87. DSK
Nov 3, 10:08 am show options

Newsgroups: alt.sailing.asa
From: DSK - Find messages by this author
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2005 11:08:12 -0500
Local: Thurs, Nov 3 2005 10:08 am
Subject: The Attributes of an Outstanding Skipper
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Joe wrote:
Doug,

Having worked beside and for 100's of skippers I can tell you when the
**** hit the fans having courage can save you and your crews life. And
a coward can get you all killed.



???

How about not being there in the first place?

How about not having a choice? The sea can change in a heartbeat Doug.
You should know that.


Any skipper who deliberately exposes his vessel & crew to unnecessary
danger because he is "brave" is a fool and a hazard.

Yes he is.

A coward may always opt out .....and say it is not necessary that it is
just to dangerious.

A person with courage will say it is necessary and do what is needed.
If he is an "outstanding" skipper he will get the job done and not one
will be hurt.



We were talking about "outstanding Skippers" not just good or OK
skippers or average weekend trawler Captn's


Yes we were.


Jolly Rogers is right... that sometimes the bravest thing to do is
refuse to do the job, but he is dead wrong when he left out batteling
the elements. Many times Ive seen "Outstanding Skippers " as you guys
would call them fall into the weekend warrior status due to not have
the courage to tackle the task at hand.


Like what?

To refuse a load and get everyone fired, takes courage IMO.

Out racing on a 62 pearson and the owner had a tape drive foresail on
one of those dangerious roll up furlers.

A tape delaminted and tangled the fore sail making it stuck half way
open. He bitched and wined and was ready to throw in the towel because
he thought it was just way to dangerious to shimmy up 15 feet with a
knife and cut the tape fouling things up. I shimmied up and cut it
without a problem after taking 10 min to convince him, we lost the race
btw.

One time while working for Mobil we were in route to a rig offshore
rig when another companies rig hit a poison gas pocket, no helos would
land, The SB boat in the area refused to move in but my skipper moved
in offloaded everyone. I thought it took alot of courage and we were
all scared. They say if you smell this gas your dead.

Had he asked the corporate office for permission the bean counters
would of freaked and shut it down, had he hesitated the guys on the rig
would of all died if the wind shifted.




Now please explain how a skipper who avoids danger, in other words a
"coward" in your terms, can get his crew killed.

I never said a person who avoids danger is a coward,................
you did.

Joe

DSK