Attempted Trip to Bermuda

[GrowleyMonster]

I think hes doing okay. Just using the accellerated learning track, Thats all. And others here are learning from his posts. And I hope he never sells his boat.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by rtbates

He's been towed, how many times?

He thought he was going to die in a little rough weather

He cussed sailing and sailboats.

He said he was going to sell his boat.

Doing fine????????? He's doing and that's great. Hopefully he'll continue as he said he didn't even post his boat for sale in the last anchorage.

Keep on jumping if that works for you. I prefer to do my homework BEFORE jumping and enjoy what I'm doing.

I doubt few (if any) on CF would have recomended BlackOak to start his adventures as he did (his tough and dispiriting learning curve was pretty predictable). But sure he could have killed himself several times (and that simply from the stuff he has mentioned - or noticed? ), nonetheless I think the risks taken were not too way out there given that he doesn't appear to be a total idjut! (a self disparaging writing style is just that).......IMO biggest risk from his approach is (was?!) walking away from the boat thing as not much fun - simply due to his approach making life harder for himself than it needed to be.

But overall I would say he is doing fine - albeit a bit early to say conclusively yet.........

[Jim Cate]

DOJ, I think that y ou have summed it up pretty well overall.

But the only one who can say that he is or is not doing fine is Black Oak himself. He is busy walking the mile in his own moccasins, and will eventually decide whether or not to continue in our favorite activity.

Doesn't hurt to encourage him, though...

Cheers,

Jim

[bobofthenorth]

He's going to have a lot better stories to tell in his dotage than most of us. Good on him I say. We're all on a one way road ending in the graveyard. Some very few of us arrive with good stories to remember the journey by.

[brutb]

He's been towed, how many times?

He thought he was going to die in a little rough weather

He cussed sailing and sailboats.

He said he was going to sell his boat.

Doing fine????????? He's doing and that's great. Hopefully he'll continue as he said he didn't even post his boat for sale in the last anchorage.

Keep on jumping if that works for you. I prefer to do my homework BEFORE jumping and enjoy what I'm doing.

And are you still locked to the land or are you out using your Cape Dory 25 to or for its main purpose. If your are not careful, you may wind up when your old and gray wishing you were BO and saying I could have been like him and had the greatest adventure of them all if I had just a LITTLE of his reckless spitit....

[jeanathon]

My thoughts as well. My first question to BO's detractors is where do you sail, or even do you sail?
I would wager he has been towed more times than many of his detractors have been to sea.
Some learn by doing, some learn by rote, some don't learn. If it is not useful advice you offer then sit back and enjoy.
By the way BO check out opencpn. It is a free chartplotter for your laptop and can be paired with most any GPS device.

[jongleur]

What better thing to have on a cruiser's forum than reports from someone out cruising?

We should have more. Anyone out there making passages, how 'bout a report? We all could use more vicarious entertainment.

[salticrak]

i really cannot stand these people who come over all high and mighty as to how they have gained their vast experience.
To me their way of thinking would preclude anyone with a spirit of adventure.
bollocks to them i say.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by salticrak

i really cannot stand these people who come over all high and mighty as to how they have gained their vast experience.
To me their way of thinking would preclude anyone with a spirit of adventure.
bollocks to them i say.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I doubt few (if any) on CF would have recomended BlackOak to start his adventures as he did (his tough and dispiriting learning curve was pretty predictable). But sure he could have killed himself several times (and that simply from the stuff he has mentioned - or noticed? ), nonetheless I think the risks taken were not too way out there given that he doesn't appear to be a total idjut! (a self disparaging writing style is just that).......IMO biggest risk from his approach is (was?!) walking away from the boat thing as not much fun - simply due to his approach making life harder for himself than it needed to be.

But overall I would say he is doing fine - albeit a bit early to say conclusively yet.........

I'll agree with DOJ. I would not have advised BlackOak to start his sailing life the way he did. Partly because of the danger involved, but mostly because, it is to easy to have numerous bad experiences and end up turned off on sailing.

Having said all that, he's past the worse part, because I sense in his posts that he has gained an understanding of what the hell this is all about. So now he needs to learn the skills necessary to become a competent sailor.

With his humble attitude, he should have no problem doing that. Whether by himself or by meeting the likes of Capt. Shelly.

Anyway, I enjoy reading about his (mis)adventures.

Black oak - if you ever take a wrong turn and end up sailing across to the baltic, look me up - beer's cold and there's always a pot of beans on the stove.

[forsailbyowner]

Just a friendly pointer. When grounding I have a drill that has kept me from being needing to be towed off. I have a danforth style anchor and 300' of line ready for immediate deployment off the stern. I run this anchor into deep enough water and crank down on it with a winch. Its called kedging and has never failed to pull me off rocks, sand bars or whatever I've run up on. It can save your boat. Got me out of some bad situations.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by jeanathon

My thoughts as well. My first question to BO's detractors is where do you sail, or even do you sail?
I would wager he has been towed more times than many of his detractors have been to sea.
Some learn by doing, some learn by rote, some don't learn. If it is not useful advice you offer then sit back and enjoy.
By the way BO check out opencpn. It is a free chartplotter for your laptop and can be paired with most any GPS device.

+1

It's okay to be timid and cautious. But it's more fun to live like you got a pair.

[David_Old_Jersey]

But to be fair to those less than enthusiastic about Black Oaks approach (in CF terms I think they be called "Naysayers" ) - IMO their notes of caution do also add to this thread as fundamentally they have a point!

Not everyone would cope with this learning curve (even if the only downside was a broken dream) and IMO anyone seeking to replicate it should be fully aware that if not exactly relying on luck they are certainly relying on the absence of great misfortune taking them outside their (limited) comfort zone / abilities.

As the most famous of CF's Alumni (Ronnie!) discovered, sometimes the penalty for enthusiasm over ability (and a sound boat) is a slow boat to China! (Got rescued enroute to Hawaii - ended up in China on a Cargo boat , thread worth a read ).

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

Just a friendly pointer. When grounding I have a drill that has kept me from being needing to be towed off. I have a danforth style anchor and 300' of line ready for immediate deployment off the stern. I run this anchor into deep enough water and crank down on it with a winch. Its called kedging and has never failed to pull me off rocks, sand bars or whatever I've run up on. It can save your boat. Got me out of some bad situations.

, ---and very quickly check your tide tables.

[BlackOak]

Detractors? I like detractors, they help me to stay humble. Wonder how many detractors Columbus had?

I agree completely, the way I started this adventure was not brilliant. However, I did throw myself out there and started this adventure. I made disparaging comments about sailing, thought not my intent, it was merely expressing my opinion at the time, coming from a laymens point of view.

My current thoughts are conflicting. I still wish I had never set foot on a sailboat, yet, if I had not, I would of never have been blessed by the many beautiful souls I have encountered along the way. For that my life will always be enriched, and that is something important to me. This is the only life I have, and I am living it, though I must admit it came with a cost.

I did plan somethings along the way. I gathered information from the pages of this forum. Been a member here going into my 5th year, and its going on 3 months now since I first motored down St Marks River. I knew what I needed in a boat, given my skill set, from reading all those years in this forum. However, I didnt know that this kind of boat would be sooooo slow, but its stout, forgiving, and heavy. I looked at many boats in those 5 years, though I guess, this was the one I was to buy. I didnt know the name of this boat when I bought it, only after signing the papers and handing over the money, did I ask the PO what is the boats name. ANA, is the boats name. My 10 year old only daughter's name is ANA. It was karma.

As I sit here this morning in my sailing vessel ANA, I am reflecting on the people I have met so far along the way on this adventure. Dave, who I bought the boat from. Older guy, with the bluest eyes I have ever seen, and in those eyes, I saw the ocean staring back at me as he had seen it. The two Coasties that boarded my boat in Homassasa, in after 20 minutes, you would of thought the 3 of us had known each other for years, they way we talked about everything, and werent much different from each other, just in different stages of our lives. Captain Fred Pepe, the towboatus guy who towed me into Pete's Pier at Crystal River. His reassuring smile, and clear instructions when he cradled me up, put me at ease instantly, and I felt relieved. Captain Fred showed me real concern, and was always looking after me for the whole time I was in Crystal River, and to this day we are still in contact, his making sure I am okay from 300 miles away. Captain Shelly Coast, a remarkable salty lady who had sailed more waters with only a sextant, dead reckoning, and a paper chart, than most of you will ever sail in a lifetime, and without a autopilot. Captain John Zidek, in Marco Island, whos big grin, and easy laughter made me feel he knew everything. A true Renaissance Man, if ever one walked this earth. He opened up his life to this stranger, and welcomed me like a brother. Never condesending because of my lack of skill or knowledge. Captain Jason Penrod, in Marco Island. Another Seafarer owner, with a vast knowledge of sailing, with who made me feel like a part of his family. From who I learned alot about my boat. Captain Carl here in Key West, who unselfishly gave me a mooringball to hang onto. Took time out of his life to make sure I was okay, and another gem of knowledge about sailing. Who actually came up to Marathon on a bus, to take me directly to his offered mooringball in Key West. Lastly, to those who I never met, but only heard on the VHF, whos guidence during times where I could of been in real trouble, saved my ass.

Yes I have truely been blessed on this adventure, so detract if you feel compelled, though it will not tarnish, or make less, my choice of getting on a sailboat and walking this choosen path.

To all of you here on CF, it is and will always remain a pleasure reading about your messing around in boats experiences. To those of you yet to sail, but wanting to fullfill that dream, I say with a word of caution. Dont do it like I did it, but if you choose to fasttrack, then I pray you will also be blessed by smiliar people that has touched my life.

ps. Yes I have used my towboatUS insurance, not counting the first time, 3 times so far. Once hung up in a pile of crabtraps because I tossed an anchor out, couldnt get loose, though I tried. Once for mechancal failure at the mouth of the Marco River, at night, with which I deemed it prudent to be towed in instead of trying to motor in with a faulty fuel pump that could go out anytime and cause me to drift, possibly into someone elses property, and once for my own stupidity and going aground near Marathon, which was on me big time. Yes i could of kedged myself off, but why have insurance and not use it? Its not like my insurance rate is gonna go up.