Any adventuresome blogs out there?

[nick]

Anyone got some good blogs or websites of people doing really interesting stuff with their boats? No offence to anyone, but I'm tired of reading blogs about retirees sailing the Med or Caribbean on nice boats! I've met many interesting folk out here, so there must be some interesting blogs around.

I recently found one about a 28 year old who bought a 52ft Ketch in Hong Kong for $1 and has been sailing her with random backpackers around the world for four years now (http://karaka.site.voila.fr/). Or then there is Captain Jarle at http://www.wildvikings.com. And I met this guy http://www.vikingsailor.com in the Canaries, who is utterly crazy (read his accounts of being 'rescued' and getting assistance from a tanker for 'running out of food' (he actually just ran out of cigarettes!)

Anyone got any other interesting sites? Any antarctic or arctic sailing going on by normal people?

nick

[Captain Smollett]

Hi Nick,

Agreed - many cruising blogs all read similarly.  They all seem to include a link about the boat and all her expensive gear.

You probably know this already, but just in case: there are quite a few posted in various threads around this site.

The most concentrated 'location' is the External Links Thread.

I think there may be a few more under SB/LD Cruisers, Sailing Stories and maybe a few elsewhere.

For example, I think Wild Vikings has been posted previously.

[nick]

darn, I knew I'd seen an 'external links' on this site - Sorry for posting in the wrong cat.

When I get some time, I'm going to put together a list of real sailing blogs... I'll mine the external links section ;)

Nick

[Manannan]

Anyone got some good blogs or websites of people doing really interesting stuff with their boats? No offence to anyone, but I'm tired of reading blogs about retirees sailing the Med or Caribbean on nice boats! I've met many interesting folk out here, so there must be some interesting blogs around.

I agree Nick, but I think the problem is how a story is told. Some blogs are very very boring, mostly because people do not know how to tell their story, they mostly write about themselves and their boat, forgetting their surroundings, the interesting people they meet. After all, isn't it why we sail outthere, to see things, to meet people, to experience another life style ? The same voyage and experience will be told differently by 2 different people. Blogs give us a wonderful entertaining tool to share our life with others, but not many know how to do it. Boring people will tell boring story no matter what they do, or where they go, or what media they use.  Some even wrote very boring books  :( or think they are the authorities in that matter. But I am like you, I expect more from a blog than the family letter to Uncle Joe or cousin Norman.... Let's keep looking  ;D

[CharlieJ]

Just out of curiosity, have you read the tales posted on the home page by people who frequent this site??

S/V Faith has one as does my wife ( aboard Tehani) on her single hand cruise.

[nick]

Yes, you're absolutely right Manannan - I recall reading forum posts by an old chap in France, who did crazy things like fill his water tanks up with wine, and a whole host of other amusing adventures, and he didn't really seem to sail that far at all, yet had a gift for storytelling.

It's just that I've met some crazy people, and I wish they'd write about their adventures. The reality is, their too busy living their craziness to bother writing about it... Like the Ukrainian I saw in Las Palmas who sailed a clapped out 15ft day boat across the Atlantic in 42days, or the guy I heard about yesterday who was rolled doing his crossing, and turned up in the West Indies with half a mast - He couldn't afford to fix it, so sailed back to Europe with broken port windows covered by a plank of wood and his jury rig! I wanna hear stories from those guys!!

I try hard on my site to write about the people I meet - Because it's sure as heck more interesting than describing wind strength, how to tie knots or sikaflex my windows... Not sure if I'm successful, but I do try!

nick.

[CapnK]

Hiya Nick!

There are a some good ones that folks have suggested here on sailFar, that you can download to read at your leisure:

Recently, Shrimpy has been going around.

And Webb Chiles story and writing gets mentioned in this thread, along with several other really good reads.

Granted, there's no wine-filed water tanks ;D, but still - great stuff. Enjoy!

(Also, here's a story with some booze in it from a while back that might be worth a read. It was in direct answer to allegations made about me in this thread... ;))

[nick]

Read the Chiles stuff... And Shrimpy ;)

Will check out your other suggestions -

Came across this today, which is great: http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_table.htm

n.

[Norm]

we are having fun with our boat and blog the adventure at www.averisera.com

critical appraisals appreciated, too.

norm