#1...Wildcatting The Tide...

Going back in time...

RE Tidal Power…

This plan was devised and developed in Lynn, Massachusetts, a city of about 100K on the coastline between Boston and Gloucester, about ten miles North of Boston.

I grew up in Lynn.

This struggling community needs a boost.

Lynn presents the perfect situation for my project, with necessary infrastructure directly on the ocean. 

It's the ideal place to develop and market this product.

Announcing Shoreline Earth Tidal Power Generator #1…

This “Plug And Play” unit will consistently deliver 5Mw for less than $1 million/Mw.

It has become obvious that none of the current Tidal projects will ever produce anything more than short term, one off jobs in the development sector.

No benefits to the energy consuming public will ever come to fruition.

The industry has become an incestuous exercise, in which a few companies pass designs, patents, and techniques back and forth, producing no beneficial results.

Tidal Power, as offered by Open Hydro, Atlantis, and a few others cannot possibly produce successfully in the competitive world of alternative energy.

Why?

It’s time to spill the beans on Tidal Power and give the public a look at what we are missing by ignoring this amazingly simple technology.

Take a look.

TIDAL POWER

“Catch And Release The Motion Of The Ocean”

The Ocean is an infinite source of clean energy.

The Tide is the most powerful engine on Earth.

Nothing is consumed, no toxic pollutants are released into the atmosphere, and it never stops.

A perpetual engine, with unfathomable energy, is right before our eyes, waiting to go to work forever.

Why haven’t we learned to utilize this awesome force?

There are efforts underway to develop the potential of The Tide, but they are a small afterthought in the Global Energy picture.

None of them will succeed beyond the curiosity stage, because each is unique to a single location.

Every effort relies on the belief that accelerated flow through inlets, estuaries, or other coastal choke points is necessary.

The cost benefits of mass production will never come into play as long as this narrowly focused outlook holds sway.

Shoreline Earth Tidal Power Generator #1 will change that.

5 Mw, ‘Plug And Play’ unit #1 can be installed anywhere the tide comes in and goes out over a smooth, naturally sloping bottom.

If you look at an online satellite image of Lynn, Mass., USA, you’ll see a curved stretch of shoreline featuring this exact situation.

Picture a line from the tip of Nahant to the tip of Marblehead.

The water is 60-80 feet deep with a hard scrubbed, gradually sloping bottom.

The Tide moves over the bottom at fractional MPH, but it is relentless, predictable, and carries the full torque of the Atlantic Ocean with it every minute of every day.

Torque, not speed of flow, generates power.

Slow, steady speed will produce more power than rapidly moving water.

Much like Tidal Power itself, #1 is simple and predictably reliable.

So simple, in fact, I hope and expect that by the time #1 is in production, throngs of competitors will appear with designs taking Tidal Power to the next level.

Once Tidal Power is properly understood, shows profit potential, and becomes part of the Global Energy discussion, it will develop at blinding speed.

We need a new energy source that is readily viable, long lasting, and develops at the speed of Free Enterprise, rather than that of endless University Studies and Government Bureaucracy.

#1 provides that source.

Learn how #1 will “Catch And Release The Motion Of The Ocean”.

This is going to be like first guy at the oil field with a drill in the ground very soon.

In an unprecedented move, Shoreline Earth claims the aforementioned stretch of bottom between Nahant and Marblehead.

Unless some misguided Government Official tries to stop me, thereby denying The Public access to this infinitely sustainable energy source, #1 will soon be producing clean power with zero negative impact.

Wildcatting The Tide

Welcome To Frontier USA

Steve Smyth

as relentless as The Tide and just as reliable

smythspace@gmail.com   copy/paste

BIO

I was born with an innate inability to stay within known boundaries.

In fact, I never even recognize them until it’s too late.

Tidal Power is boundless.

A source of readily available, boundless energy surrounds us.

Even I will never reach the edge.

This is my realm.

Schooner Fest Special...

August 31 2016…

Schooners, Schooners, and more Schooners.

So many, in fact, that old timers claimed one could cross Gloucester Harbor by stepping from vessel to vessel and never get wet.

But that was then.

This is now, a chance to enjoy the ones we still have.

An odd sequence of events finds me in Gloucester for the first time in several years.

It feels good!

Serendipity and blind luck are making it even better because it’s Schooner Festival time.

Let me tell you a couple of tales about events related to previous Schooner Festivals, both involving my old friend, the late, great Steve Waldron.

Steve and I did all manner of boat work, from high budget yachts to the scruffiest working vessels around.

We also spent many hours doing restoration and repairs to Steve’s Schooner, Strombus, a fascinating vessel.

You can google Schooner Strombus and learn some interesting facts about its current state of affairs, but read this first.

This happened sometime in the 1990s, hard to recall exactly.

As The Schooner Festival approached, it appeared that Steve and I, with a lot of assistance from others around the waterfront, had Strombus in shape to enter the Schooner Race, almost.

The top of the mainmast had a relief cut in it where a sheave ran over a pin through the mast.

The pin ran through the wooden mast, with the sheave oriented fore and aft.

The topping lift, which raises the gaff, ran over the sheave.

We knew it was old and little wobbly, if the line ran off the sheave we had no mainsail, because the line would jam between the metal sheave and wood, leaving the sail stuck wherever it was at the time.

Needless to say, we gambled that the rig would suffice for a few more hours.

We set out from Smith’s Cove and headed toward the starting line, outside the breakwater, under power. 

Those of you who knew Steve Waldron will chuckle, because as a mechanic, Steve’s ‘Iron Jenny’ was usually apart or being replaced by his latest, too good to be true, discovery.

As soon as we could find an open spot, just inside the Boulevard, we lashed the rudder and let Strombus circle slowly while we set sail, or attempted to do so.

The sheave jammed almost immediately.

So much for Strombus’ first entry into The Schooner Race, DRAT!

Then a miracle happened.

David Brown, operator of Bickford’s Marina on Rocky Neck, appeared in the marina’s launch, with a Bosun’s Chair.

To this day, I have no clue how the pieces of the puzzle led David to show up when he did, with the chair, but he did.

Up the mast, rig repaired for the time being, mainsail set, David motors off, and we approached the start under sail.

The first marker was a huge orange air bag.

Our approach had us heading SE, out to Sea, gathering some momentum and tightening the rig, but the marker had to be passed in a NE direction to get on the course.

Steve was the Captain that day, and I was the helmsman.

Strombus, at 50 feet, was steered by a tiller.

Picture turning a tractor trailer hard left, past 90 degrees, at slow speed, with no power steering, just a long stick tucked under your arm for leverage.

That should give an idea of what it was like to steer Strombus without a lot of headway.

Not quite up to miracle status, but I got the ‘bus headed the right way, and we passed the marker in first place just as the gun fired.

We were so close that I could touch the air bag as we passed, but didn’t because Capt. Waldron feared it might be a penalty.

At that magical moment, we were in it to win it.

I have never seen Steve so happy and exhilarated.

We looked around for the first time and realized that the real contenders had left early, headed toward Salem, and were roaring back with plenty of oomph and a decent breeze.

But we were still the lead boat if only we could catch some wind and get Strombus moving.

The ‘bus was terrible in tight conditions, but underway she could be tuned and tightened to make steady time.

Steve had located an old furling system for the Genoa.

We had never tried it.

Now was as good a time as any.

It worked like we knew what we were doing.

Strombus actually lurched forward and heeled over as the Genoa tightened.

I estimated that the favorites were moving at twice our speed, but their run to Salem had them at least twice as far from the finish as us.

Could it be, would everything stay in place for a real run to the finish?

No.

We roared ahead as fast as Strombus could go for about 100 yards before the wind suddenly stopped completely.

I’m talking instant doldrums.

Capt. Waldron ordered wing to wing, main and mizzen set as far outside the rail as line would allow.

The Genoa was furled, as we tried everything possible to catch a whisper of breeze, rapidly pulling in the sails, first one side then the other, trying to row through the dead air with the sails as oars.

Nope.

The Schooner Race ended for Strombus at that moment, but we had crossed the start in 1st place, even if only for that magical moment.

It made everything worthwhile to be there when Steve felt the hint of victory.

The disappointment was eased because the same thing happened to all the participants.

Race over, in our minds, WE WON!

Another time, our adventures during Schooner Fest involved The Schooner Adventure.

She had undergone extensive work to be ready for the Parade of Sail, ‘96, I believe.

Adventure was tied up behind the Coast Guard station at Harbor Loop.

The day was perfect, with throngs of visitors roaming the dock with their kids and dogs.

The Louis B. French entered the harbor under sail with the longest streamer trailing atop the mainmast that I have ever seen, beautiful.

While all this was going on, Steve and I were emptying a ‘black water’ tank deep within Adventure’s hull.

The US Coast Guard stepped in and took over at the last minute.

Before Adventure could leave the dock, or anyone could go aboard, this riveted, cast iron tank, which appeared to be as old as the vessel herself, had to be emptied and purified of numerous toxic gases.

Black water nightmares are as old as boats.

Human waste produces some really nasty stuff when allowed to simmer for decades in a contained space.

Stories of ruptured tanks suddenly choking and killing all aboard ships of yore were rampant that day.

I believe them.

This stuff, oily looking brown sludge, could potentially kill, and almost surely sicken a lot of people, ruining the event for all, if any gases escaped while we pumped out the tank.

Done properly, there would have been several guys in Hazmat suits with sophisticated, sealed pumping systems, and lots of superiors on hand to oversee the proceedings.

Days would have passed while paperwork flowed, with Adventure in a form of Quarantine.

Steve and I got ‘er done on the spot with a cheap electric pump, several lengths of garden hose, a special vise grip with felt cloth in the jaws to prevent permanently crushing the hose when we shut off the flow to check the pump, and a pickup truck parked on Harbor Loop with four blue plastic barrels standing in the truck’s bed.

It was several hundred feet from the tank to the truck.

The hose ran along the ground, through the crowd.

The Coast Guard guys stayed around to show us the issues, point out the dangers, and went off to start the paperwork.

As soon as they left, Steve and I pumped out the tank into the blue barrels and dumped some sort of anti-toxicity agent down the tank’s ancient vent pipe.

All went well, none of the visitors suffered any ill effects, and Adventure got away from the dock in time to participate.

From the exhilaration of a moral victory, to basically shoveling shit against the tide, like I said, we did it all.

Just a couple of everyday days around the Gloucester Waterfront.

Stay tuned...more to come…

Steve Smyth
Gloucester, August, 2016

Global Change Positives...

I’ve managed to come up with some positive aspects of change, amidst all the negative nonsense being peddled by every form of media.

Try this ‘For A Change’.

For starters, disaster is not tomorrow, or even next week.

We have advance knowledge.

That’s a Positive.

It is, however, reasonable for us to believe that change, caused by planetary warming, looms ahead for better or worse.

Is it our fault?

Of course it is.

We have fouled our own nest.

Dumb us! ( wrist slapping sound )

That said, we still have to move forward, it’s what we do.

The overall thrust of Humanity is still all about procreation and proliferation.

We’re good at it.

Since we started altering our environment with waste products from the fuel that keeps civilization humming, a period of time becoming known as The Anthropocene, our population has doubled.

That’s a roaring success.

Not a lot of forethought went into it.

Here we are.

If you can overlook your own situation, and see things this way, from the big picture viewpoint, we are friggin’ awesome at what we do.

We’re as good at being us as LeBron is at hoops, naturals, with extensive training and desire.

Our self-anointed ‘Superior Intellect’ gets us in a lot of trouble when applied without consideration for consequences, but we always get out of the trouble and turn whatever caused it into a positive.

Dealing with catastrophes and crises makes it better for the next generation.

Someone always sees a way to handle it, survive, and use what’s been learned to improve the future.

Another Positive, we are amazing, some of us always get through!

Sure there are casualties along the way, we're part of the Natural Course Of Events, players in The Carbon Cycle.

Survival in this game is blind luck.

Again, overlooking the effect on your own existence and experiencing what’s all around as happening to all of us, the future looks different, not so much impending doom, brighter in fact.

Get outside yourself
Add something Positive

Powered By The Moon...

Humans have always loved both the Moon and the Ocean.

With the advent of Tidal Power, we're gonna love 'em even more.

FREE, Lunar driven, perpetual energy covers most of this Planet, constantly lapping at the shoreline, waiting for us to figger out how to use it, before it inundates us and our way of life.

Sea Level Rise is The Ocean forcing us to pay attention to our coastal endeavors, and dropping a hint, saying, "Your over utilized natural resources are dwindling, while I get stronger by the day. Heads up, Folks!"

I love Earth’s Shoreline.

From the pristine majesty of Big Sur, to an oil soaked backwater, filled with rotting pilings and greasy derelicts, all the way down to the edges of a puddle, fascinating things are always happening wherever water meets land.

Among the most fascinating things happening at the shoreline is us.

Don’tcha think?

Let's start along The Waterfront in Lynn Mass USA, my hometown on The Ocean.

Welcome to Lynn Harbor, stay tuned, this is where the action starts.

Sea Level Rise...The Real Skinny...

Let's take a deeper look at Sea Level Rise.

There must be at least 10,000 people making a living by discussing and writing about Climate Change and Sea Level Rise.

9,900 of them never thought about either topic until a few years ago.

Reporting on The Climate Industry has only existed since the late part of 2007.

This is a brand new realm, but it's catching on, and developing at blinding speed.

Neither the situation nor the job of disseminating the relevant information has any precedent.

We have never been here before.

With all the aforementioned info already out there, why should you care what I have to say?

Here's one good reason.

The link below takes you to a Washington Post article, dated February 1, 2016, referencing the results of a just published scientific study showing the threat posed to US East Coast from Sea Level Rise.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/01/why-the-u-s-east-coast-could-be-a-major-hotspot-for-sea-level-rise/

Below is how I presented that info in August, 2014.

Excerpt ...below...click text link for the entire piece...

"Here's one thing you can bet on.

The US East Coast is one of the areas where Ocean warming leads inevitably to Sea Level Rise.

Look at this map of Atlantic Ocean currents.





You'll see that The Gulf Stream consists of warm water traveling North.

As The Ocean warms and expands, more warm water at the surface will travel North with The Gulf Stream."

Below is a link to another piece I wrote in November of 2014.

http://ournewocean.blogspot.com/2014/11/us-east-coast-sea-level-rise.html

I was able to present this news well in advance of the Washington Post piece because I have been on this case for a long time, I came into it with a lifetime of relevant knowledge, and the internet has provided me access to the top people in the field when I have a question.

Shoreline Earth is my turf.

The effects of Sea Level Rise matter greatly to me.

I do not want The Ocean and its Shoreline to become our enemy.

My interest is to figure out what is really happening, what it means to us, and what we can do to prepare.

There is no stopping an expanding Ocean.

Preparation for the most likely scenario is our best bet.

What is that most likely scenario?

Forget six feet of water in Manhattan.

Nobody on Earth will live to see that.

However, we may well see two feet of The Atlantic Ocean covering low lying portions of NYC during extreme coastal events on a regular basis.

In other words, events like Hurricane Sandy become commonplace.

Early Insight ...

That's what I offer.

Make of it what you will!

Shoreline Earth is not reporting the news.

Shoreline Earth is the news.