"Dan Best" wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:
You tell me the sailor who hasn't said "oh ****" and I will introduce
you to someone who has never taken the boat out of the marina.

Can't remember exactly what I said when we were dismasted off the New
Jersey coast in 1987 but I'm pretty sure the "s" word was in there
someplace.

As I recall, when we lost our backstay about 02:30 on our first night out
on the leg from Tonga to Hawaii last September, I used the "f" word pretty
vigorously.

I sympathize very strongly with Skip and Lydia. Especially so early in
their adventure that they haven't yet discovered their abilities and
limits, I can understand how it could happen.

Skip & I corresponded from before they even purchased the "Pig" (in fact,
I understand they used our boat evaluation form to assist them during the
search). I'm really not in a position to help them financially unless
they get desperate, and being on the left coast, there's not a lot I can
offer them in terms of physical aid, but Kathryn and I are sure sending as
many good thoughts their way as we can.

I can't help but be reminded of Jamie Bryson and his family's trip upon
first buying their Rawson 30. Between Cabo and Alaska they ran aground (with
damage to repair), were rammed by a fishing boat (with more damage to
repair) and were nearly sunk more than once. Either of those collisions
could have resulted in the totalling of their boat by an insurance companay,
yet they bounced back and completed a circumnavigation. Skip and Lydia have
been preparing for this new chapter in their lives for years -- I'm not
ready to close the book on them just yet.