Attempted Trip to Bermuda

[endoftheroad]

Originally Posted by Alecadi

And what about the passport? Did you solve that problem yet? Or what?

That's no longer an issue. He doesn't live in America anymore, he lives in the Conch Republic!

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by BlackOak

The one thing that stood out to me during my flying home, was the fact that everytime the plane touched down on the runway, out came the cell phones, and a texting craze began. Young and old alike, with their thumbs going frantic on the little keyboards. Not just one or two people, but more like 4 out of 5 people was texting away as fast as they little thumbs could go. Even while I was walking through the airport, everywhere I looked, people were into their mobile communication devices. No conversations, just texting, and nose to screen as they meandered along the gates. What kind of a society have we become? I would see people seated together at the airport feed troughs, not talking or engaged in conversation, just noses pressed to their mobile screens, thumbs busy at work on the keyboard. Its really sad.

I was struck by the same thing on a recent trip home. There were even two people in my row that never turned off their phones, just hid them when the flight attendant came by during the whole takeoff thing.

[carstenb]

Black Oak, what you experienced is exactly what the rest of us see when we go ashore. Electronic hell. Everyone busy telling people they don't know(but are listed as friends?), that they are eating a sandwich or watching planes tke off.

Who the hell cares?

We'd all rather be on the water.

Welcome aboard Black Oak - you've become a sailor

Originally Posted by BlackOak

Thanks EOTR, youre an awesome friend, and I am blessed by your friendship.

I am presently home in Memphis, flew in last night. Very happy to be here, but cant say Im too happy about being back in civilization. Just too much busy-ness on the hard. 3 weeks here, then back to the boat.

The one thing that stood out to me during my flying home, was the fact that everytime the plane touched down on the runway, out came the cell phones, and a texting craze began. Young and old alike, with their thumbs going frantic on the little keyboards. Not just one or two people, but more like 4 out of 5 people was texting away as fast as they little thumbs could go. Even while I was walking through the airport, everywhere I looked, people were into their mobile communication devices. No conversations, just texting, and nose to screen as they meandered along the gates. What kind of a society have we become? I would see people seated together at the airport feed troughs, not talking or engaged in conversation, just noses pressed to their mobile screens, thumbs busy at work on the keyboard. Its really sad.

Was so wonderful to see the smiles from my family as I walked out into the main airport area. I was grinning ear to ear to see them. My wife with that...good to see you smile, coupled with that "what the hell was you thinking glare". But its all good now, been trying to convince her of that, " lets sell everything and take off on the boat forever speech", but I can tell it aint happening. She is the sensible one in this relationship. My kid is like "heck yeah mom, lets do it!" Its gonna be a, "that dog wont hunt" situation with the wife. So, for now, I will just go along as before, but now looking to sell my boat, get a bigger boat, more wife friendly than my present man cave boat, and see where that goes.

PS. Sleeping in a bed that wasnt moving felt weird, I didnt sleep very good at all.

[Dulcesuenos]

Its been an exciting and fun trip full of emotion and excitement you have taken all of us along with you on. You have accomplished alot along the way and gone from loving it hating it loving it hating it to loving it! Something many of us go thru , but once it is in your blood its there for good. The day cant get here soon enough where we can ceremoniously cast our cell phones "into the blue", and leave behind being tied to all our "stuff"

[salticrak]

Now to get B.O onto a cat.....

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Now to get B.O onto a cat.....

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Dont do it BO!

[salticrak]

Tell him two hulls are well, better.

[S/V Blondie-Dog]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

That's no longer an issue. He doesn't live in America anymore, he lives in the Conch Republic!

Ah yes... Key West, aka The Conch Republic, a mystical utopia of so-called bliss with its own set of rules and where a good portion of its local populace is either on the lam or running away from something.

I'm 'jest sayin'...

[endoftheroad]

Originally Posted by S/V Blondie-Dog

Ah yes... Key West, aka The Conch Republic, a mystical utopia of so-called bliss with its own set of rules and where a good portion of its local populace is either on the lam or running away from something.

I'm 'jest sayin'...

Yep.....That about sums it up!

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by BlackOak

Thanks EOTR, youre an awesome friend, and I am blessed by your friendship.

I am presently home in Memphis, flew in last night. Very happy to be here, but cant say Im too happy about being back in civilization. Just too much busy-ness on the hard. 3 weeks here, then back to the boat.

The one thing that stood out to me during my flying home, was the fact that everytime the plane touched down on the runway, out came the cell phones, and a texting craze began. Young and old alike, with their thumbs going frantic on the little keyboards. Not just one or two people, but more like 4 out of 5 people was texting away as fast as they little thumbs could go. Even while I was walking through the airport, everywhere I looked, people were into their mobile communication devices. No conversations, just texting, and nose to screen as they meandered along the gates. What kind of a society have we become? I would see people seated together at the airport feed troughs, not talking or engaged in conversation, just noses pressed to their mobile screens, thumbs busy at work on the keyboard. Its really sad.

PS. Sleeping in a bed that wasnt moving felt weird, I didnt sleep very good at all.

It's weird and odd.... but perhaps it will change and all this attraction to connectivity is new and people are perhaps over doing it. And that may change and there could be a backlash at some point. I think there is also a level of frustration with digital connectivity... It's the difference between cyber sex and real sex, or a smile and a smiley. People will ultimately want the real deal and maybe pull back from the madness of connectivity for SOCIAL interactions.

However, there are some excellent benefits to connectivity.. such as sharing photos etc real time... as my wife, for example, gets to see her in fact grand daughters more than she could without it. I am not a texter and only use it to respond... and I assume the person could not actually call... or wanted to simply send me a record of a telephone number.

I have the mobile device, but certainly am not addicted to it for texting. I don't do face book either... Yet I do enjoy sites where I can interact (such as this) with diverse people from all over.

So maybe it's not as good thing... as people think it is.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Tell him two hulls are well, better.

A foul and dastardly trick of beelzebub! They flip over and STAY flipped over! The mast, which doesnt step on a hull at all, (more trickery of the devil) is drawn hell-ward like a compass needle to its behorned master! And BO, you wiuld have TWICE as many keels to go aground! A boat with two hulls should fill you with as much horror and dread as a two headed dog! BACK TO YOUR SULPHUROUS LAIR, EVIL CATAMARAN!

[Dulcesuenos]

Youve got it all wrong the ballast of the mono is pulling at you all the time trying to take you down to poseidens depths, draining your energy and will away. Cats are more heavenly and float in any position. Thus ensuring safety and even inverted ye wont spill yer drink!

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Youve got it all wrong the ballast of the mono is pulling at you all the time trying to take you down to poseidens depths, draining your energy and will away. Cats are more heavenly and float in any position. Thus ensuring safety and even inverted ye wont spill yer drink!

Without ballast, the angels that pull the mast of a proper boat with a proper hull heavenward might simply pluck the mono out of the sea entirely! That is the main reason for ballast, obviously. And remember rhis about cats... floating upside down is contrary and a sure sign of bewitchment.

[salticrak]

you will not spill yer cuppa joe on a cat, B.O.s missus would enjoy a cat better than a lead hauler for sure.

[BlackOak]

Talking with my wife this morning over coffee, about getting a longer boat, she felt compelled to explain to me her feelings about boats and the ocean.

when she was a child, living in Nha Trang, the north vietnamese had made their way to the outskirts of Nha Trang. People were fleeing to the docks to find anything that floated to escape in. With her mother and 3 brothers, she boarded an old fishing boat, and off into the ocean they went. She could see the fighting onshore as mortar rounds exploded all around her. She can clearly remember the sound of bullets wizzing by and striking the boat she was on. All they could do is huddle down in the open boat. They finally made it out to open water, into a storm with the boat rocking side to side, with water coming in everywhere, soaking them and the smell of the vomit, feces, and blood in their overloaded boat. For 6 days they were on the open ocean, with no food, very little water, and pushing the dead bodies overboard that died along the way. They finally made it to Vung Tau and the Saigon River. She said she doesnt want to get back aboard a boat in the ocean no matter how big it is. She never looked at me while she told this story, she just looked away as if she was back there.

I didnt know how to respond, nor felt a response was necessary, but I did counter with, that was a long time ago Jade, and people dont shoot at you now, most of the time.
She gave me a weak smile.

It would definitely have to be something that doesnt heel over, so a cat would be the way to go, for her anyway. I kinda like that heeling motion, especially ever since Rocketman explained to me that the boat will not flip over. That took a big load off my mind.

She has agreed to take a couple of weeks when my daughter is doing the summer vacation thing, and come down to the boat. So I may have to put off Bermuda, for a year sadly enough, but it will be worth it to give me time to get to looking for a suitable cat, and get her aquainted with my presently floating man cave boat. Heck, she might like my present boat, and save us a ton of money. Who knows?

By the way, she has explained to me how to dry fish in the sun, and asked me to dry some up and ship to her while I am on the boat in Key West, so if by chance you run into me, and see fish flesh hanging on the lifelines, just nod knowingly and let it go at that...