Last Dance with Rodvik

Warning!! Given Rodvik's recent departure from Second Life, the title of this post might imply some melodramatic musings when it's actually a response to Strawberry Singh's latest Monday Meme, Dance in Second Life Challenge.

SL Sailing Pro Tips: A Lighthearted Look at Second Life Sailing

Now that Port Trianon is open and the Shared Seas of the Duché de Coeur & Rocca Sorrentina have become a reality I've set my sights on becoming a Second Life sailor.  It hasn't been easy and though I've had to swim for my life more times than I care to count I have learned a few things along the way. Calling them "Pro Tips" may be a bit of a stretch (though it does have a nice ring to it!) but they may help novice SL sailors figure out their port from their starboard.  Have a look & see what you think!

First things first; take my hard-earned advice and make an effort to get to know your sailboat, especially if you intend to do any racing.  Being a "last minute" person myself, I've suffered the embarrassment of backing over my competition at the starting-line when I really meant to move forward.  Fortunately, they're a forgiving bunch!

Public sailboats are available at the docks of Port Trianon & the beach of Rocca Sorrentina.

The green & brown sailboats from the Duché are for singles & groups; these are the ones used for racing. The blue sailboats are for couples that like to cuddle though they can also be used as a rather awkward single.

With the Duché boats make sure you "sit" to the right of the rudder otherwise the boat, thinking you are a passenger, will not follow your commands.

Port Trianon: Connecting the Shared Seas

Port Trianon: Midday

It's been a whirlwind three months since the Duché de Coeur & Rocca Sorrentina formalized their plans for a closer physical connection between their two realms.

We started with the addition of two, brand-new, sailable regions linking Rocca Sorrentina to the southern shores of Provence Coeur.  Then the real work commenced.

We were busy dredging harbours, forming islands and attending to all the little details that make this a magical Second Life destination.  A few minor bumps were experienced along the way; I managed to flatten both Provence Coeur Est & Provence Coeur Est2 with one keystroke (note to self: always look above sea level when using the terrain tool especially when it's set to high) but all-in-all the work progressed smoothly.