Where Has the Cruising Counter-Culture Gone - Is It Too Late?

[Therapy]

I am trying to figure out what culture I fit into. I think I am an accepted member of a few but I really don't like some of the roles I play.

And I am now really confused as to how smart I am, thanks to Gord (again!), because sometimes I think I am am and sometimes I think I am not. This makes me wonder where on the graph I am.

I would like to know.......................I think..............not really sure.................................dang.

[DPMatty]

Originally Posted by Bash

and may I suggest further that DPMatty could learn a great deal from David M, and not just in terms of navigation. Perhaps the tutorial could begin with writing comprehension, in other words, the importance of actually understanding what you write. As I understand it, this is a skill best learned before you hit the "Submit Reply" button.

I'll be sure to keep that in mind Bash, thank you so much.

I'm not really sure why my OP got interpreted the way it did. Perhaps though you are exactly right, I posted early in the morning (for me at least) and made a hasty post. I will refrain from doing that in the future.

[TaoJones]

I think your original post was fine, DPMatty. Thanks for putting up an interesting question that provoked a lot of thoughtful commentary. Hud's subsequent post, IMO, helped to refine the question, and I think he was right that the term "counter-culture" may have thrown some people off course.

Some of the posts that were added to this thread were, shall we say, a bit unkind to you. Through it all, you have been a stand-up guy and not a whiner. My hat's off to you.

TaoJones

[catty]

Originally Posted by David M

Whats with the hostility towards people with money?

It bothers me when wealthy people get stereotyped as being like Thurston Howell III on Gilligans Island. I know a number of seriously wealthy people who are the nicest people you could ever meet...and then there are the snobs who think they are better than you because they have more money than you. No, the wealthy don't have long hair, smoke dope, rarely bathe and wear Grateful Dead T-shirts, but they certainly do not fit the stereotype from the first post. (See, I can inaccurately stereotype the counter-culture as well.)

Its best to get to know people personally before you slap a label on them.

David M. I suspect you may have interpreted the post a little too literally. Yep, some rich people are real nice, and others produce the jet ski's from the rear locker in that lovely out of the way anchorage, or roar through the moorings in the 30 foot tender towing half the ocean with them.

Like any pastime, weather it be sailing, or backpacking through Nepal, first came the low impact traveller then came the nouveau rich tourist land-rover convoy stuffing it up for every else.

The simple low impact live-aboard sailor has been replaced by the energy thirsty, scorched earth policy, tourist.

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by catty

...The simple low impact live-aboard sailor has been replaced by the energy thirsty, scorched earth policy, tourist.

Sorry, I just don't see that here in the eastern Caribbean. The big, energy hungry yachts seem to stay tethered to the mega-yacht marina docks in Antigua and St. Maarten, for the most part, leaving scores of lovely anchorages free for the rest of us.

[Christian Van H]

DPMatty, I would very much like it if you could post some of your experiences back then. I too cruised in the 80s and although I was limited to Fla. and the Bahamas, I think I know of what you speak. Hud has it right. You can stroll into almost any marina on the east coast and find it packed with beautiful boats. When you go out sailing and come back they will still be there, tethered to the dock. Not long ago I chartered a cat to the Dry Tortugas. Key West was PACKED with beautiful cruising boats, but two days later we were sitting in the Tortugas with 3 other anchored yachts...all real cruisers. All great people. A wonderful experience.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Sorry, I just don't see that here in the eastern Caribbean. The big, energy hungry yachts seem to stay tethered to the mega-yacht marina docks in Antigua and St. Maarten, for the most part, leaving scores of lovely anchorages free for the rest of us.

Glad you don't see them down your way but it's getting more and more difficult to get away from them in the Exumas. Every year there's more and more of them, with more and more toys. Not just jet skis but every one has to have a 30 odd foot center console fish/ski boat behind them. I always wonder why they don't run their jet skis around their own boat which is usually anchored a ways out but instead they come and weave in and out of the anchored sailboats.

[Christian Van H]

Lets fill in the blank: If you want to avoid these irritants and their toys, cruise to places that don't have a...BLANK.

[Joli]

My wife grew up in the Caribbean when St Thomas harbor was only a single dock for ferries and supplies. Is it better today with mega cruise ships and dock after dock of charter boats? I don't know but she likes St Thomas as it is today but is equally happy to sail to Maho Bay and kick back in a quieter setting.

I grew up racing with an RDF and a sextant, heavy gear that was durable but tough to use, and dacron sails. Is todays technology better? Sure, it's safer, more convenient and gets people into the sport, all good things as far as I'm concerned.

Bottom line: Want remote, it's there to be found. Want a hopping place, Willy T is calling. Want a budget boat, they are more abundant then ever. Lacking experience, inexpensive gear helps big time.

I think the cruising counter culture has more options then ever before, get off the web and go sail.

[Joli]

They go away when you bounce beer bottles of them.

[quote=Vasco;311244 I always wonder why they don't run their jet skis around their own boat which is usually anchored a ways out but instead they come and weave in and out of the anchored sailboats.[/quote]

[Ex-Calif]

I remember when we were the last house on our block and we actually had to stand up to go change the channel on our 14 inch B&W tv. Let me tell you that was bad but what was worse was walking to the the creek each day to fetch water and that was uphill both ways!

Today it's easier, I call the creek guy on my cell and he delivers the bucket of water which I pay for with an online telegraphic transfer. Does that make me a yuppie?

[John A]

Ex-Calif,
That's a great sardonic post!!

Egoes and personalities - If we were all the same life would be very boring.
John

[Red Mantis]

Originally Posted by Joli

They go away when you bounce beer bottles of them.

'Round here, the rule is if they're close enough to be hit with a fishing lure, they should be. DNR says we can only keep two of 'em, though; after that it's catch-and-release.

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

Back a few years ago when I was still working to build my cruising kitty, I was a technical writer for a contractor to the Department of Energy. In just a very short time in that job I discovered a fundamental rule of writing, which is VERY applicable to many posts in this thread: Regardless of how well written a given passage is, someone can always misinterpret the intent of the author.

Such is the drawback to written words, especially as easily as words are written with modern word processing technology and as easily as they are transmitted to millions of people across the world wide web. Face-to-face communications are misinterpreted less often because both parties have the advantage of hearing inflections in voices and seeing visual clues to the feelings of the speaker. Does that mean we should abandon all communication by e-mail, Facebook, or posting to this discussion forum? Of course not - that makes no more sense than trying to navigate without GPS, radar, depth sounder, or binoculars as some posters here might advocate.

To all posters on this forum, two pieces of advice:
1. ALWAYS read through your post BEFORE clicking the "Submit" button. For particularly sensitive or emotional issues, compose your post, save it, wait at least 12 hours, reread it, and only then post it. I once composed a reply to a radio message from our squadron commander immediately after reading the incoming message. Fortunately I waited until the following morning to edit it because I had to tone down the rhetoric considerably.

2. When replying to a specific person, especially in a very active thread like this one, include the name of the person. That makes interpreting your response much easier.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I always wonder why they don't run their jet skis around their own boat which is usually anchored a ways out but instead they come and weave in and out of the anchored sailboats.

They are looking for a place to lay their eggs.