On 2007-10-01 13:13:15 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
said:

"Ernest Scribbler" wrote in message
et...
"Skip Gundlach" wrote
Nice parody. Aside from the brute force tool
(I use something which is directed, not swung),
not too far off our early realities.

Classy.
Some folks might have posted a smart reply.
Yours was pleasant.

Yes, it was! Darn it all! Maybe there's more to Skippy than meets the eye . . .

Wilbur Hubbard

I was going to respond to a different post, but I like this one better
so am reusing it.

Saturday, I ignored the small craft advisories (which mean something to
our light-air cork) and blasted down to Annapolis to try to find Flying
Pig. Succeeded, and the trip was worth the beating.

Skip, Lydia and their "Mum" are charming, and Flying Pig has been
wonderfully rebuilt with just about every system a technophile could
desire.

What struck me almost immediately, though, was a reminder of how *new*
they are to cruising -- and sailing. After I sailed around FP and Lydia
tied Xan alongside as if she'd done it a thousand times, she remarked
it was the first time they'd ever rafted up, one of so many "first
times" on this trip.

All things considered, my wife Pat probably has more onboard experience
than they, even though I allow Pat a life of leisure onboard and
single-hand most of the time.

Considering that, it's astounding that they haven't given up in dismay.
Far less severe challenges early-on nearly scared Pat off of Xan and
boating.

In my view, their primary errors were (and this won't be news to them):
1) Rushing. Trying to run before "walk" has been mastered.
2) Having and relying on too many complex onboard systems, particularly
as most were unproven and have since been discovered to be NFG. (clean
version: not found good).

Skip and Lydia are compressing the learning curve of sailing and
cruising beyond I would consider sanity. That they can be as intensely
sane as I found them to be is a wonder.

That Skip can be so comfortable about documenting all of their
beginners errors (so other beginners can learn from their mistakes) and
be so undefensive about the rude remarks engendered is another wonder.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/