Hi, Wilbur,

For a little bit, I'd thought you'd died :{))

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com...
Now, Willie, you know that's not quite right...

I can't comment on others, but we sail, using the motor only as a last
resort. It's true that we "shop for internet" while we shop for water as
we anchor, but that's driven by 2 things.

And, you don't understand the absurdity of your methods? You don't see how
what you do is a *******ization of cruising and voyaging? You need to
examine what your goals are and write them down in order of priorities. If
your main goals involve 'keeping in touch' then you're in the wrong place
doing the wrong thing.

Ehhh. Things change. If all you care about is getting away from everyone
and everything meaningful in your life other than the ocean, that makes
sense.

However, life today in the connected world is much different. Commercial
interests have abandoned SSB in favor of Satellite comms, including full
bandwidth internet and telephony. As they make their livings on the water,
I'd have to say that their example should be instructive to you in your
pedantry (not going the other place!!!)...


Cruising and voyaging are NOT all about keeping in touch. Keeping in touch
is anathema to the cruising life. You are trying to combine two things
that are at the opposite ends of the spectrum to the detriment of both of
them. By trying to do both, you are doing neither well.

I disagree, particularly as to the enhanced availability of shoreside help
for a myriad of circumstances where you might find it favorable. Weather
comes to mind. Yes, you can be a skilled meteorologist, but from the limited
perspective of the boat's view/radius, you stand the chance of missing
something very important or life-threatening, more on which below.


Are your goals so vague and cloudy that it pleases you to be mediocre at
everying caused by doing several things half-assed so you can cram them
all in? For me it's always been quality over quantity. I guess for you and
most others these days priorities have changed. It's now all about
quantity over quality. That's the very definition of mediocre. It saddens
me to have a noble pursuit like cruising and voyaging reduced to
mediocrity.

Heh. Who sez you can't have it all? Technology today allows that with very
few compromises. Admittedly, if you're fixed on voyaging in a vessel small
enough to be pushed effectively with a 6HP outboard, your choices of
enhancement are pretty limited - as, likely, your cruising range will be,
too, solely on space considerations.



The first and foremost, a condition I knew about when I married her, is
that Lydia has stainless steel hawsers rather than apron strings,
enhanced and confounded by her relatively recent awareness of
grandparent(well, I guess I should say grandmother, as, if it's not of
her bloodline, the interest in FTF or telephony/video contact is nearly
invisible)hood, which make the need for reasonably reliable contact,
either via email or video skype, paramount. It's (the hawsers) one of the
conditions I accepted as the cost of cruising - and, even our
relationship, which preceded our splash by a long time.

A very obtuse way of saying you actually enjoy being a henpecked husband.

Hardly. We share the same objectives. When she needs her fix, I take the
advantage to see/communicate with my family as well. Otherwise, changed by
her grandparent thing, we'd be quite content to limit those exposures to
time aboard.



Second is that, unlike a huge majority of cruisers (not necessarily
here), we don't return to our home port, with all the attendant benefits
of a landside connection, transportation and a fixed location for a base,
after each trip or voyage. As a result, anything we need is hugely more
effectively done over the internet rather than on an expensive shore card
(see the Ragged subthread) or even more expensive cell connection.


I suppose one can then conclude that prior to the advent of the Internet
nobody really enjoyed cruising and voyaging. Nobody was able do it well
without the umbilical cord? The audience? May I suggest that until you cut
the cord you are an 'unborn' cruiser and will never be an accomplished
voyager.

See above on that one. Enjoyment of cruising and voyaging isn't diminished
by being able to communicate, any more than your ability to hang an outboard
off the back. The Pardeys did just fine with a scull for decades, you
slacker!



FWIW, we also have Ham, SSB, VHF and other connectivity - but the
internet works any time we're within a league of shore, for the most part
(there have been only a less-than-handfuil of times we've not found open
access in our three years plus of cruising, much of it done under way).

So, weather is the prime concern, navigation the second, provisioning and
safety the third, and on and on. WiFi is only one of the primary
concerns :{)) - but once the others are resolved, item 1 above trumps
most other stuff...


Weather the prime concern? lol Says, Skippy as he and his overloaded
boat are cruising the Bahamas during hurricane season. Duh! If weather
were your prime concern you'd be off cruising someplace and some time
where there were no tropical cyclones in the offing.

As above, our connectedness allows us to be safe but still enjoy those
waters you raved so much about. We had a great sail yesterday, for example,
in nearly ideal conditions. Going outside through one of the cuts wouldn't
be advised, yet, for a couple more days, but, if we didn't have that
connectivity, we wouldn't know without having to go have an onsite view of
why we shouldn't.

Between SSB, my satellite receiver (real-time pix as NOAA's satellites go
over), the internet, and others, we have no concerns about tropical
disturbances. As always, we have our hurricane holes picked out, and, with
our connectivity, could be in place within the 5 day window, keep a careful
eye on developments, and take appropriate steps for securing Flying Pig as
needed. Those who run and hide geographically are simply wusses, or slaves
to insurance rules, or both.




Yah, I know, you'll get off on your rant about women on a boat. However,
that part aside, those of our sexual orientation usually prefer to have a
companion if she's up to, enthusiastic about and reasonably (I only put
that label on myself; "highly" may come one day...) skilled at
seamanship. So, there you have it...


And, I am entirely correct to rant about 'certain' women voyaging under
sail. In the history of mankind there have been perhaps fewer than a 100
women who voyaged under sail and who were not a detriment to the
enterprise. Susan Hiscock comes to mind. Any woman who does not enjoy
cruising that involves less than 'sailing' a floating condominium with
generator power enough to light up a small city is never going to be
anything but a severe drag on the proper exection of the enterprise.
Better to admit you're henpecked and go live ashore with the other house
husbands.

Neither of us could stand it, and dread the day when we're forced into your
condition. Hardly henpecked, WE're out here by distinct preference, as
you'd very well know if you read my logs. So, I say to you, Lydia's not one
of those "certain" women.



As to the last, in a check of the archives, I think one would find that
you've had orders of magnitude more presence here, usually to stir up
something (and which, as we've discussed, with some mutual amusement, I
usually won't take the bait on). Ergo, Pot, Kettle.

But I love you anyway :{))


I'm semi-retired from the cruising life now. When I did my major cruising
some years ago, I did it as a purist. I did not 'sail' a condo/house tied
to shore with a long umbilical cord. Nor did I do it as a floating beauty
saloon/gossip column. Definitely not a case of PKB. Consider this, the
only reason I bother with you at all is I think you two are one of the few
couples these days who might actually enjoy cruising like it was meant to
be if only you could honestly examine your priorities and commit to those
which are really the most important in your lives.

Heh. We do, with our own spin. And, we have, indeed made that commitment.
Sold the houses, gave away the car, and plunged headlong into our dream.

L8R

Love from Lydia, particularly, who gives you a sloppy kiss to go along with
the hug


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