Years ago, scuba diving beyond certain depths was the exclusive preserve of the military and a very few professionals (e.g., underwater welders), but that's no longer the case.
Many divers descend to prohibitive depths (impossible with scuba).
I've seen quite a few of them dive with us.
Unfortunately, courses using this mix (correct answer to the "question of the day") and the necessary equipment are too expensive for me.
Some might wonder why dive so deep if the colors fade.
That's true, but beyond the simple pleasure of doing it, there are several wrecks.

Did not have a clue on this one so went for the longest answer, it worked😆

Boatshed,

Wishing you the best on your surgery (I refrained from referencing "Luck", hopefully the Dotors aren't relying on luck).

I have a couple knees that need replacing. But, I'm either too chicken or too stubborn to get it done (not sure which).

Hopefully it will be a success, and you will have a speedy recovery.

Dave B

Longest answer again April 17th.
Boatshed,
Does that mean you'll be changing your name to Bionic Boatshed 😁😁.
All the best with the op, you will be chasing the nurses round after a bit of a rest.🤕
I've come back from the Dental hospital today with quite a few broken teeth having been removed, so you can now call me Nany Mcfee.☹️☹️.
A really good professional service was provided, but I'll be having soup for a while.

Boatshed, good luck with the operation, hope everything goes well.

I won't be answerig a few for a few days, I am off in about 20 minutes to go to the hospiatal for my shoulder opp..
I am getting a new joint if all goes well and no cancellations when I get there???
I can only hope. I have every faith in the NHS today. Here's hoping.
I will catch up on some when I get home I hope.

It sure is with MY retriever, Roy😁

I feel at home again Titanic hit the spot for me!

I thought Bark 'eel was part of dog training.
Roy

Hi Steve, ordered on line, stuck indoors after another fall. Today's question is one of those self answering questions...

April 12th Question has been asked at least 3 times now, so a "Revision Question" on the fenders.😀😀.

Nick, the Swallows & Amazon clinker built boat ⛵ is in the latest (April 2026) Model Boats mag, it has 8 pages on the motor and build info,
-but the new issue May, will be out on the 17th so you will have to get it before the shops replace the April edition with the latest May one !!👍👍

Thanks for the tip Steve. Any idea what month? Roy, there was a wharf on the Mersey (Wallasey side) riverfront near the Alfred lock. It was called the Fisherman's Wharf, a rather err, challenging establishment, but after several big fights and a nasty fire it was closed by the authorities!

That is an interesting and misunderstood question.
WHARF has become a word but it is an acronym. On the maps around rivers etc a whare house with river access was abreviated to:- Whare House At River Frontage. Hence Wharf.

But it has now become a word but really only applies if it has quay access to the river.

I don't expect A.I. knew that!

Roy

Ok, Nick, if you haven't started the Swallows & Amazon kit yet 🤔, you'll have to get the magazine for the good and bad bits in the construction of it ☹️😀.

Steve, I have one of those Swallows and Amazons kits, and the Seagull to go with it...

Hi, Roy, as we have had a question about the Voit Schneider propulsion system a while ago, I jumped straight in with the "wrong" answer ☹️. (April 7th qotd).

As for the April 8th one, Ai must have been reading this month's Model Boats magazine about building the Swallows & Amazon dinghy kit, by John Mileson. He mentions the garboard strakes next to the keel.😀😀 A very good read on building a clinker type dinghy kit 👍👍😁, and also giving us the correct answer !!

I think the ASD / Voith propulsion question should be at least re-thought as the answer given is too debatable.

Roy

I agree with Simple Sailor, B and D are both correct

well that is an interesting question. I think the answer conflicts with the question. It asks about 360-degree of thrust which both ASD and VSP can give. However the Ai's chosen answer then seeks to qualify it's answer by saying that VSP propelled tugs are not classified as an ASD tugs. As far as the question is concerned both types of propulsion are correct. Plus. Not one of them can give 360-degrees of thrust, they can only direct their thrust through 360-degrees. Anyway enough of my ranting. 😀 Have a nice day..

Not happy with that answer at all. It looks like I am not alone either! Most harbour tugs I have seen are the Voith Schneider propulsion types. Did not even know azimuth systems were used on harbour tugs.

Roy

AI does have some very positive applications

I used to be the IT Manager at this company till I retired

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.caristo.com/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj-7vik09iTAxV0XUEAHXrhEv0QFnoECAMQAg&usg=AOvVaw1ceuD4E9efBd_zbK9wXCoS

April 6th.A repeat question from a long time ago..... again😐.

I didn't have a real clue with this one (April 4th). They all seemed to be the Latin scientific name of corals.
So I spent ages on google to figure it out 😌 so in effect I cheated ☹️😔.
It did not make it easy even on google as the correct answer had been renamed "Desmophyllum pertusum" as simplesailor mentioned.

As for Ai breeding as roycv mentioned , googling that came up with-

Key Aspects of AI "Breeding" and Evolution:
* Self-Replication & Evolution: AI systems, particularly in research settings, can self-replicate and create new versions of themselves, often outperforming human programming.⚡😮.
* Digital Evolution: If AI attains autonomy over energy and manufacturing, it could form a "digital civilization" capable of expansion without human intervention.⚡⚡
* Generative AI: Modern AI uses generative algorithms to create synthetic data, which is analogous to producing new "genotypes" or offspring in simulation".

It is quite frightening, Terminator is not too far away !!!☹️☹️.
Cheer me up somebody...😔☹️⚡.

Cor lucky stab there, not genned up on Latin!

The reason I got this one is that I knew that Lophelia pertusa is the only coral found in UK waters.

Hi roycv. I agree. It is alarming at the growth of specific types of Ai which in general are aimed at specific tasks. However after watching a BBC documentary about Ai, I think the things to be worried about are Ai-Agents as opposed to just Ai. Without international controls/safe guards these could easily get out of hand and will turn out be be true Artificial Intelligence.

Hi SS, like people there are different ideas/facts. There are rival A.I's and soon they will start breeding and then they will turn on us! Terminator was a glympse of the future be warned.

I am worried for different reasons what has happened to Titanic answers and questions, like:- How many funnels did the 4 funnel Titanic have?

Worried of Watford.

Today you either need a degree in luck or marine biology!!!

I guessed at todays question and got it right. To me the correct answer was the only one that looked like Latin. However, on investigation (after having answered) I found out that the answer/species shown by the Ai has actually been renamed to "Desmophyllum pertusum" So I am not sure where the Ai bots get their answers from.. Interesting subject this Ai lark.

Longest answer again 🤣🤣
Philuk👍

I really didn't have a "clue" about the Clew referenced on the 24th.
However, the question referred to furling, and the only answer that made sense in regard to the process of furling was C.
Dave B

I remember this senario in the film "300 the rise of an empire". Brilliant film. Think that's the correct name 🤔🤔.
And I don't think we have had this question before, not since I started anyway.🙄.
Besides this- Longest answer .........😁.

Hi Boatshed,
As far as I know 🤔 Ai sets the questions, that is why many of them have been repeated several times thus making it easier to get them correct--if you have a good memory 😁😁. As Alessandro say's "A Revision Question" !!😊.
Today's question 24th about the Exxon Valdez oil spill I remembered it well because of the Environmental disaster it caused 😠😠 and the implementation of all oil tankers having to have double skinned hulls to help stop oil pollution ( we had a q-o-t-d a while back regarding double skin hulls on oil tankers ).😐 Also Ai doesn't always get it right 😠.

I am just curious??
Who actually set's the qustions on the Questions of the day??

Right, I hope that puts the seal on all the puns!

However, I would like to expound on the virtues of bathroom sealant! I use it to secure the prop tube inside my model boats. It can stand up to 50 watts power (that is as far as I have been), it keeps the water out cuts down vibration and allows time to exactly position the tube. I connect a 1.5 volt battary to the drive motor and adjust position until it runs as easy as possible.

Ere in Oz I have to work hard to know what time it is. Nearly missed a QoD.

Roy

I guess Nick's comment gets the seal of approval

say goodbye Ross

Goodbye ross

Handy stuff seal skin, you can wear it, carry stuff about in it, make tents out of it carry water in it and go boating in it. Very versatile. I guess that's why it's called seal skin, it seals things..... (I'm just leaving)...

Come on down longest answer wins 😂😂
Philuk👍

yea, I was figgering this wasn't a natural NICKTHESTEAM question

Longest answer gets the prize!

This one rings a bell 😁

What a cock up. I was looking at the prop walk part of the answer and not paying attention the word "bow" when I chose the answer. Of course the stern goes to port.☹️

Did Boatshed get today’s question?

I realize that in Italy we don't have huge tidal ranges, but in other places we do.

Hi RubaDub

I have now subscribed. 😊 Sorted it out. Cheers

Hi Steve, you read my mind, hahahaha.

After all, the question of the day is also a little daily entertainment.

Alessandro, If you laughed a little for the other day's Question, wait while you read the possible answers to the 12th March one.😁😁
How many knots have you in the logbook ?? 😉🤔..

I am Bronze and I can answer missed questions..👍

Hi SS yes you can answer missed questions. I shall be doing that myself Friday / Saturday as I shall be crossing so many time zones I do not know if I am coming or going! 11,000 miles from UK to Australia and 24 hours travelling via Singapore.

With trustee laptop and an Oz coloquial dictionary, doubled up on hearing aids and with 'best' walking stick and whistling to keep my spirits up. No, I am getting carried away, it is my 16th. trip!

Regards
Roy

Hi. Can someone tell me if having the Bronze subscription would allow me to go back and answer unanswered questions or at least see what they were? Also by paying for year upfront it looks like you get a 2 month discount. Is that correct?

Canaduan,eh?