Three Underwater Places: Mad Mines, Pacifique, Nightgarden

 

 By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 There's plenty of places to explore in Second Life. But recently, I decided to check out "what lies beneath," in this case beneath the ocean surface. So I took a look at the Destination Guide for a few underwater areas. One got my curiosity, a game. So I stopped by Madpea's Mad Mines.

Welcome to Mad Mines: MadPea is searching for brave underwater adventurers to search for a long lost treasure! It’s a dangerous job as the dark and murky waters are filled with sharks and piranhas that will eat you alive. The area is also surrounded by sea mines that will explode if you end up too close to them. If you survive and find the treasure, you will be rewarded very generously.

So I plunked down fifty Lindens for a temporary HUD, which would vanish if I ran out of air or took too much damage, and took the plunge. I went into a cavern of twisty passages and rusty iron doors. I came across a few sea creatures such as octopuses, but they seemed harmless. But my air supply was going down in a hurry. While there were some air bubbles, I couldn't get to them in time.

And well, the deeper I got, the further the surface was. Not able to get to the bubbles, I kept having to double back. And eventually I couldn't get back in time.  While it stated I'd get a new and free HUD before the 30 minutes were up, this wasn't the case. Maybe I needed to be in the group or something. Still, it was a fun little game.

 

For those wanting to take the plunge, head to -

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MadPea%20Base/84/126/27

For those wanting a few hints, check -

https://madpeagames.com/how-to-play/mad-mines-how-to-play/

Moving on, I decided to check out another place with an underwater area: Pacifique.

 

 For some reason while reading the sign, I slid off the pier and into the water. Guess more people randomly exploring find out about the underwater area this way.

There was quite a bit to see around.

And some wildlife, such as octopi and seals. 

There were also some structures underwater as well. I would also find an underwater club area, great for merfolk and friends of.

There was plenty to see above the water as well. The place boasts some dancing areas, waterfalls, a hang glider to fly around in, and more.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pacifique/98/102/23

Earlier this month, I wrote on the Nightgarden area. But I didn't bother to check what was under the water's surface. Seeing it was listed in the Destination Guide as an underwater area, I went back and dove right in. I was pleasantly surprised. 

While perhaps not as large as Pacifique's underwater area, it was attractive and pretty.

A great addition to an already picturesque place in Second Life.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Club%20of%20Friends/146/108/22

That's all for now. To check out more underwater areas in Second Life, check out the Destination Guide.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Titanic – The Night To Remember

By Deaflegacy

I have been wanting to write an article about the Titanic for a long time now. When editor Bixyl Shuftan gave me a chance to write about the majestic ship, I jumped at the chance. I visited the location of the ship rebuilt in Second Life, as well as a museum exhibit that recently opened. Each time was a remarkable visit.

* * * * *

“Teleporting into the sim, one arrives at the dock. It's a few steps to the entry ramp to the ship, the start having an overhead sign "RMS Titanic, White Star Line." Besides walking up at one's own pace, there's a couple's walk animation that a pair can use to go about the ship.

Heading to the right once you get up to the ship, one can go to the bow and with a friend re-create the "I'm King of the World" Scene. Or one can go about exploring the ship, whether on the outside, inside and both. There is much attention to detail, notably in places like the stairways with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Going about, some of the cabins seen also had fine details. The sim's website stated here, "you can be a passenger and experience the romance and luxury of a bygone era." That the ship succeeds in doing. There is also a Titanic Museum, "A Second Night to Remember," on the port side of the top deck.

Second Life being what it is, there have been some compromises made. To help with expenses, a shopping area has been set up where one can get a selection of dresses and jewelry, and some tuxedos. The very bottom of the ship is the engine room. But only on rare occasions can one see the engine up and running. Most of the time it's packed up to cut down on lag. There is also a pool, and a wedding area. At the bow of the ship is the ballroom, where live musicians perform for dace parties. One can dance in the ballroom, or on the deck outside.

The ship is owned by Mara Menges, who bought the ship from it's builder, with Guus Menges as co-owner. The dress code is formal, with the crew reserving the right to bump off the ship those who won't answer requests to change. Animal avatars (also known as ferals to some) are also banned. This does not mean nonhuman characters are always disallowed as neko and furry avatars dressed in formal wear are welcome.

The Second Life Titanic was built by Reborn Wingtips, or Morphius Barbose as he was known at the time of it's construction. A sign on the bridge stated the ship is 254 meters long, slightly shorter than the real-life Titanic's length of 269 meters, and 60 meters high. It consists of roughly 4,500 prims, not counting the furniture.

Reborn stated on the sign, "Titanic has been a build of passion. I studied it in school years ago. Claude Kirshner made land available free of charge for me to build it here in Second Life. Obviously I couldn't create the ship to detail as prims don't allow it. Plus Second Life has tier fees, etc."

"It has taken six months (for the ship) to reach its current condition. This is the fourth or fifth build. I needed to take a few steps back to make one step forward a few times. Later on as the Titanic was nearing completion, the build was discovered by Kallisto Estates, who have generously jumped at the opportunity to provide a sim to sheer Titanic with the world."

" … I think I was in college when we did a big study on the Titanic in Social Studies, covering every aspect, even some things that weren't commonly known. There was a rumor that there was actually a cursed mummy onboard. Even now if I try to imagine being on the ship that night, I get a chill, the humble men, the fear, the desperation. What was God's involvement that night? That's my biggest question."

At the time the article was written, "this particular week marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the real Titanic. Over 2100 visitors came to the ship on April 12th, which was also the day of the "Last 1st Class Dinner on the Titanic" event for European visitors. On Friday the 13th, there will be another such event for American hours at 5:30PM (reservations required). Saturday the 14th has the Steerage Party, from Noon to 2:30PM SL time, 2:30 PM being when the ship hit the iceberg (reservations required)."

Bixyl Shuftan went on to explain that on Sunday at 1PM April 15 would be the memorial service. This event was planned to take place outside the ship at the Titanic memorial on the sim's land, and was is open to all with no dress or avatar code on this occasion. In an article on the Metaverse Tribune, Mara was described as creating the memorial after having met the great-grandson of Captain James Smith, "she discovered that many of those who were lingering at the memorial were relatives of witnesses or survivors."

“There is also a souvenir shop where one can get a memento of their visit to the ship. Considering the history of the ship and how its memory is kept alive by numerous books and movies, such as the one by James Cameron a few years ago, this is one build that is unlikely to be forgotten, and a place one may end up returning to again and again."

The entry point to the Titanic sim is at Titanic (128, 191, 134). For more information, one can check the Second Life Titanic's website at http://www.titanicsecondlife.nl/.

* * * * *

Since the 2012 article was written, there have been a few changes. The shopping area at the docks is larger than it was then, more clothes and a few cars. But it remains a location where parties can be found in the back of the ship at scheduled times in the day. 

While I was not able to find anyone to talk to, searching around I did find out about an art museum exhibit in "The Vordun" art gallery called "A Night to Remember." Those entering are handed a HUD that has the name of one of the passengers. Mine was second class passenger Mrs. Irene Corbett. The exhibit described the construction of the ship and the excitement among the public whom saw the ship as an engineering marvel. It would show the contrast of the conditions of those of those traveling first class and those third, "The Edwardian culture was one of great class separation, and nowhere was it more apparent than the Titanic." And it would describe the danger of ice at the time, show pictures of the wreckage discovered in 1985.

At the end, the exhibit would reveal the fate of the passengers and crew. There, I would find that the name on my HUD, Mrs. Corbett, was among those whom had not survived, among those who met their end in the icy sea, deceased at age 30.

The exhibit is at Fancy Decor sim (78/98/32). This is a new exhibit, and it should be around until October. Emery Milneaux is the curator of the building, in real life a freelance artist specializing in graphic design.

Bixyl did very well in writing about the Titanic in his 2012 article. I do not wish to draw attention away from the ship. It is the last thing I'd do. What I want to do is remember. Titanic and that fateful night when it sank, taking over 1,000 passengers with it. All because there were not enough lifeboats. It was a terrible night back then, and still is today, regardless of how much has happened in the past century. To this day, the ship has proven to be unforgettable. We will always remember the ship.

Titanic (128/191/34)

Reference: “The Titanic in Second Life” (April 2012)

Deaflegacy

Serena Long Cay

By Gemma Cleanslate

I really needed some quiet and solitude after the Burn2 was over.It has been several weeks of busy busy busy.  So I went looking for a place to relax and found it! There is a delightful sim, Serena Long Cay, made just for relaxing and looking at the sea. 

The place seems to be the philosophy of the owner, Franx Markstein. He looks at Second Life in a different way. He has tried the parties and  other activities of Second Life and says,”I like come here and to have something that engages my mind and makes me forget the stress of real life, I tried to do all what is possible to do for me, for my skills, now it was time for a place to relax myself, not very demanding in the management and where people can relax too.“ The name he gives to the area is Otium, from the Latin meaning leisure. And so it is. 

There are beaches with relaxing chairs where you can sit and gaze at the ocean. I found a boat and went for  a ride along the shore line. I walked the beach and took a snorkling tour of the glassy waters, then rested and enjoyed the sun on my face.  I  encountered others just hanging out talking. I ran across a greedy game almost hidden behind the cliffs.  Climbing the hills I found a lovely drop in place where there was  refreshing watermelon on the counter and sat down for a while to enjoy. Another person, Drem, came in to play the pinball machine there.  

 Just looking out on the sim is relaxing and I really enjoyed my time recovering from the business of the past weeks. I ran into an old friend, Purplebutterfly Lykin who is a fellow blogger and there doing a travel series. I recommend getting over there and making a landmark so when you are feeling the necessity for a few minutes alone , or with a friend to relax and enjoy , this is a good place to go. 

Now feeling refreshed I am off on new adventures! Bu , I have the landmark in my favorite places! Thanks Franz!! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Long%20Cay/112/176/22

Gemma Cleanslate

Reader Submitted: The Blake Sea

By Becky "Sha" Shamen

This is my third article, in a series of reports on adventure tours in SL. Since starting SL, over three and a half years ago, I have always enjoyed discovering new things to do and see here. One of my favorite viewers is Nirans. On each start up, while the program loads, they post "tips." One of the tips says that Chuck Norris has completed SL 3 times. This always makes me ask, how is this possible. Every time I think I've done everything there is to do in SL, along comes something new, to me. There seems to be no end to what you can do here. I once wrote, in a song, "Each time I do discover is like love to me. By the time there's nothing left undone, what a lover I'll be". And so, with love, I offer my report on the Blake Sea.

I mentioned, in a previous article, the Blake Sea is a collection of sims which connects the continents of Satori and Nautilus and extends eastward from there. This eastern portion contains 195 connected sims, covering 12.78 million square meters. We will confine this report to the eastern portion. My expeditions began there after I got a free sailing ship from the marketplace. The ship is a large privateer, called Minerva, with three masts, stay sails and square sails and 18 cannons. It is propelled by the winds in SL.


I needed an area with lots of room, in which to master it's use. Checking the Destination Guide, I found a number of ports in the Blake Sea, from which I could rez my ship and set sail. I found a port, called Diego, which had a pirate theme, which seamed to go well with my ship's design. It didn't take long to discover a couple of drawbacks that came with this choice. For one, there is a sea monster, called Kracken, that frequents the western end of the harbor. Once I found my way around him, I immediately discovered the next peril.

There are four sims, on the West side of Diego, which when entered, announce, in the title bar, their sim name and the warning, "Caution-Pirate Zone!" Later, I learned that these water sims, Kendra, Beaufort, Cannonade and Thunderer, are part a 13 sim group involved in the "All Seas Battle Group." In the shopping area, on Diego, you can join this group, check the schedule of planned battles, as well as buy pirate clothing, ships and other accessories. If you are sailing in the area, in a period ship and have cannons aboard, you are fair game for any ship that wants to use you for shooting practice. Cannon balls are objects that must be rezzed and many of the other water sims don't allow them. On the dock, bellow the shops, there are a number of ship merchants that provide docked show models, so you can see before you buy.

If pirates aren't your thing, you might consider hooking up with the United Sailing Sims, which has numerous yacht clubs in the Blake Sea and hosts regularly scheduled sailboat races, for all classes and sized boats.Want to just sail, without racing or battles?  Blake Sea is open to all and there are many places where you can rez your boats, be they wind, gas or steam powered.  I should mention here, there are rules to follow on the sea. Mostly, they are based on the SL TOS rules, but there is one I should mention. Sailboats have the right of way. Also, you must power down or steer clear of any races in progress. There are hundreds of islands to visit. Some have towns. Many are small and have only one or two homes on them. If you are interested in living by the sea, there are many places available.

Travel on water is not the only way to get around. The Blake Sea is also a great place to fly and there are a number of airports to be found. I even visited an aircraft carrier, just west of the pirate sims. The skies are full of planes, seaplanes and helicopters. I turn heads, when I fly in my Tesla UFO or my H.G.Wells time machine. If it flies, it's allowed. In most areas, you can also free fly, like Superman.
Look in the title bar, at the top of your viewer, for the icons that tell what is not allowed at any given location.

In addition to travel, Blake Sea also has a number of sites of interest. At the South end, you'll find the largest ship in all of SL, the SS Galaxy. The Galaxy is host to many events and, if you are laden with a chest or two of doubloons, you can rent a suite there. In my travels, I came across a large sim, called "Greenhouse", which features every imaginable plant, flower and tree under the sun. When I plan a trip to places, I often use the world map to pan around looking for unusual features. Unlike when you are on the surface, the map lets you see the sea floor. While preparing a map, for this article, I kept noticing an un-natural looking sea floor, just west of the Galaxy. I finally decided to go explore the cause of the appearance. I placed a marker on it and teleported there. On arrival, I found myself under water, surrounded by ancient stone buildings. A glance up at the title bar told me I was in a place called, "My Atlantis". One of the buildings seamed to be a home, was unlocked and nobody on the whole sim, so I went in for a quick peek. Signs revealed that this was connected with "Bloodlines", so I was all the more rushed to get back out. Never the less, it was all a very attractive build and worthy of mention here.

I spent the better part of a week exploring the Blake Sea, in preparation for this article and will surely go back many more times. I could tell you more, but want you to have the joy of discovering it yourself. There are still many islands I have not visited yet and, like many, I find it's just fun going sailing and flying on the Blake Sea. I've provided a map, showing some key places, to help plan your visits. The map shows only the East end of the sea. It continues at least three miles to the West, but that will have to be another story. Have a bon voyage, keep a lookout for me and please don't point any cannons in my direction.

Sha

Tradewinds Yacht Club

By Grey Lupindo

Now that summer is here, I wanted to go sailing.  Unfortunately my sailboat inventory was really limited until a friend took me to Tradewinds Yacht Club, located at Dex (174, 32, 24).  At Tradewinds there are free sailboats and a very supportive sailing community.    They give lessons as well easy-to-sail freebie boats. 

Tradewinds Yacht Club states that they are a group that wants to have fun with SL sailing.   Their official statements reads, “Tradewinds Yacht Club is home to the independent minded sailor– what we're about is just having fun without the politics – we really mean it when we say “sailing first".  To support this ideal, there are plenty of free sailboats and lots of places to hang out and things to do when you aren’t sailing.   Races are held every week.  They even have some buried treasure chests hidden around the sim.  

One of my first stops was the SL Sailing History Museum that is being created by Tasha Kostolany at Tradewinds Yacht Club  at Dex  (185,11,28).    The Museum is located inside the lighthouse and shares space with a Coast Guard post.   Kostolany’s notecard states, “This room will give you a brief overview of how we have progressed in sailing from the start to where we are now....Click most every object to get more information.”    Although there is a lot more to be done, the museum a great place to learn about early SL sailing.    This isn’t the only sailing museum in SL, but it looks like it has the potential to become the best.

The most prominent display is about Kanker Greenacre, whom Kostolany describes as the “father of SL sailing”.   He was rezzed on 5/16/2003, making him a very early SL resident.   Approximately two years later, in June, 2005, he released the first SL sailboat, the Tako.   Kanker Greenacre also developed “race wind”, which was more stable for sailing than the real SL wind, as well as other racing items.   In order to promote sailing, the SLSF (Second Life Sailing Federation) was organized, and it remains one of the largest sailing groups in SL.   Even more importantly, he shared the Flying Tako sailboat and its sailing code so that others could use and develop sailing ships.  

To get a good overview of Tradewinds Yacht Club, you can take a free balloon tour at Dex (146, 17, 29). When I typed in “ap start”, the balloon began warming up the burner and soon rose into the air.  The tour started at the harbor and boat store.  From the air you can get a good look at the bay, the lighthouse, and the channel.   To the south is the Siracusa sim where you can sail through The Channel.    The tour passes into other sims and islands and past the Salliohsis lighthouse.   Tradewinds is attached  to over 500 sims of sailable water, and I had only seen a small portion of them.   When a Distance Warning note told me that the next waypoint was 647 meters away, I decided to end my tour.   Although I was enjoying the balloon ride, I was anxious to set sail.

   Tradewinds Yacht Club is following Kanker Greenacre’s example by giving away a lot of valuable sailboats.   Of course there are some larger and spiffier models for sale, but the free ones are the ones most likely to appeal to newbie sailors or residents.   They offer a great way to try the sport without spending a lot of Lindens.
 

My favorite boat is the Becky’s Baby Sloop 2-0 created by Becca Moulliez.  The sloop is easy enough for novice sailors like me, but it can be adapted for a more challenging experience.      What makes it my favorite is the color coded HUD that helps me learn how to trim the sails.   If I can keep the HUD green, I’m good to go.   According to the instructions, once I gain experience I can skip the HUD and sail by feel for a more advanced and realistic sailing experience.   

For a novice like me, the Becky’s Baby Sloop is amazing.   It has a rocking motion and sound as the waves slap against the boat.  The lower view angle and many others features make sailing it feel very real to me.    According to her notecard, this version is the result of over two years of advancements and refinements.  Moulliez wrote that other ship builders, such as Balduin Aabye, Qyv Inshan, Noodleqt Exonar, and Manul Rotaru, helped by giving advice, testing and donating some of their components and improvements.  There are others available, too, and one day I’ll try them out.   For now, however, I’m content to learn with the Becky’s Baby.

Tradewinds Yacht Club is connected to the Coastal Waterway, which is easy to sail through and leads to the Blake Sea.    Information about sailing options, including maps and rezzing sites, is available at their website https://sites.google.com/site/tradewindsyc/.  

Tradewinds Yacht Club, located at Dex (174,32, 24).

Grey Lupindo 

The Titanic in Second Life

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. For Second Life residents, there is a sim-length replica they can visit. One can head there for an appreciation for the history, take someone out on a date, or both.

Teleporting into the sim, one arrives at the dock. It's a few steps to the entry ramp to the ship, the start having an overhead sign "RMS Titanic, White Star Line." Besides walking up at one's own pace, there's a couple's walk animation that a pair can use to go about the ship.

Heading to the right once you get up to the ship, one can go to the bow and with a friend re-create the "I'm King of the World" Scene. Or one can go about exploring the ship, whether on the outside, inside and both. There is much attention to detail, notably in places like the stairways with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Going about, some of the cabins seen also had fine details. The sim's website stated here, "you can be a passenger and experience the romance and luxury of a bygone era." That the ship succeeds in doing. There is also a Titanic Museum, "A Second Night to Remember," on the port side of the top deck.

Second Life being what it is, there have been some compromises made. To help with expenses, a shopping area has been set up where one can get a selection of dresses and jewelry, and some tuxedos. The very bottom of the ship is the engine room. But only on rare occasions can one see the engine up and running. Most of the time it's packed up to cut down on lag. There is also a pool, and a wedding area. At the bow of the ship is the ballroom, where live musicians perform for dace parties. One can dance in the ballroom, or on the deck outside.

The ship is owned by Mara Menges, who bought the ship from it's builder, with Guus Menges as co-owner. The dress code is formal, with the crew reserving the right to bump off the ship those who won't answer requests to change. Animal avatars (also known as ferals to some) are also banned. This does not mean nonhuman characters are always disallowed as neko and furry avatars dressed in formal wear are welcome.

The Second Life Titanic was built by Reborn Wingtips, or Morphius Barbose as he was known at the time of it's construction. A sign on the bridge stated the ship is 254 meters long, slightly shorter than the real-life Titanic's length of 269 meters, and 60 meters high. It consists of roughly 4,500 prims, not counting the furniture.

Reborn stated on the sign, "Titanic has been a build of passion. I studied it in school years ago. Claude Kirshner made land available free of charge for me to build it here in Second Life. Obviously I couldn't create the ship to detail as prims don't allow it. Plus Second Life has tier fees, etc."

"It has taken six months (for the ship) to reach its current condition. This is the fourth or fifth build. I needed to take a few steps back to make one step forward a few times. Later on as the Titanic was nearing completion, the build was discovered by Kallisto Estates, who have generously jumped at the opportunity to provide a sim to sheer Titanic with the world."

" … I think I was in college when we did a big study on the Titanic in Social Studies, covering every aspect, even some things that weren't commonly known. There was a rumor that there was actually a cursed mummy onboard. Even now if I try to imagine being on the ship that night, I get a chill, the humble men, the fear, the desperation. What was God's involvement that night? That's my biggest question."

The website states more than half a million residents have visited the ship since it's opening in 2009, with over 700 visitors a day. This week marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the real Titanic. Over 2100 visitors came to the ship on April 12th, which was also the day of the "Last 1st Class Dinner on the Titanic" event for European visitors. On Friday the 13th, there will be another such event for American hours at 5:30PM (reservations required). Saturday the 14th has the Steerage Party, from Noon to 2:30PM SL time, 2:30 PM being when the ship hit the iceberg (reservations required).

On Sunday at 1PM is the memorial service. This event takes place outside the ship at the Titanic memorial on the sim's land. This event is open to all. In an article on the Metaverse Tribune, Mara is described as setting up the memorial after meeting the great-grandson of Captain James Smith, "she discovered that many of those who were lingering at the memorial were relatives of witnesses or survivors."

There is also a souvenir shop where one can get a memento of their visit to the ship. Considering the history of the ship and how its memory is kept alive by numerous books and movies, such as the one by James Cameron a few years ago, this is one build that is unlikely to be forgotten, and a place one may end up returning to again and again.

The entry point to the Titanic sim is at Titanic (128, 191, 134). For more information, one can go to the Second Life Titanic's website at http://www.titanicsecondlife.nl/.

Bixyl Shuftan

Dude! Surfs Up in Second Life!

Over 600 Surfing Spots in Second Life (SL) with Awesome Pipeline Waves! Like WAY more than real life! Dudettes and Dudes! Wax your surfboards! It's gonna be an Endless Summer!

Like check this out! A beach called Ocean Waves will lend you FREE surfboard, windsurfer, kitesurfer, and land yatch! Wow! Try them all free! Go down the stairs and walk to the end of the beach by the big kite. Kinstall Hill (91,19, 21)


Intrigued? You ain't seen nothing yet! Okies… You can BODY SURF with no equipment… All you need is Monster Waves which are EVERYWHERE in SL! See me Body Surfing in Picture 7! HOW: Fly your avatar, and hover just above the water's surface. Let the wave catch you. Dead Easy! Monster waves that travel across a full sim here: Syx Monkies (223, 90, 34)


Now the real fun! SURFING! One moment, I'm flying leftwards through a MONSTER pipeline wave… the next, I carve a CRAZY WICKED turn (Woah!), and then I'm SCREAMING off the big wave going rightwards. REPEAT: Carve-Turn, Scream Left, Carve-Turn, Scream Right! Omg! Monster waves in SL are totally narly PARABOLAS and you're screaming back and forth on them… Finally… MATH IS FUN! ... Wicked!

And before long, I'm paddling back out to catch another great wave! You got a freebie surfboard? Trash it! I'm serious. State of the art waves like from from HP Surf's genius Leogarto Burt will knock you off your freebie surfboard in a heartbeat! Oh my! What to do?

Dude… You got to check this out! 500 different state-of-the-art surfboards for sale. It's a place high up. It must be SURF HEAVEN! And it really is! Picture 9 is overhead view… Totally too many surfboards! AWESOME! And they are all from the top-of-the-line SL designer Sebastian Saramago, genius behind Surf Systems Inc or SSI. I bought my 1st proper board from "New Arrivals" lineup, a Drew Brophy original! COWABUNGA! Visit Surf Heaven: Tai (126, 125, 223)


Some beaches you can rez your board anywhere. But, let's say you got your dream board and WOAH bummer! This beach sucks! You can't rez there! What do you do?

Dead Easy! Find the surfboard rez box… A rectangle a couple meters square, clearly marked! Rez your board there and you are solid gold! Surfing Funster!

Just up the hill from the Tai rez box is one of my favorite live music clubs in SL. I was like WOAH… this Surf Heaven manager Desiree Beaumont… Hmmm dead familiar name! OH YEAH! Like stole her chim 100 times! Heeee! She's super-fun hostess of the hottest classic folk club in SL… Surfside Hideaway. Visit: Tai (211, 112, 30)


Now you got it all! Great waves, great live music, co-located! This must be Second Life!! Woooot!

Hey... like where are the 600 surf spots in SL? When you buy an SSI board, you get a gift, the Surf Spots HUD. It lists all 600 spots and gives you the SL landmarks. You can vote for your favorite spots and vote to blow away the lame ones… Here are the top spots on my Surf Spots HUD today:



# Votes Beach Name SLURL
89 Knowhere (warning)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/knowhere/122/24/25
66 Chi (full rez)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chi/92/253/21
61 Syx Monkey (rez box)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Syx%20Monkies/22/122/19
59 Primworks (warning)*
http://slurl.com/secondlife/PrimWorks/155/212/23
49 Quan Li (full rez)*
http://slurl.com/secondlife/%20Li/218/215/20
42 Bundoran Reef (full rez)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bundoran%20Reef/110/202/26
42 Tsunami (rez box & 10 FREE LOANER SURFBOARDS!!!)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/TSUNAMI%20BEACH/230/122/21
38 Pacifico Central 1 (warning)*
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pacifico%20Central%201/150/102/22
36 Tortola (full rez)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tortola/99/71/35
24 Neart Beach (full rez)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Neart/161/226/28



EXCLUSIVE INSIDER SURF LOCALE - Suggestions by awesome SL surfboard and "largest wave" maker Luscious Starship (Her store is at Tsunami, see above)...

(1) HP Surf is Leogarto Burt's Showcase (full rez sim) and possibly the best wave in SL, visit:
Crab Island (19, 160, 22).

(2) Tsunami Sky Beach is a platform at 600 meters with big waves (rez box)
Tsunami Beach (230, 124, 598)

(3) Largest Waves in SecondLife is at the 900 meter platform at Tsunami Beach (NO rez, but lots of loaner boards) Tsunami Beach (230, 124, 598) (for example the 200 meter Cyclops Sky Wave!)



Key to Annotations

(full rez) means you can rez your surfboard anywhere. SLURL is the location of the wave generator (start of your surfing).
(rez box) Use the board rez area as in Pictures 5 and 6. The SLURL is for the rez box to get you started quicker!
(warning) means unable to locate rez box in no-rez region.
* Only found small or no waves there.



P.S. Luscious Starship also said that other founders of SL surfing who deserve mention include wavemakers: Eathon Sands and Heather Goodliffe, and perennial SL surfing promoter Colleen Brennan.

And surf fashion designer Zianna Parx contributes this SLURL, Bundy Beach and Nancy Blake's Pub, a great to place to party, shop, and surf Bundoran Reef! West of Ireland (126, 237, 27)

Any1 Gynoid
(originally on CNN)

The USS Helena (CA-75)

When people on Second Life construct a build, it’s generally something such as a simple home, or maybe a store. Henry Borgnine, Dave Brouchoud in real-life, chose to do something different and much grander. He set out to recreate the heavy cruiser he served on during the Korean War - the USS Helena (CA-75).

Dave Brouchoud had joined the US Navy at age 17, in September 1951. After Navy Boot camp, he was assigned to the Helena. In 1952, he was stationed in one of the 5” gun mounts. When he was released in May 1955, he had been doing duty as a Radar Operator. He would later serve in the US Army, and his avatar wears an Army uniform.

Henry had been talked into Second Life by his nephew, “I soon realized that ANYTHING is possible in SL. I talked about ‘my dream,’ to once again walk the decks of my ship - and here she is.” Behind him in the water was the Helena, “Much work needs to be done, but I am pleased with what has already happened.”

“A point,” Henry stated, “I am NOT the builder. At first it was my nephew Keystone Brouchard. But he told me about a great builder named RJ Kikuchiyo. He worked on the ship for some time.” Unfortunately, Henry was having trouble staying in the grid, “Second Life kept crashing on me, (there were) hardware problems on my four year old computer.” Reluctantly, he eventually had to stop logging on.

But after some time, he got a new computer, “About a month ago, the computer went south and we now have a nice new Dell with a high end video card. I couldn’t wait to again try SL and bingo. It now works perfectly. I contacted RJ and learned that a new builder was taking over (the building), Bobcatt Nielson.”

The ship isn’t quite complete yet. After seeing the HMS Titanic in Second Life with it’s interior rooms, he hoped to do the same with the Helena, a walk-on bridge, an engine room, and more, “be able to see many of the compartments below decks.” He also hoped to get other features, such as “guns that will turn, radios that will work.” The ship will also be enlarged a little for a more realistic size, “In real life, this ship is a little over 700 feet long.” He was also getting a little help besides from Bobcat, “the owner of this sim is also helping with the build. At the moment I know he is working ... on the ship’s anchors.”


The Helena’s most prominent feature are her cannons, “the big guns you see are 8" the smaller are 5" the real ship also had 3" guns in 7 gun tubs. The 3" are not yet available.”

As the interview was conducted, the ship was getting visitors. Henry politely excused himself for a minute to greet one looking around, then returned, “I like to be here often to meet visitors and answer questions.”

Henry has heard about the Veterans’ groups in Second Life, “(I) was a member of one group. They now know about this ship and have been most helpful in passing the word.” Every comment everyone’s made, Henry told me, “has been positive.”

He’s also heard a little about other military in Second Life, such as the battleship Yamato, and historical combat RP groups, such as the Flying Tigers, “I have visited many military sites with many historical aircraft in display, including one of the B29 Super Fortresses that dropped the atomic bomb.”

When I dropped by the next day, builder Bobcatt Neilson was there. He and Henry talked about using blueprints and images from cruisebooks to help with further building. Bobcat also talked some with me, saying building the ship was a pleasure, “something cool in Second Life that’s not involved with sex or gambling.” He had seen other warships in SL, such as a recreation of the Yamato built by members of the real-life Japanese Defense Force.

Bobcatt had been in the US Army, serving in the first Gulf War, Kuwait, The invasion of Panama, and Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008, “still kinda recovering from Afghanistan’s offroad extravaganzas. ... on canes, but still in rehabilitation, and very stubborn.”

Bobcatt pointed out the region had plenty to see besides the cruiser., such as art galleries and a Jazz club. There’s also the Balsa Regional Airport and the Grayling Army Airfield, “There’s a vet center in Balsa, but it’s just getting built back up. A lot of folks from these regions are vets on deployment.” West Memorial Park is dedicated to former real life residents who have passed away, which recently had a chapel installed. Grayling Army Airfield has a huge variety of aircraft, warplanes and others, but most aren’t flyable to visitors. One that is is the shuttle rocket ride, which will take a visitor up in the air.

Henry also needs some donations for the area the ship is berthed, so a sign next to the ship is available for those wanting to chip in a few Lindens, “In order for the ship to continue to be here, contributions need to keep coming in.”

Henry/Dave Brouchoud also maintains a website for the Helena, at http://www.usshelena.org/

The Helena is at the Trees sim at (77, 233, 29)

“The ship has a fine history and served her country well.”

Bixyl Shuftan