Bumfuzzles Are On The Move and Sailing

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by savoir

Your opinion is so biased in favour of the Bums that it stretches my ability to comprehend. All of your posts on this thread have made it clear that they are your buddies and you will back them regardless of events.

If you are correct in your assessment of their voyage then it is perfectly acceptable for the Bums to sponge upon the kind hearted generosity of the amateur sailors who might tow or help them upon their voyage. Remember the guy who gave Mr Bum a pump a few weeks ago? Unbelievable ! That guy sacrificed the progress of his own voyage while he waited for a new pump to be freighted in. On the other hand Mr Bum, after inserting the other guy's pump, was ready to sail so who cares about the other guy? I'm all right Jack ! What if Mr Bum's part had been delayed ? Would he have passed the pump he had back to the other guy ? We'll never know. Depriving someone of their only spare when you have access to a chandlery and have already ordered from it is shameful enough in itself.

Then there is the valuable time and the safety of the professionals who were called upon to rescue Mr Bum. No no no it's OK really, they had nothing better to do. It is only coincidence and good weather that deprived them of putting their lives and boats at risk in trying to help him.

Another poster on this thread correctly observed that boats which sit for six years develop their own problems and should be given extensive shakedown testing. The Bums proudly declined to sail or motor even as far as the Gate let alone the Farallones. We don't do that kind of stuff ! We're all right Jack ! Someone else can tow us !

Oh the cult of fame. Aint it grand ? Blinds the judgement of the best of them so it seems.

I remember well the fisherman from Indonesia who they dissed for waving funny. Chances are they had just chopped his net to pieces and cost him a week's pay but who cares as long as the Bums can sail on ( which is exactly what they did ) and are are OK ?

You Bumfuzzle fans are living proof that PT Barnum was right.

Savoir, you astound me! I think you should see a doctor as it appears your bile ducts are swollen. It must be very painful for you to see folks having fun.

I find the Bums story admirable and their blog entertaining and thought-provoking and their photos beautiful. Imagine a midwestern couple moving to the big city of Chicago and making their nut by trading commodities, an activity that has busted the bank for half a dozen guys I know. Impressive. Then sailing around the world on a cat, then land cruising while having a baby, who is obviously the light of their life. Then picking up a stout mono to cruise back to Mexico to have their second bambino in a world much more family and child-oriented. Most 40ish couples are pushing to keep up with the Joneses and advance in careers where they spend their life force doing deadening labor until they're too old to have energy left for adventure.

It was an achievement for Pat to single-hand the boat to Mexico and I rather enjoyed the fact he had problems to overcome, and did, along the way. Cruisers in a foreign land are among the most generous people I've met and most are willing to lend a hand to any of their number in need, and most enjoy it, knowing it will be paid forward and that they themselves may well need that friendly hand around any headland or over any horizon.

P T Barnum's suckers? Is it the "fame" that bothers you? I don't see them as famous or much different from others who've chosen the same path. Geez, there are ample internut sites for anyone to put up their story and be appreciated. Give it a go. You do have a story, n'est pas? There are many types of suckers, and perhaps the saddest type are those who snipe at those who try big things out in the world, while the sniper sits on his bum in his small world.

[hummingway]

Keep the personal insults out of it folks or the thread will be shut down.

[zeehag]

btw--i personally feel no one is sponging off anyone. cruisers work together, at least the ones not cruising a desk do that---- and is a tight community, even though some may be in different parts of world--is a big effort to get a boat out and about--- those of us who have done so do know this. stuff happens even to brand new boats and old salty sailors. is a lifestyle, not a hobby...we even have nature to contend with on a daily basis. that can be formidable, even with early warning notifications.
anyone out here who is successful will have had help of someone else out here at some point--isnt sponging.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by zeehag

the bumfuzzles did same thing idid , only i didnt get towed yet---- but they did it sailing a lil farther than did--- is not an easy gig--- taking a trying to be dead boat so far and fixing it up before during and after---- they are doing great , by the reports i hear and i hope they continue to do so. is a big step to do this, and it is awesome that they are continuing--- with kids , the challenge can be high, but there is also the incredible learning field out here for the kids to feast in , knowledge wise. they have the whole world for learning--- is truly cool.
naysayers must be overjellus--i cant think of any other rationale behind grouchiness and naysaying.

X 2!!!!!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

... Just read an article about a forthcomming famine in Somalia. Of all the crap that mob have lived under for decades and now the soon-to-be-Mums must know full well the chances of their new babies survival.

A famine is about to be declared in parts of Somalia.

Definition of Famine
More than 30% of children must be suffering from acute malnutrition.
Two adults or four children must be dying of hunger each day for every group of 10,000 people.
The population must have access to far below 2,100 kilocalories of food per day (in nutritional contexts the calorie and kilocalorie are the same), and access to less than four litres of water a day.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by savoir

Depriving someone of their only spare when you have access to a chandlery and have already ordered from it is shameful enough in itself.

Shameful? I think you've missed out on an important part of the cruisers' ethos. Tune into any cruisers' net, and you'll find that the cruising community is extremely generous in sharing spare parts.

Most cruisers understand that the altruism they practice today will most likely be returned to them tomorrow. And if it's not parts, it's often lending a helping hand, or some expertise, on a new perspective on how to solve a problem.

Which, by the way, is what this forum is all about.

[MiamiFitJeff]

Thank God it is a free country to live as we choose.

The world is full of bitter, negative,pessimistic people who often only find satisfaction in passing judgement.

Misery loves company, and it is not societys responsibility to keep me safe or to choose my happiness.

Complainers complain while doers are doing!

[zeehag]

why is it deprivation of spares when the item was GIVEN to them to help them????? gimme a break. oops--dont--i have enough broken stuff already!!!! even if i didnt, and i met someone who had need for that which i own and am not using now--i donate it and then seek another should i need again that item. is what bash and others describe-- cruising is a COMMUNITY made of CRUISERS of the SEA in sailboats and power (ouch) boats......and we all get along with and with each others' aid. is a small world out here, but a biiiig ocean-- we NEED to cooperate in order to succeed.

besides, chandleries are waaay too pricey-- find stuff more reasonably priced used or in other places. is why there are such things as cruisers' nets.

[zopi]

If one were to be out sailing, one would not be behind a keyboard complaining about someone who is...'scuse me, I have to go reeve a new main downhaul now...

[Unicorn Dreams]

I thought this was a shakedown cruise. A shakedown cruise has been considered shorter cruises to check out systems. Coastal cruising in case anything goes wrong you're near help. Final destination to finish repairs.

WAIT A MINUTE, that;s what Pat's doing, so that is a shakedown cruise. 20-30 sails aren't shakedown sails unless you are checking out the light in the head or something silly like that. My shakedown sail was fro, Marathon,,Fl. to Seabrook,Tx. non-stop coastal sail. Further than the sail Pat did, so what's the big deal.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

I thought this was a shakedown cruise.

Good point: one crew's voyage of a lifetime is another crew's shakedown cruise.

Should we point out that it was a downwind run?

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Bash

Should we point out that it was a downwind run?

In an ideal weather window . . .

TaoJones

[sww914]

Again I must state that they have inspired my family. We too are rehabilitating a boat that has been neglected for 6 years, a very similar boat in nearly the same area. We now know, thanks to the Bumfuzzles and Zee, for instance, that you can travel on a solid boat with imperfections. We do plan a few shorter shakedown cruises than those guys did, but still, we'll hit Mexico with bad varnish and a few small deck leaks at least. We plan to do things that will make the armchair equipped graybeards cringe but we will make it and sooner rather than later. 100% of our safety equipment and damage control kit will be perfect I can assure you, but this boat will certainly leave Mexico looking better than it will when it arrives and with more stuff working.

[Amgine]

There is also nothing wrong with a little critical examination. In fact, it's one of the parts of the Bumfuzzles I enjoy the most: seeing what they did and second-guessing. Would I have done that? Would I have avoided X outcome by doing W first?

A healthy dose of objectivity does suggest some errors of judgement were made. (That's also true of most of my personal adventures!) Some of us will happily accept the errors as part of becoming wiser, some of us will see them as evidence of a hazard to navigation. Both may be right at the same time.

[thatboatguy]

Originally Posted by sww914

we'll hit Mexico

Ach! Don't say it like that! heh heh

I believe you and your family will have the times of your lives. Your heads are in the right place. Also, I *love* SLO harbor! Do you know the Borens?

Have a great sail and sorry for wandering slightly from the topic.

George