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As someone completely new to sailing I would like to offer my opinion on the tale of Bumfuzzle.
I have spent the past 18 months reading everything possible about the cruising life style and in addition I read message boards. The 1st boat we bought after months of looking and researching was a Tayana 37. When it was destroyed at the marina in Fl (Frances) I was slammed down hard and fast for a post I made on another message board asking about the marina. What I learned from that is some cruisers are so harsh in their opinion of anyone new coming into this world. Newbies don't anchor right, are morons for leaving a boat in a marina in hurricane season, are a danger to everyone without years of basic keelboating in a dinghy first.
What Pat and Ali have taught me is that there are a very few young people that want this adventure, and they felt smart enough to give it a try. When I read their logs I laugh and laugh. I have traveled the globe often and have never been offended by their representation as Americans looking for a hamburger. I think they are very funny. But those serious old sailors that don't want anyone new in the water might miss that. I absolutely don't not mean to offend anyone, there is enough of that on other sites. I am just asking how will young/new people ever want to sail off and live the dream if the reaction is so often a question of their intelligence, intent, knowledge, even my character has been assaulted by people I don't know for daring to want to sail.
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