This Changing Life... better..? or worse..??

[The Garbone]

Man, I love blasting my disco on my hi fi. It is those damnable flat screens that are ruining sailing.

[ErBrown]

It seems to me that some of the responses here actually illustrate the point Boatman brings up quit well. For example, everyone seems to love to complain about and blame many problems on charter boats. But for folks like my wife and I, new to sailing, with most of our experience on inland lakes, a charter boat is a great option to go gain some experience and see if cruising is a lifestyle we can enjoy as much as we love the idea of it. So next week we'll be in the BVIs on a (gasp) chartered Bene with a sailing instructor/captain while we island hop and work on ASA 103/104. So when we pull into the anchorage and either drop the hook our grab the ball, I hope not too many will look down their noses at us for being on a charter boat. We're both pretty outgoing and one of our favorite things about travel is meeting and making new friends. Don't care if you're on a 64' Sundeer or an old Catalina 30, we'd love to say howdy, share a bottle of good rum and learn from your experience.

Is that something longtime cruisers would be open too, or is the fact that we're in a chartered coastal cruiser and lack your seamanship skill (for now) something that would have you too busy looking and pointing, to get to know us?

For us, we're hoping to buy our first 30sh ft cruiser when we return home, later this summer and begin exploring the Texas gulf coast. Before making that leap though we figured a week or two in BVI would be a good way to ensure we're cruising compatible and continue building our skills. To do that, chartering is our only realistic option at this point.

So if you've been around long enough to notice a degeneration in sailing/cruising tradition, or you just notice us doing something stupid, please excuse our ignorance and take the time to educate us. We'll likely pour you a drink and thank you, and you can be sure we'll pass everything we learn on down the road. Afterall, there's only so much we can learn from reading, sooner or later it comes down to getting out and doing it. I'm sure this isn't the case for some, but for us the primary reason we're interested in cruising is getting away from a society where everyone is too preoccupied with the daily grind to notice one another or the world around them, so we owe it to ourselves to not allow cruising to become an extension of that mentality.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by ErBrown

It seems to me that some of the responses here actually illustrate the point Boatman brings up quit well. For example, everyone seems to love to complain about and blame many problems on charter boats. But for folks like my wife and I, new to sailing, with most of our experience on inland lakes, a charter boat is a great option to go gain some experience and see if cruising is a lifestyle we can enjoy as much as we love the idea of it. So next week we'll be in the BVIs on a (gasp) chartered Bene with a sailing instructor/captain while we island hop and work on ASA 103/104. So when we pull into the anchorage and either drop the hook our grab the ball, I hope not too many will look down their noses at us for being on a charter boat. We're both pretty outgoing and one of our favorite things about travel is meeting and making new friends. Don't care if you're on a 64' Sundeer or an old Catalina 30, we'd love to say howdy, share a bottle of good rum and learn from your experience.

Is that something longtime cruisers would be open too, or is the fact that we're in a chartered coastal cruiser and lack your seamanship skill (for now) something that would have you too busy looking and pointing, to get to know us?

For us, we're hoping to buy our first 30sh ft cruiser when we return home, later this summer and begin exploring the Texas gulf coast. Before making that leap though we figured a week or two in BVI would be a good way to ensure we're cruising compatible and continue building our skills. To do that, chartering is our only realistic option at this point.

So if you've been around long enough to notice a degeneration in sailing/cruising tradition, or you just notice us doing something stupid, please excuse our ignorance and take the time to educate us. We'll likely pour you a drink and thank you, and you can be sure we'll pass everything we learn on down the road. Afterall, there's only so much we can learn from reading, sooner or later it comes down to getting out and doing it. I'm sure this isn't the case for some, but for us the primary reason we're interested in cruising is getting away from a society where everyone is too preoccupied with the daily grind to notice one another or the world around them, so we owe it to ourselves to not allow cruising to become an extension of that mentality.

Nice post.. be happy to crack a tube any day..

[captain58sailin]

Er, most of the long time cruisers I know are delighted to help a new person, and welcome the chance to share the knowledge and traditions. I'll catch your dock lines if you come in to Homer while I'm home, I usually spend most of my days off in the harbor working on my one true love. By the time you get this far north though, I imagine you will already be quite proficient.

[tomfl]

Found this thread on insurance interesting

Montenegro new insurance requirement - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

[gamayun]

When I was a baby, my mother relates a story of an older woman coming up to ask her wasn't she frightened to be bringing up young children in the world as it was that day? I'm 49 now. Many things change over a life time; many things will never change.

It's easy to generalize about this, IMO. I don't cruise (yet), but I've traveled extensively and almost never with a pack, often it's just me. Because we're more exposed to bad news, people seem more frightened about strange surroundings or else they're taught not to be friendly with strangers at all. I like saying "hello" or "good morning/afternoon" when I pass someone, but I do tend to check that impulse when I'm in bigger cities or more crowded areas. The Caribbean seems to be the exception to this. Perhaps you might consider a change in venue...?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Found this thread on insurance interesting

Montenegro new insurance requirement - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Not relevant... talking people not mud dwelling thieves and pirates.. just don't use marina's.. or don't go to Montenegro..

[Tripod]

Originally Posted by klmmicro

In the end, the post pointing out that the whole world has seemed to go the way of the yupp has it right. It is in just about all things now. All we can really do is be that which we want to see our community be. I refuse to surrender to the dip-wadds that have no manners or soul...regardless what I am doing.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by ErBrown

It seems to me that some of the responses here actually illustrate the point Boatman brings up quit well. For example, everyone seems to love to complain about and blame many problems on charter boats. But for folks like my wife and I, new to sailing, with most of our experience on inland lakes, a charter boat is a great option to go gain some experience and see if cruising is a lifestyle we can enjoy as much as we love the idea of it. So next week we'll be in the BVIs on a (gasp) chartered Bene with a sailing instructor/captain while we island hop and work on ASA 103/104. So when we pull into the anchorage and either drop the hook our grab the ball, I hope not too many will look down their noses at us for being on a charter boat. We're both pretty outgoing and one of our favorite things about travel is meeting and making new friends. Don't care if you're on a 64' Sundeer or an old Catalina 30, we'd love to say howdy, share a bottle of good rum and learn from your experience.

Is that something longtime cruisers would be open too, or is the fact that we're in a chartered coastal cruiser and lack your seamanship skill (for now) something that would have you too busy looking and pointing, to get to know us?

For us, we're hoping to buy our first 30sh ft cruiser when we return home, later this summer and begin exploring the Texas gulf coast. Before making that leap though we figured a week or two in BVI would be a good way to ensure we're cruising compatible and continue building our skills. To do that, chartering is our only realistic option at this point.

So if you've been around long enough to notice a degeneration in sailing/cruising tradition, or you just notice us doing something stupid, please excuse our ignorance and take the time to educate us. We'll likely pour you a drink and thank you, and you can be sure we'll pass everything we learn on down the road. Afterall, there's only so much we can learn from reading, sooner or later it comes down to getting out and doing it. I'm sure this isn't the case for some, but for us the primary reason we're interested in cruising is getting away from a society where everyone is too preoccupied with the daily grind to notice one another or the world around them, so we owe it to ourselves to not allow cruising to become an extension of that mentality.

To be honest, charterers in experience, apart from the drunk young uns.. are very friendly and polite... wave and chat etc.

[boatman61]

Annie in WA asked me to post the recipe on here... CF I mean..
The recipe say loaf tin but I use a round one that the sides unclip to make removal easy.. also it cooks quicker as its not so deep.

Date Walnut & Honey Cake.

225g self-raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
175g softened butter
100g light muscovado sugar
3 tbsp clear honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium, ripe bananas, about 250g/9oz total weight in their skins
100g stoned dates
50g pack walnut pieces

Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C. Line the base and long sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper, buttering the tin and paper.
Tip the flour, cinnamon, butter, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the honey and the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Mash the bananas and chop the dates (kitchen scissors are easiest for this) and add to the bowl. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, using a wooden spoon or hand-held mixer, until well blended.
Spoon into the prepared tin and level the top. Scatter the walnut pieces over. Bake for 1 hour, then lightly press the top – it will feel firm if cooked. If not, bake for a further 10 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes, then lift out of the tin using the paper. When cold, drizzle the remaining honey over. Cut into thick slices.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

100g stoned dates
.

I KNEW it!!

You mean de stoned..

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Its the damn stereos on the boats. I hate stereos on boats. Close down one of your most important senses. Stereos everywhere. There should be a law where you need a license for a damn stereo.

Not just on boats. Some cars vibrate down the street. Those drivers aren't thinking about their old age, as they may be deaf when they get older. Or maybe they are clever, as if they're deaf, they won't have to listen to the next generation's "noise".

[Stu Jackson]

There was a thread on another forum a while back about "Do You Wave?" at passing boats.

In my experience, the older boats and older boaters tend to wave more often, if not all the time, even across the wide parts of the water. The newer boats, and some specific sailboat-types tend not to at all.

And I motor out of an estuary for 40 minutes and see LOTS of boats.

I'm struck by how many posters on forums keep asking the same darned questions that a little research and homework by search engines, Google or BOOKS (!) would answer.

I guess this could be a "when I was starting out..." kinda drift here, but I read, read, read.

Then, when the internet came around, I contributed and helped build a very good boating website. We still get new skippers who come and ask the sameoldsameold, and we keep answering, sometimes with less than stellar courtesy. But that's only for the jackass from Florida who is on his fourth battery charger from the same manufacturer, the first three that have started fires on his boat.

I always look forward to those "What's the Best..." questions.

[Kalinka1]

I think it may have a lot to do with where you are when. I've noticed when we're away from the big centres everyone is more friendly. Go to the places less traveled I've had a choice of 5 different trucks to use for a week while the owners were gone fishing, I've had a mechanic get up from the dinner table to help another sailor. I've generally found that if I'm pleasant then it is returned and if not who cares I'm still having fun!

[avb3]

Originally Posted by boatman61

100g stoned dates

Haven't been on a stoned date since the.... errrrr... Early 1970's.