"Daniel Thompson" wrote in message
...
What's a Troll, Donal?

It's a post that is specifically designed to start an arguement, as opposed
to a genuine question.

My previous answer to you was a Troll. It was designed to elicit a
response from overweight New Yorkers - and I think that you will agree that
it was a tremendous success! I've never been called a "paronoid[sic] freak"
before.

I'm not specifically going to be doing a trans Atlantic crossing: I just
want to know that it would be possible in the boat that I spend twenty
grand
on...If you look at my last posts, you might notice that i am way short of
being a proficient sailor.

Well, I'm no expert. I own a Beneteau, and I didn't buy it to do trans
Atlantic trips. I do regular cross channel trips to Cherbourg, Fecamp,
Channel Islands, and St Malo. I'm planning to do a trip to the Brest
area(so that we can tour S. Brittany) in the next year. My boat is quite
capable of doing Trans Atlantic trips, but if Transats were my main
objective, then I would have bought a different boat. In fact, if I was
going to do an Atlantic crossing, I would probably change my boat, despite
the fact that many, many Beneteaus have crossed the Atlantic.

However, your choice of words "or something more robust" leads me to
conclude that your choice is predetermined. There is nothing wrong with
this - in fact, quite the opposite. If you know your own mind, then you
are much more likely to enjoy whatever boat you get.

Buying a boat should be a bit like buying a house. When you see the boat
that is right for you, you know it as soon as you see it. You should be
consumed with a desire to possess it. It should "feel" right almost from
the moment that you set foot on it. If it still feels right once you gor
for a test sail, then all the advice in the world won't stop you from buying
it. You will end up with a boat that you are at home on.

If you are new to sailing, then of course you should seek opinions.
However, if you completely rely on these opinions for your final decision,
then you will end up with nothing more than a stepping stone to a more
suitable boat.

If you really do not know what kind of boat to buy, then I would recommend
that you either get some experience on other people's boats, or buy a small,
cheap boat. The latter option would be the best, as you learn more in one
day as skipper than you will learn in a year as crew.


Now, I would like to get back to your original question. "What is a
troll?". This answer is an excellent example of a good troll. I've
answered your question honestly, but at the same time I've managed to upset
an overweight New Yorker. He won't respond directly to this post, because
that would prove my point. However, if you watch carefully for a couple of
days, you will see evidence that Bobsprit is really mad at me. The really
funny thing is that I actually like him!

Good luck with your boat puechase.

Regards


Donal
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