On Aug 14, 9:21 pm, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I read Skip's postings. Seems he is always having some mechanical
breakdown. If it isn't the self steerer, it is the
auto pilot.. or something.

I got to thinking ..

Joshua Slocum left Boston on April 24, 1895. He sailed around the world
alone. No motor, no self steering, a wooden boat.

That was one great sailor, that is all I'm thinking ..

well now... its pretty darn hard to compare Captain Slocum with
Skip....
the biggest difference being that the good Captain did not have the
advantages that
the Flying Pig has today.
1. the techonologies of the day being nada and today we have lots of
nice toys to aid us in our cruising..

do any of you on this list who are loaded down with a myriad of
electronic toys think you can sail sans, engine and all those toys..
some yes, most absolutely not.
I know some of you can, have and will sail again and prefer to use
thier paper charts, sextant and minimal use of engine.. the rest of
you.. puhhhleeeze you could not get out of the slip if you did not
have that chartplotter, radar, bowthruster and half a dozen dockhands
to get you to open water.
thats harsh, you bet... I anchor out away from newbees for a reason...
and it irritates the heck out of me when someone in a brand new
expensive 40+footer looks at my boat and wonders out loud if she will
sink. why because she is old? or because i am a singel woman
sailing.. no its because they have an overwhelming sense of security
and superiority due to thier dependence on electronics perhaps ...or
they just bought a boat, took a sailing course and think they know it
all now..

Captain Slocum, was a sea captain of many many years before he set out
on spray... please to note our good captain disappeared at sea.. did
he meet a rogue wave, did a whale take a disliking to him sharing the
same sea? did he accidently slip and fall overboard? or did he
deliberately scuttle the boat and himself..who knows... he never came
back to tell the tale did he.. ?

before you judge another sail a mile or two on thier boat with them..
and remember you too could be in a basket getting rescued by the
Coastie.. never know, then again you could sail a zillion miles, have
amazing adventures.. live to tell the tale, sell the boat and become
the landlubbers you once were..

before you get your knickers in a twist over skips need to have
diarhea of the fingers/mouth remember he is telling you everything
that has gone wrong.. don't think it will happen to you... lmao...
cruising is fixing things is exotic places with ridiculuos customs
fees and gaurds who think that bakeesh is thier right. and other
cruisers to just have to meander by and make judgement comments even
though they don't know dick, mary or jane.. then there are those who
do.. and jump to help. and offer a cold beer ..
what do I sail, a LeComte Medalist 33, electroncis, of course... and
my eyes, ears and a fat cat who likes to play bow bunny.. cya out
there!
'bella
s/v Maja
laying annapolis
hailing port: Key West
GO GATORS!!!