Free Spirited Sailing Life

[salticrak]

G'day all

I have been reading a few tales about people who have sailed to distant lands,with little or no money.

Their joy sheer of living a life that is not tied down by rules and regulations is obvious.
Now i know many would say this is asking for trouble and you need to comply with all requirements put to you by whatever bureaucracy you care to name.

One only has to look at the volume of rules and regs Q/A threads on this site to know what i mean.

People like Kris larsen, Hans Klaar to name but two. My question is, are there more of these independent spirited people out there sailing now?

If so could you share them here as i find this tales extremely interesting.

cheers Paul.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by salticrak

. My question is, are there more of these independent spirited people out there sailing now?



Paul.

Hi Paul,

It may be glib to say, but there are few people so independent they disregard the conditions of entry to countries.

I heard of a guy who hasnt cleared into any country in the last 18 years. I wonder is he is BS. but at some stage he, or a transgressor will be busted and not only lose their boat buy end up in jail. How do you have "joy sheer of living a life" when the boat is confiscated and you are in prison?

If you can then go for it.

Otherwise you are bound down by all the legal, administrative and financial crap as is everyone else.

I am bound down by it... fine sometimes, friggin nightmare other times!

all the best



Mark

[salticrak]

Mate i hear you loud and clear.

I suppose the ''war on everything'' has meant at the very least there is a compliance tax put on all who venture off the beaten track.

I may have a tricky visa issue in the not too distant future with a boat ready and built to go, but with shall we say a bit of an extended stay that is not officially sanctioned.

This after ten years of dealing with a bureaucracy gone mad.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by salticrak

G'day all

I have been reading a few tales about people who have sailed to distant lands,with little or no money.

Their joy sheer of living a life that is not tied down by rules and regulations is obvious.

The interesting thing about living in distant 3rd world lands whose poor infrastructure does not enforce the rules… is that it can soon become a double edged sword.

Your rights soon become aligned with how much money you are willing to spread around to local officials who have a need to feed their families.

I see quite a few underfunded adventurers turn quite bitter in paradise when that ‘un’-official hand is stretched out towards them.

Solution is to keep moving and not become a target.
Personally I find that more expensive, time consuming and risky than following a few simple rules.

[salticrak]

Pelagic what you say is true, as much as one would like to think differently you would be seen as an interloper in many third world countries and immensely wealthy compared to the local Joes.

As someone who has and is living with visa uncertainties I know how draining it can be sometimes.Believe me I would love to have all my ducks in a row as far as documentation goes, who would not.

[Bash]

I have a friend who throws really great parties two or three times a year. Unfortunately, she has a rule that no one is allowed to wear shoes in her house. Although I think this is a goofy rule, I gladly comply, not only because I enjoy being invited to her parties, but because I find value in being a gracious guest.

That same value applies when I visit other nations. I may think some of the rules are goofy, but I still value being a gracious guest when abroad.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by salticrak

G'day all

I have been reading a few tales about people who have sailed to distant lands,with little or no money.

Their joy sheer of living a life that is not tied down by rules and regulations is obvious.
Now i know many would say this is asking for trouble and you need to comply with all requirements put to you by whatever bureaucracy you care to name.

One only has to look at the volume of rules and regs Q/A threads on this site to know what i mean.

People like Kris larsen, Hans Klaar to name but two. My question is, are there more of these independent spirited people out there sailing now?

If so could you share them here as i find this tales extremely interesting.

cheers Paul.

when quoting names on the internet please do not infer that the persons are not law abiding!

i have known hans klaar,more than 30 years and sailed on a few voyages with him,and found him to be extremly aware of the law,and law abiding.

if anything he is a victim of a legal system,and over zealous prosecutors

[salticrak]

Atoll, this was by no means my intention. I apologize if it has come across as such.I am an admirer of Hans and his adventures.

Any updates? The last i read about the man was when he was sailing off the Canaries?

cheers paul

[Boracay]

More than any others the rules you need to comply with are the ones you impose on yourself.

[salticrak]

Boracay, i see we share the same home waters. I am hoping to launch my cat in the Moololahbah river, near the outriggers club.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Bash

..... Although I think this is a goofy rule, I gladly comply, not only because I enjoy being invited to her parties, but because I find value in being a gracious guest.

The 'other' morale of that story is:
Never wear white socks to a party!...

[Benz]

I don't think independent and free-spirited is inconsonant with following the rules of the country in which you are a guest. My boat gives me the freedom to go to many different places, and following their rules whenever possible (sometimes they're so contradictory it's not possible at all) gives me the liberty to stay among them, unmolested by the authorities. I also have the freedom to NOT go to places I would find overly oppressive, beaurocratically speaking, and quite often I sail right on by in favor of places that will prove less of a hassle. There is no denying that more often than not checking in and out and obtaining permits and licenses and zarpes and what-all is a giant pain, but it's part of the free-spirited seafaring life, just like squalls and lee shores and gales--you have to take a certain amount of unpleasantness along with all the benefits that attend it. But you'd be surprised, especially if you're careful to do everything correctly, what a small percentage of your cruising time the legalities take up.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Mate i hear you loud and clear.

I suppose the ''war on everything'' has meant at the very least there is a compliance tax put on all who venture off the beaten track.

I may have a tricky visa issue in the not too distant future with a boat ready and built to go, but with shall we say a bit of an extended stay that is not officially sanctioned.

This after ten years of dealing with a bureaucracy gone mad.

I think you're preaching to the wrong choir here, Cap. "Tricky Visa issue" has an ugly ring to it that after 10 years experience, you surely saw coming.

[zeehag]

i will hide from any compliance tax anyone may try to nail me with......

and, as i already have my fm3, my decision this year seems to be permanent resident or temporary in mexico------no more fm3 renewals to happen, i have been led to understand.....could be interesting.....

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

How do you have "joy sheer of living a life" when the boat is confiscated and you are in prison?

Well put, Mark.

For the OP, there are lots of people out there with a free spirit, enjoying life's adventures, without violating the laws of the countries they visit. I think Mark here is a darned good example.

If you CAN'T, then you had better resign yourself to the plain fact that sooner or later it is going to catch up to you. And when it does, few are going to have any sympathy for your plight, and even fewer will be willing to listen to you whine about how unfair life is.

But, barring that, I do sincerely wish you the very best of luck.