What happens to all the wannabees?

[In Training]

Finally some progress. I've posted before that we have a few (7) rentals and our own home to sell before full time living on a sailboat. Closing on the first one tonight. Makes me feel like it is really going to happen. We have two that just moved out and husband will get them show ready and listed in the next 60-90 days. Not in a rush as still have a few years before I can retire. Moving in positive direction now though.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by SimonV

I would say that there is a plethora of ex wannabes on this forum. I was one of them. Some take the leap into the deep end and some paddle in the shallows building up to the leap. The only thing holding back a wannabe, is reading too much of the negative, or over the top information passed on and built upon by some.

BINGO....
Look Cruising, what every your definition of it is, is EASY and doesn't need to be as hard as many armchair chart room experts want people to believe.
"If you don't have experience you can't go'
'If you don't know how to strip down and rebuild a diesel engine you can't go"
"If you don't have the right gear....
If you don't have the right boat....
Bla Bla Bla

Many people have been given the encouragement to cast off and GO from sites like Cruisers Forum...but many also had their dream quashed when the computer chat room sailors convinced them they couldn't go without this, that...etc.

Every time I see a thread titled "What boat for cruising" or "is a Hunter a blue water boat" or "what boat do I need for...." I know what's coming and I try to not even open those threads honestly.

After spending 4 yrs in the anchorages of Mexico I've seen more boats that shouldn't have been there than I've seen proper Water boats">blue water boats, and somehow...against all ods and warnings to the contrary...those folks were having a Great time "living the dream" as Bob B puts it.

We were all Wannabees...we were all Green know nothings at one point and how in the world did folks 20yrs ago cast off without all those internet experts to educated them?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MoxieGirl

I'm one of those people whom, when told 'you'll never be able to do that', gets fired up by the words and all the more determined to prove them wrong. So bring on the nay sayers. Worst case scenario, they'll be right. But that is leagues away from the end of the world and concerns me not. People will say what people say, I'm just going to do what I'm going to do.

MG

Ahahahahahahahahaaa.....
Not a Bludi hope in hell... Dream on...
Who are you kidding girl.. your a dirt dweller...
Keyboard wannabe adventurers are a dime a dozen...

Fired up enuf yet...
Go Girl..

[tomfl]

Last November I bought a boat after looking for six months. It probably took six months before the accumulator gave up the ghost and I had to replace it. Spent half a day clearing everything out of the anchor locker and removing the old one, maybe ten minutes to get to Home Depot and find a new one (cost was $38.75) and half an hour to install it. Needed to clean up the anchor locker anyway. I also replaced the old coldplate with a new Frigaboat and added about six inches of insulation reducing the firg/freezer to around 7CF. Also bought an Engle for the cockpit so I can easily get sodas and not open the big box but about once a day.

Cruising the Keys and spent six weeks in the Dry Tortugas, and some weekends up at Key Largo diving. Lots of day sailing and getting use to the boat. This may not be everybody's idea of cruising but I am living on a boat and going where I want when I want.

It is quite possible to get a good boat that is ready to sail. But my take is that I would not want to sail off into the sunset on a boat that I had not taken for several real shakedown cruises. I have seen several folks who start cruising on boats they just bought and I think that is a mistake.

Take all the time you need to get comfortable on a boat. I saw an exchange of comments about catamarans pounding going to windward, with a reply that if you fall off a little the pounding will stop, and the pounding guy said he was on a schedule and could not wait. The most dangerous thing on a boat is a calendar.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I saw an exchange of comments about catamarans pounding going to windward, with a reply that if you fall off a little the pounding will stop, and the pounding guy said he was on a schedule and could not wait. The most dangerous thing on a boat is a calendar.

It was not to windward.. it was on a beam reach... as to calendars... Only if you push when you should not... but Lagoons do pound like a drum on a beam reach.. I also said I did not want to sail to Algeria 120 miles to my S... as they also crab... COG often as much as 25* off the heading depending on conditions and wind angle...

[lrjetav8r]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

Moxie, you'll do just fine!

I grew up on a farm north of you so I know where you're coming from. I learned to drive the 4020 and the grain trucks real early, and considered it as a career for a while but just didn't have the mechanical aptitude to go it alone. Then I learned how to fly and that finished the farming idea.

Take your friend sailing. She might love it. This prairie farm girl would never have dreamed I'd love it as much as I do!

As an aside, I've always noted a lot of pilots like to sail, and a lot of sailors are interested in flying. Is it just me, or are there a lot of pilots on this forum?

You're right Prairie Chicken...There are alot of pilots who take to sailing. As a pilot, you deal with the weather, you navigate, if you have a seaplane rating, you learn to read the water and the right of way rules. Many pilots have airframe and powerplant licenses so they are familiar with maintenance and those who travel overseas learn to deal with customs and immigration. Although, no where is that tougher than coming back into the U.S. I've spent the last 20 years flying corporate jets and now instead of going 6 miles a minute, I'm going to go 6 miles an hour and looking forward to every minute of it! Cheers!

[robert sailor]

Where in the prairies are you from Prairie Chicken. Were you part of the Flying Farmers?

[MoxieGirl]

Loving you already Boatman

MG

[MoxieGirl]

Pilots and Sailors.

I wonder too if there is a lot of cross over between being a pilot and a sailor because they both represent a similar sort of freedom. One has a sense that they can get in their plane, or boat, and go anywhere. The world becomes your oyster much more so than driving a car. Any one can drive a car. But to get in a plane or boat means charting your own course.

I also like the technical/engineering/nautical aspects of it. The laws of physics that go into flying and/or sailing. That's one of the things I love about archery too, the physics and precision of it all.

In regards to planes, I love wings. I love their design, shape and am fascinated by how lift works. With sailing, it's all about the sail and the wind. Simply amazing. Both crafts also need to be streamlined and .... OK, I'll stop. Could go on for another page or 2.

Unfortunately I get a rare form of headache called Cluster Headaches, which has clipped my dreams of ever flying again. But that's OK, I will soon have sailing.

MG

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

.....
As an aside, I've always noted a lot of pilots like to sail, and a lot of sailors are interested in flying. Is it just me, or are there a lot of pilots on this forum?

Originally Posted by MoxieGirl

Pilots and Sailors.

I wonder too if there is a lot of cross over between being a pilot and a sailor because they both represent a similar sort of freedom. One has a sense that they can get in their plane, or boat, and go anywhere. The world becomes your oyster much more so than driving a car. Any one can drive a car. But to get in a plane or boat means charting your own course.

I also like the technical/engineering/nautical aspects of it. The laws of physics that go into flying and/or sailing. That's one of the things I love about archery too, the physics and precision of it all.

In regards to planes, I love wings. I love their design, shape and am fascinated by how lift works. With sailing, it's all about the sail and the wind. Simply amazing. Both crafts also need to be streamlined and .... OK, I'll stop. Could go on for another page or 2.

Unfortunately I get a rare form of headache called Cluster Headaches, which has clipped my dreams of ever flying again. But that's OK, I will soon have sailing.

MG

Can't add much to this conversation MG, you got everything you need, a "can do" farming up bringing, clearly can understand complex situations (you a pilot) and you can dream. PC was spot on with dealing with unexpected issues at sea; there will be you (and only you) and you will have to be able to resolve whatever is going wrong and there at shiploads of thing to go bad when at sea. You won't have any shoreside assets to call upon and often no comms either.

You will master everything from mechanics to medical to weather forecasting to electrical to diesels to sails to.... well you get the picture

But what I can add is this (and I think it was Richard Bach who first wrote it):

"Pilots travel in time; sailors travel in space."

Clearly together they make a union, pilots can travel vast distances and ere mainly concerned with time (endurance and so on) while sailors can travel for vast amounts of time and move so little distance.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by MoxieGirl

Loving you already Boatman

MG

He is even better in person (and I speak from experience)

[MoxieGirl]

Thank you everyone. Am loving this community and the awesome quotes! Love the pilots travel in time, sailors in space.

As far as emergency medical concerns, I've just recently finished an Anatomy and Physiology course, and have been trained in first aid, although probably worth taking that course over again as it's been a few years.

Lots to learn. Can't wait.

MG

[DumnMad]

Not sure you need all those qualifications to pull a blocked toilet to bits.

Liveaboard 101 - dismantling the blocked toilet, cleaning the sink/shower sump, unblocking salt-water hoses, tracking down smells, keeping gas out of the bilges and controlling black mold in cupboards and corners.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Wotname

He is even better in person (and I speak from experience)

Damn... you promised not to tell anyone...

[MoxieGirl]

Lol.

Must admit, plumbing is one of my weaknesses. I get the concepts, just don't have the practical experience.

Although, my ex-girlfriend was training to be a plumber at one time. May have to take her along. Hehe.


MG