Forum Member's Boat and Daughter in Trouble off of Mexico

[dpddj]

Way too many of the American public (I live here so can only speak about here, but I would surmise this statement has some validity in other countries) are concerned about American Idol and where their next handout will come from. Those people are generally ill informed and self absorbed. Folks like the Kaufmans know there is more to life than this. My daughters are grown and had circumstances been different, I would have looked forward to sharing an extended life aboard. They would have done well learning aboard - they are both very intelligent and were scorned by school mates because of it, but shrugged it off and are successful engineers (like Dad, but only the engineer part for me :-) ). As had been stated here, armchair captains can spout all they want, but unless you've walked the walk ..... And the general public has no clue.
It is refreshing to see most of the CF folks understand and are solidly behind Eric and Charlotte. It is also reassuring to know that if I needed help, there are folks who would jump to offer that.

[Prairie Chicken]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

+1
The difference is one is a heritage / life style choice of homesteaders and Inuit people (respectable by the masses). The other is just crazy I mean you can't sink your home in the woods or get hit by a rogue wave. Remember:

Sailing with child: bad.

Homesteading with no 911 or flushing toilet in middle of wilderness with child: good.

(at least boats have a flushing toilet and not an out house)

Sadly, I suspect if you took a baby anywhere off the beaten path people would cry irresponsible parenting.

[Certeza]

FWIW, my take on people giving donations to Eric and Charlotte.

To me it doesn't really matter whether they knew the risks or didn't. They are good people. When good people go through something tough, I personally help out, regardless of the reason for the tough times. Sometimes the bad outcome is dumb luck and sometimes it is poor decisions, but that doesn't concern me at all.

Around here there is pretty considerable fire danger in the mountains during the summer months. Many of the small remote homes are hard to protect once a fire really gets going. If I see a family lose their home to a fire, I'm not gonna sit back and scold them for building in a fire zone. I'm not gonna complain about the tax dollars being spent to fly over and dump fire retardant. I'm not gonna wait for them to ask for money. Even if the fire started because they were roasting marshmallows in the backyard in August. Even if the house is fully insured. I don't really care. I'm just gonna send them some help and trust them to do what needs to be done.

I can't possibly know enough about their circumstances to accurately quantify the value of their actions. The only thing I can judge is their value as people, and I think that most times in tough circumstances people could use a hand whether they ask or not.

[satdiver]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

Sadly, I suspect if you took a baby anywhere off the beaten path people would cry irresponsible parenting.

Also where are their kids while they are banging away at the keyboard making assertions of what is the right way to raise kids. I guess setting an example for their children that being close minded, judgemental and presumptuous is their idea of responsible parenting. I wonder if their kids will also grow up to become internet trolls.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Certeza

But I have noticed that boat movies tend not to have really happy endings. Think "Perfect Storm", "Open Water", "All is Lost". Admittedly, All is Lost was ambiguously happy in the last second, but even the ending of Titanic was not a happy ending on the same level as most of its counterparts. For example, consider the movie "Far and Away" vs "Titanic". The drama plot in both were more or less the same concept. Low class guy chasing upper class girl. At the end, the former has them getting everything they ever wanted. The latter has Leo sinking into the abyss.

You might say that it is a parallel with the ordinary mentality vs the cruising mentality. The ordinary mentality is focused on the destination and therefore the ending must be the happy part. The cruising mentality is focused on the journey. It might then require that the journey and the memories that come with it are the happy part, and the ending is of lesser consequence.

Dang. I was just talking about my taste in movies. I would consider Lucky Leo sinking into the abyss a happy ending. Like Ahab. Wot's Leo got that I ain't got? Yes, nature lovers, that was a rhetorical question.

Except for possibly several million Bangladeshi retirees, I may be the only person who hasn't seen Titanic.

Open Water? ... Oh no, not me. I'm a diver. I don't need those images in my head. I'm still affected by seeing the opening of Jaws while stoned ... what? 30-40 years ago.

The Perfect Storm? Not this old crab. I read it. My powers of visualization are punishment enuff.

My recurring nightmare these days is a python getting on the boat while tied into the mangroves during a hurricane. Heh heh ... now all y'all can share it with me.

I too like the quote about how bleeding scary the ocean is. Couple years back, Professor Bash commented something like "the ocean just isn't that scary." I respectfully disagree. Musta been that blue water boat thread with all the horrific videos that all would-be world sailors should be forced to watch while cold and wet and nauseous. I imagine the ocean can be bleeding scary on an aircraft carrier; I've already seen enough on my little cockleshells to last a lifetime.

I've never had the passion for a circumnavigation like many seem to. I've read all the early tomes. That was close enough for me. Guess I'm just an old scaredy crab.

Fair winds and calm seas and cold beer mates.

[ReMetau]

Originally Posted by Certeza

I can't possibly know enough about their circumstances to accurately quantify the value of their actions. The only thing I can judge is their value as people, and I think that most times in tough circumstances people could use a hand whether they ask or not.

Well said. Thanks!

[sparrowhawk1]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I would imagine, between reading the blog and knowing how the media distorts that which they don't understand........That the daughter got sick, they powered as far as they could towards assistance with 30 gallons of diesel, the wind went light so that the boat was without steerage, rolling in the ocean. Other than the sick infant, not a big deal.
I hope it all turns out well in the end.

My thoughts exactly

[Certeza]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Dang. I was just talking about my taste in movies. I would consider Lucky Leo sinking into the abyss a happy ending. Like Ahab. Wot's Leo got that I ain't got? Yes, nature lovers, that was a rhetorical question.

Except for possibly several million Bangladeshi retirees, I may be the only person who hasn't seen Titanic.

Open Water? ... Oh no, not me. I'm a diver. I don't need those images in my head. I'm still affected by seeing the opening of Jaws while stoned ... what? 30-40 years ago.

The Perfect Storm? Not this old crab. I read it. My powers of visualization are punishment enuff.

My recurring nightmare these days is a python getting on the boat while tied into the mangroves during a hurricane. Heh heh ... now all y'all can share it with me.

I too like the quote about how bleeding scary the ocean is. Couple years back, Professor Bash commented something like "the ocean just isn't that scary." I respectfully disagree. Musta been that blue water boat thread with all the horrific videos that all would-be world sailors should be force to watch while cold and wet and nauseous. I imagine the ocean can be bleeding scary on an aircraft carrier; I've already seen enough on my little cockleshells to last a lifetime.

I've never had the passion for a circumnavigation like many seem to. I've read all the early tomes. That was close enough for me. Guess I'm just an old scaredy crab.

Fair winds and calm seas and cold beer mates.

Well let me spoil Titanic for you. The boat sinks!

Anyway, I do agree with your take on circumnavigation. Cruising is incredibly appealing to me, but circumnavigation is not at all. I don't have any interest in doing it just to be able to say that I did it. Unfortunately there are many places that I would like to cruise in, and the boat has to get there somehow.

[atoll]

looks like the turdnibblers are going to feast tonight,the uss vandergrift just got in to port

[tdominic_97]

At least Rebel Heart tried to sail to around the world in a boat, not a mini van.

Report: Charges reduced for minivan in ocean case

[tx5smith]

The USS Vandegrift coming into port at North Island Naval Base Coronado, CA. Welcome home Kaufman family!!!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by tx5smith

The USS Vandegrift coming into port at North Island Naval Base Coronado, CA. Welcome home Kaufman family!!!

thank you tina and welcome to the forum

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

Sadly, I suspect if you took a baby anywhere off the beaten path people would cry irresponsible parenting.

Of course they would. I'd bet the farm on it. But those are the people who are best ignored.

[SV Windrush II]

I think it is pretty comical and just proves how miss-informed people really are that complain about using our tax dollars to rescue this family. Are we not paying our military 24/7 to do their job? since when did a rescue like this cost the Navy any "extra" money? as a military veteran, I know of countless time we conducted simulated rescues and "War Games" at dummy targets costing millions of $$$ that never accomplished anything but "Practice".
At least with this rescue they got the chance to do the real thing, which I may add that these guys on the ship were happy and excited to do. I know when I was on duty, I could not wait to conduct an actual mission that ment something.
Now these guys get to go back home with a feeling of accomplishment and pride of a job well done.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Driftwoods

I figure if you don't want to just donate, buy Eric's book! Unauthorized Guide to Sailing in Mexico. Make him a best selling author, I'm getting the Kindle edition right now.

That some people will review the book at 1 star and make negative comments when they clearly did not read the book just blows me away.

Buga that... I wanna know how he sits on his head like that...