Offshore Sailor Needs Advice

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by ronniesimpson

Pat and Ali CIRCUMNAVIGATED. as in, they sailed a boat around the entire planet and people are still talking sh*t about them on this site. thats pretty lame if you ask me.

Ronnie - Some people talk about some stuff. Some people talk about other stuff. It's the internet. Whatta ya gonna do, eh?

We only ask that people play nice here. We don't control opinion.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by ronniesimpson

theres some tough critics on this site. completely disregarding my story, Pat and Ali CIRCUMNAVIGATED. as in, they sailed a boat around the entire planet and people are still talking sh*t about them on this site. thats pretty lame if you ask me.

You have missed the point Ronnie. Nobody is denigrating their achievements. What a lot of us are upset about is their apparent lack of preparation or understanding of the risks, and then abundant publicity for no need for all that preparation

If they prefer to eat McDonalds when they get into a foreign port, rather than the local food, that is their business - for me travel is also about understanding and trying the local cuisine.

[BlueWaterSail]

Originally Posted by ronniesimpson

im currently in hong kong, actively looking for sailboats. how does that mean the sailing part is over? refer to my threads elsewhere on the forum.

The sailing part appears to be over because your boat is not under your control, as it were, and you do not appear to have the means to replace her, for the time being, as I understand it.

So, the sailing part appears to be over.

BWS

[BlueWaterSail]

Originally Posted by GordMay

... his evolving situation may remain of interest to some of our membership.

I'm not so sure.

Went to the blog to read more about his "actively looking" for sailboats, instead got an update on the Hong Kong prostitution scene.

BWS

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by BlueWaterSail

The sailing part appears to be over because your boat is not under your control, as it were, and you do not appear to have the means to replace her, for the time being, as I understand it.
So, the sailing part appears to be over.
BWS

Ronnie came to us, through his brother, as a sailor in grave circumstances, and needing advice.
Though shipwrecked, and currently boatless (like I & others), Ronnie remains a sailor. [once a sailor, always a sailor]

Are his sailing days over? This remains to be seen*; but he thinks not.
* Events will answer this question, as they actually unfold.

I see no useful point in debating the semantics of Ronnie’s status, and hope we can return to the educational/informational thrust of this thread.

Originally Posted by BlueWaterSail

I'm not so sure. [that “...his evolving situation may remain of interest to some of our membership]
Went to the blog to read more about his "actively looking" for sailboats, instead got an update on the Hong Kong prostitution scene.
BWS

My quoted opinion was careful to include the inclusive modifiers “may” and “some”.

That you may be excluded under those terms, may be of as little interest to some, as you seem to have in constructively participating in this discussion.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by BlueWaterSail

I'm not so sure.

Went to the blog to read more about his "actively looking" for sailboats, instead got an update on the Hong Kong prostitution scene.

BWS

Boys will be boys ... especially in Asia. I hope he gets another boat and makes a successful passage, because I admire his pluck, though not his lack of preparation. Winter monsoon is just around the corner, so he's going to have to stay put for quite awhile ... and if he's looking for a "cheap" boat, he's going to have to outfit it in a big hurry. And, he absolutely should not solo ... he simply doesn't have that kind of experience.

RONNIE -- the chandleries are all in Jordon to Mong Kok area (reclamation st. etc., you can get very good deals there on cordage, rigging, etc.) It's the same area as all the triad (mafia)-run brothels. So, watch yourself.

[ronniesimpson]

thanks, i didnt know there was one in jordon. i had heard there was one in mong kok, and i plan on visiting that one. i will make plans to visit the one in jordon, too, as it should be really close to where im staying.

blue water sail, yes, that particular blog was referring to saturday night, when some new friends took me to wan chai, where pimps and hookers roam the streets, looking for customers.

my most recent blog, which will be posted tomorrow is a summary of me traveling to aberdeen, visiting a brokerage, visiting a marina, and "actively looking for sailboats". it's hard to actively look for sailboats on a saturday night at 2 in the morning, so i went out with friends, saw some interesting stuff, and lastly, wrote about it and posted it up. its obvious you dont like me. your repeated attempted jabs at my journeys, my site, and lastly, me as a person don't impress anyone at all. they reflect a jealous man.

as far as the sailing thing goes, i spoke with another broker today, i am supposed to go sailing and probably even racing this weekend. also, i still have some more marinas to visit.

GordMay is right. This thread went from me being in a bad situation, and people trying to help me. Then it got negative, and then it got very very positive, I think everyone who read it gained knowledge. A great number of experienced blue water sailers including yourself posted up knowledge, ideas and schools of thought that everyone could benefit from.

bury the hatchet, drop it. this thread is not about me. its not about you trying desperately to discredit who i am and what im trying to do. this thread is about people sharing knowledge about, in this case, what to do if a rudder breaks, or if you encounter bad weather. stop tarnishing this thread. if you want to talk negatively about me, my travels, my blog or my site, start another thread.

i really don't mind if people talk badly about me. i welcome any criticism. its a part of life, and i have thick skin. please spare everyone else the negativity though. its benefitting no one and detracting from the intent and productivity of this thread.

[BlueWaterSail]

Originally Posted by GordMay

That you may be excluded under those terms, may be of as little interest to some, as you seem to have in constructively participating in this discussion.

I wager that there is no longer anything to constructively discuss.

BWS

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by ronniesimpson

thanks, i didnt know there was one in jordon. i had heard there was one in mong kok, and i plan on visiting that one. i will make plans to visit the one in jordon, too, as it should be really close to where im staying.

blue water sail, yes, that particular blog was referring to saturday night, when some new friends took me to wan chai, where pimps and hookers roam the streets, looking for customers.

my most recent blog, which will be posted tomorrow is a summary of me traveling to aberdeen, visiting a brokerage, visiting a marina, and "actively looking for sailboats". it's hard to actively look for sailboats on a saturday night at 2 in the morning, so i went out with friends, saw some interesting stuff, and lastly, wrote about it and posted it up. its obvious you dont like me. your repeated attempted jabs at my journeys, my site, and lastly, me as a person don't impress anyone at all. they reflect a jealous man.

as far as the sailing thing goes, i spoke with another broker today, i am supposed to go sailing and probably even racing this weekend. also, i still have some more marinas to visit.

GordMay is right. This thread went from me being in a bad situation, and people trying to help me. Then it got negative, and then it got very very positive, I think everyone who read it gained knowledge. A great number of experienced blue water sailers including yourself posted up knowledge, ideas and schools of thought that everyone could benefit from.

bury the hatchet, drop it. this thread is not about me. its not about you trying desperately to discredit who i am and what im trying to do. this thread is about people sharing knowledge about, in this case, what to do if a rudder breaks, or if you encounter bad weather. stop tarnishing this thread. if you want to talk negatively about me, my travels, my blog or my site, start another thread.

i really don't mind if people talk badly about me. i welcome any criticism. its a part of life, and i have thick skin. please spare everyone else the negativity though. its benefitting no one and detracting from the intent and productivity of this thread.

There are several chandleries in that area. There are others (that mainly cater to fisherman but also have a lot of private boat anchors, electronics, etc) on Ap Lei Chau.

[imagine2frolic]

BWS,

If Ronnie upsets you so much. It is simple don't return to the thread. Ronnie is like an onion with many layers, and we have only touched the surface. I for one find it interesting to follow his movements.

You can only beat a dead horse for so long, and Ronnie has taken his beatings IMHO. You keep beating a dead horse, and sooner, or later your arm will fall off before it gets back up on it's feet. Ronnie's first move of ditching the boat has pretty much been beaten to death, and the only loss was his financial loss. Maybe a day was loss by the freighter?

It sounds like you keep pushing to close the thread? Will banning Ronnie be next? When I find someone who irritates me. I simply don't go around where they are. I don't agitate them.

If I remember correctly you yourself are preparing to sail south from Hawaii. BEST WISHES in everything going smoothly, and that you never have to reach out for help. Sooner, or later after enough miles under our keels we all struggle with some kind of problem.............i2f

[theonecalledtom]

I don't think the educational side of this thread is over and as someone who aspires to heading offshore at somepoint would be very grateful to all concerned if it could be kept somewhere in the educational rather than personal realm. So far its done a pretty good job of remaining informative.

It would be very interesting to know who Ronnie approaches boat2 and voyage2 differently to the first attempt. Does he view boats differently now? How is he preparing the boat and himself differently? What care is he going to take that his next offshore adventure has a better result than his first?

[clausont]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Ronnie came to us, through his brother, as a sailor in grave circumstances, and needing advice.
Though shipwrecked, and currently boatless (like I & others), Ronnie remains a sailor. [once a sailor, always a sailor]

Are his sailing days over? This remains to be seen*; but he thinks not.
* Events will answer this question, as they actually unfold.

I see no useful point in debating the semantics of Ronnie’s status, and hope we can return to the educational/informational thrust of this thread.

Well put Gord. Speaking only for myself, I have enjoyed the items that I have learned from Ronnies experiences.
Are Ronnies days of sailing over? Only if he wants them to be. He is young and has plenty of enthusiasm and at this point, only Ronnie can make that choice.

[imagine2frolic]

Ronnie was actually here before his mishap. Although I think it was for a very short time. I think it will be interesting to watch the layers of the onion be peeled back. I believe we will watch Ronnie mature as a sailor quickly. Only this time he will be putting a lot of thought into his actions. He now understands what he is up against. I think he also understands he didn't really see much of what Mother Nature is capable of throwing at us......i2f

[NOLA_sailing]

Because my experience is limited to a few daysails, I of course have no real insight on the "coulda woulda shoulda" aspect of this thread. But since I daily(almost obsessively) dream of my days offshore, I have very much taken this thread and its consistent theme of preparation and experience to heart.

Ronnie's experience reminds me of how hurricanes have been treated here in New Orleans. Because of thirty years without a major, direct hit, the general populous and government, despite the known dangers, gradually prepared less and less with each impending storm until Katrina hit and as everyone saw, the city and region was caught with its pants down. From that learning lesson came the incredible evacuation this year for Gustav which was surgical in its execution. So to me, Pat and Ali were like the 'pre-katrina' days that, while I applaud their success, set a bad precedent. Ronnie endured the katrina off ill-preparedness when (like the levees) his rudder failed at the most inopportune time. Because of Ronnie's example, I hope my experience to be of the 'post-katrina' caliber, where although maybe not likely, the worst is assumed for preparation's sake.

So Ronnie, from one vet to another, I wish you the best of luck on finding another boat and Godspeed.

[TaoJones]

As I read through this thread, then briefly read some of Mr. Simpson's blog, I kept thinking of a Peter Weir film from 1993 entitled Fearless. It starred Jeff Bridges as Max Klein, a survivor of an airliner crash. Here's a tiny slice of one user's comment about Max from the IMDb website Fearless (1993):

"He's not sure whether he's alive or dead, and he is frequently drawn to test his fear and uncertainty through ludicrously dangerous stunts like dancing on the edge of a skyscraper's roof or walking calmly into speeding traffic. It's an unflinching and emotionally honest portrayal of a psychologically damaged man unsure that he has the strength or will to be healed."

One can only imagine the impact Mr. Simpson's experience in Iraq has had on his psyche, and given the DOD's less than stellar record when it comes to providing for the mental health needs of returned veterans, it isn't unreasonable to think that he may have psychological wounds that have never healed.

That he continues to persevere in spite of his wartime experiences and his ill-fated singlehanded passage to Hawai'i is a testament to his character, it seems to me. And a person with strong character should never be underestimated.

TaoJones