You know? I find this thread very strange as it consists mainly of one
individual sailing down east and a multitude of others sitting at home
snipping at him.

Certainly Skip is a new sailor, but so what? He is still afloat and
sailing. In fact it sounds like he is having a ball. I wonder how many
of the "Perfect Sailors" who spend their time sniping can truly say
that they have made ocean voyages and never made a mistake or done any
thing that was stupid in retrospect? Probably none, if they don't lie.

I'm not going to preach that everyone should stop sniping but while
you are sitting there posting your rants try to remember, Skip is out
there sailing and you are sitting at home, so who is the Cruiser and
who is the fool?

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

Hear hear.

Their incredible roster of deficiencies is primarily a function of their
openess, complete reporting, and the dynamics of this newsgroup. I doubt
that many now experienced long distance cruisers did as well on their first
long passage.

I'm tracking their progress and ETA closely as I plan to go out and meet
them. I think they might have finally relented and set the iron genny since
they are suddenly on a rumb line for Portland at 5.2 knots and I can't see
anything in the buoy reports to account for it. It would be a wise use of
diesel fuel since they are predicting rain and low visibility tomorrow. Of
course, that could be just about any day in the last 30. I haven't spoken
to anyone recently who claims to remember a worse summer in this part of the
world.

--
Roger Long

Their projected course shows good strategy and sense right now. It isn't
straight towards Portland which would put them right in the ship traffic
lane and following it during the early morning hours when everyone on the
water is least attentive. Instead, they will go just past the beginning of
the southern lane and then come up to the Portland approaches about dawn
right between the two lanes. It's about the best they do to minimize the
chances of a traffic encounter. It looks like Skip is thinking pretty
clearly after several days short handed at sea.

--
Roger Long

On Tue, 5 Aug 2008 21:01:46 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Hear hear.

Their incredible roster of deficiencies is primarily a function of their
openess, complete reporting, and the dynamics of this newsgroup. I doubt
that many now experienced long distance cruisers did as well on their first
long passage.

I'm tracking their progress and ETA closely as I plan to go out and meet
them. I think they might have finally relented and set the iron genny since
they are suddenly on a rumb line for Portland at 5.2 knots and I can't see
anything in the buoy reports to account for it. It would be a wise use of
diesel fuel since they are predicting rain and low visibility tomorrow. Of
course, that could be just about any day in the last 30. I haven't spoken
to anyone recently who claims to remember a worse summer in this part of the
world.

There is an old saying, supposedly about sailing on Chesapeake Bay:
"There are sailors who have been aground, there are sailors that are
going to go aground, and Damned Liars"

I suggest that everyone who has done any sailing to amount to anything
has made mistakes, and learned from them. People who have never made a
mistake are probably lying.

Thus, Skip is right there with the rest of us. Except he is out there
doing it and the nay sayers are sitting at home.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:07:54 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



Thus, Skip is right there with the rest of us. Except he is out there
doing it and the nay sayers are sitting at home.

Maybe because they aren't prepared yet. Gotta be ready.
Can't have anything go wrong. Must be shipshape.
Just not quite ready. Few things to take care of first.
Won't be long. Have to be patient. Why take any chances?
Could lead to disaster. Or even embarrassment.
Must be a good sailor, so want all just right.
Anything less would be lubberly.
Now, my legs are just right on the ottoman.
Gimme another beer. And turn on the light - it's getting dark.
No sense I risk tripping on the dog when walking to bed.
That could be embarrassing if somebody found out.

--Vic

On Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:26:57 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:07:54 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



Thus, Skip is right there with the rest of us. Except he is out there
doing it and the nay sayers are sitting at home.

Maybe because they aren't prepared yet. Gotta be ready.
Can't have anything go wrong. Must be shipshape.
Just not quite ready. Few things to take care of first.
Won't be long. Have to be patient. Why take any chances?
Could lead to disaster. Or even embarrassment.
Must be a good sailor, so want all just right.
Anything less would be lubberly.
Now, my legs are just right on the ottoman.
Gimme another beer. And turn on the light - it's getting dark.
No sense I risk tripping on the dog when walking to bed.
That could be embarrassing if somebody found out.

--Vic

Yup. to quote Frank Hill, a 78 year old Australian mate of mine, "you
can spend your whole damned life getting ready to go. Or you can just
GO!"

Apparently Skip listened to the latter part of the quote.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

wrote:
On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:30:13 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


On Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:26:57 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:


On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:07:54 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



Thus, Skip is right there with the rest of us. Except he is out there
doing it and the nay sayers are sitting at home.


Maybe because they aren't prepared yet. Gotta be ready.
Can't have anything go wrong. Must be shipshape.
Just not quite ready. Few things to take care of first.
Won't be long. Have to be patient. Why take any chances?
Could lead to disaster. Or even embarrassment.
Must be a good sailor, so want all just right.
Anything less would be lubberly.
Now, my legs are just right on the ottoman.
Gimme another beer. And turn on the light - it's getting dark.
No sense I risk tripping on the dog when walking to bed.
That could be embarrassing if somebody found out.

--Vic

Yup. to quote Frank Hill, a 78 year old Australian mate of mine, "you
can spend your whole damned life getting ready to go. Or you can just
GO!"

Apparently Skip listened to the latter part of the quote.



Clearly you are not familiar with the Skip Gundlach story from the beginning.
It's the story of a man who constantly puts obstacles in his own path to
sabotage himself. He does not want success. He delayed this trip in every way
possible, until he could delay it no longer, and then continued to try and cut
it short, even to the point of creating the setting for a shipwreck to try and
end it.

I forget how many years he wrote about the search for "the perfect boat". He set
unrealistic goals for this imaginary craft, so he hopefully wouldn't find one.
Once he found the perfect boat and that excuse no longer washed, he spent many
years refitting "the perfect boat" to make it more perfect. People commented
upon the endless boat search and the endless refit that followed.

The man may have a goal, but it has nothing to do with sailing. Some people with
a similar goal, jump in front of trains.






It's called "Life", dog.

As is "Having One".



--

Richard

(remove the X to email)

How far did you sail in the last 10 days?

--
Roger Long

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:49:48 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:30:13 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:

On Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:26:57 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:07:54 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



Thus, Skip is right there with the rest of us. Except he is out there
doing it and the nay sayers are sitting at home.

Maybe because they aren't prepared yet. Gotta be ready.
Can't have anything go wrong. Must be shipshape.
Just not quite ready. Few things to take care of first.
Won't be long. Have to be patient. Why take any chances?
Could lead to disaster. Or even embarrassment.
Must be a good sailor, so want all just right.
Anything less would be lubberly.
Now, my legs are just right on the ottoman.
Gimme another beer. And turn on the light - it's getting dark.
No sense I risk tripping on the dog when walking to bed.
That could be embarrassing if somebody found out.

--Vic

Yup. to quote Frank Hill, a 78 year old Australian mate of mine, "you
can spend your whole damned life getting ready to go. Or you can just
GO!"

Apparently Skip listened to the latter part of the quote.


Clearly you are not familiar with the Skip Gundlach story from the beginning.
It's the story of a man who constantly puts obstacles in his own path to
sabotage himself. He does not want success. He delayed this trip in every way
possible, until he could delay it no longer, and then continued to try and cut
it short, even to the point of creating the setting for a shipwreck to try and
end it.

I forget how many years he wrote about the search for "the perfect boat". He set
unrealistic goals for this imaginary craft, so he hopefully wouldn't find one.
Once he found the perfect boat and that excuse no longer washed, he spent many
years refitting "the perfect boat" to make it more perfect. People commented
upon the endless boat search and the endless refit that followed.

The man may have a goal, but it has nothing to do with sailing. Some people with
a similar goal, jump in front of trains.

I am superficially familiar with Skip's odyssey although I admit that
I viewed him as a rather unexperienced individual who was searching
for a "dream boat" not realizing that there is no such thing (as soon
as you find the perfect vessel you realize that if the dumafletchit
was a little further aft it would be better) but I've heard even more
unlikely dreams voiced by others.

Live and learn, I thought. And, that is exactly what he has done. I'm
sure that his vision of a dream boat has changed a bit from what it
was several years ago, but so has mine, and probably everyone else
that ever owned a boat, wife, car, house, or dog.

But, Skip is out there living his dream and the rest of the group
seems to be sitting on their collective ass' and rambling on about how
he "should be doing it" forgetting that he IS doing it.

I don't remember whether you are on the East coast or West coast (or
Kansas) but get your butt out on the water and send up some SailMail
about Skip. Don't just sit at home and chuck spears at him. You'll be
a lot more credible.

I'm sure that you will have some disparaging comments to make about
this post but I really don't care a bit. Go sail somewhere and post an
honest report of how many times you made a small error in judgement,or
a big one for that matter, and I'll be a bit more inclined to listen.

Or, just tell us that you've never made a mistake.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

On 2008-08-05 23:07:54 -0400, Bruce in Bangkok
said:

There is an old saying, supposedly about sailing on Chesapeake Bay:
"There are sailors who have been aground, there are sailors that are
going to go aground, and Damned Liars"

More usually these days, it's shortened to "those who have gone aground
and liars".

I have our depth alarm set at 5.5' so it doesn't annoy me so much.
Every once in a while, our knotmeter reads higher than the depth
sounder.

I suggest that everyone who has done any sailing to amount to anything
has made mistakes, and learned from them. People who have never made a
mistake are probably lying.

Hell, any day I'm out and don't make some small mistake or have
something break, I'm astounded. Have to repair a sail from last
Monday's trip home. On the way out on Friday, the GPS went out, so was
soldering for an hour or so. And something went weird with the bilge
pump -- not sure what finally fixed that.

--
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/