Sailors Are Cheap

[perchance]

I just completed a Marine Mechanics course at our local college and was surprised at the attitude of both my fellow students and some of the instructors. We are variously known as "stick boaters", "blow boaters" or "puff boaters". In defense of our chosen means of transport I gave a five minute presentation to the class on the sailing lifestyle.
My argument being that sailors are an independent lot and pride themselves on their independence and ability to be self sufficient. We are not tied to the gas pumps or the Marina and as a rule are much better seamen than your average power boater. I don"t now if I converted any of my fellow classmates but I think I gave them food for thought.

[RedBellies]

I've always been of the opinion that power boating is a hobby. Anyone can take a seat, push a quadrant and turn a wheel. Sailing is a skill that must be learned, practiced and honed.

[hellosailor]

Don't convert them, send them off to play golf instead.

The fewer folks are on the water, the more peaceful it is. Sailors are the folks who are interested in the journey, not just the destination. Powerboaters are the cheap SOBs who really want to FLY someplace but haven't anted up the bucks to REALLY get to the destination faster, and just skip the journey entirely.

[gonesail]

we have a guy on my dock with a massive dual engine hatteras. it probably sucks more then a gallon per minute of fuel. and while it is in motion the noise level is such that the crew screams at each other. oh the joy of powerboats

[ocarina]

Welcome to our nightmare. 'Polluting for pleasure' or powerboating as its sometimes called doesn't attract introspection. Stinkpotters are about being seen and heard. Their conspicuous consumption will only end when gas prices go up.

[perchance]

It is surprising how little these power boaters know about their own craft. Stupid things like my "boat wont start". Did you turn on your battery switch? Where Is it? I could go on but you get the drift. A large bank account will buy you a nice big boat but not the competence to go with it.

[Bash]

If there's a single difference I notice between the sailboaters and the powerboaters in my area, it's that the powerboaters seem fixated on transforming their hobby into an indoor activity. In my yacht club there are a large number of flybridge motor yachts in the 50-60' range, and nearly every one of them has enclosed the bridge. The flying bridge is transformed into a flying greenhouse, which necessitates air conditioning, which ultimately means the generator has to run 24/7, even when underway. On a warm summer day where the sea breeze cools things down just enough that I have to don a jacket while sailing, I keep being passed by powerboaters in enclosed flybridges running their air conditioning.

I don't think it's about being cheap. I think it's about loving the outdoors. When it gets nasty I pull on my foulies, reef the sails and proceed to have a great time. In those same conditions the powerboater zips up his enclosure and heads for safe harbor. That's the key difference.

[agrainofsand]

As a reformed power boater (28' SeaRay) I truely love the peace and quit of sailing and the plasure of passing the fueldock.






Tis better to be lost at sea then found at work

[Mariness]

So then are non-sailing cruisers/liveaboards not to be found here? Are they generally unwelcome at anchorages?
Honestly, I would prefer a sailboat, mostly for the "green" factor. But J would prefer a slow, as-fuel-efficient-as-possible trawler (his recent designs that he's playing with are based off a Spray, just without a mast), for safety reasons. He grew up sailing, and wants me to be a better sailor for the skills, but doesn't want to have people on deck in bad conditions.
Since he is likely to win this one, are we going to find ourselves ostracized from everyone else in the anchorage? I promise we won't run the generator all night, or even have AC, jetski, washer/dryer, etc. on board, and we certainly won't be going anywhere much above 6 or 7 knots! Basically, I think what we're looking at is sailboat ... but with a "haircut".
Does that leave us the odd-man-out anywhere we go?

[IdoraKeeper]

Now-- Not all powerboaters are ignoramuses-- but quite a few are.
In my home marina the intersection between the golf club and marina consists mostly of power boats. These fine individuals have on three seperate occasions hit my previous boat so hard that they split the cap rail and tore off several stanchions. NOT ONE of these jerks EVER owned up to doing it. In fact their buddies in the Etchell racing crowd actually bitched about the mess when I was doing repairs. I suggested a claim on their insurance or alternately that they divulge the name of the offender. Don't mess with an angry cruiser holding a hammer.

Due to her size Idora will not be located in an area in the marina that is subject to this menace. Nevertheless it is still wise to keep a careful watch if any of those characters leave the dock.

Todd

[cdennyb]

Here's my powerboat, and to think. I still want to live on a CAT and cruise the world. LoL

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Mariness

So then are non-sailing cruisers/liveaboards not to be found here? Are they generally unwelcome at anchorages?

It's less the powerboat that is unwelcome and more the generator. Of course, some sailboats have generators as well.

A trawler is certainly considered to be less of an excursion to the dark side of boating. But a better compromise with the forces of evil would certainly be a sailing catamaran.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Mariness

Honestly, I would prefer a sailboat, mostly for the "green" factor. But J would prefer a slow, as-fuel-efficient-as-possible trawler (his recent designs that he's playing with are based off a Spray, just without a mast), for safety reasons. He grew up sailing, and wants me to be a better sailor for the skills, but doesn't want to have people on deck in bad conditions.

I don't get it. If you drop the sails before any bad weather hits, and turn on the motor, then you have a Spray which has a mast when you want to sail. You don't even have to do that if you lead all the sail controls to the cockpit so nobody has to go on deck.
Anyway, I'm sure you folks will be quite welcome in anchorages. No jetskis? No 24 hr. genset? Wonderful. Plus I bet you guys will have an icemaker if you do go the trawler route. Welcome to the neighborhood.

[Mariness]

Well...we weren't planning on an icemaker. Had to deal with hubby's employer's machine and it was more trouble than it was worth!
If we do end up with one, though, we'll be sure to share
There's also an issue that one of the things we would like to do would be the canals in Europe - I think we don't want to have to deal with getting a mast up and down for that. Or dropping & raising sails for ICW bridges - we had thought of getting started with a Great Circle Loop. He's done the bridge thing a lot around here, finds it a pain.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Mariness

So then are non-sailing cruisers/liveaboards not to be found here? Are they generally unwelcome at anchorages?
Honestly, I would prefer a sailboat, mostly for the "green" factor. But J would prefer a slow, as-fuel-efficient-as-possible trawler (his recent designs that he's playing with are based off a Spray, just without a mast), for safety reasons. He grew up sailing, and wants me to be a better sailor for the skills, but doesn't want to have people on deck in bad conditions.
Since he is likely to win this one, are we going to find ourselves ostracized from everyone else in the anchorage? I promise we won't run the generator all night, or even have AC, jetski, washer/dryer, etc. on board, and we certainly won't be going anywhere much above 6 or 7 knots! Basically, I think what we're looking at is sailboat ... but with a "haircut".
Does that leave us the odd-man-out anywhere we go?

Nope and Nope.

We power boated until two years ago...made may a fine anchorages with sail boats and other power boats....As has been said its the attitudes.

Even as power boaters we hated the evening sunsets ruined with the drone and water splash of someones gen-set...a 10 minute 9:00 am fire up for coffee, no problem go for it!...but if you need to charge your batteries , how about mid day when others our about doing there chores or sightseeing as well....IF you have to have continuous electricity for all your gadgets then either buck up for more battery capacity allowing 48 hours between charges or at least be down wind from everybody else...

Just a little courtesy in this department is all anyone is asking..

FWIW We seldom were on step...we treated our Sea Ray like it was a Trawler...