What happens to all the wannabees?

[Coops]

I sincerely hope so.

Coops.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

A lot of you guys, in fact all of you guys, need to lift weights and do strength training. I bring kettlebells with me wherever I go and try to lift at least three days a week. Used to have lots of back problems, now I can pull 400lbs off the floor. And I work in the engine room, on the teak decks, and sit in a wooden cockpit on watch for hours on end (and sleep in there too underway).

The lack of fitness and preventable injuries screws up more sailing plans than boat problems. Strength training is not something for "other" people. It's for you.

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You are so right! I'm a long time runner but I'm doing more weights now and it really makes a difference when it come to climbing around on the boat. I'm following Mark Sisson's Primal Fitness routine (Mark's Daily Apple)which works good on the boat since there is no equipment involved, just pushup, pullup, squats and planks.

I'm also a long time practitioner of yoga, great for overall fitness and flexibility as well, but I find it hard to do on the boat.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SoulJah

I grew up on a 68 ft. cutter rigged sloop. It was a charter vessel upon which my dad took groups out to local reefs and islands every weekend.

Every Easter and Christmas we did an extended cruise to the Whitsundays, which was a paradise in the late sixties. I sailed sabots with mates on the weekends when I was not at the reef. Later I sailed Hobie cats off the beach and my uncle and I have some great yarns about the mischief we got up to on his Tornado too. I love the sea.

One day a film crew chartered the “Southern maid” (and yes, for anyone in the know, it was the very same vessel owned by Andrew Martin of Percy Island fame) they were making a documentary and were doing some filming around the reefs my father knew so well.

My dad was a professional diver and had imported for me (as a seven year old) a small aqualung from the states. Well, the film crew were blown away at this little reef kid and filmed a few shots of me diving. To cut along story short, I ended up featuring in a series of documentaries about conservation on the Great Barrier Reef.

Sir David Frost narrated one, Ex Prime minister Sir John Gorton another. I met lots of interesting people. Learned about film camerawork from the likes of Ben Cropp and Ron and Valerie Taylor. I travelled up and down the reef from New Guinea to Heron Island. I rode on Manta rays, got bitten by Moray eels, and ate dugong and speared crayfish with Torres straight Islanders. I dived on the (now world famous) “cod hole” off Lizard Island all before my thirteenth birthday.

Back at school and back into the “real” world after a whirlwind couple of years, the much taunted & bullied “reef boy” completed his schooling and became a cameraman at the local television station.

I bought a “Daydream” hull with motor already installed. Over the next few years I fitted her out, honing my boatbuilding skills. I met the fellow who had built the hull and rented a room from him while I worked on the boat in his backyard. All the while learning from this journeyman boat builder, who, now in his seventies, had built dozens of vessels in his lifetime. I thought I was close to completion so I quit work to work on the boat full time. Big mistake! within six months I had not finished and run out of money.

I got a job in Sydney and left the boat in Townsville. I swapped the boat for a functional trailer sailor and some cash and enjoyed some fun times on Sydney harbour.

I worked around Australia before settling to start a family. We were together for 20 years (and raised a fine son) before the bean counters decided that the fifty year old bloke was one too many for the shareholders to bear, and I was retrenched. After over 100 unsuccessful job applications (I honestly would have done anything) the relationship went south and we separated.

The say “the darkest hour is right before dawn” Within six months I had applied for and landed a job in the industry again. We sold the house and I wound up with $100,000 as my share of the split. I had a good job and life was looking good. I realised I was now in a position to achieve my lifelong goal of “cruising”. I was thinking “about 50 for the boat and the remainder in the kitty and away I go”!

I ended up falling in love. Who wouldn’t? Have you ever seen the Cabo Rico Tiburon? The clipper bow, the sweet lines, spacious centre cockpit. She was $80,000 though. But, what the hey? What’s money when you’re in love? I could always just keep working a little longer and all would be well.

Around this time I met Cheryl and we hit it off. Cheryl had split with her husband after being diagnosed with Leukaemia. Which is now being successfully managed with chemotherapy. She had never considered any life other than suburbia and quickly fell in love with the idea of us cruising together. We set to work, in every minute of our spare time we sanded, painted, epoxied, polished, sweated, cursed, laughed and …well, you folks all know how it goes.

Then the Motor blew. I knew it was not brilliant but thought I could bring it up to scratch. I replaced the motor with a reconditioned one, and $12,000 later all was looking good again. Over the course of this time I began to notice small holes drilled here and there throughout the interior. One night aboard after a few weeks of rain I noticed the drips coming from the holes. They were inspection holes to gauge the extent of the water ingress. On a Balsa cored hull! Several hours of tapping later we were aware of the full extent of the rot. The entire deck would need to be replaced.

After a very difficult period of time, I picked myself up dusted myself off and got to work. I extracted $12,000 from the surveyor for their negligence. This was achieved without involving lawyers and I figured it was the best I could expect without the additional pain of a protracted legal case and the possibility of losing a lot more money. At least it covered the motor! I went to the bank and borrowed $60,000 and recruited the services of the best shipwright I could find to make my beautiful yacht better again. I figured it better to have it professionally repaired quickly, than me bumble along and perhaps run out of time/money etc.
I would simply enjoy day sailing until I had paid off the loan.

The deck has all been replaced; I am slowly fitting all the deck hardware back on, (properly this time, as that was one source of the water ingress) the bronze ports are affixed back into the coach sides. I have also discovered that all the capping rails were never properly sealed so now the rails are off and I am in the process of repairing the leaky stanchion bases. Once completed, there will be no more leaks. A dry boat at last!

Now, with Marina fees, and loan repayments and such, there’s not much money left over for any improvements. I have seven years of repayments left and I am working full time and then working on my boat all weekend.

I have suffered with a bad back most of my working life. The constant contortion required of boat repair, as any boat owner knows, is not that easy on the back. My engine room in particular is very cramped and several times I have lain on my back on the dock trying to straighten out.

I drove long distance recently and got out of the car with damage to my back.
I have a severe prolapse, which is pushing on nerves and, as well as being very painful, is apparently very dangerous. They flew me (on the flying doctor, 2am last Tuesday) to a bigger hospital. An MRI had revealed the extent of the problem and they felt it better for me to be here.

I am lying here in the hospital bed waiting in a queue for surgery soon.
I have no health insurance, and money is starting to get very tight.

I am in love with my little Cabo and couldn’t even countenance the thought of selling her. I’d be flat out even getting the $80,000 back, let alone any more.

That’s my wannabe story for you Atoll. Thanks for the prompt, as this could also serve as the introduction I’d never posted in meets and greets.

You are right; I have benefitted from your knowledge, thanks mate.
When I posted about the dangers of not properly bedding deck hardware on a balsa cored boat, DOJ sensibly suggested replacing the stress areas with marine ply to serve as a crush block, your advice was to replace with sugar, hops and barley instead, so that when I had to open it up again we could all get pissed.

Sheesh mate, I thought that was hilarious.
10,000 unemployed comedians and you wannabe one too. I guess we’re both wannabes hey? I recon I have a better sense of humour though

Re - the term wannabe, I have been called far worse than that by better people than you Atoll. Just as long as you don’t call me late for Dinner hey? I know a lot of folks get off on bigging themselves up by putting others down, but personally its not my way.

P.S. for a number of reasons, pointed out by the new surveyor and shipwright, it was obvious that the senior policeman I bought the boat from knew, without a doubt, of the extent of the rot.
I only mention his occupation because I stupidly expected a little more honesty.
I would have been happy buying a project too, at the right price.
What really surprised me was that in canvassing opinions about my predicament, 95% of folks said “cover it up and flog it off to some other sucker”
What a wonderful world!

Peace and Love
SoulJah

thanks for posting,this serves as a great warning for others thinking about getting into boat projects with little or no experiance,and relying on paid proffessional surveyors..........and other jokers on the internet!

hope you get better soon

[SoulJah]

No worries Atoll,
I could post some other real life experiences of mine about thieving bastards that run slipways and unscrupulous diesel mechanics but hey, I wannabe out sailing, so I really should focus on the task at hand, and right now that's trying to remain positive,
giving thanks and praise always,
SoulJah

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SoulJah

No worries Atoll,
I could post some other real life experiences of mine about thieving bastards that run slipways and unscrupulous diesel mechanics but hey, I wannabe out sailing, so I really should focus on the task at hand, and right now that's trying to remain positive,
giving thanks and praise always,
SoulJah

keep positive,there are a lot of good ,honest people out there as well!

what those boatyard owners know that we don't is that "god designed yachts to punish yotties in his infinite wisdom!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by ahnutts!

Careful, that sort of talk about one of the "in crowd" will get you in trouble.

you too could be part of that crowd if you took a leaf out of souljah's book and posted something positive,instead of negative one liners that really don't show any thing apart from the chip on your shoulder

[David_Old_Jersey]

Despite the odd bit of whining (hey, it's the internet ) I think a very informative thread and inclusive of folks at whatever stage of their own journeys (as intended).

Keep 'em coming .

[atoll]

Originally Posted by ahnutts!

Careful, that sort of talk about one of the "in crowd" will get you in trouble.

sometimes it also helps to check your facts before criticising the wrong member

Originally Posted by Nateman View Post
How bout some hops,barley, and an ale yeast! That way you could at least drink what leaks out! Have micro-brewery, will travel!!!

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...l-66796-3.html

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by minaret

LOL! My wife is really into Yoga, and it makes her absolutely crazy that when we do Yoga together on the Wii Fit (I tend to mock Yoga because it peeves her), I always rate "Yoga Master" and she just can't catch up. She's way more flexible than me, but on the machine it's all about balance...

Ya...it paints a picture when blue collar guys do Yoga. While rebuilding the engine on the boat, I would hobble around for days afterwards. People would ask what was wrong with me and I'd tell them..."boat Yoga", because of being in a tight place in a weird body position...

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ya...it paints a picture when blue collar guys do Yoga. While rebuilding the engine on the boat, I would hobble around for days afterwards. People would ask what was wrong with me and I'd tell them..."boat Yoga", because of being in a tight place in a weird body position...

LOL! My cure for that was to switch to electric propulsion. I now spend a lot less time down below these days. In fact most of what I need to do can be done while most of my body is in the main cabin. It certainly was never fun pulling a muscle while scrunched down below working on that old diesel thinking it would be too painful to move to get out.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ya...it paints a picture when blue collar guys do Yoga. While rebuilding the engine on the boat, I would hobble around for days afterwards. People would ask what was wrong with me and I'd tell them..."boat Yoga", because of being in a tight place in a weird body position...

Yep, I once spent so long wedged on top of an engine that I had "Perkins" imprinted in bruises across my chest for a few days!

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yep, I once spent so long wedged on top of an engine that I had "Perkins" imprinted in bruises across my chest for a few days!

Here's a funny story for ya...When I had my Tartan Blackwatch, I was installing my Pargon (bearings are gone) transmission. I had my Ooooold coveralls on that were pretty tattered. At the time the cockpit drain valves were still beneath the waterline and I had to remove the drain hoses to do my "boat yoga" posses to get the @%*! in. Lying on the hull curvature, lying across the beam of the boat, with my arm jammed under the prop shaft so I could tighten one of the housing nuts, my leg cuff (with holes) hooked the valve handle. Well don't ya know as I tightened, my body was slipping to port and my cuff started to open the valve. What a shock to have 50 degree water running up my leg! Realizing my situation, I tried to pull my arm out from under the shaft. But could not push my body back into position to do that. I thought great!, my family will get a phone call how I drowned while my boat sank in the slip. Finally I forced my arm out by rotating the shaft with my other hand. My arm was black and blue for 2 weeks. I should have got the DIY award of the year for that one...

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by SoulJah

P.S. for a number of reasons, pointed out by the new surveyor and shipwright, it was obvious that the senior policeman I bought the boat from knew, without a doubt, of the extent of the rot.
I only mention his occupation because I stupidly expected a little more honesty.
I would have been happy buying a project too, at the right price.
What really surprised me was that in canvassing opinions about my predicament, 95% of folks said “cover it up and flog it off to some other sucker”
What a wonderful world!

Peace and Love
SoulJah

Sadly it seems better to trust no-one when buying something like a boat; it may even be in some cases that the fault isn't theirs. I had a mechanic survey an engine and find a problem with oil pressure which, when phoned, an employee of the the manufacturer said was nothing to worry about. That number $12000 is very familiar to me!

Thanks for sharing your story and best of luck with the surgery. I hope you'll find yourself on the deck, healthy and sailing again soon.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yep, I once spent so long wedged on top of an engine that I had "Perkins" imprinted in bruises across my chest for a few days!

I have those imprinted on my soul!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Here's a funny story for ya...When I had my Tartan Blackwatch, I was installing my Pargon (bearings are gone) transmission. I had my Ooooold coveralls on that were pretty tattered. At the time the cockpit drain valves were still beneath the waterline and I had to remove the drain hoses to do my "boat yoga" posses to get the @%*! in. Lying on the hull curvature, lying across the beam of the boat, with my arm jammed under the prop shaft so I could tighten one of the housing nuts, my leg cuff (with holes) hooked the valve handle. Well don't ya know as I tightened, my body was slipping to port and my cuff started to open the valve. What a shock to have 50 degree water running up my leg! Realizing my situation, I tried to pull my arm out from under the shaft. But could not push my body back into position to do that. I thought great!, my family will get a phone call how I drowned while my boat sank in the slip. Finally I forced my arm out by rotating the shaft with my other hand. My arm was black and blue for 2 weeks. I should have got the DIY award of the year for that one...

Nice one! That would have been worth printing on your tombstone. We once had to saw a crew member out of a boat. Very skinny electrician, who was notorious for his "bilge rat" skills. One day he took it too far. Crawled over the top of a tank under the cabin sole, the gap was maybe 8"-10". When he got to the other side of the tank there was some space, he did his wiring but then couldn't turn around to get out. Looking into the crack all I could see was his feet about 8' back on top of the tank. I used a rope on a stick to lasso his feet and try to pull him out, but that just cost him some skin. After about two hours of trying we called the Fire Department. After they tried for another two hours he was pretty freaked out, so we just got out a sawzall and cut a big hole in the side of the boat. Never seen anyone so relieved! There was debate whether it would be easier to cut out some cabin sole instead, but since we are a glass shop we found it easier to fix that way. The things we get ourselves into working on boats!