On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:50:17 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

"Larry" wrote

Of course, we COULD have some SANE laws that says NOONE OVER 60 SAILS
ALONE......which is fairly obvious, but we'd rather risk CG sailor's lives
than screw with the elite's right to be stupid.


I can't believe you're suggesting someting so draconian and restrictive;
especially in view of other comments you have made about government
intrusion in our lives.

There are plenty of 20 year olds who shouldn't be sailing alone for medical
and other reasons and many 80 year olds who are safer than most sailors out
there. Long before an arbitrary cut off date for single handing like that,
I would advocate medical testing and licensing. I don't advocate either.
The FAA medical system for private pilots is a joke that wastes millions of
dollars a year, keeps healthy pilots out of the air, and lets dangerous ones
fly. I doubt the gubmint would do a better job with boaters.

If 60 plus citizens shouldn't be sailing alone, they shouldn't be driving
cars either.

I plan to be sailing well into my 80's, often alone.


Ditto to everything Roger wrote.

I'm 62 and have been sailing since I was 8. Mostly single handed or
with another person who was really no help. Several years of longterm
live aboard cruising. I guess if you added them all up it'd be close
to 10 years.

Yes, I have "slowed down" a bit, but not all that much. The biggest
difference is that after a lot of physical effort and/or lack of
sleep, it takes a little longer to recover - like 2 or 3 days instead
of the next day.

Wife and I went out sailing last weekend. Almost record temperatures
of 101 deg. The main halyard fouled on a block up past the spreaders.
I had to go up and free it finally in about 15 kt winds. Now, when I
was 20 I probably would have gone up the mast steps like the
proverbial monkey. Now I just took my time going up, took my time
getting things free and took my time going down. Okay, so it took me a
few minutes longer but a lot less effort. Had I been as wise at age
20, I would have done it the same way.

To paraphrase some football player. In bad conditions offshore, it's
like fighting with a 600 lb gorilla. You don't stop when you get
tired, you stop when the gorilla gets tired. If you can't fight that
gorilla then you don't put yourself in a situation where you might
have to. I've fought that gorilla quite a few times over the years.
I've found it to be a lot less effort using my brain instead of my
brawn. For instance, see a squall line off in the distance that MIGHT
be heading my way. Reef now. Maybe 9 out of 10 times the storm went
on, but it's worth it for the 1 time it didn't. A lot easier, and
smarter, to easily reef than to fight it AFTER it hits you.

'Valkyrie' is our home and we plan on living aboard and cruising for
as long as we can, hopefully into the 80's.

Re flying. My dad rebuilt airplanes so got to fly all kinds of neat
old planes. He gave up flying at age 87. The only reason was his
vision was failing. He could still easily take and enjoy aerobatics
with me at the stick.

Rick
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On 2008-07-26 00:54:06 -0400, Larry said:

I was amazed I could actually make those lines creak with the 175 Sport
Jet pump. She had more power than I imagined....

Xan surprises a number of grounded boats, including a few 40+' crab
crushers that don't realize what a wind shift from south to north means
on the Chesapeake.... We only have 20 hp, but with a 16" 3-blade
connecting us to the water, we *have* pulled stumps (or whatever was
hanging onto our new SPADE anchor a few years back. Had to replace that
anchor line.)

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

On 2008-07-25 12:56:33 -0400, "Thomas Flores" said:

If you have doubts, then check it out. Nature is not kind and if you tend to
feel responsible for another man's actions then by all means.

I usually check, helping one or two boaters on average each season.

Would you check out the obvious in this video if that person was alone far
offshore?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLNx2N0E8zw

Why? All of them seemed to be doing just fine. If they're not moving or
I can't see the helmsperson, I'd check.

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

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:50:17 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

"Larry" wrote

Of course, we COULD have some SANE laws that says NOONE OVER 60 SAILS
ALONE......which is fairly obvious, but we'd rather risk CG sailor's lives
than screw with the elite's right to be stupid.


I can't believe you're suggesting someting so draconian and restrictive;
especially in view of other comments you have made about government
intrusion in our lives.

There are plenty of 20 year olds who shouldn't be sailing alone for medical
and other reasons and many 80 year olds who are safer than most sailors out
there. Long before an arbitrary cut off date for single handing like that,
I would advocate medical testing and licensing. I don't advocate either.
The FAA medical system for private pilots is a joke that wastes millions of
dollars a year, keeps healthy pilots out of the air, and lets dangerous ones
fly. I doubt the gubmint would do a better job with boaters.

If 60 plus citizens shouldn't be sailing alone, they shouldn't be driving
cars either.

I plan to be sailing well into my 80's, often alone.


Ditto to everything Roger wrote.

I'm 62 and have been sailing since I was 8. Mostly single handed or
with another person who was really no help. Several years of longterm
live aboard cruising. I guess if you added them all up it'd be close
to 10 years.

Yes, I have "slowed down" a bit, but not all that much. The biggest
difference is that after a lot of physical effort and/or lack of
sleep, it takes a little longer to recover - like 2 or 3 days instead
of the next day.

Wife and I went out sailing last weekend. Almost record temperatures
of 101 deg. The main halyard fouled on a block up past the spreaders.
I had to go up and free it finally in about 15 kt winds. Now, when I
was 20 I probably would have gone up the mast steps like the
proverbial monkey. Now I just took my time going up, took my time
getting things free and took my time going down. Okay, so it took me a
few minutes longer but a lot less effort. Had I been as wise at age
20, I would have done it the same way.

To paraphrase some football player. In bad conditions offshore, it's
like fighting with a 600 lb gorilla. You don't stop when you get
tired, you stop when the gorilla gets tired. If you can't fight that
gorilla then you don't put yourself in a situation where you might
have to. I've fought that gorilla quite a few times over the years.
I've found it to be a lot less effort using my brain instead of my
brawn. For instance, see a squall line off in the distance that MIGHT
be heading my way. Reef now. Maybe 9 out of 10 times the storm went
on, but it's worth it for the 1 time it didn't. A lot easier, and
smarter, to easily reef than to fight it AFTER it hits you.

'Valkyrie' is our home and we plan on living aboard and cruising for
as long as we can, hopefully into the 80's.

Re flying. My dad rebuilt airplanes so got to fly all kinds of neat
old planes. He gave up flying at age 87. The only reason was his
vision was failing. He could still easily take and enjoy aerobatics
with me at the stick.

Rick
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:22:17 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:



You just haven't got it yet, have you Vic?

The reason that such monitoring is so lacking is that the motorcar is
a religious device and political weapon in the USA. Henry Ford and
those manufacturers who came later were heavily subsidised by the
forerunner of the CIA. The technology was made desirable and along
with Coca-Cola (another CIA subsidised business) was exported to other
countries in order that they be made dependent on the internal
combustion engine. This allowed the fuel companies (which I believe
currently benefit for Government support or subsidy in the US) to
extract vast sums of wealth for supplying the fuel. Then, when the
entire world was addicted, they could impact upon country's economies
at will just by restricting or increasing supply at will.

That car ownership is akin to a religious cult is obvious. People pay
a fortune to own something they cannot sensibly afford, they are
intensely passionate about them as well as about their driving ability
- road rage for one and they are a part of every male's manhood.

That's my contribution to conspiracy theories.

Not bad. Could have worked Marlboros in though. And maybe KFC.

A friend recently told me that his company was instituting random drug
tests for their truck drivers in Sydney as several have been found to
take drugs. One was even discovered driving past a gate house watching
a video.

I've read they have long freight train-like multi-trailer rigs in Oz.
That might require a little care in who is "engineering" the train.
I think doubles are the limit in the U.S., but wouldn't swear to it.
Most trucker regulation here is done after an accident.

--Vic

Herodotus wrote in
:

they are a part of every male's manhood.



Bull****! I'm lookin' at mine and I don't see no car!

Poor little willy ain't got no license to drive it anyways. That's the
only reason he takes me out on dates with the girls!....duty driver!

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:54:00 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:22:17 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:



You just haven't got it yet, have you Vic?

The reason that such monitoring is so lacking is that the motorcar is
a religious device and political weapon in the USA. Henry Ford and
those manufacturers who came later were heavily subsidised by the
forerunner of the CIA. The technology was made desirable and along
with Coca-Cola (another CIA subsidised business) was exported to other
countries in order that they be made dependent on the internal
combustion engine. This allowed the fuel companies (which I believe
currently benefit for Government support or subsidy in the US) to
extract vast sums of wealth for supplying the fuel. Then, when the
entire world was addicted, they could impact upon country's economies
at will just by restricting or increasing supply at will.

That car ownership is akin to a religious cult is obvious. People pay
a fortune to own something they cannot sensibly afford, they are
intensely passionate about them as well as about their driving ability
- road rage for one and they are a part of every male's manhood.

That's my contribution to conspiracy theories.

Not bad. Could have worked Marlboros in though. And maybe KFC.

A friend recently told me that his company was instituting random drug
tests for their truck drivers in Sydney as several have been found to
take drugs. One was even discovered driving past a gate house watching
a video.

I've read they have long freight train-like multi-trailer rigs in Oz.
That might require a little care in who is "engineering" the train.
I think doubles are the limit in the U.S., but wouldn't swear to it.
Most trucker regulation here is done after an accident.

They have triples in the US.

Casady

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:54:00 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:


I've read they have long freight train-like multi-trailer rigs in Oz.
That might require a little care in who is "engineering" the train.
I think doubles are the limit in the U.S., but wouldn't swear to it.
Most trucker regulation here is done after an accident.

--Vic
Hi Vic

Yes, the tractor (truck) unit tows three semi-trailers. They are
called "road trains". In the Northern Territory these travel at
whatever speed they care to as there is no speed limit. Bare in mind
that there is not the traffic density that would be on a similar US
highway. They carry stock, grain and goods. The longest are from
Adelaide at the bottom in South Australia to Darwin in Northern
Territory right at the top. Basically all of the goods that Darwin
consumes come from Adelaide.

Would be a great job for a while.

BTW Am back home in Malaysia staying with my kids with a
friend/colleague at his kampong near Kelang near the capital Kuala
Lumpur. The Indonesian maid makes superb black coffee from Java beans.
There is nothing like being greeted in the morning with a cup of such
coffee.

You can keep your US imperialistic Starbucks. I'll have my real Java
coffee. She roasts and pounds the beans herself so that there is some
variation in taste each day. Not a science perhaps but allows the
delight of daily discovery and comparison. I offered to buy her an
electric coffee grounder but she merely screwed up her face at my
offer.

cheers
Peter

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:15:22 +0000, Larry wrote:

Herodotus wrote in
:

they are a part of every male's manhood.



Bull****! I'm lookin' at mine and I don't see no car!

Poor little willy ain't got no license to drive it anyways. That's the
only reason he takes me out on dates with the girls!....duty driver!

Larry,

You always seem to come out of left field and make me laugh.

I guess that's why I love you.

cheers
Peter

Herodotus wrote in
:

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:15:22 +0000, Larry wrote:

Herodotus wrote in
m:

they are a part of every male's manhood.



Bull****! I'm lookin' at mine and I don't see no car!

Poor little willy ain't got no license to drive it anyways. That's the
only reason he takes me out on dates with the girls!....duty driver!

Larry,

You always seem to come out of left field and make me laugh.

I guess that's why I love you.

cheers
Peter


Damned Dutch beer....

I was hoping you'd get a kick out of it...(c;

Boat groups are always way too serious, fussing over the damndest crap like
varnish and rope. The place needs more fun....before they all turn to
STONE!