What ever happen to the REAL cruisers?

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by 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?

the advantage of doing your own oil change is the information it gives you that otherwise others would ignore: magnetic filings on the drain plug magnetic surface, oil color and streaks(water,etc in oil), changes in viscosity, and the smell(heavy sulphur anyone?) . Had some bad experiences trusting others to take care of simple stuff.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by Tellie

LOL, another myth. Cheap and stinkers help cheap and stinkers for free. Good mechanics always charge.

Sounds like an ego thing..some folks enjoy their craft, are flush with cash and don't mind helping someone that is trying to get by.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Tellie

LOL, another myth. Cheap and stinkers help cheap and stinkers for free. Good mechanics always charge.

Tellie,

In my experience it is not a myth that we help each other out. However, good mechanics is an interesting issue. Some friends of whom the man in the couple was a licensed diesel mechanic worked it out this way: consultations were free; if he brought his tools on someone's boat, he expected to be paid, going United States rates [he is an American]. They were not in a position to do otherwise, and everybody respected him. He was up front about it, and he was paid by the guy who hired him.

However, a whole lot, folks, trade skills, one guy's an ex commercial diver, another has electrical skills, and they exchange. It isn't that one's knowledge isn't worth a lot, but that charging for it doesn't feel right.

I'm really hoping that you aren't saying that I'm a cheap stinker for this! I am not trying to break any mechanics' rice bowls. Maybe I should go spend some money and have a shower before I write to you again. (Cheap and stinker, indeed!)

I do agree that the situation may be different from place to place (outside my experience); there may also be a good solid kernel of truth that one should not quibble about paying for a good mechanic. However, poor ones charge, too. Sometimes, it is hard to tell who the honest and capable ones are, though, and especially so, if you're having to get by in a foreign language, and are not adept at reading body language.

Ann

[reed1v]

Ann, you are correct. Most cruisers, especially those in foreign ports, band together to help one another out in so many ways. Instant floating communities are to be found throughout the planet. From sharing bread recipes to delivering babies, vast majority of the time help is freely given and welcomely received. Makes the cruising life very addictive.

[Xpress]

Good to see a bit of humour and erudition.
I got rid of the lawn on my boat Paul. No more kid problems, although one did once offer to change the oil when he saw my aged back doubled up in the engine compartment.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Sounds like an ego thing..some folks enjoy their craft, are flush with cash and don't mind helping someone that is trying to get by.

havent noticed any income limit either way for those who help others. it seems to be about as many brokeass sailors helping as those with dough.

as far as mechanics go==i search fro the best mechanic in the area i am cruising and hire that individual to rebuild engine.. found mine vi a fishermen. seems guys who go out on shrimpers for a few years stick together-- and they know their diesels. the gringo mechanics i have listened to, if there for professional choke gag cough reasons, have a tendency to not be as honest as the locals . many stories to back me. i will not intrude on a cruisers life to get my engine repaired. they are out cruising for a reason. i may ask for a consult, but , only if that individual is conducive to offering same. i have learned those who blatantly offer their advice are not as knowledgeable as is hoped, so i stay away from em. cost me a lot of money learning that one.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by zeehag

havent noticed any income limit either way for those who help others. it seems to be about as many brokeass sailors helping as those with dough.

At least among American sailors, there seems to be an egalitarian ethos that spans income, racial, and so far religious differences. Not so much with some European groups. Of course there are the Japanese sailors who are human Newfies when it comes to helping others. Probably the most enthusiastic bunch afloat.

[Jim Cate]

human Newfies

Human Newfies???? We know a few Newfies and while they are sometimes peculiar, they all seem quite human to me!

Explain, please...

Jim

[tinkrman69]

Its those "check book" sailors,,,,boaters....that have to have all the amenities that make all those quaint out of the way inlets and harbors expensive. Most of the places I used to go, just 15 years ago, only had one paved road, and sidewalks? what are those. I see a lot of so called sailors with over a thousand hours on their motors with sailboats that are only 3 or 5 years old. and they know every bridge on the inter coastal. Have money and a GPS? yup I'm a sailor...oh don't for get towboatUS don't leave home with out it. Paper charts? who needs them? I have a Sat-phone and SSB. I towed a sailboat once, down in the Keys, who had run out of fuel. after we set the tow line I raised the sails and towed him under sail. I couldn't resist it. And his boat was 7 feet longer than mine. the wind was around 15 knots and out to the SSE, I only had to make two tacks. When I got him to the fuel dock in Marathon...I motored the channel...He was pretty pissed, that I didn't use up my fuel and put all that ware and tear on my engine. I just said "your welcome" I was pretty proud of my self that I didn't say more.

Yup money and technology is nice. But a brain with knowledge is more reliable. And when it quits working? Well.........;-)

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by tinkrman69

...... I towed a sailboat once, down in the Keys, who had run out of fuel. after we set the tow line I raised the sails and towed him under sail. .



Yup money and technology is nice. But a brain with knowledge is more reliable. And when it quits working? Well.........;-)

I can see it. Sure, I run the engine but not if I have any sort of wind.

Well done.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Human Newfies???? We know a few Newfies and while they are sometimes peculiar, they all seem quite human to me!

Explain, please...

Jim

The Japanese cruisers we have met over the years seem full of peaceful enthusiasm, extremely friendly, and easy to just hang out with. Good companions; although never challenge them to a drinking contest. The only dog comparison we can come up with are Newfies. Germans seem more aloof and thus remind us of Dobermans. We tend to look at the world in terms of non human animals. And yeah, yeah, all humans are the same. But not in our experiences. Culture really shapes humans to the point they might as well be different dog species.

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by Gadagirl

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The younger of us are not lazy and stupid! I'm not sure why we like to blame the young for our troubles when all throughout history there is solid evidence of our offspring being inventive, creative, and carrying us forward. In spite of us! You should be more fearful of crotchety old people that are afraid of change.

Ho ho ho, good one but I hoped you noticed that the OP was in favor of change. Oil change...done by the owner.....

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by reed1v

The Japanese cruisers we have met over the years seem full of peaceful enthusiasm, extremely friendly, and easy to just hang out with. Good companions; although never challenge them to a drinking contest. The only dog comparison we can come up with are Newfies. Germans seem more aloof and thus remind us of Dobermans. We tend to look at the world in terms of non human animals. And yeah, yeah, all humans are the same. But not in our experiences. Culture really shapes humans to the point they might as well be different dog species.

Oooohhhh, THAT kind of Newfie! In our lexicon, a Newfie is a person from Newfoundland, and they can be , uhh, interesting!

We've also met a few Japanese cruisers, and have found them to be good value. They have to be unusually independent sorts, because going cruising is even further from mainline values in Japan than it is in the States.

Jim

[darylat8750]

I like Ann's note that some may need a certified mech. for engine warranty.

Oh to were that I should have an engine new enough to be worried about the warranty!

[ingrid75]

It is not just the younger guys and it is not a new development. I remember being in Costa Rica twenty years ago when a guy said he couldn't continue his cruise because something had happened and his GPS could not communicate with his his autopilot. Programming the autopilot himself was too much trouble. And more recently, in langkawi, a guy my age was lamenting that he couldn't find anyone to change the impeller on his water pump">raw water pump. These guys are not a problem however. They rarely leave the marinas and are never seen in the really interesting places. As I told my wife when we began cruising, there are three important "lines" on the oceans: the equator, the date line, and the "gold card" line. Once beyond the gold card line, problems cannot be solved by opening your wallet.