What ever happen to the REAL cruisers?

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

You sure it wasn't a birthday cake??

Pretty sure.

It tasted more like a hat.

[alctel]

I don't think I've ever heard a Tilly hat described as 'cool' before.

I have one and it's great sun protection but it's hella dorky

[RaymondR]

What are the characteristics of a real cruiser anyway.


There was a thread on here a couple of years ago about a cruiser the NZ authorities would not clear out because his vessel did not appear to be seaworthy. Single hander, circumnavigation, minimalist vessel, tight budget etc did any of this make, or not, a real cruiser?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

What are the characteristics of a real cruiser anyway.

Apparently it's someone who changes his own oil and doesn't use GPS, according to the OP.

However I don't care about GPS or oil changes. To me, if you didn't build your own boat you're a pretender, not a real cruiser.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by alctel

I don't think I've ever heard a Tilly hat described as 'cool' before.

I have one and it's great sun protection but it's hella dorky

Dorky is a form of Canadian cool!!

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Apparently it's someone who changes his own oil and doesn't use GPS, according to the OP.

However I don't care about GPS or oil changes. To me, if you didn't build your own boat you're a pretender, not a real cruiser.

Building your own boat is pretty cool, one in a million!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Dorky is a form of Canadian cool!!

I resemble that comment No word of a lie, I'm wearing one of my many Tilley's in my avatar pic.

In reality, a Tilley is a terrible sailing hat. All their brims are floppy. Anything over 10 knots and they're flat against your head. Kinda useless as a sailing hat. I even approached the company with the suggestion of making a real sailing hat ... no dice.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by reed1v

A captain's hat does come in handy in non European foreign ports. Captain's hat, clean white shirt, white or dark pants(not jeans, no shorts), and shoes(not flipflops). You will be treated professionally. One's hat signifies one's position in foreign lands, especially in the near east.



A goofy floppy hat or baseball hat marks you. And its not a nice mark. We cut through many wait lines in countless ports by looking and acting like professional skippers.



Got to remember the military is a very high status and important institution in most second and third world nations. A captain's hat connotes a military like manner and gets respect and results.



Look the part, be the part.

I have exported one or two aircraft down South, Central and South America, and can tell you the white shirt and silly eplets and calling yourself "Captain" goes a Hella long way to putting you at the head of the Customs line and whisking you out of the airport with minimum hassle.
I hated it as I was a Warrant Officer, no Captain, but after sitting in the seat for almost 14 hours, you'll call yourself anything if it gets you to the Motel faster.

I've been around one or two Ag pilots in the last few years, and average age is probably pushing 60, many are 70 believe it or not, and for just seat of the pants, stick and rudder pilots, they are exceptionally good, and I grew up flying helicopters, so low level flight is my forte.

I don't know this guy, but have always enjoyed the video

https://youtu.be/o40_MzuKIGA


Guy who checked me out years ago was named Jake Miller, at least one here knows him I'm sure. Old as heck over 70 I'm sure, honest to God blind in one eye, and deaf as a door nail, and one of the best just instinctive pilots I have ever flown with, he can make an airplane do things you swear isn't possible, and do so with no stress and smooth as silk.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by reed1v

If you ever sail to Africa, the Near East, or even the Far East, you will be in for a surprise. Also one does not "earn" one's hat; one's hat is considered to reflect what you do in most parts of the world.

I keep forgetting this board is not about cruising abroad but in home waters most of the time.

one EARNS ones CAPTAIN hat by having become a legitimate captain, usn and merchant marine rtw in tall and steam ships after graduation from merchant marine acadamy.
of course ye can always find a cheap imitation in worst marine and buy a 50 tonner certificate and spew about how little ye really know......

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

What are the characteristics of a real cruiser anyway?

three observations . . . .

there is of course a 'spectrum of cruising' - a wide range of approaches and types and objectives - it is not a binary 'real' or 'pretender'.

the entire spectrum has changed/shifted dramatically during my cruising life - I am guessing that when the OP says 'real' he is really referring to the good points of 'how it was' - it was a much more self-reliant, much more adventurous, with higher seamanship skills community in the past (yes, that is a very broad generalization, but broadly true). It is hard today to find the type of person who was typical cruising in say the 1980's - they are out there but now a very small minority.

And yes, gps, sat comms, roller furling, water makers, compact gensets were all significant technological developments that changed the community. And the effects of 911 and the global recession also changed the community.

None of that is a criticism of cruising today - it is just different - and it was inevitable that it would be different.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by zeehag

one EARNS ones CAPTAIN hat by having become a legitimate captain, usn and merchant marine rtw in tall and steam ships after graduation from merchant marine acadamy.
of course ye can always find a cheap imitation in worst marine and buy a 50 tonner certificate and spew about how little ye really know......

A person who is responsible for a vessel is the captain, and the hat, regardless of designs signifies he is the flack catcher. Most commercial boats are skippered by folks who never went to any academy, even less any schools at all. You are indeed a very sheltered person. In most parts of the world you inherit your father's position as skipper of fishing boats, cargo carriers, ferries, etc. Most of the captains we got to know in India could hardly read a chart but knew the routes through being there many many times before they became skippers. In Africa, the traditional captain hat meant you were the captain. Nothing else would signify on most of their coastal boats. In Iraq(Persia) old Kriegsmarine captain's hats were popular if you piloted any sea going vessel. Guess you have not traveled much.

[Celestialsailor]

A thread that went from being self-sufficient to a page of wearing hats. Only on CF...

[reed1v]

[QUOTE=a64pilot;2134249]I have exported one or two aircraft down South, Central and South America, and can tell you the white shirt and silly eplets and calling yourself "Captain" goes a Hella long way to putting you at the head of the Customs line and whisking you out of the airport with minimum hassle.
I hated it as I was a Warrant Officer, no Captain, but after sitting in the seat for almost 14 hours, you'll call yourself anything if it gets you to the Motel faster.

I've been around one or two Ag pilots in the last few years, and average age is probably pushing 60, many are 70 believe it or not, and for just seat of the pants, stick and rudder pilots, they are exceptionally good, and I grew up flying helicopters, so low level flight is my forte.

I don't know this guy, but have always enjoyed the video



https://youtu.be/o40_MzuKIGA


Guy who checked me out years ago was named Jake Miller, at least one here knows him I'm sure. Old as heck over 70 I'm sure, honest to God blind in one eye, and deaf as a door nail, and one of the best just instinctive pilots I have ever flown with, he can make an airplane do things you swear isn't possible, and do so with no stress and smooth as silk.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum[/QUOTE

]GPS is a godsend to pilots. Back in the early 60s we had to learn celestial navigation to identify where we were; not bad in a boat, but we were in aircrafts up in the sky bouncing around, using weird naval bubble boxes as our sextants. A good plot was when you probably had a 20 mile margin of error and your lines somewhat intersected.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

It is hard today to find the type of person who was typical cruising in say the 1980's - they are out there but now a very small minority.
.

There are a bunch of them in the Rio Dulce, some have not moved very far in years. It's kind of a cruiser graveyard/discoteque.

[Don C L]

Not to flog any dead horses but I do kinda miss the days where there was the element of mystery and suspense and excitement to find out if your DR plot was really right, and listening to strange am stations late at night on the RDF. Kids nowadays just don't know those simple pleasures.