What ever happen to the REAL cruisers?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I think "whatever happened to English?" when I read online forum postings.

You have how many countries speaking some form of English, type-os, people that English is their second language, dyslexia and then you have me.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

You might just as well skip the chapter on LORAN unless you're a history buff. It is long gone.

Still can use radio direction finders. Don't forget jet contrails, garbage tracks, and shipping routes: all good methods to navigate by.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by SV Sailfish

Yes... I did. I told the fuel dock attendant and also the kid pumping. He just looked at me like I was an idiot and never said a word. So... that's when I just walked away shaking my head.

The boat was an Amel 54.

Sorry about my implied criticism. You acted properly. I hope they got it sorted out, but there's just no helping some people. This doesn't mean we shouldn't try, no matter how green they are or how expensive their boat is.

My lecture on the obvious is now finished.

[Hudson Force]

I think there's a risk in assuming that people with far more money or much less money are not as qualified as "real cruisers".

Nancie an I met a cruiser at Cumberland Island, Georgia who was southbound from the Chesapeake on his kayak. He was very self-sufficient with a small improvised sail, his gear packed in a waterproof bag and very enthusiastic about his voyage.

We also met a couple at a marina near Beaufort, North Carolina who were cruising on their approximately 100' motor yacht. They seemed just as excited about what they were accomplishing as the man in the kayak. They had crew, but they were "hands on" everything.

I'm going to be careful not to disqualify a real cruiser for reasons of age, wealth, ... or any of the usual list of bias. I guess we should not eliminate real cruisers by how much labor they complete by themselves.

I'll start a list for the qualities of a "real cruiser" with these two:

1. Real cruisers seek knowledge to safely pilot & navigate.
2. Real cruisers seek to understand the nature of weather and the sea.

hmmm..... maybe this is the whole list!

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I think there's a risk in assuming that people with far more money or much less money are not as qualified as "real cruisers".

Nancie an I met a cruiser at Cumberland Island, Georgia who was southbound from the Chesapeake on his kayak. He was very self-sufficient with a small improvised sail, his gear packed in a waterproof bag and very enthusiastic about his voyage.

We also met a couple at a marina near Beaufort, North Carolina who were cruising on their approximately 100' motor yacht. They seemed just as excited about what they were accomplishing as the man in the kayak. They had crew, but they were "hands on" everything.

I'm going to be careful not to disqualify a real cruiser for reasons of age, wealth, ... or any of the usual list of bias. I guess we should not eliminate real cruisers by how much labor they complete by themselves.

I'll start a list for the qualities of a "real cruiser" with these two:

1. Real cruisers seek knowledge to safely pilot & navigate.
2. Real cruisers seek to understand the nature of weather and the sea.

hmmm..... maybe this is the whole list!

ye gotta know what yer seeing.
income doesnt define cruiser.


the problem in this forum is that when the english language is used perfectly is when folks donot understand the content. go figger.
if you are being told you will have xxxxx weather and ye donot know how to read it in interwebzz or on paper or around ye, you may not come thru the omygodsitsacane with your feathers intact.
have fun out there and learn what it is you are watching and seeing.. and how it develops into what you are stuck inside right omy now....

some folks use dialectic versions., if those are not understood, then someone aint been around much.

and then some just have disabilities of paws so words come out better when made into dialect. or flagrant typo.

and then there are those who cannot typo.....\so look around ye . what is your weather doing today and for the next week or so......

may all your anchors hopld fast and may your sailing not become befouled with bad weather you say suddenly popped up. weather doesnt pop up. there are always warnings. some are fleeting--pay attention

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by bcripps

I'm sitting here in Wendy's Bar in Luperon and a guy here is complaining because he can't find someone to change his engine oil!

Damn. I started cruising, thirty years ago, because I longed to be self-sufficient.

What happened?

I'll tell you: GPS!

Bry

Is there a way to change your oil with GPS

I'm all for new technology, but this one I didn't know about. How do I do it I want to know

[SV Sailfish]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Sorry about my implied criticism. You acted properly. I hope they got it sorted out, but there's just no helping some people. This doesn't mean we shouldn't try, no matter how green they are or how expensive their boat is.

My lecture on the obvious is now finished.

No worries mate!

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

My two cents:

We are talking about different people here. Today's new boat owner has been told he will void the warranties on his engines if a proper [insert brand name], licensed dealer does not do the servicing. So, by the time, it's out of warranty, he's been trained to have it done. It may also suit his ideas of status. In addition, access may be difficult; he's older, and groveling is uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the cruiser of 30 yrs. ago was someone who usually used to work on his/her own car, too, so internal combustion engine skills AND TOOLS were already in use, ready to be applied to the boat.

Add to this, that I think we see many more higher bucks cruisers today. Yesterday's cruisers were more DIY, in general, and now, the DIYs are mostly low bucks, imho.

Of course, zeehag changes her own oil, and I bet, so does SailorChic34, and Dockhead and Jim do, too, and I'll bet Hudson, and a whole bunch more. And I'll bet none of them has an engine with an electronic box that tells the engine it's okay to start! Boy, that's one spare you'd want to carry!

So along with the changes from the 1980s to now, the guys who were cruising then are older and perhaps a bit crotchety. I'd be more interested today in teaching someone how to do it for him/herself than in doing it for them, even if there were an offer of money. And that's because cruisers help cruisers, usually, for free, if you can afford not to ask for money.


Ann

Ann, you're too damn sensible. Let's just blame it on GPS. It's easier for the crotchety people to keep track of that line of thought

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I think people are missing the OP's point. It's not about engine maintenance. It's that REAL cruisers supposedly don't use GPS.

Yes, this. STAY FOCUSED, people....

[Glacier Crews]

We think it's grand that all the "pay for services" folks are out there! Helps train mechanics, shipwrights, etc "up," so when we need to have some services performed there is competent help out there! Go marine service workers everywhere.

[Hudson Force]

Of course, real cruisers use GPS. Most that I know use one and keep a spare in the box.

It is true that the little "cartoon" track to follow on the GPS allows people with little other knowledge to make a landfall of their choice.

It is also true that a real cruiser would be able to make their landfall without the GPS.

[zeehag]

TRAIN??? i found well educated and experienced locals here outshine the gringos who fleece other greengoes.. saves lotsalotsa bux...
i think that is all due to the gps issue.
gods save the magenta lion

[Don C L]

In 1981 I was crewing on a boat that lost its rudder and a RFA ship (Royal Fleet Auxilliary ship) pulled up and gave us a tow. GPS or "SatNav" as we called it was pretty new at the time. The navigator on the British naval auxilliary freighter saw our little mushroom antenna, called us up and said, "would you mind giving us a fix every hour?" He was a happy navigator till we got to port, and he had a great time toasting us in the pub later. I still went out and got a new hand bearing compass the other day. Wish my old RDF still worked...

[skipmac]

If I had money to burn I would certainly hire someone to do the dirty work. Been there, done that enough times that the joy of changing oil, reaching through a hole and under the engine to adjust the stuffing box (yes I have a V-drive), standing on my head to reach a wire/hose/fitting has lost most of its entertainment value.

I would however, still make sure I knew how to do it myself in case I broke down 100 miles south of nowhere.

Would that make me not a real cruiser?

[sailorboy1]

You're not a real cruiser till when you complain about others and say how you do it better.