroom was created by renowned artist Pae White. This artwork is titled Birds’ Words.Art for the North Embarcadero improvement was created by Pae White. The pavilion buildings’ glass colors were selected based on how sunlight affects the bay.Mariachis take a break between performances near one new colorful pavilion.Mural around walls of a pavilion shows timeline of this bustling stretch of San Diego Bay.Both North and South Embarcadero have seen dramatic changes over the decades.More colorful glass artwork incorporated into a new pavilion along Harbor Drive.San Diego’s waterfront has become more beautiful, user-friendly and interesting!
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Man points out a recent fleet carrier name on the Aircraft Carrier Memorial.
Take a stroll down the Greatest Generation Walk on San Diego’s Embarcadero and you’re likely to see people standing beside the Aircraft Carrier Memorial, just gazing at the long list of historic Navy ships. Many will run their hand along the black marble obelisk as they search for the ship on which they or a loved one served.
The listed names include every fleet carrier, training carrier, light carrier, escort carrier, and amphibious assault ship from American history. Well, almost. I’ve noticed the fleet carrier section has run out of space, and the last ship named is the Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). No room remains to engrave the more recent USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).
Sculpture of a sailor who served aboard a flattop.Obelisk of Aircraft Carrier Memorial remembers past ships from naval history.
The memorial, whose bronze figures were sculpted by artists T.J. Dixon and James Nelson, contains the following words:
The advent of the aircraft carrier revolutionized modern naval warfare. This memorial was conceived by aircraft carrier veterans to honor this nation’s carriers and the personnel who proudly served aboard them. Powered by the human soul, these ships changed the course of history.
This site is known as the old navy “fleet landing”…where countless thousands of servicemen boarded boats that transported them to their ships.
The names of all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and their hull numbers are inscribed hereon…from the smallest to the largest. Every “flattop” is of equal distinction…none above the other. The personnel who manned, fought and in some cases perished aboard these ships were and are a part of the finest Navy and Marine Corps in the world.
Sculpture of a naval aviator who flew from a carrier.The Aircraft Carrier Memorial can be found on San Diego’s Greatest Generation Walk.
The Greatest Generation Walk is located on San Diego Bay, just south of the USS Midway Museum.
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Mermaid with a megaphone on the bay side of the narrow Canyon Path.
A mermaid emerges near the edge of beautiful San Diego Bay. She summons people from the bustling city with her megaphone…
Man with binoculars peers into dark alley between convention center and Marriott.
A man with binoculars peers between the San Diego Convention Center and the Marriott Marquis hotel. He heard the mermaid’s siren call, and is trying to catch a glimpse. She seems to be waiting at the end of a long, mysterious passageway…
Unique entrance to partially hidden walkway that provides easy bay access.
Will these people walking along succeed in finding the elusive mermaid? Turn left! Turn left!
Walking through narrow Canyon Path between buildings.
The mermaid seems to be somewhere ahead. The narrow Canyon Path between buildings is shadowy and filled with dark trees and bushes. It’s a bit scary. Where are we going? Are we lost?
Prismatic kite in blue sky above the Canyon Path.
Look up! It’s a shining kite in the blue sky!
Colorful light like a rainbow is cast by prism kite onto building side.
As we approach the mermaid on the opposite side, a beautiful rainbow-like splash of color appears on the Canyon Path’s vertical side! This secret place seems to be filled with magic!
The mermaid, man with binoculars and prismatic kite are all part of public art called The Benefit of Mr. Kite. This fun artwork was created to draw attention to an easily overlooked 925-foot long pedestrian accessway between the convention center and Marriott Marquis hotel, leading from Harbor Drive to the Marriott Marina on San Diego Bay. The artists responsible for our magical journey are Mags Harries and Lajos Héder!
UPDATE!
Look what I saw during a later walk through the passageway!
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Mirabella V is the largest single-masted yacht in the world! It’s gigantic!
I had to blink my eyes a couple times during my walk today. I was behind the San Diego Convention Center, where lots of visiting super yachts are docked, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
That huge ship in front of me looked like the largest sailboat on planet Earth!
As it turned out, my first impression wasn’t far from the truth!
A little searching on the internet proved that I had spotted the Mirabella V (today more commonly called M5), a sloop-rigged super yacht launched in 2003. Registered in the Isle of Man, it’s the largest single-masted yacht ever built. It’s 292 feet high! That’s almost the height of a 30-story skyscraper! It’s so tall, it won’t fit under any bridge accessible from the ocean. Not even the Golden Gate Bridge!
It’s hard to appreciate the mind-boggling immensity of this amazing vessel with these quick pics, but I thought they were worth sharing anyway.
You never know what extraordinary thing you’ll encounter during an ordinary stroll!
People walk past huge boat docked behind convention center.An unexpected sight. Mirabella V is visiting San Diego on a sunny October day.
Here are a couple more pics I snapped on October 19…
People walk toward Hilton hotel and giant mast of a world-record super yacht.Mirabella V has a mast that is higher than nearby San Diego buildings!
Here’s another pic I took in March 2015…
People enjoying a day on San Diego Bay return to sailing super-yacht M5.
Check out what I saw on April 12, as I was walking along!
During another walk I noticed an airplane in the water beside M5.The super-yacht’s crane lifts the small seaplane from San Diego Bay into the air!Crew members pull on ropes to swing the airplane toward the ship’s deck.This tiny seaplane is about to be set on a super gigantic single-masted sailing yacht!The plane is secured to the rear deck of the amazing M5 yacht.
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Forgive me for telling the following very silly story. I suppose I like this short story because it happens to be true.
As always, please follow the captions…
A beautiful day on Shelter Island and kayakers approach the boat ramp area.A fisherman has arrived on a boat and he’s tossing leftover bait to pelicans and gulls.And look who else is tagging along–it’s Wally the sea lion!Wally is looking for a free meal, himself. A large fish would be very nice!Wally spots some new arrivals coming into the little boat ramp area.It’s the kayakers! Wally greets everyone and quickly looks things over.Some curious, sociable mammals (and a few birds) enjoy a moment together.
The fisherman told me the California sea lion’s name is Wally. He told the kayakers the same thing. So it seems his name must be Wally!
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Seaworthy replica of galleon San Salvador built by San Diego Maritime Museum.
On my way to the Cabrillo Festival yesterday, I swung by Spanish Landing across from the airport to check out the San Salvador. As you might recall from my blog post from early last December, the San Salvador is a replica of the galleon sailed by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. The San Diego Maritime Museum is building it.
I was surprised to see the cool ship is nearly completed! Check out some pics I took over the surrounding fence! I spoke to a young volunteer who was working near the ship, and she told me the San Salvador is expected to launch in early 2015. The galleon will be sailing up the coast of California, recreating the historic trip by the famous explorer. And a documentary will be filmed during the voyage!
The peculiar-looking vessel will be able to navigate the open ocean, she assured me, and is ready to go today, but the folks building her are doing as much additional detail work as they can while the ship remains on dry land.
Bow modeled after historic galleon sailed by explorer Cabrillo in 1542.Stern of the wooden galleon that will sail on the Pacific Ocean in early 2015.View of the San Salvador and a huge mast from Harbor Drive sidewalk.People on the upper deck of the almost finished galleon.
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Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego Bay for Spain in 1542.
San Diego’s 51st Annual Cabrillo Festival was held today. Taking place at Ballast Point near the south end of Naval Base Point Loma, the event allowed the public to view a reenactment of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s entrance into San Diego Bay in 1542. Cabrillo, born in Portugal, commanded his voyage of discovery on behalf of Spain, sailing the galleon San Salvador up the west coast of America.
In addition to the colorful reenactment, the festival included a short ceremony, speeches, costumes, National Park exhibits, food and dance provided by various cultural groups, and just a lot of interesting local history. I took some photographs. Here they are!
Visitors to the 51st Annual Cabrillo Festival await reenactment of historic event.People gather above the small beach at Ballast Point on Naval Base Point Loma.As people await a rowboat full of reenactors, event commentary is provided.
A short walk out to a point beside the bay provided a view of the San Diego Maritime Museum’s tall ship Californian, which portrayed Cabrillo’s galleon San Salvador.
Tall ship Californian, in the distance, serves during event as Cabrillo’s galleon San Salvador.
I took pictures of two signs by the above fenced archeological site…
Sign at Ballast Point tells about archeological site of old Spanish whaling station.Stones and tiles are remains of an old tryworks oven where whale oil was boiled.
I headed back to the gathered crowd to await the main event…
Here comes the rowboat containing explorer Cabrillo, a priest and crew members.People watching this recreation of history are snapping photos like crazy.Cabrillo leaps from the galleon’s small boat onto the shore!Cabrillo in armor raises his sword, while priest with cross stands behind him.Cabrillo now plants a Spanish Cross of Burgundy flag on soil of New World.A proclamation is read on behalf of Spain by Portuguese explorer Cabrillo.Actors depart the narrow beach and head up to join the onlookers.Kids pose with a modern day version of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.Many folks in costume were in the big crowd!Navy honor guard prepares for anthems of four nations and a moment of silence.Making an adjustment to costume from the Old World centuries ago.Anthems were played for Spain, Portugal, Mexico and the United States.
In addition to the four national anthems, a moment of silence honored the Native American Kumeyaay, who lived in this area long before Europeans arrived. Cabrillo spent a few days anchored in today’s San Diego Bay, a place he originally named San Miguel. He took on fresh water and traded with the native Kumeyaay people that he met.
People watch with interest during the short ceremony that included several speeches.Several beauty queens appear on stage and smile for everyone.Exhibits included various parts of Spanish conquistador armor.Small boy tries on a surprisingly heavy steel helmet.Chainmail was being twisted with an apparatus at the end of this table.Biscuits, nuts and an astrolabe are typical items carried on a Spanish galleon.Scouts demonstrate rope making with an interesting machine.Friendly lady was making woolen caps to be worn under those heavy steel helmets!
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Volunteers help clean up our San Diego Bay near the Star of India.
The annual San Diego Bay Downtown Cleanup was held this morning! Local scuba divers cleaned up underwater garbage at the edge of our beautiful waterfront, while other volunteers assisted gathering trash above water.
I walked along the Embarcadero from the San Diego Maritime Museum down to Tuna Harbor and took a bunch of cool photographs. Hopefully these pics provide a little inspiration! Let’s make the world more clean and beautiful!
This guy was assisting divers removing trash along the Embarcadero.Power Scuba and Control Group teamed up for downtown waterfront cleanup event.Looking out at dive boat from inside Anthony’s Fishette.Many San Diegans assisted in various ways, or just watched with curiosity.Bags of garbage were gathered throughout the morning to be hauled away later.A participant checks out what’s going on in the water below.The boardwalk near the USS Midway was full of activity.New trash compacting and recycling cans along the Embarcadero are solar powered.Old and young were helping out the environment, making our fine city even better.Scuba divers checked in here before beginning their underwater mission.Piles of garbage found in the bay include construction cones and a shopping cart.Bags of trash are collected as the morning progresses.Pool skimming nets were handy for removing floating litter and debris.Port of San Diego’s boat Tsunami II is used to help clean the bay.Scuba diver gets hosed off on Tuna Harbor dock after gathering trash.
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