Sad rant about suddenly losing my slip :(

[Sailor Doug]

Sweet talk and smiles are necessary eve of it's to a a**hole. Very hard to do when emotionally involved.


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[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by goat

Enough clowning around. Get that little Dutch boy to pull his finger out of the dyke, there'll be marinas all over the Netherlands.

More practical advice from a goat.

(for real though, hoping for the best for you)

goat

I think you won the Internet for the day here.

[JPA Cate]

Lizzy,

I've wondered about this from the beginning, and have not yet come up with a strategy to circumvent, sorry.

You've written elsewhere that you have felt that there might be some resentment towards you because you are a woman, and assertive, and "shouldn't" be owning/skippering your own boat. Do you think your present conflict with the marina is a gender issue? And, if so, how would that affect your moving? [Is there a women's group that could help?]

Being on the outside looking in, it is seeming to me that you are doing all the right things, and the manager is being extremely unfair...and may have to do that in order to keep his own job, and people almost always choose their own welfare above others.

Wishing you good luck for finding a solution you can live with.

Ann

[Schooner Chandlery]

Whatever the reason may be for this change by management, we all have to remember something I was told by my grandmother long ago:

Nobody ever said life was fair. It's not.

Given that, we make the best of things and sometimes--I'll attest to MANY times--when something forces change upon us GOOD things happen. The OP doesn't know what's going on here, but this is an opportunity to move the boat and go to another town or another country. If the OP works with internet access but has other freedom of location, great, she can move! and that's a wonderful thing. A boat is meant to go places -- not to just sit in a single marina indefinitely. I wish the OP the best of luck in finding the silver lining in this and having wonderful things happen.

Many times in my life, both my husband and I have been surprised by unexpected job relocations or a rental house being sold from under us or other events that created the need to move and go somewhere we really didn't want to go or to leave a place we really didn't want to leave. All in all, it always works out if you're looking for the opportunities to take advantage of rather than grasping at what's left of what has been before. There will be opportunities--we hope you're open to all and you'll have a great time in your next place whether a nearby slip or someplace far, far away.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

Whatever the reason may be for this change by management, we all have to remember something I was told by my grandmother long ago:

Nobody ever said life was fair. It's not.

Given that, we make the best of things and sometimes--I'll attest to MANY times--when something forces change upon us GOOD things happen. The OP doesn't know what's going on here, but this is an opportunity to move the boat and go to another town or another country. If the OP works with internet access but has other freedom of location, great, she can move! and that's a wonderful thing. A boat is meant to go places -- not to just sit in a single marina indefinitely. I wish the OP the best of luck in finding the silver lining in this and having wonderful things happen.

Many times in my life, both my husband and I have been surprised by unexpected job relocations or a rental house being sold from under us or other events that created the need to move and go somewhere we really didn't want to go or to leave a place we really didn't want to leave. All in all, it always works out if you're looking for the opportunities to take advantage of rather than grasping at what's left of what has been before. There will be opportunities--we hope you're open to all and you'll have a great time in your next place whether a nearby slip or someplace far, far away.

+1 This has been my experience also, to quote the line from the life of Brian "always look on the bright side"
Wishing you well.

[boatman61]

Hi Lizzy..
I seem to remember a Thread you started a few months back along the lines of.... 'Should I sail this Spring when many here are going.. or should I wait for a bigger boat??'
Seems to me Destiny is giving you a kick up the Ass.. you obviously felt it was do-able back then so what it boils down to is nerves now.. to my mind.
You've a 29ftr that you've lived on through shitty weather and expressed a fondness for.. once in warmer sunnier climes you'll be surprised how much bigger your boat will seem when you can take year round advantage of the cockpit as a sun lounge.. add a small boom tent and your laughing..
The ability of your boat you claim is good enough for Channel crossings to the UK.. well all a sail to Spain and Portugal involves is coast hopping from anchorage to anchorage pretty much all the way should you choose.
At the worst.. grit your teeth and graft till August then head South.. if the thought of walking away from the money paid for the slip hurts to much.
Contrary to what many here say.. its not that tough a trip so any boat capable of local coast hopping can easily manage it.. its not the boat.. its the skipper.. YOU..
I find folk overstate the difficulty of many trips greatly to boost a sense of personal achievement.. or an excuse for never actually going.. my boats not ready..
Fate.. the gods.. whatever is saying.. Go Now.. or go never..
Seize it.. or Leave it...

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hi Lizzy..



Contrary to what many here say.. its not that tough a trip so any boat capable of local coast hopping can easily manage it.. its not the boat.. its the skipper.. YOU..

I find folk overstate the difficulty of many trips greatly to boost a sense of personal achievement.. or an excuse for never actually going.. my boats not ready..

Fate.. the gods.. whatever is saying.. Go Now.. or go never..

Seize it.. or Leave it...

Being reticent is common. And while sometimes people make a huge deal of things....sometimes a trip that should be easy IS monstrous. I won't belittle any trip no matter how big or small.

However I do follow Pete Goss's philosophy:

If you're going to do something, do it now.

I wrote a blog post about this a couple years ago. http://blog.mahdee.com/2011/01/08/good-sailors-say/



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[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

Being reticent is common. And while sometimes people make a huge deal of things....sometimes a trip that should be easy IS monstrous. I won't belittle any trip no matter how big or small.

However I do follow Pete Goss's philosophy:

If you're going to do something, do it now.

I wrote a blog post about this a couple years ago. Good sailors say... - Sailing Mahdee



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I'm not belittling any trip.. just stating a fact that every boatyard and marina has the 'old salt' or ten who'll Tut Tut and say 'Here Thar be Monsters' or tell tales about the Pillars of Hercules and the whirlpools that suck you down..
Its life.. your daily trip to work can turn Monstrous.. do you stop going after that happens.. if one listens to all the scare story's one would never get out off bed..


Shoot.. that's dangerous.. what if the ceiling falls in....

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I'm not belittling any trip.. just stating a fact that every boatyard and marina has the 'old salt' or ten who'll Tut Tut and say 'Here Thar be Monsters' or tell tales about the Pillars of Hercules and the whirlpools that suck you down..
Its life.. your daily trip to work can turn Monstrous.. do you stop going after that happens.. if one listens to all the scare story's one would never get out off bed..


Shoot.. that's dangerous.. what if the ceiling falls in....

No worries. I wasn't thinking about you when I said I won't belittle any trip. That statement was all about ME. Lol. I won't belittle any trip, that's all there was to it.


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[JPA Cate]

You know, Boatie, you may be onto something here. It is possible that Lizzy Belle is using the concept of needing to be there for her son to keep herself "stuck". Leaving your native culture is a big step to take, and it's actually fairly rare for people to be happy to do it.

Perhaps, if that were the case, LB would be able to find new ways of keeping that bond alive and well, and have her freedom, too. I'm sure the end of the long European winter will increase wanderlust.

Ann

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boatman61

. . .
Contrary to what many here say.. its not that tough a trip so any boat capable of local coast hopping can easily manage it.. its not the boat.. its the skipper.. YOU..
I find folk overstate the difficulty of many trips greatly to boost a sense of personal achievement.. or an excuse for never actually going.. my boats not ready..

I agree. As long as you can pick your weather, as long as you have good charts and do your passage planning properly, there is absolutely nothing scary here. It's true that the North Sea can be a pretty fearsome body of water, but if you have enough time, you can transit it in easy day sails without ever having to be in weather you're uncomfortable with.


I think it's a bit of an exaggeration to say the boat doesn't matter at all, and I don't think it's right to say "just go" unconditionally -- of course some elementary things need to be looked after before setting out on a long voyage. The basic systems should be working and reliable and the vessel needs to be watertight and have reliable steering. But achieving basic seaworthiness is not usually all that hard or expensive; Phil and others are talking about people who spend years perfecting their boat's creature comforts before ever going out, and there are such people.


Now is absolutely the best time to be migrating South -- you could spend from now until the end of October in Brittany before you start to hanker for a marina with electric hookup. No end of marvelously beautiful places down there, and you can mostly live for free at anchor. It's just a few hours by train back up to Holland for keeping up things there. Oysters, and French food and wine, too!

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by goat

there'll be marinas all over the Netherlands.

Many, many marinas!

But marinas where liveaboards are allowed ... very, very few. It's mostly a legal issue; the laws are making it harder and harder and in turn, so do the towns / municipalities where marinas are located and the marinas themselves.

We're contacting all of them (both where we'd just be tolerated to the few that actually allow it), so far it looks like there is one with slips for us (I'm not the only one looking for another marina).

We've already paid for the coming 12 months and there's no money back, so we have time to look around ...

I can't just decide to go cruising now - no budget, a kid to take care of ...

On the bright side:
I've seen my new slip. It's HUGE. Finally a decent pier :P
On one side, I have a 20m neighbor. On the other, a few abandoned boats.

Not exactly the most inviting corner, but since I filed an official complaint, the harbor master has said he'll be looking for a better slip when they're done rearranging. He suddenly thinks there might be a few options after all and he may be able to move me in a month, maybe 2, when the dust has settled a bit and they've handled most of the complaints.

And my slip? One of the "VIP" peeps has requested it for a friend or something. When you have money, big boats and don't live aboard, your wishes are just a tad more important then those of a little liveaboard. I may not like that, but I do get it. Money talks, after all.
And I do understand why he'd want this particular slip on this dock; same reason I requested it the second I heard it was available.

[boatman61]

Put it down to the 'Rich Ghetto' mentality Lizzy.. get down to the 'Poor Ghetto'.. and stop complaining..

[weavis]

When I didnt have internet, I went to the local cafes and talked with the owners and worked in a corner buying drinks regularly or dropping a couple of Euros to the main man.... I brought in friends and they had meals there so they knew I was repaying the kindness.

I made my internet time a working schedule and began to enjoy the time off when I was not there. My phone would receive skype/whatsapp and emails so I was never out of touch. I did a lot of work offline and then sent when I was connected.

Inconvenient? yes but it was better than nothing....

The first time I went for a sail, it was from the UK to Mallorca in the 80s. I had never done that before but I figured I had a good boat, some good teaching and some good friends to enjoy the trip with me. Money was tight. But it all happens as it happens and I got through....

At this point, I would just change your online habits and you will be surprised how it will work out....

When all the fuss dies down, the marina manager could very well turn out to be a good guy and look after you...

Its only life...

[boatman61]

Weavis's method was how I worked when I first got to Portugal 9 years ago.. most of the shopping malls had free internet for 1 hour so I'd do a bit.. move on.. do a bit.. some even had power points to charge with.
Spain I would find the sympathetic bars.. they generally don't mind you being there as a bar with someone in tends to attract custom much better than an empty one.. especially if your obviously 'Foreign'..
Holland however I think is a different kettle of fish.. unless its Amsterdam..
Glassy