Do you ever talk to your boat?

[Islandmike]

Absolutely I talk to her, good girl, you can do it... come on a baby...my arent you pretty today, and I always thank her for bringing us home. I learned that it is important to talk to inanimate objects watching the old Daniel Boone series. He would always tell "ole Betsy" his rifle, good job, whenever he dropped a big bear. But remember "Christine", so it is always important to be nice.

[PBzeer]

Yes, I talk to my boat. Words of encouragement, praise, and gratitude. After all, it's just the two of us out there. The harsh words though are only directed at specific things ... motor, wiring, etc., which is really my fault, not the boat's.

I don't feel the least bit odd about it. Whether it makes a difference or not, doesn't really matter. It's an appreciation for life itself, that I'm out here able to be doing what I want.

[Holding Pattern]

Both of us talk to her, mainly words of encouragement and the occasional scratch behind the binnacle after a good run. 2am offshore, I'm giving her a little pep-talk when I hear an answer... thankfully it was Heathger in the darkened companionway and not my psyche coming unglued...

[ssullivan]

Interesting posts.

I never talk to the boat itself. I seem to talk to the components that give me a hard time... that's it. I don't see the boat as a whole, but rather as a hull with a lot of stuff in and on it that can break.

It's the "stuff" I end up talking to (cursing at, etc...)

But oddly, I see a boat as a lot of compoenents, rather than a whole.

This view applies even while I'm sailing... seeing each sheet, each sail and the hull as individuals, along with each individual wave.

Then, I try to get all these individuals working together to get the boat from point A to point B.

Man... you thought *you* guys were nuts... lol

[Benny]

If she could talk it would probably be -

"What the hell are you ripping out of me/ adding on to me now??? Why can't you just accept me as I am???"

I've replaced just about all the systems on the old gal and added a pile of new ones except for the engine.

Hopefully thats not next or it might be divorce on the grounds of 'failure to communicate' or 'mental cruelty.'

[Islandmike]

There are certainly times that I cant get a hose on or a leak develops that there are some choice words used, but those are not her fault. Things like that are like an injury or sickness... God am I weird or what????

[imagine2frolic]

Just the other day I was talking to Imagine. I patted het, and told her soon we would be leaving. Damned if she didn't get a big sheet eating grin on her.

I single-handed Frolic from S.F. Ca. to Cabo Mexico, and back. I talked to her all the time, H3LL YOU GOT TO TALK TO SOMEONE BESIDES YOURSELF!

[psteele235]

Other men talk to their Mistress, why shouldn't I talk to mine??!

[Bill G]

Depending on the wind and weather, I can hear some faint singing - varies from old Motown tunes to Phillip Glass compositions - when I am working near the mast while sailing.

[CharlieCobra]

I always talked to my cars and bikes, why would I stop with the boat?

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by Bill G

Depending on the wind and weather, I can hear some faint singing - varies from old Motown tunes to Phillip Glass compositions - when I am working near the mast while sailing.

Yeah, me to!

The first time offshore, lying in my bunk, off-watch, I thought I heard singing. It was like a choir singing a requieim, or even monks chanting. I didn't say a word about it to the crew, not wanting them to think the skipper had gone bonkers.

Then one of the crew mentioned that she thought she had heard faint singing the night before. Not loud enough to understand the words, but real music. I 'fessed up at that point, and the other two crew members said we were crazy.

I've heard it numerous times since, but not always. Depends on conditions, I guess.

Weird!

[David M]

This is great. It looks like many people communicate with their boat in some manner, and for some it even communicates back by singing.. (I kinda like that concept). I'm glad I am not the only one who is this way. At first, I was half expecting to get blasted for talking to my boat. Now I know I am not so strange.

[Hud3]

Well, it doesn't actually mean you're not strange. It means you're like the rest of us.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Well, it doesn't actually mean you're not strange. It means you're like the rest of us.

Hee hee...so very true. Must be the salt.

[Alan Wheeler]

So how am I ever supposed to get "normal" again when everyone else around me is Nuts.
Reminds me of the saying "you don't have to be insane to live in this world, but it sure helps".