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#11
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Dream vs reality
Bob wrote: On Feb 13, 7:43 am, "Frogwatch" wrote: Skip and Lydia got beat up pretty bad and I hope it doesnt ruin their dream. This fact speaks loudly. The weather by S&L's account was 25 knots with 6-8' waves. Regardless of wave frequency or if 30 K and 10' waves. And yes I have worked the GOM. Those conditions are an excellent day in most waters. And for a 46' boat !?!?!? The first time we went very far offshore, we crossed to Bimini from Fort Lauderdale in a chartered Beneteau 51 with a hired captain. The forecast was for 18 to 22 kts of wind with 6-8' seas. When we left it was blowing 15-18Kts with 3-5's, but six hours in we had 28 to 32Kts showing on the instruments, and seas that were in the 8-12' range. It was a very wet ride, eye opening, but never dangerous--although the green water over the deck revealed the leaking hatches in the v-berth and wet down some of our clothes. We motor sailed the whole way with about 9kts showing on the speed log. As a result of that trip, we both had our eyes corrected with LASIK, because eyeglasses are completely unusable in those conditions--something we would not have thought of. The next day we met a few cruisers that were holed up behind Gun Caye waiting for a weather window to cross, and they were surprised that we had crossed at the time we did. Of course, when you are chartering, you do not get to wait for a weather window. You either go, or don't go. We learned that my wife can sleep through anything, and doesn't get seasick easily. I on the other hand barely made it through six hours of 8-12's without feeding the fish. I have met four couples in the last 6 years who fit this pattern. Most recently in a little harbor called Winchester Bay, OR. The couple worked in finance, bought a never sailed 42' something. It was so shinny bright white I had to wear shades. She drank wine, he worked busily adding do-dads. After 1+ years getting ready for their "Dream" the two headed out over the bar. They got about 3 miles off shore, got knocked around, the alternator light went on and they returned to port. The boat has not left the slip since. That was three years ago. One of my uncles sailed with a couple from San Diego to Papeete, French Polynesia by way of the Marquesa's. The couple had a lot sailing experience, but had never been offshore, and they were planning on doing the Pacific loop, and maybe continuing on around the world. Somewhere out there they caught a squall with the spinnaker up, knocked down the boat, apparently let fly and doused simultaneously, and ended up with a sheet wrapped around the prop, and the spinnaker wrapped under the keel, with no sail up to keep making way. There was some screaming involved, and by the time they made Papeete, the dream was dead. The one common word I hear in every case is.................................. DREAM. For some reason people have lives they want to escape and sail away to paradise. Gordon Lightfoot wrote: "I guess it must be wanderlust, or trying to get free..." Agreed! But for the few who truly are humbled by the sight of petrels, albatross, the first sea spout, flying fish jumping on deck, a bunch of spinner dolphins 20' away or my all time favorite. Sailing in total darkness with two dolphins riding the bow wake. The bioluminescence lighting up the dolphin. Stardust streaming off every fin leaving a trail of sparkles in their wake. My guess is that sort of stuff is rather boring to the Dreamers. For me it is a big part of the "dream". That and all the stars and the milkyway on a clear night at sea, and the excitement of a landfall someplace you have never been. It is also being someplace interesting and not having to leave in two weeks to get back to the job when the vacation is over. How to keep it from happening? Dont defer sailing while you build. Keep your small boat and sail and cruise regularly. I think Skip and Lydia ought to have stuck to their original plan of daylight sailing only EVEN IF IT MEANT GOING DOWN THE ICW DITCH. This would have exposed many flaws in the plan until they could jump on the outside to Naples and then Everglades City. From there it is a daylight trip to Marathon. By the time they really needed to sail at night they'd be good. Well, we own a 27' and a 38' sailboat right now, and the one thing we are for sure getting good at is fixing up sailboats (sigh). Excellent obervations Fogwatch. BOb Agreed. Don W. |
#12
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Dream vs reality
Bob wrote: On Feb 13, 10:37 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote: Hey Rosalie ,, BBB ... boat . You got me thinking ??? There should be a reality tv show called "Cruising Dreams". Get a very disfunctional couple. A few very weird friends, an old sailboat, have the wicked marina owner, the dock kid with the beautiful body who is doing the rich lady on the big cruiser ,, Have you ever watched the movie with Captain Ron! That's a classic. Don W. |
#13
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Dream vs reality
Don W wrote:
Bob wrote: On Feb 13, 7:43 am, "Frogwatch" wrote: Skip and Lydia got beat up pretty bad and I hope it doesnt ruin their dream. This fact speaks loudly. The weather by S&L's account was 25 knots with 6-8' waves. Regardless of wave frequency or if 30 K and 10' waves. And yes I have worked the GOM. Those conditions are an excellent day in most waters. And for a 46' boat !?!?!? The first time we went very far offshore, we crossed to Bimini from Fort Lauderdale in a chartered Beneteau 51 with a hired captain. The forecast was for 18 to 22 kts of wind with 6-8' seas. When we left it was blowing 15-18Kts with 3-5's, but six hours in we had 28 to 32Kts showing on the instruments, and seas that were in the 8-12' range. It was a very wet ride, eye opening, but never dangerous--although the green water over the deck revealed the leaking hatches in the v-berth and wet down some of our clothes. We motor sailed the whole way with about 9kts showing on the speed log. As a result of that trip, we both had our eyes corrected with LASIK, because eyeglasses are completely unusable in those conditions--something we would not have thought of. The next day we met a few cruisers that were holed up behind Gun Caye waiting for a weather window to cross, and they were surprised that we had crossed at the time we did. Of course, when you are chartering, you do not get to wait for a weather window. You either go, or don't go. We learned that my wife can sleep through anything, and doesn't get seasick easily. I on the other hand barely made it through six hours of 8-12's without feeding the fish. I have met four couples in the last 6 years who fit this pattern. Most recently in a little harbor called Winchester Bay, OR. The couple worked in finance, bought a never sailed 42' something. It was so shinny bright white I had to wear shades. She drank wine, he worked busily adding do-dads. After 1+ years getting ready for their "Dream" the two headed out over the bar. They got about 3 miles off shore, got knocked around, the alternator light went on and they returned to port. The boat has not left the slip since. That was three years ago. One of my uncles sailed with a couple from San Diego to Papeete, French Polynesia by way of the Marquesa's. The couple had a lot sailing experience, but had never been offshore, and they were planning on doing the Pacific loop, and maybe continuing on around the world. Somewhere out there they caught a squall with the spinnaker up, knocked down the boat, apparently let fly and doused simultaneously, and ended up with a sheet wrapped around the prop, and the spinnaker wrapped under the keel, with no sail up to keep making way. There was some screaming involved, and by the time they made Papeete, the dream was dead. The one common word I hear in every case is.................................. DREAM. For some reason people have lives they want to escape and sail away to paradise. Gordon Lightfoot wrote: "I guess it must be wanderlust, or trying to get free..." Agreed! But for the few who truly are humbled by the sight of petrels, albatross, the first sea spout, flying fish jumping on deck, a bunch of spinner dolphins 20' away or my all time favorite. Sailing in total darkness with two dolphins riding the bow wake. The bioluminescence lighting up the dolphin. Stardust streaming off every fin leaving a trail of sparkles in their wake. My guess is that sort of stuff is rather boring to the Dreamers. For me it is a big part of the "dream". That and all the stars and the milkyway on a clear night at sea, and the excitement of a landfall someplace you have never been. It is also being someplace interesting and not having to leave in two weeks to get back to the job when the vacation is over. How to keep it from happening? Dont defer sailing while you build. Keep your small boat and sail and cruise regularly. I think Skip and Lydia ought to have stuck to their original plan of daylight sailing only EVEN IF IT MEANT GOING DOWN THE ICW DITCH. This would have exposed many flaws in the plan until they could jump on the outside to Naples and then Everglades City. From there it is a daylight trip to Marathon. By the time they really needed to sail at night they'd be good. Well, we own a 27' and a 38' sailboat right now, and the one thing we are for sure getting good at is fixing up sailboats (sigh). Excellent obervations Fogwatch. BOb Agreed. Don W. The definition of a cruiser is "someone who likes to repair boats in exotic locations" krj |
#14
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Dream vs reality
In article . com,
"Frogwatch" wrote: I know another couple who just bought a big boat to fix up, by coincidence, a Morgan. They talk of selling their old 25' boat but I hope they dont until the big boat is really ready. As I recall, one of the last things Skip and Lydia did was to get rid of a plethora of small boats. I only remember powerboats, but they might have had a sailboat or two in the mix. I agree with Rosalie: theirs was a plan, not just a dream. -- Jere Lull Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD) Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/ Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ |
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