Unfortunate turn!

[messingabout]

I agree with you Kevin. Well said.

As you all know I'm new here. So I thought I'd do a bit of research and am wondering if anyone has put this together yet:
Someone signs on as a member (called Bumfuzzle) on 16th Jan 05, invites everyone to see his website with a link. Only gets a couple of replies. Then on 24th of Jan 05 maybe he/she gets sick of waiting for more replies or attention.
Then on 24th Jan 05 someone signs on as rhonda, points to the bum site and says 'everybody should read it'. Then after a total of only 8 posts rhonda dissapears, job done. The result has far exceeded anyones hopes of getting people to know about the site.
If this is Pat's doing then I can't help but admire his cunning. It reminds me of those birds that drop their egg into someone else's nest and suck them into raising it for them.

Anyway, contributing to the continued enjoyment of this thread is a small price to pay in return for reading the Bumfuzzle web which has brought us all lots of fun and entertainment.
Now come on, you can't disagree with that, otherwise you'd have given up visiting here and Bumfuzzle long ago. You can get all the serious sailing discussion in just about any other thread. That's not what anyones here for.

[Amphibian]

swagman (previous page):

And it's spoiling an otherwise nice site.

Actually this thread is only a miniscule part of this site, but as you rightly observe, it has attracted way too much attention.

[rhonda]

Are you kidding me?

Yes I started this post but not for the reasons many of you think & clearly have stated? I was honest in my very first post of why I included the link. It was all about the manufacture of the boat and what transpired between the two. Did I register just to post the link (yes I did I have no reason to deny that) I had no other reason to register up until that point. Thanks to the site I was able to freely read & learn without registering..

I have no more of a personal relationship with P& A than some of you. Never met them. However I have emailed them a couple of times to ask questions about their adventure & they were kind enough to email me back.
I never posted on this site before because I felt like I had nothing really to contribute ~ prior to posting my very first time I would read this site daily to try & learn about sailing, and so forth (thanks to hubby who directed me to this site) He also is the one who told me about the bum's site so I guess I should shun him, stick him into another room to sleep because their must be some conspiracy theory with him and the bum's that I am not aware of?

I was only trying to learn about sailing & see why my husband wants to live on a sailboat ~ I do not apologize for starting the thread, but I do hate the nasty turn it has taken..

My bio well lets see ~ I am a true Georgia peach ~ I do not own a sailboat, and when I say I am a newbie I really am.. so some of the things you guys have posted about on other threads I really don't think I can comment because I am learning!
THE WATER DOES GO ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOAT RIGHT? )

There are over 300 posts on this topic alone, and only 8 of them are mine (Yep I am trying to start trouble) come on are you serious?
Once again to defend myself ~ which at this point it is what we all seem to be doing? I am not a "Knocker" whatever that is ~ Please someone tell me
and I have already explained why I have no bio...
I have contributed nothing positive to this site in the eyes of "GordMay" since I started this thread, and because I have only posted 7 times (thanks big guy) I might not know all there is to know about sailing but hell I can at least get a conversation started..
Sorry if I sound sensitive but at some point you just want to throw your hands up!
Well even though this thread may have become a pain in the ass ~ it is the most talked about, controversial thread that I have come across in a long time ~ I have been searching the web for sailing forums once again to learn...

Sincerely
Rhonda

[Starbuck]

I know it may be hypocritical of me to post here, but I just can't resist:

The Six Steps to Any Project

1. Unbounded enthusiasm
2. Total disillusionment
3. Panic
4. Frantic search for the guilty
5. Punishment of the innocent
6. Promotion of the uninvolved

Is it true that the inventor of the boomerang was killed while testing his own device?

[Lodesman]

Amphibian - at the beginning of this particular chunk of the thread, you impugned Rhonda and all of the new posters. Then you insulted my intelligence, by telling me to check the dictionary. Now you insert a "(yawwwn)". This must be the forum equivalent of dramatically yawning with indifference during a conversation - that's just uncouth. To top it off, you're telling me to "go play in kindergarten." You've certainly proven my point about a lot of the incivility coming from the "respected old salts."

[i]/i]
GOTCHA! Nobody here ever knew about the Bums before they were encouraged to have a look at the blog (see first post of this thread). Seriously doubt anybody here would have made any comments to it IF they had stumbled across it while surfing the web.

Maybe you should reserve the "gotcha's" until after you actually make a point. Go back and read the 330 plus replies in this thread. Do you seriously doubt there's interest in this thread? It seems like an awful lot of the disinterested went to the trouble of reading through the extensive Bumfuzzle logs, not to mention 20 some pages of posts in this thread.

If you are the moderator, then you are one of those from whom I expect better. It is the attitudes like yours, that are "spoiling an otherwise nice site."

Respectfully,

Kevin

[Alan Wheeler]

Wow guy's. I just went back to the first page of threads. Mate, I can't believe it has been over a year ago since this all started. No wonder I couldn't remember much.
Firstly, Rhonda, I believe you started this thread with intergrity. I noted way back then, that I was happy you started it off and I still am. Please don't feel upset by all this.
I also noted I hoped the original topic would start some interesting side threads. Mate, I had no idea.
OK all, can't ya see what Messingabout is doing here. This is why they call it trolling. Ones like him troll like you do when you run a lure behind your boat for a fish. They will throw in some burley and watch the action of the little fish all in a frenzy. Then suddenly before ya know it, ya have one, hook line a sinker. And then they throw them back. That's all they are in it for, the action. Nothing else.

As for this series of threads. I still believe mostly ALL comments have been taken out of context. Sorry Kevin, but you just weren't around way back then (I think) and you had or have no idea what interaction we had with one another back then. All that influences "tone" and you simply don't see that in a post.
Kevin, I would hope you know me enough now at least, to see I am an OK person. Have I ever, has ANYONE ever made personal attacks or called anyone anything untoward to their personal abilities to sail??? No!!
Kev mate, I'll buy you a beer anyday.

Messingabout, so you seem to think I have been unfair on my comments in this thread series. So just exactly what and why do you think they are unfair??? I see you had chosen one comment about the MOBP. Once again, out of context. How can I say out of context?? Go to the thread I started called "why should a MOBP be Orange" or something like that. You will see many of us went into a great discussion about colours.
You see, you can not judge people based on one topic, or one or two posts, but you do get an overall picture by viewing the entire board. That's what makes this place special. It is almost a breathing living thing. It is a community and it has to be viewed in an entirity.

Hey cpt Jeff, I love that 6 steps thing. May I use it????

[Lodesman]

Cheers Wheels, you're on. I'll bring the pizza. You know I have nothing but respect for you, even when we don't agree completely.

Kevin

[messingabout]

I enjoyed following two cruising sites throughout 2005. Each for very different reasons. They were of course Bumfuzzle for the love/hate (don't take me literally) relationship hold it has on many people. The other site I followed was for the sense of adventure and the awe and admiration that grew in me for the two 'old salts' involved (I use that term respectfully).
These two very experienced sailors managed in the space of one year to do the 2004 Sydney to Horbart then a few days after the finish, set off on a circumnavigation, only stopping at Dunedin for repairs, after being knocked down south of N.Z. and then in England to take part in the Fastnet, then continue on, getting knocked down three more times in a storm soon after entering the Indian Ocean, getting back to Sydney three days before the start of the 2005 Sydney to Horbart which they completed. They did all this in a 33ft Brolga. It was wonderful to be able to read their almost daily updates. I think I learnt a lot from how they handled the conditions and the highs and lows. They have a google earth file you can download from their site. You can see a link marker at the position of each log, to go to that logs page on the web. If any of you are interest here is the url:
http://www.berrimilla.com

[delmarrey]

....................................._/)

[Ram]

messinabout

I followed the link and enjoyed the Nice website
Ram

[Mexico Mike]

I'm a new guy here, and it took several trys before I could get all the way to the end of this thread. I have read the Fuzzle´s logs on and off for awhile and always have found them entertaining reading. I know many are hoping this thread will die, but I have to get my 2 centavos in.
I have no interest in knocking them or defending them, but I always find a few things that make me go "hmmmmmm". Here are a few examples from the latest logs:

Aside from that there really isn't much to report about here. We are short another boat safety device since the other day I dropped the battery pack for the strobe light overboard and it sank faster than I could swim. The light was attached to the life ring and I noticed it had water inside the bulb compartment. So I unscrewed the cap and watched as the tube that holds the batteries slid right out and in to the water. I dived in...

We've reached a new low here on Bum, we've eaten hot dogs from a can. Full size normal looking hot dogs in a can. We made sure to bury them underneath a can of chili though, and without having to look at them they were pretty good. We are really not very good at provisioning the boat for these long passages.

On our mast there are four lines running through these blocks. Two are reefing lines and are the ones that we use all the time and that I was replacing. One is the main halyard, and then there is the mystery line which is the one I switched the reef block out with. Ali found out what I was doing and sarcastically said "Oh I'm sure everybody has at least one line on their boat that they have no idea of the purpose of." And so it is with us, we have this yellow line that runs from the cockpit, through the blocks, into the end of the boom nearest the mast, along the inside of the boom, and to the end of the boom where it is tied off in a knot. Two and a half years and we don't have the slightest clue why it is there.

Today a guy came up to us and told us that he hadn't heard us on the net and asked us if we knew about it. Now here's a cruiser thing that most people seem to love, but that Ali and I just can't get excited about, it's called a net. A net is sort of like a radio call in show for cruisers. They all listen in on their SSB radios every day at the same time and report in what their position is and what conditions are like. Then after everybody is done with that they have a section of the show where they exchange information about the places they are at. Now I don't want to sound snobby because I know 90% of people out there would enjoy this sort of thing, but we just have no desire to be involved. We told the guy that we don't even have our microphone plugged in to the radio and had never been involved in a net before and he just about choked, he couldn't believe it. Apparently they've had these nets going on all the way around the world. Somehow we just can't get excited about having to get on the radio every day at 9:00 to report our whereabouts.

And I won't say anything about their lack of concern about pirates in the Gulf of Oman...

Oh well, may your good luck continue, Kids! I'll be staying tuned!

Mike

[svHyLyte]

...with Pat'n Ali?

They worked hard in a tough, brain frying, business (Commodities Trading), made a little money and decided to try something different. They're spending their own time and money, having some fun, learning more than their Log entries probably reveal and doing so while they are young enough to come home and start a new adventure when and if they choose.

Their web-site was created for their friends and family but they allow or encourage others to look on as well.

They've made some mistakes that others with more experience might not but then, one only gains experience by making mistakes!

They look a life through a lens ground by the society in which they were raised. Where a Happy Kid's Meal or a Pizza on the way to the Mall passes for nutrition (fortunately there's more to life than food however). But, they're having fun and making friends.

As for their Boat, it's a piece of junk which is not their fault. It's not suitable for its intended use. IF the manufacturer were worth a damn and was interested in building quality boats, they would have made good on the product. I've little doubt that they would have responded to the original owner in the same manner. (By comparison, I am the second owner of a 1986 Beneteau First 42 and I have been amazed by how responsive BeneteauUSA has been to my needs!) At the least, the people at 2Hulls should have made some effort to be helpful.

My sincerest hope is that they manage to make it to and through the Red Sea without a run-in with Pirates. Thus far they have followed the golden rule (DO unto others...) and largely been treated well everywhere. I hope that continues to hold...

s/v HyLyte

[Mexico Mike]

If you are responding to my post, HyLyte, I guess you missed my thrust, so to speak. I have no problem with Pat and Ali, some of the things Pat writes just make me say "hmmmmm".

If you've ever done any cruising, especially a couple of years worth, you probably have learned to be pretty careful about taking things apart , especially potentially life saving things, in such a manner that crucial bits don't have a chance to go overboard. Or maybe not?

Likewise, after several multi-day passages, many people would begin to figure out how to procure and store provisions for the next one, wouldn't they?

Likewise, how many pieces of running rigging do you have that you don't know the function of, and if so, wouldn't you be curious enough to ask someone? Maybe the Wildcat people?

Lastly, the bit about the SSB nets, and not even having the mic plugged in, boggles my mind a bit. Do they even know how to work the radio? If something, God forbid, did happen to them, could they communicate a distress message? Pat says they personally don't care to know all the information, weather and otherwise, available from the net, but there are many other reasons why cruisers participate, mostly safety related. Oh well?

Anyway, none of this stuff makes me want to diss them personally, it's just somewhat unusual, and I repeat, makes me go "hmmmmm" once in awhile. I really do wish them the best, and appreciate them for being a shining example of the old adage "whatever".

Best,
Mike
¡And I'll drink to that!

[messingabout]

Maybe it's more accurate to say 'used to be a piece of junk. After all the $$$ they've spent on it, I wouldn't mind having it. There hasn't been any breakdowns for some time.
The dinghy is a worry though!

[svHyLyte]

their boat is a piece of junk. And, having inspected another, "new", boat by the same manufacturer, it appears that junk is all the company produces. After 40 years of sailing I've found that one can tell the quality of a build by whats done in the spaces that one cannot readily see.

Regardless of repairs, if the load on a sheet winch is enough to rip the winch out of the deck, that's not a boat I want near-shore, to say naught of off-shore.

I too sometimes shake my head at Pat's foibles but what the heck. Fortunately, the good lord seems to look out for the innocent. Let us hope that continues.

Cheers,

s/v HyLyte