Should I print this??

Last year I sat down in front of the keyboard half shonkered and wrote a story about learning to sail from the veiw point of an abusive drunk! It was all meant to be fun but I didn't know if it would be taken as intended. I thought I might let you guys have a look as I know there is no shortage of opnion! So... tell me... should I print it? see http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/sailing%20school.html

cheers and thank you... say what you like... I can take it (snivel snivel)

Bob

I like it. It is similar writing to "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive". I think it is the start to a good series. If you can figure out how to throw some real facts in with the humor, you may have a book.

thats just it... will people confuse humour (or my attempt at any rate) with endoresment! Maybe if I included a piece at the beginning that stipulates the humour and states that in fact, all the rum drinkers I know handle their boats like their lives and savings depend on it... Actual fact around Queensland a cruiser coming to greif in alcohol related disaster is unknown to me. Must be some out there but not enough to hit the news and with the current government if one did it would be front page everywhere. Down south in the broadwater by surfers paradise they have regular incidents. Not crusiers though, weekend warriors in high powerd runabouts and stuff. Also very crowded water ways there. I think the isolation of most of this coast may weed out the idiots... There is no coast guard or private service to call for much of the coast (depending on your radio capabilities) especially the far north. The VMR (volunteer Marine Rescue) does a fine job where they can but I have always advocated self reliance. anyway.. thanks for the input!

Cheers

Bob

Hey Kai Nui..

what do you mean "If you can figure out how to throw some real facts in with the humor." that was my best shot!!

Cheers

Bob

In Lattitude 38 they have the "MAX EBB" Character. He adds a character that is the voice of reason. Personally, I think you are overthinking this. I think people will take it for the humorous piece it is. Of course in this PC society, I realize you have lots of liability concerns when you do something like this, but it is a good piece, and very funny. Also very well written. Consider that you are creating a fictional character. One who despite his failings, has something to contribute. Add a disclaimer. Change the ending to start a series.
THe real facts thing? I meant on an ongoing basis.

[S/V Elusive]

Damn ... I've never known facts to stand in the way of a good story ... but Scott is right - Max EBB (Lat 38) is one of the best 'backhanded' ways of educating people about various "facts" that I've ever read on a consistant basis.
Scott has a good feel for this sort of thing Bob - might wanna PM him about it.

Yea, I just wish I was published as often as you Thomas

"Personally, I think you are overthinking this." I think you are right. And now I have ideas to take it further and use the character for other issues. I admit to being insecure at times. (no laughing!) It took my wife nagging for most of a year before I would go this far with it. she kept posting it into files for stories for next edition and I kept deleting it.

Loading up the van with spare sails to take to Mackay as I think my boat will sell next week.... then I have to make up my mind.... Farrier Tri or buy the kit to build a Schionning or Oram cat..... lord help me I am seriously considering building....

Cheers

Bob

Farrier, a true go fast boat A couple of your neighbors, friends of mine built a cat and sailed all over Oz a number of years back. They swear they would do it the same way again if they did it again. Rogin and Linda Taylor. Owners of Reefurl Australia.
As for the article, I really think you are onto something. It would be a great feature for your publication. Good luck, and tell your wife now she can say "I told you so"

[CaptainK]

Yeah Bob.

The article was funny. Sorta slapstick like!! Keystone Cops on the Bounty!!

[Jentine]

I loved it and am looking forward to the sequal. If the morons of the world can't appreciate the humor, to hll with them. We probably need the bird flue pandemic just to reduce those morons with no or little sense of humor anyways.

[Boracay]

You forgot to include aome method of navigation.
This is a serious omission as the following article shows...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...150162923.html

Greetings Chris and all..

wadaya mean forget.. (I have brilliant photos of that thing already given to me by a Sydney mate) That is not about navigation! Some one got into my future edition to peruse the part about "parking the boat." Similar to "anchoring" but much quicker and easier! Obviously this boy knows what he is doing, after all if you are to "park the boat" you should find the best spot and if you can make a political statement at the same time ... well....

Yes.. "parking the boat" definately has a future in TCP along with "navigation" and other ancient bits of aboriginal sailing wisdom. (there... another group to offend!)

Bob

[Ferg]

Yeah, print it! Listen to the First Mate, it’s a fun tongue in cheek kinda thing. A couple of months ago, Sail Magazine did an article on women sailors that killed! The graphic for the article had a boat featuring an apron for a spinnaker no less. They got a fair bit of negative mail, but as much from people who loved it. Personally, I had to agree with the story, women just don’t have the upper body strength to sail. You’d have to mount statically placed winches and pulley like systems all over the boat for them ….

Oh yeah …. Never mind.

Anyhow, print it, and let us know if there’s more, eh!

Later, eh!

Ferg

The difference between racial and sexist stereotyping and good, topical humor is the ability to laugh at one's self. If you were to turn the tables and make sailor Bob the competent character, and the frst mate the incompetent boob (pun intended), the feeling of the character as well as the piece would change for the worse. Having a goofball main character making insensitive observations about other characters may not be particularly appealing to the PC crowd, but for the rest of us there is a connection. It is easy to look back at our own actions and say "I can't believe I did that". This piece is a written characature. My favorite type of humor. Should Capt Bob continue with his misadventures, I am very sure the readers will begin to, not only relate to his well intended misadventures, but begin to look at them, as intended, from a critical eye. How many times have each of us blamed (Maybe not voiced it) something on our spouse or crew that was, in reality, completely beyond their control? A truely hateable character is the perfect teacher. Making the character a bad example is a perfect way to teach. People see the blunders this character makes, and, while thinking "I am nothing like that", make that extra effort to make sure they are nothing like the character. A very strong teaching tool. Reading the piece a second time, I like it even more. Capt Bob is a great example of a bad example. Moral of the story is, if you want to keep a happy crew, and make friends in the harbor, don't be a "Capt Bob". I think Bob's next adventure should be refusing to reef because he wants his boat to go faster than all the others