The original Scoot discussion...

[ronc98]

I am sailing the route B.   For one this will be the longest voyage and since I have a swing keel I would like to be within a few hours of land if the weather goes south or a I have boat issues.   It is going to be more of a cruise for me then a race. 

For my mini-midwest scoot I am planning a trip completely around Lake Erie in the early spring 2009 and then a trip around the southern half of Lake Michigan in the late summer of 2009. 


Alot can happen in two years, so my route might change.   Who knows I might luck into a nice compac or bristol.

[Pappy Jack]

Has anybody been keeping up with the discussion on the Jester Challenge web site ,http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jesterchallenge/  , about the use of engines? It seems that a lot of enterants used there engines, which isn't against the rules, there are no rules. But it seems that it has caused a bit of a problem. Does anybody think this could happen to our "Scoot"?

I'm in favor of "no rules", just guide lines. This is a gentelmans/womans challenge and what you do should be up to you and you alone. Comments anyone?

Fair winds and full sails,

Pappy Jack

[David_Old_Jersey]

Comments anyone?

Seeing as I am not signed up to either, you might as well have my opinion  ;D........

I think in an ideal world everyone would sail 120% of the time. But in the real world the Skipper gets to choose what he considers the best way of travelling from A to B in comfort and safety given the capabilities of vessel and Skipper. If that means motoring through a lull in the wind for whatever reasons, then so be it. For me it is no harm and no foul........and a no brainer.

(BTW I have not logged onto the Yahoo discussion forum - but at a guess it is full of the regulars from YBW.com, some of whom like a good "discussion" / something or someone to moan about. Indeed a few could start an argument in a telephone box. alone  :D).

[Pappy Jack]

The gist of the debate is that while all agree that it is prudent to use ones motor to move out of the way or oncoming freighters and the like, or to charge the batteries but I guess there was an excessive use of motors just to get to the finish line sooner...not necessarily to beat the other guy but to end there part in the race(challenge) sooner.

Some want to have a rule that says that no use of motors will be permitted except for safety. Others would like to have two groups...one with motors and one without and so on and so forth. One person, and I agree, stated that once you start making rules you are on a slippery slope to having a full fledge RACE with all that goes with it. But, I suppose that if this happened there would, at sometime, be a small group of people that would start having a challenge with no rules, again ::).

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[CapnK]

Me, I'm planning on leaving NC on my boat, and getting to the end point some time later, after having had much fun crossing a good chunk of ocean. I plan to do that under sail, without using my engine. If I can sail right up to the dock, I will. ;D

I don't know what others might do, and to be completely honest, don't really care all that much - if one of the others who leaves at the same time runs their engine to get to the end ahead of me, or because they are tired of bobbing around just a few miles offshore, or for whatever reason - as long as they are happy with their Scoot, with the end result, then - good on 'em! Whatever scoots their Scoot. ;) ;D 8) I do have a feeling that I'll want a long shower and a cold drink, by the time I get there; beyond that, well, my Scoot is for me, and it'll be fun that others who have done their Scoot at the same time will be around, to be able to talk to afterwards. :)

No doubt some will use the occasion to be redeeming their sailFar Grogs.* ;D

Pappy, I wonder how many 'enthusiastic participants' of that discussion were Jester sailors themselves, vs how many armchair-sailed it... ;)



*Yes, sailFar members are due some gratis Grog whenever they meet me in person. Except for Frank - I am not rich enough to support that much Grog consumption...

[Pappy Jack]

Captn K,

I think that most, but not all, were either in the race or had signed up and were not able to make the start. For what it's worth, I'm with you on using(or not) motors. It's just that I don't want to see this event get all weighted down with rules and regulations.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[CapnK]

Agreed! The world needs less rules and regs. ;D Fair winds to you to, Pappy!

[Pappy Jack]

Captn K,

I just had to back and check out how many of the people on that site were in the race or had signed up ???. As it turns out it is split 7-7.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

P.S. Well, we might need a few more rules or over sight in the banking industry ::) :o ;D.

[Frank]

*Yes, sailFar members are due some gratis Grog whenever they meet me in person. Except for Frank - I am not rich enough to support that much Grog consumption...

...........................I resemble that remark!

[TJim]

I will be on/near the west coast of  Mexico for the scoot so I probably ought to keep my mouth shut (I haven't been accused of doing that in recent memory) However, isn't the scoot for SAIL boats?? nuff said!!!TJ

[Godot]

I figure either there are rules, or there aren't.  I would go along with (and I think I at one time argued for) guidelines.  We have a few: Start time/place, destination, SailFar type boats.  None of it is defined as a 'rule' though, and if someone wants to do their own thing, the non-rules permit it (and actually encourage it, if that is the only way to do the Scoot). 

However, with that said, I suspect we will get groups of people with similar ideas sailing together.  CapnK and myself, for instance, are both going single handed, via an offshore route, without use of auxiliary propulsion (I'm actually planning on stowing my outboard for the trip).  We have a largely similar view of what it is we want to accomplish.  Hopefully, we aren't alone.  Another sub group is not interested in doing the trip single handed, so will be bringing crew.  And I've heard (probably in this thread) about a boat or two who was thinking about doing the mostly inshore route.  A different trip altogether.  Motors?  I'll bet some use them.

The danger is a loss of focus.  With everyone doing their own thing, might the event fracture into different factions?  Yup.  It might.  But I'm betting it won't.  At least not for the few participants in the inaugural Scoot.  If participation and interest grows in future events, perhaps further "Gentleman's" (er, gentlePERSON'S) agreements may become necessary.  I sure hope we don't devolve into a rules based quagmire, though (Their are other races for that, though most of them wouldn't allow our boats).

Oh, to answer the original point: I encourage everyone to leave their engines off, or at least out of gear, for this sailing challenge.  The choice, however, is yours and yours alone.  Such is the beauty of the Scoot.

[AdriftAtSea]

I'm in the sailing as much as possible group, and probably singlehanding as well. ;)

[Pappy Jack]

Adam,

Leave the motor at home...hummm. That would save me about 150lbs.'s in engine and fuel. But then I would have to make a sweep...hummm. Sounds like a good idea. Something to think about.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[Frank]

I like the KISS approach.Unless I'm understanding it wrong...it is a marathon runner type mentality ....it not that ya hope to win or had to walk a while, but that you actually "finished" the route. I see the same thing here...the spirit of just 'going and finishing"...not a race but simply a personal acomplishment.