Crew

[saculmot]

Retired military. No blue water experience and would like to try it before I buy a boat. Any ideas on how I can hook up with a boat on a trans-Atlantic voyage to gain some experience? Live near JAX.

[propellanttech]

Originally Posted by saculmot

Retired military. No blue water experience and would like to try it before I buy a boat. Any ideas on how I can hook up with a boat on a trans-Atlantic voyage to gain some experience? Live near JAX.

Which military, and what branch?

I would think a few short hops would be a good start. Trans-ocean would be a bad first hop, in my opinion. But you may have a thing for the dry heaves.

James L

[Khagan1227]

You can take a course or two from water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School or if you want something a little more exotic, try the Mahina Expedition.

www.bwss.com

www.mahina.com

Usual disclaimer, I don't represent either company.

[micah719]

Which military, and what branch?

At a guess, given the admitted lack of seatime, probably not USMC, USN or USCG...so either someone who lurked in the bushes, or dropped things from a great height on other people lurking in bushes. Army or Airforce.

Syntax analysis indicates no-nonsense approach, cuts right to the chase; content analysis reveals courageous willingness to jump in the deep end. This man is quite probably a soldier.

Linguistic analysis indicates English as primary language, colloquialism "hook up" suggests North-American origin.

Photograph suggests high command experience, but this could be a clever disguise by way of sarcastic camouflage. My guess is, a medium-rare to well-done noncom of the US Army.

Mind you, I could be totally off track, and he is actually a senior Taliban naval aviator from the Tora Bora Ballon Corps. Or worse, a Canadian.

[propellanttech]

Originally Posted by micah719

At a guess, given the admitted lack of seatime, probably not USMC, USN or USCG...so either someone who lurked in the bushes, or dropped things from a great height on other people lurking in bushes. Army or Airforce.

Syntax analysis indicates no-nonsense approach, cuts right to the chase; content analysis reveals courageous willingness to jump in the deep end. This man is quite probably a soldier.

Linguistic analysis indicates English as primary language, colloquialism "hook up" suggests North-American origin.

Photograph suggests high command experience, but this could be a clever disguise by way of sarcastic camouflage. My guess is, a medium-rare to well-done noncom of the US Army.

Mind you, I could be totally off track, and he is actually a senior Taliban naval aviator from the Tora Bora Ballon Corps. Or worse, a Canadian.

Interesting analysis. But his answer will give more details of what he has seen and what he can handle. Just because he hasn't done blue-water doesn't indicate non navy. There are plenty of naval personnel who haven't been to sea.

But I do like his style. I would think though, a shorter first few trips would give him more of an idea what to expect. Then the long trip will tell him how bad it can get.

I don't know of anyone who wants to be scared to death on their first outing. Well.......that is a lie, I know some Marines who do.But they are unstable at best.

James L

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by micah719

At a guess, given the admitted lack of seatime, probably not USMC, USN or USCG...so either someone who lurked in the bushes, or dropped things from a great height on other people lurking in bushes. Army or Airforce.

Syntax analysis indicates no-nonsense approach, cuts right to the chase; content analysis reveals courageous willingness to jump in the deep end. This man is quite probably a soldier.

Linguistic analysis indicates English as primary language, colloquialism "hook up" suggests North-American origin.

Photograph suggests high command experience, but this could be a clever disguise by way of sarcastic camouflage. My guess is, a medium-rare to well-done noncom of the US Army.

Mind you, I could be totally off track, and he is actually a senior Taliban naval aviator from the Tora Bora Ballon Corps. Or worse, a Canadian.

Looks like a U.S. Navy nuke submariner to me.

[micah719]

Offer him some baked beans and a pair of sunglasses.

If he refuses the beans but grabs the sunnies, definitely a subbie. The carbon scrubbers have limits, and he is not familiar with that yellow thing up in the sky. Do not slam the door, he will strangle you. Quietly.

If he puts the sunnies on and drops the beans, airforce. Got to look cool when dropping things. If he drops the beans one at a time, a tac-air pilot. If he lets them all go at once, a B52 jockey. If he drops them without anyone seeing him do it, a B2 spook. If he drops them and they float out the door, down the hall, turn in the second door on the left and land in the shirt pocket of a dark haired man with a five-o'clock shadow, a JDAM expert.

If he dribbles the beans all over himself while trying to use the sunnies as a spoon, infantry. If he then eats the sunnies as well, a ranger.

If he eats the sunnies first and stashes the beans for later, a marine. Just hand over anything else you may have on you, it is no use running or resisting, and he'll get it all in the end anyway.

If he puts you on a charge for supplying dangerous foodstuffs and substandard PPE, a JAG specialist. Dob in the infantry guy for misusing issued equipment and pleabargain your way out.

If he measures the median individual centre of intertia of the beans and calculates the refractive index of the sunnies, an engineer. Leave him to it, he'll be busy for hours, and eventually invent a new optical coating made of baked bean sauce that will make the sunnies IR capable.

[propellanttech]

Originally Posted by micah719

Offer him some baked beans and a pair of sunglasses.

If he refuses the beans but grabs the sunnies, definitely a subbie. The carbon scrubbers have limits, and he is not familiar with that yellow thing up in the sky. Do not slam the door, he will strangle you. Quietly.

If he puts the sunnies on and drops the beans, airforce. Got to look cool when dropping things. If he drops the beans one at a time, a tac-air pilot. If he lets them all go at once, a B52 jockey. If he drops them without anyone seeing him do it, a B2 spook. If he drops them and they float out the door, down the hall, turn in the second door on the left and land in the shirt pocket of a dark haired man with a five-o'clock shadow, a JDAM expert.

If he dribbles the beans all over himself while trying to use the sunnies as a spoon, infantry. If he then eats the sunnies as well, a ranger.

If he eats the sunnies first and stashes the beans for later, a marine. Just hand over anything else you may have on you, it is no use running or resisting, and he'll get it all in the end anyway.

If he puts you on a charge for supplying dangerous foodstuffs and substandard PPE, a JAG specialist. Dob in the infantry guy for misusing issued equipment and pleabargain your way out.

If he measures the median individual centre of intertia of the beans and calculates the refractive index of the sunnies, an engineer. Leave him to it, he'll be busy for hours, and eventually invent a new optical coating made of baked bean sauce that will make the sunnies IR capable.

Too funny, you should be a writer.

James L

[micah719]

Not likely, I mispelled intertia. Gimme the beans and that nifty spoon, please...

[saculmot]

Originally Posted by micah719

At a guess, given the admitted lack of seatime, probably not USMC, USN or USCG...so either someone who lurked in the bushes, or dropped things from a great height on other people lurking in bushes. Army or Airforce.

Syntax analysis indicates no-nonsense approach, cuts right to the chase; content analysis reveals courageous willingness to jump in the deep end. This man is quite probably a soldier.

Linguistic analysis indicates English as primary language, colloquialism "hook up" suggests North-American origin.

Photograph suggests high command experience, but this could be a clever disguise by way of sarcastic camouflage. My guess is, a medium-rare to well-done noncom of the US Army.

Mind you, I could be totally off track, and he is actually a senior Taliban naval aviator from the Tora Bora Ballon Corps. Or worse, a Canadian.

Close. Air Force. C-141 and C-130 Spec Ops. Lots of low level turbulence time, hence, I don't expect to chum that much. Spent some offshore time around Neah Bay in Washington State. Rock and roll doesn't bother me.

I have dropped a few soldiers and Seals out the back. Never was charged with littering.

[propellanttech]

Originally Posted by saculmot

Close. Air Force. C-141 and C-130 Spec Ops. Lots of low level turbulence time, hence, I don't expect to chum that much. Spent some offshore time around Neah Bay in Washington State. Rock and roll doesn't bother me.

I have dropped a few soldiers and Seals out the back. Never was charged with littering.

Everyone has a point to which they "chum". Saw a salty carrier captain chum one time. But to his defense, everyone else chummed too.

James L

[Captain Jeffry]

Originally Posted by saculmot

Retired military. No blue water experience and would like to try it before I buy a boat. Any ideas on how I can hook up with a boat on a trans-Atlantic voyage to gain some experience? Live near JAX.

Latitude 38 has a pretty good crew list. As a delivery skipper, my suggestion is to hook-up on much shorter trips at first. 2-3 night moves. Long trips can cause long issues if chemistry is wonky. Vett the skipper and his crew (if possible) as he will/should vett you. Get some references from the skipper. After all, your life is in his hands and vice versa. Get good info on the condition of boat. Cheers~

[saculmot]

Originally Posted by propellanttech

Everyone has a point to which they "chum". Saw a salty carrier captain chum one time. But to his defense, everyone else chummed too.

James L

Oh, I have chummed, air and sea. I'm just saying I don't expect a terminal case though.

[saculmot]

Originally Posted by Captain Jeffry

Latitude 38 has a pretty good crew list. As a delivery skipper, my suggestion is to hook-up on much shorter trips at first. 2-3 night moves. Long trips can cause long issues if chemistry is wonky. Vett the skipper and his crew (if possible) as he will/should vett you. Get some references from the skipper. After all, your life is in his hands and vice versa. Get good info on the condition of boat. Cheers~

Good advice. It would be disheartening to say the least getting stuck out in the middle of the ocean in an unsafe tub captained by Norman Bates.

[propellanttech]

Originally Posted by saculmot

Oh, I have chummed, air and sea. I'm just saying I don't expect a terminal case though.

I would hope not.

I always laughed at the hungover grunts who would board my (being crew chief, it really wasn't mine) aircraft for a nice little flight to a ship, or to a training exercise in the field. They usually lost their cookies. It was also part of the pilots exercise to make the chopper ride as "heaving" as possible. They thought it was funny, but they were not in the back like I was.

Got to love the fuel smell and motion of a big CH53......I sure do miss it.

Still.....I'm not looking forward to seasickness. I know at some point I'll wish I was on dirt which doesn't move so much.

James L