Cruisers Who Fail... - Page 2

maxingout · 04-11-2009, 21:14

My sailing addiction is over forty years and counting. I don't even want to think about the money I have spent feeding this addiction. I suffer from selective amnesia and selective focus when it comes to my sailing addiction.

Dune · 04-11-2009, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by newt

Hi, I'm mark and I have been a sailing addict for 20 years.....

HI MARK

delmarrey · 04-11-2009, 21:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by newt

Hi, I'm mark and I have been a sailing addict for 20 years.....

"I spent most of my fortune on fast boats and pretty woman, the rest I just wasted"

Hi Mark another 40 years here.

Irwin325 · 04-11-2009, 21:52

C V H
Did you start the Watson FAIL page cause why would you care if some one started or finished there dreams. Or further want to hear there sad stories of how they became failures unless your attempt is to learn from there mistakes.Unless your point was why are there so many direlect boats that no one cares for in my marina, or why dont they sell to someone that would try to care for them and make a new dream of an ole failed one it just seems a quwstion that has already answered it self. Unfortunately some people have dreams bigger than there fortitude. Not a reflection of ones self for most of em' but just human nature. the reflection starts when they continue to pay there slip fees for decades and let there water lines drop deeper and deeper.

These dreams usually fail due to a lack of knowledge or some times just flat out lazyness. I dont like to think much about the latter end cause there is'nt much to do about it.
IF

Christian Van H · 04-11-2009, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irwin325

C V H
Did you start the Watson FAIL page cause why would you care if some one started or finished there dreams.

Thanks for the post, Irwin. If your dream was to make a creepy post, you've finished it.

meyermm · Today, 03:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Thanks for the post, Irwin. If your dream was to make a creepy post, you've finished it.

I kept reading and re reading CVH, creepy is as good a description as anything I could come up with. The original post I thought was interesting and I am sure many of the reasons for failure would not be as obvious as it may seem.

Christian Van H · Today, 06:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by meyermm

I kept reading and re reading CVH, creepy is as good a description as anything I could come up with. The original post I thought was interesting and I am sure many of the reasons for failure would not be as obvious as it may seem.

meyermm, your post is a bit like that "Cross this line" scene in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" movie.

I'm not quite sure whether you agree with me...or you think I was wrong for criticizing Irwin. Either way you are probably right and I'm with you!

Ocean Girl · 04-11-2009, 22:35

I know you said no reef stories but I think the main reason people don't go or stop cruising is because of a "breaking" story ( boat breaks, bank account breaks, relationship/marriage breaks, body breaks )

1) Dated a guy that had built a 40 ft warrem cat. He sold all his belongings and sailed off into the horizon. He lost his boat and everything aboard when he hit a reef off Belize a year later.

2) A couple on a Hans Christian left to go cruising. After a big fire aboard the wife bailed and the husband soon followed. My friends and I delivered it back to Texas from Guatemala.

Never met anyone that just stopped cruising cause they didn't like it.

Erika

ato · 07-11-2009, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Never met anyone that just stopped cruising cause they didn't like it.

Erika

mostly true, and still there are exceptions. people who, while cruising, came across this nice place where they decided to build a house and settle down for a while. Langkawi (Malaysia) has a few such cases that i know of. i'm not sure whether there are other circumstances that made this decision easier on them. will be there next week and ask them.

rebel heart · 04-11-2009, 22:37

For whatever it's worth...

I've seen a lot of people fail not because of anything related to the boat or cruising, but just general life. We had some friends who went up the coast, and ended up getting a divorce. Lord knows what happened to the boat.

It's pretty easy to just keep living in shore life. Have a car, have a house, have a job; rinse/repeat day after day. Cruising requires much tighter tolerances. You (generally) have to be smart, have enough money, have a lot of determination, etc.

It really made me feel better when I realized that a healthy marriage does a lot more than brightwork or installing a genset.

It was actually someone on this board that said it really well. You have to be happy with who you are, and able to make the best of bad situations. You can't always be running away from one thing, with the idea that sailing is somehow easy or an escape. It's usually a hell of a lot harder than land life both physically and mentally.

I don't think a lot of people are expecting the difficulties, and rather than hunker down and work as a team when the tough times come up, they get frustrated.

The same minute you have a big victory is the same minute you lose it, so you can't get caught up in this "the next thing will make me happy" mode. Gotta be happy with where you are, wherever you are.

John A · 04-11-2009, 22:39

This thread is a very odd request.

I don't think you'll hear from those that had their dream of sailing die. They won't be here joining the ones who still dream, or the ones who have made their dream come true.

Better that you ask that boatowner in the slip next to yours, in your home marina, why he never takes his boat out sailing.

If they realized that sailing/cruising was not for them, they wouldn't want to subject themselves to the harsh judgement of the self-righteous.

Who would want to admit failure, to a stranger? When the only thing that would be accomplished is to give that stranger a sense of self-worth.

Christian Van H · 04-11-2009, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by John A

This thread is a very odd request.

I'm quite aware that it's odd. I am hoping that others on the forum have heard and can relay stories that we might all learn from. This idea came about from something that recently happened to a friend. They are cruising, something pretty bad happened, and we wondered if that might be "it" for them. Cant be more specific on the forum. This got us to thinking...and here we are.

**David M** · 05-11-2009, 07:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

I'm quite aware that it's odd. I am hoping that others on the forum have heard and can relay stories that we might all learn from. This idea came about from something that recently happened to a friend. They are cruising, something pretty bad happened, and we wondered if that might be "it" for them. Cant be more specific on the forum. This got us to thinking...and here we are.

The word odd has a bit of a negative connotation. I think a more accurate word to describe the thread is unique. Its a great thread I think. Look at all the very thoughtful posts that Christians thread has generated. Good job!

paradix · 04-11-2009, 22:52

"Failure" is a funny word to choose. To me, the only failure would be in persisting in doing something you're hating or which isn't taking you where you thought, or where you want to go. I don't look back on any of the (many) dead-ends in my life as failures. They were just paths that lead in a direction I realised I didn't want to go (or couldn't afford to go), but taught me a lot along the way. Success what you make it, not what someone else has defined.

Christian Van H · 04-11-2009, 23:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by paradix

"Failure" is a funny word to choose. To me, the only failure would be in persisting in doing something you're hating or which isn't taking you where you thought, or where you want to go.

You are quite right, Paradix. Now that I look back on it, Failure was probably not a good choice. I cant change the thread title now, but we are on the same wavelength. Example: A husband and wife work and save for years to buy the "perfect" catamaran for their retirement cruise. They take off from the East Coast, and by the time they get to the V.I.s he or she has had enough. They thought it could last forever, but it was over in 8 months. Failure? Not really, but a story I'd like to hear the particulars of...

04-11-2009, 21:14	#1
maxingout Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fort Pierce, Phoenix Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only Posts: 917	My sailing addiction is over forty years and counting. I don't even want to think about the money I have spent feeding this addiction. I suffer from selective amnesia and selective focus when it comes to my sailing addiction. __________________ Dave Exit Only http://maxingout.com

04-11-2009, 22:37	#10
rebel heart Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Diego Boat: Hans Christian 36 Posts: 947	For whatever it's worth... I've seen a lot of people fail not because of anything related to the boat or cruising, but just general life. We had some friends who went up the coast, and ended up getting a divorce. Lord knows what happened to the boat. It's pretty easy to just keep living in shore life. Have a car, have a house, have a job; rinse/repeat day after day. Cruising requires much tighter tolerances. You (generally) have to be smart, have enough money, have a lot of determination, etc. It really made me feel better when I realized that a healthy marriage does a lot more than brightwork or installing a genset. It was actually someone on this board that said it really well. You have to be happy with who you are, and able to make the best of bad situations. You can't always be running away from one thing, with the idea that sailing is somehow easy or an escape. It's usually a hell of a lot harder than land life both physically and mentally. I don't think a lot of people are expecting the difficulties, and rather than hunker down and work as a team when the tough times come up, they get frustrated. The same minute you have a big victory is the same minute you lose it, so you can't get caught up in this "the next thing will make me happy" mode. Gotta be happy with where you are, wherever you are. __________________ Keep the water on the outside, you on the inside, and the stick in the air. http://rebelheart.squarespace.com

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04-11-2009, 21:52	#4
Irwin325 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 37	C V H Did you start the Watson FAIL page cause why would you care if some one started or finished there dreams. Or further want to hear there sad stories of how they became failures unless your attempt is to learn from there mistakes.Unless your point was why are there so many direlect boats that no one cares for in my marina, or why dont they sell to someone that would try to care for them and make a new dream of an ole failed one it just seems a quwstion that has already answered it self. Unfortunately some people have dreams bigger than there fortitude. Not a reflection of ones self for most of em' but just human nature. the reflection starts when they continue to pay there slip fees for decades and let there water lines drop deeper and deeper. These dreams usually fail due to a lack of knowledge or some times just flat out lazyness. I dont like to think much about the latter end cause there is'nt much to do about it. IF

04-11-2009, 22:35	#8
Ocean Girl Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kemah, Texas Boat: Cape Dory 30 cutter s/v Ocean Girl Posts: 859	I know you said no reef stories but I think the main reason people don't go or stop cruising is because of a "breaking" story ( boat breaks, bank account breaks, relationship/marriage breaks, body breaks ) 1) Dated a guy that had built a 40 ft warrem cat. He sold all his belongings and sailed off into the horizon. He lost his boat and everything aboard when he hit a reef off Belize a year later. 2) A couple on a Hans Christian left to go cruising. After a big fire aboard the wife bailed and the husband soon followed. My friends and I delivered it back to Texas from Guatemala. Never met anyone that just stopped cruising cause they didn't like it. Erika

04-11-2009, 22:39	#11
John A Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, Wash. Boat: no longer on my Cabo Rico 38 Sanderling Posts: 176	This thread is a very odd request. I don't think you'll hear from those that had their dream of sailing die. They won't be here joining the ones who still dream, or the ones who have made their dream come true. Better that you ask that boatowner in the slip next to yours, in your home marina, why he never takes his boat out sailing. If they realized that sailing/cruising was not for them, they wouldn't want to subject themselves to the harsh judgement of the self-righteous. Who would want to admit failure, to a stranger? When the only thing that would be accomplished is to give that stranger a sense of self-worth.

04-11-2009, 22:52	#14
paradix Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 50	"Failure" is a funny word to choose. To me, the only failure would be in persisting in doing something you're hating or which isn't taking you where you thought, or where you want to go. I don't look back on any of the (many) dead-ends in my life as failures. They were just paths that lead in a direction I realised I didn't want to go (or couldn't afford to go), but taught me a lot along the way. Success what you make it, not what someone else has defined.