Is Cruising on the Decline ?

[Palarran]

I'm not quite sure why posters on this tread think it is specific to Oz. The original post was using Oz as an observation to the question of whether cruising is on the decline.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Palarran

I'm not quite sure why posters on this tread think it is specific to Oz. The original post was using Oz as an observation to the question of whether cruising is on the decline.

My opinion/impression as well.... but, if you think I'm arguing with a bunch of guys in vests drinking xxxx with Bundaberg chasers..... your crazy...

[chala]

Jim you are a great bloke and it is my view that if you contribute to Medicare you should be entitled to its benefits. Could you point out what social welfare benefits you are missing out?

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

but not access any of your social welfare or medical benefits.

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Try telling the above to all the folks who make a living out of the hordes of backpackers who flock to Australia.
Cheers,
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz

I am afraid I do not get that one? Backpackers are in general lucrative.
I doubt that the “fee” will disappear and fear that more will appear. If I was Bob Hawke I send you a bottle of whisky.

Originally Posted by zeehag

my boat came with wood masts. judging by the "reception" that is given here-- you from OZ or what ever you wanna call your dream world have a bit of an attitude i will thankfully avoid.

Very wise. Normally a wooden mast with good termites will collapse long before you arrive to OZ, no need for dogs. I have seen more wooden mast drilled by custom than eaten by termites. Normally cruisers are not charged a fee for the inspection unless they find drugs, then they are seriously charged. If they find nothing, cruisers are left with a lighter mast, a way of improving the boat CG.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by chala

. . . If they find nothing, cruisers are left with a lighter mast, a way of improving the boat CG.

Gotta love it, There is always a "silver lining" in everything, somewhere, you just have to find it . . .

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Palarran

I'm not quite sure why posters on this tread think it is specific to Oz. The original post was using Oz as an observation to the question of whether cruising is on the decline.

Ditto. Plus all the Aussies I've met so far have been pretty savvy and cool. I'd love to go and the few hundred bucks wouldn't deter me altho I think the point was that if every little place charged $300 or so on arrival that would make the trip prohibitive. Plus for me there's the $1000 give or take to get thru the canal. Standard Canal Fees

My view is that cruising is on the decline due to the greater costs for everything including anchoring for chrissakes!, the trend to larger and larger boats with all the amenities, ever-rising fuel costs, and the virtually worldwide economic crunch.

Everywhere I look I see wonderful boats tethered in their slips, summer and winter, and seasons in between; mooring fields full up too. Sailing looks cool and all the yuppies or whatever they're called now have joined the old hippies and hard-core wanderers in owning boats. But actually sailing boats places ... a whole different story. Joining all the forums and reading all the books really doesn't count for much. There's a guy on Sailnet with over 40,000 posts, yes 40,000, in just a couple of years. When would he have time to go cruising?

I currently live in a sailing town with many transient sailors coming thru, and my own travels are mainly to the keys and gulf. When bar talk turns to boats (right after women, then liquor), the first question is invariably "how big's yer boat?", as if that had something or anything to do with cruising. Am I less a cruiser because I have a small boat? The fact that I have all the boat I can afford to fix is less important than that I have all the boat I need. Sure, I'd rather have a Superwhiz 44 with a twentysomething all-gal crew but I can't maintain it (or them) and therein lies the rub for many a "cruiser".

The poster above questioning the definition of cruising is right on, I think.
Fewer would-be cruisers clogging marinas and anchorages, and dinghy docks and radiowaves, and barstools would suit me just fine.

[Palarran]

Dude - I like you!!

My bar convo's go woman, golf, back to woman, then maybe to boats. Depends on the time of year. Right now it's snowmobiles.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by meyermm

The fact that Canada is cheap to cruise has no relevance to other countries. I have never known Canada to be a cruising destination like the South Pacific. Canada's attractions are more suited to land travel from my perspective.

I would agree with your first premise that the South Pacific (as well as the Carribbean and Mediterranian) will always be host to more cruisers then the Canadian west coast.

That being said, I would almost bet that there are more cruise ship passenger trips made from Vancouver to Alaska then in the South Pacific. There are certainly those in the PNW and the west coast who know the beauties and challenges of cruising in the Gulf Islands, north to the Queen Charlotte's and onwards to Alaska.

Those waters are challenging... strong currents, big tides, and at times confused seas. But if you've been there, you understand why many go back.

Our economy is based on exporting minerals, wool, wheat etc not on tourism.

Ahh, yes, the sheep. Now why does that remind me of a joke. Something about a sheep herder, rubber boots and velcro gloves?

(I am sure just like lawyers have heard most of the jokes involving them, Aussies have probably had their fill of sheep jokes)

[zeehag]

there is always lemonade, mine are sound and i do not visit places wherein the folks present with a rotten and arrogant attitude. is a tad contrary to the spirit of cruising,, thankyou.
in general, those who spent many lifetimes doing that which i did for my living are more than welcomed by most of the places in this world as positive influences.i am very glad to know there ARE places unwilling to kiss my a**. thankyou.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by meyermm

Oprah is here at the moment taping some shows and one of the major tourist authority people was interviewed this very morning on TV. His comment was while her huge following ...

With trying to keep up with Lindsay Lohan's plights I had lost track of whether OPRAH! was fat or slender these days, but you've squared me away on that. That ain't a huge following sea she's carrying around!

And when did backpackers become an economic tourist boom? Hell, those folks are even cheaper than sailors any day.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by avb3

I would agree with your first premise that the South Pacific (as well as the Carribbean and Mediterranian) will always be host to more cruisers then the Canadian west coast.

That being said, I would almost bet that there are more cruise ship passenger trips made from Vancouver to Alaska then in the South Pacific. There are certainly those in the PNW and the west coast who know the beauties and challenges of cruising in the Gulf Islands, north to the Queen Charlotte's and onwards to Alaska.

Those waters are challenging... strong currents, big tides, and at times confused seas. But if you've been there, you understand why many go back.



Ahh, yes, the sheep. Now why does that remind me of a joke. Something about a sheep herder, rubber boots and velcro gloves?

(I am sure just like lawyers have heard most of the jokes involving them, Aussies have probably had their fill of sheep jokes)

Canada is on my list of places to spend some time and yes I am aware of the beauty of those areas. Many Australians including our neighbours have done it and speak highly of the experience. The cruise ship sounds like the way I would do it though don't like the cold as much as I did when younger.
Sheep jokes apply more to NZ allthough both countries have positives and negatives its just that most of the negatives apply to NZ

[dana-tenacity]

It's not true aout the rubber boots, you should put them on their backs so you can kiss afterwards.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by meyermm

Sheep jokes apply more to NZ allthough both countries have positives and negatives its just that most of the negatives apply to NZ

I heard it from an appropriate authority (I think he was a captain from NZ) that they sent the ugly ones to Aussie land

[Weyalan]

I will preface what follows with the observation that I am an ex-pat from the UK, who has lived in Australia for the last 16 years or so. I have visited about 50 countries, but I choose to live in Australia. It is a wonderful place, I don't wish to live anywhere else.

But, to address the issue of the cost of entering Australia as a cruiser - it seems totally odd to me. Attracting overseas tourism dollars is a huge thing here. The various state and federal governments spend literally millions and millions of dollars on advertising Australia as a destination to come visit. They don't make it particularly difficult to get here, well, no more so than most other places that I have visited, unless you arrive by boat.

I'm not suggesting that they should not carry out the various tests and checks and fumigations etc that they carry out on boats arriving, but I don't understand why they choose to make this "user pays" when, for example, similar infrastructure at airports is funded from taxpayer coffers. All those X-rays and immigration and customs and passport control and swabbing for explosives and all that malarkey that you go through (even if you arrive in the middle of the night)... that would cost a pretty penny. But does the user pay? Not at all. So why charge the humble cruiser?

I don't reckon that your average cruiser, who can afford to buy and maintain a blue-water crusing boat, is going to spend any less than your average European backpacker on a gap-year holiday, who get welcomed into this country with open arms. Most visiting cruisers I have met (and I have met quite a few, including Jim and Ann Cate, who struck me as wonderful people) seem to have more care and appreciation for Australia and it's peculiar environmental issues than the average British yob, drinking and partying his way around the backpacker hostels.

Australia provides some of the most wonderful cruising opportunities you will find anywhere in the world... some, like the Whitsunday Islands are all too well known, others like (hmmm, I'm not even going to say) are almost unknown (and long may that continue), but some folk (like Jim and Ann) may know where I am talking about. It just seems counter-intuitive to not be doing our best to encourage visitors, not trying to make it an expensive obstacle course.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

It just seems counter-intuitive to not be doing our best to encourage visitors, not trying to make it an expensive obstacle course.

You are preaching to the choir.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

I will preface what follows with the observation that I am an ex-pat from the UK, who has lived in Australia for the last 16 years or so. I have visited about 50 countries, but I choose to live in Australia. It is a wonderful place, I don't wish to live anywhere else.

But, to address the issue of the cost of entering Australia as a cruiser - it seems totally odd to me. Attracting overseas tourism dollars is a huge thing here. The various state and federal governments spend literally millions and millions of dollars on advertising Australia as a destination to come visit. They don't make it particularly difficult to get here, well, no more so than most other places that I have visited, unless you arrive by boat.

I'm not suggesting that they should not carry out the various tests and checks and fumigations etc that they carry out on boats arriving, but I don't understand why they choose to make this "user pays" when, for example, similar infrastructure at airports is funded from taxpayer coffers. All those X-rays and immigration and customs and passport control and swabbing for explosives and all that malarkey that you go through (even if you arrive in the middle of the night)... that would cost a pretty penny. But does the user pay? Not at all. So why charge the humble cruiser?

I don't reckon that your average cruiser, who can afford to buy and maintain a blue-water crusing boat, is going to spend any less than your average European backpacker on a gap-year holiday, who get welcomed into this country with open arms. Most visiting cruisers I have met (and I have met quite a few, including Jim and Ann Cate, who struck me as wonderful people) seem to have more care and appreciation for Australia and it's peculiar environmental issues than the average British yob, drinking and partying his way around the backpacker hostels.

Australia provides some of the most wonderful cruising opportunities you will find anywhere in the world... some, like the Whitsunday Islands are all too well known, others like (hmmm, I'm not even going to say) are almost unknown (and long may that continue), but some folk (like Jim and Ann) may know where I am talking about. It just seems counter-intuitive to not be doing our best to encourage visitors, not trying to make it an expensive obstacle course.

The difference is backpackers and regular tourists do not come with a 40ft + boat. The boat has an average of two passengers, needs specialist people to do the initial inspection + the entomoligist on hand if they find anything. The Jumbo jet has hundreds of passengers+ not requiring those facilities.