Crew Available: 40 yr old rocket scientist looking to change scenery

[Rockyscience]

Originally Posted by rdthoms

If you're in/near Huntsville, come join us at Browns Creek Sailing Association where you can take classes (sunfish and keel boat), crew for races, and commensurate with other rocket scientists. Located on Lake Guntersville, classes start 3/20 (keel boat) and 4/16 (sunfish). Races start 2/20 and run through all spring and summer. PM me if you need more info.

This is a great idea! My brother has a Cal 24 at Jo Wheeler.

[EllesBelles]

Welcome to the Forum!
You might want to check out crewbay.com too, if you have not already.
Enjoy the journey

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by morven55

"in flight missile repairman" sounds suspiciously like a one trip career path...most missiles don't come back, do they? :]

You noticed that huh
I had an aircraft mechanic that worked for me years ago that had this funny badge on his uniform, he was a branch transfer from the Air Force. He joined to work on aircraft and see the world, AF trained him to change Nuclear warheads on missiles and stationed him in Minot North Dakota
He called it the inflight missile repairman badge
He came over to the Army, and worked on Helicopters.

I never even understood why they are called Missiles, shouldn't they be called Hitiles?

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You noticed that huh
I had an aircraft mechanic that worked for me years ago that had this funny badge on his uniform, he was a branch transfer from the Air Force. He joined to work on aircraft and see the world, AF trained him to change Nuclear warheads on missiles and stationed him in Minot North Dakota
He called it the inflight missile repairman badge
He came over to the Army, and worked on Helicopters.

I never even understood why they are called Missiles, shouldn't they be called Hitiles?

LOL! My birth certificate says "Muroc Experimental Air Station [Edwards]" so there is a little of that stuff in my blood. I remember snow drifts up to the second floor on base housing at Grand Forks AFB many years ago.

Amazing how many military pilots spend their "retirement years" on boats. From 600+mph to 6 knots... :]

[alansmith]

Welcome to CF. Lots of good suggestions already made. Sailing is like the proverbial onion....many layers of things to learn. You have energy, inquisitiveness, and the "bug"...the best thing posted was your local sailing association racing and teaching. That is where I would start

[jtallen2489]

A good read is " the sail of two idiots"

[Sojurnr]

Originally Posted by rdthoms

If you're in/near Huntsville, come join us at Browns Creek Sailing Association where you can take classes (sunfish and keel boat), crew for races, and commensurate with other rocket scientists. Located on Lake Guntersville, classes start 3/20 (keel boat) and 4/16 (sunfish). Races start 2/20 and run through all spring and summer. PM me if you need more info.

"Commensurate": is that where rocket scientists get together and measure things corporately? (Snark)

Sorry amigo, couldn't pass up the cheap shot.

Sojurnr

[Nicholson58]

I raced for many years with: cartographer/physicist; pilots; engineers; machine designers; computer builder; programmer & other tech types. We analyze the heck out of everything but finished 3rd place boat of the year on Lake Erie & won a lot of races. I am a mechanical engineer buy would not hold rocket science against you. Get a boat & have fun. Try out a smallish go-fast boat. Around here, there are a lot of Melgis racers. Try a Buckaneer or Highlander (really old but popular & fun) If you like it and crave speed get a beach cat. Lurk at yacht clubs & find a race team to join - ask the membership for contact with serious racers who also have fun. Join such a team if you can.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by tiba24

Yes, I am a rocket scientist
Degree'd in Physics / Space Science

I thru that up there to catch eyes, and mostly to show aptitude. I am inexperienced, yet raring to learn. I have out of nowhere caught the sailing bug now for about 3 years. Youtubing and researching all the internet can offer on the subject. I even purchased a sailing simulator, and I have all but memorized Jean Du Sud's "Around the World". I also love "Maiden Trip" and if anyone can recommend others, I would appreciate it.

I have the heart (both metaphysically and physically) of a twenty year old. And I am not afraid of hard work. I am not the scientist in the lab coat with taped up bi-focals. I am a motorcycle riding, hiking, and rock climbing outdoors man. I run 3 miles every few days, etc.

I am an outstanding cook with a specialty in Latin cooking. I am not afraid to work with the ingredients available after raising 4 children as the primary care giver.

I am also a minor mechanic. Picking up motorcycles and cars from salvage yards to fix up, is a hobby of mine. Yet I have never rebuilt an engine or transmission, I have done everything else.

I am also a novice guitarist(acoustic)/vocalist, willing to play Christopher Crosses "Sailing" until your hearts content (I know that after playing it for 3 years now I still never tire of it) or bring aboard a song book to learn and play a set list that best fits the crew.

I am originally from Brooklyn, NY but have been in Alabama for years. Ideally I would like to port out (if thats even the right language) from the South East Area of America.

Enjoyable first post, but can you explain particle physics to someone with no maths background?

Welcome aboard CF.

Ann

[Delancey]

Sounds like you have a couple things in common with this guy. Super smart dude building an awesome boat! Might be of interest to you.

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: vientoman

[bulabro]

Hawaii to Tahiti in May. Let's talk.

[tiba24]

OH BOY IS THIS LEG OF MY LIFE GOING TO BE FUN!
I've only joined one other forum before (showing my age but besides the old BB's of the eighties and nineites) and that was a dead and not so lively cbrfireblades.org. This is like night to day. Ok so where do I start!

OK FIRST OFF TOTALLY CREEPY!!!!!! but in a cool way? You guys figured not only what state I lived, but the damn city!!!! I read thru a64pilot & rdthoms posts and was like "Oh cool so they know they live near me. I must've filled out my proile info, even tho I don't remember doing so it was pretty late when I posted and so I must've been ... GREAT SCOTTS!! (showing my age again, but isn't that what superman of the justice league used to say? or was it someone else?). But yeah the hole space theme of Huntsvegas is was drew me to this town. But I must confess I only achieved my BS (space science), and then started my career as IT tech, and network admin as a Gov contractor. I only use that term because it has been used for me by others when they learn of my degree. Interned with NASA for almost 2 years and really didn't enjoy the ... culture. And now that I have been between contracts for over 2 years, i've started pursuing a career in writing. Freelance work for now, with 2 novels set to publish this year.

So a64pilot; Passport? Yes and No. Just requested a new copy a week ago. And as to the other logistical concerns yes, I will need to work all that out. May/Jun or Sept/Oct cast off
one year max length of travel
$300/mth in expenses
preferable a crew of 4 or more, counting myself.

So yeah, I am totally stoked about the sailing association info rdthoms! And PM'ing you right after this post is complete.

jheldatksuedu; I will check your website out, one can never have too many friends. Especially since the few friends I mention this dream to, often have no other response but rolling their proverbial eyes. Since dropping out of my band, I don't have many dreamers left to chill with.

Rockyscience; Particle physics, lol. As I've said I am quite a bit our of research practice, and even when I was a research machine it was in the space science field, I'm sure Mr. MrReedatsea would better suit. I've been hit with common questions of popular theory often, usually big bang, quantum mech, black holes, dark matter, all the more sensational ones. Particle physics? hmm well take projectile physics, stretch that out in all directions on a 3 dimensional cube, then turn that cube inside out have all axis to invert, and apply the 4 dimension. Then you I still have no idea what I'm talking about lol Sorry geek humor to many exponents.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, tiba.

[cwyckham]

You need to get out sailing! It's great that the book learning works for you (as it does for me... I'm a PhD in Aerospace engineering), but you really need to feel it in the seat of your pants as well. I always recommend those that learn well from books should read up on the theory first, then get out in a boat, but you're well past that point.

Here's a quick article on different ways to learn to sail for different budgets and learning types.

I'd also recommend crewing on a race boat, but only after you've done an intro to sailing course or get some experience so you know what's going on around you.

[jheldatksuedu]

I never got interested in racing, I always was a boater, just not sailing, grew up with water skis, canoes and fishing, near the ocean, but spent a lot of time camping and canoeing in Canada with a fishing pole. I bought the boat first, at a yard sale for $35, a foam board sunfish look alike, then went to the library and got a book to figure out what to do with it. With the Physics background making sense of the forces and aerodynamics was easy. After a couple years and buying every bargain sail boat that had something different, a sunfish look alike with jib and main, cat, tri, bigger, smaller, etc. I found that my enjoyment was trying some new equipment or going out when everybody else was coming because of the weather. I would go out, see what would break and see what it took to get the boat back in. I even tried to build and sail an ice boat, that a fun story over a beer, that ends with me crashing down on the ice from 6 feet up and praying the ice is thick enough to not go through.

Racing involves getting that last couple percent of improvement, I'm quite happy with 95% and going somewhere or testing something new. It's why I have a machine shop on board and plan to visit all the continents. One needs to figure out why they want to sail, it could be just because it's cheaper than buying fuel. I have hundreds of books, if you'd like to borrow some, and plenty of copies of Chapman to give to people that don't have one.