As interest in Bobsprit swells, I think it's best to be clear about
some things, even if my participation here will be quite limited here
for the next few months....

While everyone here is suddenly a retired Mark Spitz who repairs cruise
ship propellers underwater and using sea sponges for air....I'll
actually define my swimming ability honestly.

I currently weigh in an 215 lbs at 6'3 tall. My upper body is comprised
of longer muscle strands, which gives me good initial power well beyond
that of most men. At the age of 12 I passed a swimming test for
certificate allowing me to join in advanced water sports at PA private
camps. I was one of the youngest to pass.

Currently I'd rate my swimming ability as "good" but not exceptional.
There are folks who get to swim everyday. That means their muscles are
really in shape for that specific activity. No part time swimmer can
match this. I clean my own keel and can hold my breath longer than most
people. Under reasonable temps I could swim from even the widest point
of the LIS back to shore, which I think is a very basic capability for
folks who singlehand coastal. You should be able to swim a few miles
with ease and I don't think it's unreasonable for every sailor to be
capable of swimming 5-8 miles at least.
I'm not a fast swimmer, but I'm strong in the water and confident. Two
years ago we had a friend swimming near the boat suffer a panic attack.
It instantly eshausted him, but I was easily able to pull him from the
water. If you can't do this you shouldn't be on the water.

RB
35s5
NY


RB
35s5
NY

The river out front is about 1 mile wide and I regularly swim over to
visit friends on the other side..yes, there are sharks in that river,
but I just throw em aside if they take me on.



That's great...I wish I could do that. My fear of sharks borders on
illogical. Even here I worry about them. I saw Jaws too young and it
effected me forever. Yet I have no fear of bears, which is a much more
dangerous animal and I've certainly been around enough of them.
When I clean the keel here I've really spooked myself numerous times,
trying to see into the deeper water and imagining that snout of teeth
suddenly coming at me. I finish the job and get the hell out of the
water. The fear is also quite tiring physically.
I've toyed with doing a shark dive in Florida to deal with it, but
haven't worked up the courage yet.


RB
35s5
NY

OzOne wrote:
On 14 Jun 2006 05:11:46 -0700, "Capt. Rob"
scribbled thusly:

The river out front is about 1 mile wide and I regularly swim over to
visit friends on the other side..yes, there are sharks in that river,
but I just throw em aside if they take me on.



That's great...I wish I could do that. My fear of sharks borders on
illogical. Even here I worry about them. I saw Jaws too young and it
effected me forever. Yet I have no fear of bears, which is a much more
dangerous animal and I've certainly been around enough of them.
When I clean the keel here I've really spooked myself numerous times,
trying to see into the deeper water and imagining that snout of teeth
suddenly coming at me. I finish the job and get the hell out of the
water. The fear is also quite tiring physically.
I've toyed with doing a shark dive in Florida to deal with it, but
haven't worked up the courage yet.


RB
35s5
NY
Bears scare the **** out of me....yet I've only seen a few in the
wild.
One in the skifields this winter when I went off piste with a couple
of friends and came across one wandering around in the snow.
******* should have been asleep!


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.

Bears aren't nearly as scary as sharks. I'd rather be around a bear
than a shark any day. (except for polar bears..they're a different
story...)

Scotty wrote:
"katy" wrote in message
...
Bears aren't nearly as scary as sharks. I'd rather be
around a bear
than a shark any day. (except for polar bears..they're a
different
story...)


I worry about bare sharks.

Scotty


Me, too....

Scotty wrote:
"katy" wrote in message
...
Bears aren't nearly as scary as sharks. I'd rather be
around a bear
than a shark any day. (except for polar bears..they're a
different
story...)


I worry about bare sharks.

Scotty


I guess in the long run, I'd rather just have a heart attack in my bed
one night or drop dead in the street....

"katy" wrote in message
...
Bears aren't nearly as scary as sharks. I'd rather be
around a bear
than a shark any day. (except for polar bears..they're a
different
story...)


I worry about bare sharks.

Scotty

I've dealt with bears on a daily basis. If you run at black bears and shoo
them they run away. Once has a troublesome bear ripping open the dumpster
and turning it over every night. I went after it at night with the bow and
hit it with a few archery blunts. I've hunted and shot a few.

Avoid bears with cubs and grizzlies. Out in the Cascades you can't see bears
as easily as in the Rockies. Usually the cub will shoot up a tree and you
know the mother is right below. Steer clear of it.

The most trouble I've ever had is with domestic dogs. I've been bitten
several times especially when on a bike. Wild animals are the least of your
worries.

Bears aren't nearly as scary as sharks. I'd rather be around a bear
than a shark any day.


Chances are good that you've been in the water fairly close to some
large sharks. They are everywhere. But even in the water with a
"maneater" it's not likely you'd get attacked or even know the animal
is there.

If you stumble across a Black, Brown or Grizzly bear you can have a
serious problem. Bears can attack over territory, fear, young nearby or
even if they're hungry enough. As Ozzy points out, it's probably a
slower death with more pain.

But to me the shark is a real "monster." It's just as frightening as
any movie monster, perhaps worse in that it inhabits our dreams as well
as nightmares. The shark also hides from us, in a place we generally
view as recreational, even romantic. Attacked in the water, the human
being could hardly be more naked and vulnerable.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=J4YjmwCs6...shark%20attack
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9lgfRQi8P...shark%20attack


RB
35s5
NY

Bob Crantz wrote:
I've dealt with bears on a daily basis. If you run at black bears and shoo
them they run away. Once has a troublesome bear ripping open the dumpster
and turning it over every night. I went after it at night with the bow and
hit it with a few archery blunts. I've hunted and shot a few.

Avoid bears with cubs and grizzlies. Out in the Cascades you can't see bears
as easily as in the Rockies. Usually the cub will shoot up a tree and you
know the mother is right below. Steer clear of it.

The most trouble I've ever had is with domestic dogs. I've been bitten
several times especially when on a bike. Wild animals are the least of your
worries.


I've had lots of experiences of the close up and personal with bears,
also. Was trapped in a UP outhouse for several hours while one traipsed
around outside...was one of the high points of my life (NOT...even 3
minutes in a primitive outhouse is 3 too many...)....

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...67/detail.html