The Political World of the Marinas

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Joe Saylor

Just wait for the banjos to play, then you will know what to do..sooooeeeee boy!

Thing is maybe one in ten people in the Marina are from the South, vast majority are Northerners seeking warmer weather. If your from New Jersey or New York your among friends here, if your from Georgia, your a minority. We have several Europeans, especially Germans and I believe even an Aussie, but that is gleaned by hearing accents as I walk by.
Now get 100 yds away from the Marina, then your in Coastal Georgia of course.

[sailorchic34]

Being from Savannah, I never found Brunswick to be known for it's culinary delights. Pretty bland place. In Georgia BBQ is (or use to be) generally Pork BBQ. Use to be a place off highway 17 ages ago (60's and 70's) that had the best pork BBQ. I was shocked when I went to Texas to a BBQ restaurant, to find out it was not pork. Sacrilege.

Of course I was in my 20's when I found out that some places served iced tea that was not sweet. I was so shocked...... Use to be all ice tea in the south was Sweet tea, that's what you got when asked for iced tea. What is the world coming too. All said with a thick southern drawl......

Seafood, well Shellmans bluff (halfway between Savannah and Brunswick) has some pretty good seafood and there is a dock there. Speeds Kitchen has pretty good seafood, for a hole in the wall place in the boondocks. Not fancy, but very good seafood.

Never have issues with politics in marina's. But then I don't say anything bad about marina's or folks that are different either. We are all different and I for the most part, appreciate that is the case.

[jtsailjt]

I haven't spent much time in marinas but I've enjoyed it when I have. For 99% of the time I prefer being out on a mooring or on the hook because I like the ease of getting away for a sail and I like that the boat always faces the way I want it to be facing, into the wind (unless there's a current of course) and I like the privacy. But even in a harbor with everyone on moorings, I find that pretty soon people off neighboring boats are stopping by to say hello and vice versa, and almost every night we spend in the harbor there's an option that involves some sort of socializing if we want to. There's the crusty old Canadian who keeps his boat (beautiful wooden north sea cutter type) on a mooring near ours. I was always fascinated by his boat but we become friendly when I saw him working his butt off on a hot day and dinghied over and suggested he stop by our boat when he finished because we had some almost frozen beer aboard. LOL little did I know how much he liked cold beer, and as we got to know each other over a few and he learned that I'm a 747captain he told me he'd flown one for awhile once when the pilots invited him up into the cockpit and agreed that they flew very well even though he's not even a private pilot. Obviously he was stretching the truth a bit but I nodded and pretended to believe him because I knew he was just trying to be sociable and friendly. Then there's a couple of boats with owners who bounce back and forth between Maine and the Bahamas. They live aboard all winter down south and then live ashore and daysail or do 2 or 3 day jaunts all summer. They're very friendly and have all kinds of first hand knowledge that I've found interesting and valuable. I got to know both of them because they happened by in their dinghies while I was out working on some boat chore and they just stopped to chat. One of them has a SPADE anchor like mine and he's also a big fan of it so that broke the ice. The other has a cutter rig and I'm in the process of converting from sloop to slutter so I was very interested in what he had to say about that. Then there's the Silicon Valley rich guy who has the only mansion in "our" end of the harbor. I'd noticed he and his young family frequently swimming (requires screaming here in Maine :-)) and boating all summer and finally got to meet him when I noticed him struggling for several minutes to haul out some very awkwardly shaped aluminum stairs off his pier so I dinghied over to give him a hand and we chatted a bit. Not even close to being a snob and he told me to use his floating dock anytime I wanted to because they mostly just used it for swimming and a place to keep their dinghy that they use to get back and forth to their 2 motorboats that are on moorings. I don't plan to abuse the privilege but he's got a really nice dock and I thought it was very generous of him. Then there's the lobsterman who is a friend and takes care of my mooring. He knows EVERYTHING about the harbor and the gossip so if I want an update I can get it from him anytime I want. He's very hard working but also very good natured and keeps an eye on my boat for me without me even asking. I've learned to trust his judgment about people because so far he's been right 100% of the time and has pointed out a few sketchy individuals that it's best to stay away from who I thought were honest and OK. Another couple nearby who we've become good friends with recently are originally from here but moved their residence to NC and sail back and forth between the two. We always look forward to seeing that their boat is present in the harbor when we arrive on ours and almost always get together for sundowners and/or dinner. Then there's the young man who works at the marina where we keep our dinghy who lives on his very old dads boat that's moored near ours and commutes to work right by our boat in his dinghy. He's a boat school graduate and is very knowledgeable about a variety of boating subjects and has a great attitude and helpful nature. The other guy who works at the marina was a carpenter/contractor the marina owner knew and liked so offered him a job and he doesn't know much about boats but he's about the nicest and most honest and hardest working man you could meet and he's learning about boats fast. Another guy we always look forward to seeing when we go to our harbor. The marina owner is also great. He's only in his early 40's but is an ex special forces army officer and has a half dozen businesses that he has managed to start and have been quite profitable and a wonderful young family who is frequently hanging around the marina. He bought the marina more as a hobby and a good environment for his kids to learn about boats and the ocean and running a business than with any great expectation that he'd make much money from it. He's super busy but has a great positive attitude about life and is doing his best to improve everything about his marina and "our" harbor. There's the harbormaster who rules the harbor and she's an elderly lady from a sort of famous wealthy family who used to summer here but decided to make it her year round home decades ago when she was a young woman. We always try to flag her down to come for a visit when we see her out in the harbor in her motorboat. She's in charge of pretty much everything in the harbor from the towns perspective but she's also a very interesting lady and very nice. You don't want to get on her bad side but that's not hard to do because her natural instinct is to be a nice person to anyone who doesn't go out of their way to pi$$ her off. Then we have the constant flow of transients who can also be quite interesting when you bump into them. That's MY "neighborhood" in our harbor, not exactly a marina with slips but similar in that it's a little community made up of a pretty diverse group of folks but all interested in boats for one reason or another. I have much more of a relationship with them and look forward to seeing them all much more than I do with the neighbors I have while at my home. As far as things like discussing politics, the only two I'd consider doing that with are the lobsterman and marina owner because I know we share conservative views, but even amongst us, politics rarely comes up. I avoid talking politics with any of the other people in the harbor that I enjoy because I either know or suspect they are liberals and I don't want to have political arguments, and on the water it just doesn't seem too important anyway. Maybe things are different at a marina where you're packed in more closely but as you can probably tell, I REALLY like my harbor and its diverse denizens and wouldn't trade it for any "neighborhood" that I have lived in on shore.

[Scatterling]

Originally Posted by SSgtPitt

I for one am looking forward to moving onto the boat in a marina. It’ll beat the 1.5hr/65 mile each way commute every day.
Life is what you make it......mostly. I have few friends but am always friendly. My opinions are mine, i try and keep them that way.
Our Marina docks are locked. So there are few people sneaking around that don’t belong there......if you close the gate.
The showers and baths need to be remodeled, but they have hot water, so I’m happy.
The slips / docks are only 2 years old so everything is pretty new.
My neighbors and I talk about boats, dreams, where we’re going, where we’ve been and what broke last and who is fixing it.
I’ll bring you a drink when we first meet, invite you you for a drink in the cockpit next time.
I don’t go to bars much anymore, it’s like inviting trouble. I’m here to have fun and get the boat ready to shove off.
And I hope to run into sailorboy and buy him a drink or three. I like what he’s contributed.
I prefer Bourbon.

Best post so far!

[brantleychuck]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I haven't spent much time in marinas but I've enjoyed it when I have. For 99% of the time I prefer being out on a mooring or on the hook because I like the ease of getting away for a sail and I like that the boat always faces the way I want it to be facing, into the wind (unless there's a current of course) and I like the privacy. But even in a harbor with everyone on moorings, I find that pretty soon people off neighboring boats are stopping by to say hello and vice versa, and almost every night we spend in the harbor there's an option that involves some sort of socializing if we want to. There's the crusty old Canadian who keeps his boat (beautiful wooden north sea cutter type) on a mooring near ours. I was always fascinated by his boat but we become friendly when I saw him working his butt off on a hot day and dinghied over and suggested he stop by our boat when he finished because we had some almost frozen beer aboard. LOL little did I know how much he liked cold beer, and as we got to know each other over a few and he learned that I'm a 747captain he told me he'd flown one for awhile once when the pilots invited him up into the cockpit and agreed that they flew very well even though he's not even a private pilot. Obviously he was stretching the truth a bit but I nodded and pretended to believe him because I knew he was just trying to be sociable and friendly. Then there's a couple of boats with owners who bounce back and forth between Maine and the Bahamas. They live aboard all winter down south and then live ashore and daysail or do 2 or 3 day jaunts all summer. They're very friendly and have all kinds of first hand knowledge that I've found interesting and valuable. I got to know both of them because they happened by in their dinghies while I was out working on some boat chore and they just stopped to chat. One of them has a SPADE anchor like mine and he's also a big fan of it so that broke the ice. The other has a cutter rig and I'm in the process of converting from sloop to slutter so I was very interested in what he had to say about that. Then there's the Silicon Valley rich guy who has the only mansion in "our" end of the harbor. I'd noticed he and his young family frequently swimming (requires screaming here in Maine :-)) and boating all summer and finally got to meet him when I noticed him struggling for several minutes to haul out some very awkwardly shaped aluminum stairs off his pier so I dinghied over to give him a hand and we chatted a bit. Not even close to being a snob and he told me to use his floating dock anytime I wanted to because they mostly just used it for swimming and a place to keep their dinghy that they use to get back and forth to their 2 motorboats that are on moorings. I don't plan to abuse the privilege but he's got a really nice dock and I thought it was very generous of him. Then there's the lobsterman who is a friend and takes care of my mooring. He knows EVERYTHING about the harbor and the gossip so if I want an update I can get it from him anytime I want. He's very hard working but also very good natured and keeps an eye on my boat for me without me even asking. I've learned to trust his judgment about people because so far he's been right 100% of the time and has pointed out a few sketchy individuals that it's best to stay away from who I thought were honest and OK. Another couple nearby who we've become good friends with recently are originally from here but moved their residence to NC and sail back and forth between the two. We always look forward to seeing that their boat is present in the harbor when we arrive on ours and almost always get together for sundowners and/or dinner. Then there's the young man who works at the marina where we keep our dinghy who lives on his very old dads boat that's moored near ours and commutes to work right by our boat in his dinghy. He's a boat school graduate and is very knowledgeable about a variety of boating subjects and has a great attitude and helpful nature. The other guy who works at the marina was a carpenter/contractor the marina owner knew and liked so offered him a job and he doesn't know much about boats but he's about the nicest and most honest and hardest working man you could meet and he's learning about boats fast. Another guy we always look forward to seeing when we go to our harbor. The marina owner is also great. He's only in his early 40's but is an ex special forces army officer and has a half dozen businesses that he has managed to start and have been quite profitable and a wonderful young family who is frequently hanging around the marina. He bought the marina more as a hobby and a good environment for his kids to learn about boats and the ocean and running a business than with any great expectation that he'd make much money from it. He's super busy but has a great positive attitude about life and is doing his best to improve everything about his marina and "our" harbor. There's the harbormaster who rules the harbor and she's an elderly lady from a sort of famous wealthy family who used to summer here but decided to make it her year round home decades ago when she was a young woman. We always try to flag her down to come for a visit when we see her out in the harbor in her motorboat. She's in charge of pretty much everything in the harbor from the towns perspective but she's also a very interesting lady and very nice. You don't want to get on her bad side but that's not hard to do because her natural instinct is to be a nice person to anyone who doesn't go out of their way to pi$$ her off. Then we have the constant flow of transients who can also be quite interesting when you bump into them. That's MY "neighborhood" in our harbor, not exactly a marina with slips but similar in that it's a little community made up of a pretty diverse group of folks but all interested in boats for one reason or another. I have much more of a relationship with them and look forward to seeing them all much more than I do with the neighbors I have while at my home. As far as things like discussing politics, the only two I'd consider doing that with are the lobsterman and marina owner because I know we share conservative views, but even amongst us, politics rarely comes up. I avoid talking politics with any of the other people in the harbor that I enjoy because I either know or suspect they are liberals and I don't want to have political arguments, and on the water it just doesn't seem too important anyway. Maybe things are different at a marina where you're packed in more closely but as you can probably tell, I REALLY like my harbor and its diverse denizens and wouldn't trade it for any "neighborhood" that I have lived in on shore.

Thanks for sharing ! Nice story, I want to visit some day

[shadow]

I've been in tons of marnias while doing hops and live aboard for a period. I've never met such characters in my life.. It could easily be an ongoing comedy sitcom.. I'm being serious.. Absolute freaks to just odd balls. When we stayed for a longer period, you really get to see all of the dramas and the circles and everyone's routine.

when doing short hops, everyone seems really nice.. Almost like the honeymoon period type nonsense.. Regardless, I think the coolest and most genuine people I've met was the group doing the baja ha ha.. There were some amazingly great people and they were awesome to be around for sundowners, dinner, whatever.. Very generous with their time, knowledge, etc..

Most cruisers I've met fall into that category, but yah marina's become their own little drama stage show.. it is funny to just sit back in the cockpit and just watch it all unfold.. LOL

[thinwater]

I can't remember having a problem in a marina. Really.

Perhaps I suffer from realistic expectations. But it seems I always find friendly people.

[Cherod]

ha ha,, I love that north / south comment,,, hey mate , (ooops, sorry, no procreation intentions intended !! ) but we are not all americans you know,, there is a big old world out there that is not American, ( not saying not touched by, affected by, polluted or destroyed by )

[Cherod]

politics of a marina ?? ha ha,, childs play compared with those of an internet forum ....

[SSgtPitt]

Originally Posted by Cherod

ha ha,, I love that north / south comment,,, hey mate , (ooops, sorry, no procreation intentions intended !! ) but we are not all americans you know,, there is a big old world out there that is not American, ( not saying not touched by, affected by, polluted or destroyed by }

We’re all the same, mostly. Doesn’t seem to matter which God or Diety you pray to, which flag you call your own or which piece of dirt you hail from. There’s good, bad and indifference all around us. Improve yourself, enjoy where you are but keep looking for something better, it’s our nature to wander.

And thanks for the reminder about not everyone being American......yet

[Cherod]

not quite sure about that , but without getting too much into a political / cultural debate / ( thread deviation ) looking at a geo political / economical progression I would say we have more chance of all being indio / chineese rather than American . we can but hope.

[SSgtPitt]

It was a joke, a funny, humour, humor. A poor euphamism back to forgetting that this site isn’t American only.
I have no politics......that’s why I’m trying to shove off, to get away for a while. Just deal with the wind, waves, food, water......basic stuff.

[Cherod]

Originally Posted by SSgtPitt

It was a joke, a funny, humour, humor. A poor euphamism back to forgetting that this site isn’t American only.
I have no politics......that’s why I’m trying to shove off, to get away for a while. Just deal with the wind, waves, food, water......basic stuff.

very best of luck with that,, maybe our paths might cross somewhere " out there " and we can have a beer ( or glass of wine ) ,, fair winds etc..

[SSgtPitt]

Beer, wine, bourbon or my own distillations.....either will suffice. We’ll discuss all things sailing.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Thing is maybe one in ten people in the Marina are from the South, vast majority are Northerners seeking warmer weather. If your from New Jersey or New York your among friends here, if your from Georgia, your a minority. We have several Europeans, especially Germans and I believe even an Aussie, but that is gleaned by hearing accents as I walk by.
Now get 100 yds away from the Marina, then your in Coastal Georgia of course.

Just like south Florida. The rarest thing to find is a native south Floridian.