Naysayers, pessimists, and people who don't know what they are talking about...

[CapnK]

Aren't they sometimes just the most incredible folks... I've run across a few lately, and the more I meet, the more I like my crewdogs.  :)

Today it was a guy in my marina, a guy who I have personally been with when he's run down a daymarker, *in broad daylight*.  ???

Yep, one thing between him and the whole uncrowded entirety of the Bay, so I stop watching, go below to grab a cold drink, and sure enough - WHAM!  ::)

...

(or maybe that should be: ...---...  ;) )

Anyway -

So today this guy is telling me that to cross oceans, I need a 40'ish boat, and that basically I don't have any idea about the mods I'm making to my boat to do so (after I told him of the research and calculations, etc etc that I've done to know righting moments, rig loads, and so on). He also took the time to tell me that instead of having a boat which can't sink, I should trust my life and fate, if need be, to a drifting inflatable liferaft and an EPIRB (to heck with the fact that I wouldn't want to endanger any rescuers because of *my* decisions...).

Sheesh.

Need I mention that the _only_ reason he was at the marina today was to remove his bent and crushed bow pulpit, after sailing his boat into a docked shrimper yesterday afternoon?  :-X

Ahh, the irony of it all...  ;D :D ;D :D ;)

I bet he's sitting on his couch right now, reading the latest authoritative story on crossing oceans, brought to you by this months glossy slick (heavily big-boat advertising) sailing rag...  :P

And he wonders why I always turn him down when he asks me to go sailing with him.  ;D

[s/v Faith]

Kurt, 


   Yea, I know this guy too. _{(or his equivalent in my marina)}  :P

  May this man, and the legion like him, serve only  to inspire you (and us all).... to prove him wrong.  ;D ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of guys out there who believe you need to have a big boat to do any long voyages.  Most of these guys aren't comfortable with the idea that you can have a boat that is small enough to single hand, and that is capable of going into anchorages, a tub like his would go aground before getting anywhere near.  They also believe that they have a right to be rescued from their own stupidity, regardless of the risk to their rescuers or the costs incurred.

One thing is for sure, I wouldn't want to be the one to insure a sailor like that for a bluewater passage... it isn't worth the risk... If he can't manage to avoid a fixed, clearly visible object, whether it is a shrimper or a daymark, then...I'd hate to see what happens when there's a semi-submerged container in the water ahead of him. 

A lot of the projects I am doing on the Pretty Gee are to increase her seaworthiness and make her a much more capable boat. 

[s/v Faith]

May we all strive not to be.....

 

Naysayers, pessimists, and people who don't know what they are talking about

 

[Tim]

May we all strive not to be.....

You are doing a good job so far!  :)

Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

Tim

[CharlieJ]

lol- when I was crewing on the 50 foot schooner, we had come to anchor one evening and a sailboat, about 30 feet came in and anchored well within our swing circle. The owners wife went on deck and informed the sailboat that he would probably get bumped on the tide change and he'd probably be better off moving.

He told her to mind her own business. He was well able to anchor his boat.

She told him  "OK, but we weigh 50,000 pounds dry, and have a ferro cement hull. Have a good evening"

About 5 minutes later we watched through the portholes as he pulled his anchor and moved ;D ;D

[Mr. Fixit]

Kurt I know how you feel just remember, iT IS EASY TO PUT UP WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS, BUT ITS THE JERKS THAT GET THRU TO YOU!!!!

[s/v Faith]

I split the discussion of HP required to move a sailboat off to this thread.

[Captain Smollett]

Confession Time:

I've hit docks.  More than once.

I've hit a buoy.

I've never hit another boat, but ALMOST.  Luck was on my side.

Does that make me a naysayer, pessimist or person who does not know what I am talking about, or not because I happen to agree with you on the 'boats under 40' feet can cross oceans' position?

Just trying to figure out which part is the relevant part.   :P

;D ;D

[s/v Faith]

Sitting here at anchor, less then 40 miles from where we intend to keep the boat...

...after 7 months of cruising, and 3 miles short of 2500nm later...

I recall the guy who was adamant that 'the gulf stream could not be crossed in a small boat, there is too much current'...... NAYSAYER....

  I remember the folks saying that Rose and I would kill each other after a couple weeks aboard.... PESSIMISTS.....

  I also look back to the ones who insisted we needed a bigger boat, that we were going to go broke, that it would never work taking our dog with us.... I also recall the people who went on and on about the hurricanes... and the guy who tried to tell us that the 'islands south of the Abacos are "too short" to provide protection from the winds... that we had better not try to go to the Exumas / out islands..... PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT....


  Now... that is not to say that anyone who had words of warning were in the categories above...  I REALLY appreciate the advice, and ENCOURAGEMENT.


  The people like Kurt who started this site...  and all our firends here who have really helped in the preparation, planning, and execution of the whole trip.

....My friend Vaughn, and his endless sea stories of woe (all with a cautionary note, and some even true)...

  .....My friend Bob who's ideas I borrowed as I tried my best to make my little ship seaworthy....

... My other friend Bob, who encouraged me (and more importantly Rose) in the preparation.

  ....Dennis, who worked on my boat, encouraged me, encouraged my wife, but did not spare me the truth.  His input on my dingy may well have saved my boat.

  ....Frank, who in addition to the encouragement you read on this site, took a couple of hours of time out of his life to write Rose and I a 12 page letter of encouragement, caution, and advise to help us on our way.....

...Earl who's tutelage as my race tactician, and challenges of my flawed physics made me a much better Sailor.

  ...Like Dan (Psyche) generosity and help when we stayed with him... Same for James & Mei Baldwin.....

...Mom who handled all the details of finances and mail back home... as well as the house... goats... etc. 

...Dad, who monitored our progress, provided counsel, weather routing, and long distance ship chandelier duties while rooting us on.

  ... our friends, family, and especially so many from our yacht club who helped, encouraged, and Prayed for us on this trip.....  and all those I have inevitably frogotten to mention.

THANK YOU.

[s/v Faith]

Confession Time:

I've hit docks.  More than once.

I've hit a buoy.

I've never hit another boat, but ALMOST.  Luck was on my side.

Does that make me a naysayer, pessimist or person who does not know what I am talking about, or not because I happen to agree with you on the 'boats under 40' feet can cross oceans' position?

Just trying to figure out which part is the relevant part.   :P

;D ;D

  Sorry John, I am getting all worked up... I guess it is to be expected on this (probably) last night of this cruise.

  No, (IMHO) screwing up just makes you more qualified to comment.  I have screwed up a BUNCH on this trip.... and the one before and before that... If you don't believe me just take a look back at the pictures of my boat sitting high and dry back in Georgia.   ;D

  I don't see the cautions, or warnings as anything wrong either... like the folks concerns about hurricane season I mentioned above.... To me, the difference is the WAY, the INTENT.  Those folks who say things like 'you will never make it' are IMHO the

( Re: Naysayers, pessimists, and people who don't know what they are talking about )

  There is a line, and sometimes it is blurry.

Not willing to cross the religion / politics line here but as an example... in 'discussions' with some about faith some argue that 'love & positive thoughts' is all that should be shared... I believe that to simply share 'love & positive thoughts' is not doing anyone a favor... So also sharing the 'SailFar gospel' is about encouraging others to 'go small, go now' while being honest with them.. and ourselves.

[CapnK]

Oh, I think we have all had (and/or are going to have) moments where our boats attempt to move immovable objects, or similar. I've a tale or two, myself. Even a couple of really good ones! 8)

But nothing like running down a 15' tall dayshape, striking it with the windward side of the boat, in less than 5kts of wind, in perfect visibility, after it has been in view for easily 20 minutes, and is the *only* thing marking the channel there, at the tip of a sandbar...

*That* is an example of gross incompetence that is hard to beat.  ::)

Until, of course, you sail into the side of a docked boat. At such an angle that you crush your bow pulpit...  :o

So - It's not the number of screw-ups, so much as it is the quality of them. ;D

There's a difference between "Oops, I/we/they messed up...", and "Should never have put our/themselves in a position for X situation to have happened." Mistakes are not necessarily gross negligence and/or incompetence.

Like Craig says, there is a line, and it can be blurry sometimes. But then again, sometimes it ain't, at all. I guess that's why "courtrooms" were invented. ;)

But the oddest thing is that many times, it is the folks on the other side of it who have the most vocal and/or righteous position about what is happening on *your* side of that line.

Boy - it's too early, after too late a night watching the shuttle liftoff, for me to manage the task of thinking well enough to bring this to any type of coherent conclusion, other than this:

Have a nice day. ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

I think one of the best examples of "What were they thinking?" was something I witnessed this past season.  Direction is a 66' commercial lobsterboat that sails out of New Bedford.  They've even been on a cable television show several times—The Deadliest Catch IIRC. Well, one Sunday morning, as we were coming up the channel towards the Hurricane Barrier, we saw Direction coming down the channel. 

The weather was beautiful—sunny, no seas to speak of and 5 knots of wind.  As we got closer to Direction, I noticed they were heading directly for one of the large, lit green buoys that marks the New Bedford shipping channel.  One my crew asked me what I was looking at... and I said, "They've got to see that buoy...don't they, they're gonna turn, they've got to turn soon... " 

We watched as they got closer, and closer... and then the nailed the buoy about as well as if they had been aiming for it.  I tried sounding my air horn... but no one was on the bridge to hear it. They broke the bowsprit of the boat off about half way down, and literally ran over the buoy.  There was an awfully loud BONG as they hit it and you could see someone suddenly appear in the bridge windows and run across the bridge, presumably to the helm.  The buoy left some wide scratches on the boat when it popped up from underneath it. 

Direction is a boat that probably passes that buoy twenty times a month, and has done so for almost 25 years, since the boat was commissioned in 1983. If the crew of this boat, which does this stuff day after day, can make such a basic and obvious mistake, I'm not surprised that we do.

[CapnK]

That brings to mind a funny story regarding commercial fishermen/fishing boats. A very close friend of my family was part owner of the "Still Crazy" fleet which fished out of Murrells Inlet (and probably still does, tho' he's no longer an owner). He told me that one day, he was in the office and overheard an exchange on the VHF.

It seems that the US Coast Guard was hailing one of his boats that was just offshore, on its way back in. The CG stated that they wanted the fishermen to come to a stop so they could be boarded.

The fishing boat captain comes back, telling the CG that they are returning from over a week at sea, are more than ready to be home with just a couple miles to go to be at the dock, and so he inquires as to why the CG wants to board them?

The CG replies that they are going to search the boat for drugs.

Whereupon, the fishing captain says:

"Aw, he1l. We ain't got no drugs on board - that's why we're coming back in! If you wanna find drugs onboard, you shoulda checked us when we were on our way *out*!"...



True story. :D (And a ballsy captain!)



(So maybe your guys were going thru withdrawal, Dan... ;) ;D)

[AdriftAtSea]

CapnK-

Direction was leaving New Bedford... and hit one of the big Green lighted buoys about 1/2 mile from the harbor hurricane barrier. If they were going through withdrawal, they went cold turkey when they were on shore leave.

[ronc98]

disregarding the naysayers and pessimists, I wonder how many people get a boat sail a few seasons then just take off,  and not come back.  Learn on the way.  I have read many accounts of people learning along the way but just home common is it. 

[CapnK]

Ron -

I met 4 or 5 folk just this past year when they came through the marina here, who'd done that, more or less - actually less, having sailed little or none prior to heading down the Ditch. 'Smallest' boat was a CD28, 'largest' a IP38.

The CD28 fellow had been a doctor (pathologist, IIRC). He had transmission problems nearby, and wound up staying a month and becoming a friend while fixing that and other chores, before he continued heading north. He came back through a few months later, going south.

That was about the same time that the IP38 guy, who'd been a fireman and carpenter, came in. He'd gotten beaten up, literally, by storms off of Cape Fear, and when he got here he had a 3" gash over his left eye, which was badly bruised and swollen nearly shut. I fixed his roller snarling while he was here. It was a contributing factor to his getting beaten up so bad by storms when it stopped working properly, and he didn't understand it enough to get it furled. He went through a 40kt, 10-12' seas storm with nearly a full genny out. Zoiks. Good thing for him that the IP's are built strong. :)

[ronc98]

For me I think being out there doing it is the best experience.  However with that being said I think experience is a good thing when you only have one chance of doing it right.  If you do it wrong your swimming or calling on the GC.  Knowing the basics I guess are important but can you really get the experience for a round the world trip just sailing locally. 

I do not feel so bad knowing I am not in the minority.  I guess when my responsibilities to my kid are done, I will have  a bit of experience before i push off.

[Lynx]

Yes and No. IF you do not know how to use a greese gun then it will do you no good to know that parts need greesing.

I agree with you to an extent. A costal long cruise with the intention on learning on how to fix everything on the boat will go a long way. Staying close to an area that has the parts is also advised.

I lot of boats do not have much problems but there are those who do. Just do not get to far away and not know what you need to know.

Everybody is different as well as what they know. Without this it is hard to say who will have problems they cannot take care of quickly.

Knowing goes a longer way than wishing and hopeing.

[ronc98]

I am lucky I guess because every since I was a child I have taken things apart to see how they worked.  Now I am confident I can fix about anything.  I have built so many things it is almost second nature.    Outboards are a pain though, they all work on the same concept however everything is packed together like a timex watch.