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Mark Borgerson

In article s.com,
llid says...

"Jessica B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:54:55 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

"Frogwatch" wrote in message
...
I've realized one of my problems with cruising (or any long vacation)
is I reach "scenic overload" where pretty things become mundane, "just
another beautiful vista". My mind can hold only so many of these
before I have to go home and recharge my desire for more. Anybody
else have this issue?

I don't have that problem. The reason being: there are way too many
totally
ugly and ineptly-sailed boats in sight daily that it wants to make be barf
because they are so cluttered and lubberly maintained. Here is one good
example of which I speak.

http://islandtimepc.com/sitebuilderc...G.w300h410.jpg

But, to be fair, Flying Pig does have one quite comely attribute: She's on
the right:

http://islandtimepc.com/sitebuilderc...Lydia-Skip.jpg

I just have to wonder what the world's come to when a desirable woman like
that puts herself in such slovenly circumstances? If she would sail with
me,
I would be happy to teach her what higher standards are all about.

Wilbur Hubbard

That looks like a bigger boat that what you have. Does that make a
difference, as far as comfort goes? I guess it depends on how far you
go. We're finally starting to get some warmer weather out here and
hardly any fog, but it's still pretty cold at night. I have to take
some vacation time in warm weather, including at night!
--

47 is special

Does bigger necessarily mean better? Now, I realize that's a loaded question
to ask a woman LOL because I know where a woman's mind is much of the time
(especially prime-of-life, single, adventurous, 47-year-olds) but really!

What is with this bigger is better crap when it comes to a sailboat? Bigger
usually only means a bigger headache, bigger problems, bigger expense,
bigger aggravation, bigger nuisance, smaller cruising opportunities. People
who own big (over thirty-two feet) sailboats spend the majority of their
time working on them, fixing worn and broken parts and systems, etc. Those
of us who don't have eyes bigger than our stomachs are attracted to the
beauty and functionality of 'the right size'.

Based on my experience with cruising sailboats from 24' to 35', there
isn't all that much difference in the required systems. At each end
of the range, you need one engine, one stove, one depth sounder and
one head. You also need two or three sails and an effective reefing
system. Perhaps I'm biased because my experience with the 35' end
of the range is with charter boats, where the KISS principle seems
well entrenched. The 35' sailboats I've chartered weren't burdened
with electric heads, microwave ovens, televisions, air conditioning,
radars, etc. etc.

I bought a 24' fiberglass cruising boat in 1974, and spent a whole
summer working on it and cruising. I don't think my ratio of work
to cruise would have changed had the boat grown by 8 feet. What happens
with larger boats is that the owners generally have more money to
add gadgets. It's not the size of the boat that is the problem, it's
the depth of the wallet! That wallet would have limited me just as
much had my boat magically grown by 8 feet.

The same thing happens with houses----the bigger the house, the more
space you have to accumulate junk.

SNIP non-boating content

Just had another cold front blow through last night. Was 50 degrees outside
this morning. It's warmed up to 67 degrees now with sunny skies. Wind has
come down to 10-15 knots now as opposed to 25-35 knots last night. But, last
night was a great night to snuggle in the v-berth with that somebody special
who could cook a good breakfast in the morning.

Mark Borgerson