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**carstenb** · 07-05-2014, 01:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Ahem .... (tentative cough) ... where does that leave single-handers?

LOL - up sh*t's creek LOL Actually Andrew I agree with you completely. A sailor should have the necessary skills to repair/jury-rig almost anything on his/her boat. This becomes a necessity if single-handing. On our boat, my wife is better at comms, weather forecasting, setting anchors and a host of other things. I'm better at cooking, engine repair, electronics and a few other things.

So while we both can do the other's job adequately, we can't do quite as well as they can (this, in management speak, is called delegation LOL)

I grew up in the country and spent a lot of time wilderness camping. That rather forced me to learn how to repair/jury-rig a lot of things. Working around farms also taught me how to repair things.

Unfortunately, today, so many things are "black boxes" that need a diagnostic computer and therefore specialized tools and training.

Jammer Six · 07-05-2014, 03:17

I agree that the ultimate sailing skill is leadership, which can be taught, studied, learned and practiced. Leaders are not born, they are made.

And skippers should be stomp down experts at it, who practice sound leadership theory deliberately.

**boatman61** · 07-05-2014, 03:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Ahem .... (tentative cough) ... where does that leave single-handers?

They just like talking to themselves.. or the tiller pilot.. or the laptop/cp...

Back to quotes..

" I kin do that... Gie us a job..."
Yosser Hughes.

Andrew Troup · 07-05-2014, 03:47

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge

Charles Darwin

**carstenb** · 07-05-2014, 04:17

translation of old danish saying:

'tis a fool who fears not the ocean

**a64pilot** · 07-05-2014, 04:47

Heinlein and I believe Asimov were genius, but I do love old science fiction, I grew up on it.

Heinlein in particular was devoutly very "right wing" so beware if your not. One of the best books I ever read was Starship Troopers, great book, very stupid movie, it's more of a political statement than it is entertainment.
some of Heinlein's more memorable quotes

Robert A. Heinlein - Wikiquote

uncledom · 07-05-2014, 05:58

Upon buying my second boat my broker gave me the best docking advice ever.
"If you think you're going too slow coming into the slip...slow down"
Thanks George.

Favorite non boat quote "normal is just a setting on the washing machine"

Pelagic · 07-05-2014, 06:48

Love Robert Heinlein quotes attributed to his character Lazarus Long....
If all else fails... rub her feet

mbianka · 07-05-2014, 06:55

Wedding rings are the world's smallest pair of handcuffs and the longest sentence is "I do".

**carstenb** · 07-05-2014, 07:20

two most useful words in a marriage

yes dear

Andrew Troup · 07-05-2014, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Heinlein and I believe Asimov were genius, but I do love old science fiction, I grew up on it.

Heinlein in particular was devoutly very "right wing" so beware if your not. One of the best books I ever read was Starship Troopers, great book, very stupid movie, it's more of a political statement than it is entertainment.
some of Heinlein's more memorable quotes

Robert A. Heinlein - Wikiquote

Thanks for that, what a fantastic resource! The www rocks, for sure. (at least, for now!)

I may not share Heinlein's politics, but very few of his ideas strike me as contrary to evidence (fascinating, though, that he seems to be the origin, say, of the "polite society" quote - most peculiar lacuna ... unless he was being ironic. It would be a giggle if the quote was being misunderstood and misapplied, out of context. Note to self: get the book and see !)

But stuff like this is, to my way of thinking, pure gold:

<<I now define "moral behavior" as "behavior that tends toward survival." I won't argue with philosophers or theologians who choose to use the word "moral" to mean something else, but I do not think anyone can define "behavior that tends toward extinction" as being "moral" without stretching the word "moral" all out of shape.>>Robert Heinlein

I suppose I'm falling into the trap of approving of an idea for no better reason than it being similar to one I'd come up with - in my case, that 'moral behaviour' is behaviour which 'works', in the sense of upholding or furthering the common good, as judged over the long term.

It does seem to me that there are traps in applying both his and my formulation, for instance: what about an unpopular behaviour which does add to (or is neutral to) the common good (or species survival prospects), if a few people do it, but not if everybody does it?

Easter Islanders who erected statues would have been performing no disservice to their survival prospects, if they hadn't been so widely imitated.

(I noticed, too, that his quote skirts rather delicately around a
common logical fallacy, namely "denying the antecedent". Clever boy!)

Bloody hell, this has got pretty heavy, specially for this time of day.

Particular apologies to all fellow Greenwich anti-latitudinarians...

Jammer Six · 07-05-2014, 14:11

Any definition of moral behavior must include the rights of others to merit my support.

Rape "works", in that it achieves procreation and intercourse, but is not moral under any stretch of the word.