Horror vs Good stories

[sailorboy1]

I made the comment to my wife just now saying "maybe for Christmas I'll get you some cruising books because other than allowing me to spend money on boating I don't think you are invested in this cruising thing yet".

Her response was that all she hears about are horror stories. Stories of people getting hurt, things breaking, everyone getting caught out in big storms, etc.

I asked where she gets her info and she responded "on Cruisers Forum"!

I have to admit that she is mostly right. We spend a lot of time here talking danger crap and little about things with any fun and joy to support wanting to go cruising.

So I challenge you all to change her mind and post more boring stories of things that go good. Things like "I made a 1 week passage to X the other day and it was a calm, boring relaxing trip etc."

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

So I challenge you all to change her mind and post more boring stories of things that go good. Things like "I made a 1 week passage to X the other day and it was a calm, boring relaxing trip etc."

Sorry, can't post boring stories because if I do, all hell will surely break loose the next trip I make.

[roverhi]

Wife and I did the SoPac run to French Polynesia and back to Hawaii many years ago. Worst sea conditions encountered was sailing the Alenuihaha Channel between Kona and Maui in 80 degree sunshine. Only issue that came up is wife got pregnant. Sailed back to Hawaii with her 6 months along. Stopped in Kona on our way to Seattle to say aloha to a friend and welcome our son into the world, still here 35 years later. Damn, that anchor has a lot of coral growing on it. Sailed solo to Hawaii a couple of years ago and had to jibe once. Went 5 days without touching a string. Only issue was it took 10 days to get far enough south for it to warm up.

Stuff happens making passages but it's usually issues of inconvenience. A well prepared boat, and I don't mean loading the boat down with every electronic and convenience device known to man, seldom experiences anything at sea. Bad weather on a passage is either being stupid and leaving at the wrong time, purposely sailing into areas with challengine conditions or just being the unluckiest person in the world. With the exception of the passage from NZ/Oz to Polynesia, bad weather just doesn't normally happen during the cruising season. Sail from the North Atlantic in the winter or hurricane season, the same for SoPac, and you are asking for trouble and probably will get it in spades. Sail south or north into the high latitudes and things will get interesting. Follow the good weather patterns and cruising routes and sailing will almost always be delightful.

[Cheechako]

Well, yes.... blue water cruisers, preparers-to-be, and even coastal cruisers tend to be in two camps; "worriers", and "just do it". It seems easy to get in trouble on the water, but often that trouble is in our heads. ie: "geez the fog socked in and I have no idea how to get home". Any prudent mariner can readily avoid problems. I have met many "just do it" people that went to sea with little preparation of the boat or themselves. They wer e in the same locations I was in... after all my anal-yzing over installing the latest "keep me safe " widget.
The very biggest factor is watching the weather forecast, and knowing how to handle your boat. It's amazingly easy really. Just be prudent enough to not think you are going to sail around Cape Horn! Be smart, dont hurry, enjoy! If you do, you'll be 90% at anchor, looking for food and rum!

[stacy]

When my wife an I first hooked up we took a yr off and sailed from San Francisco as far south as Ixtapa, Mexico, back up into the Sea of Cortez, and then back to San Francisco. We never had a bad weather day. We actually sailed from Mazatlan to La Paz flying the chute the whole way. Never saw more than 15knts. Magical.

[daddle]

Have been cruising for 7 years. California, Mexico, Caribbean, Med, SE Asia. Nothing bad. Some discomfort. Some things broke. Would be boring except how can anyone be bored out cruising? The women have been happy enough: as happy as women can be....

Things break in a condo too. People die in condos. Typhoons wreck condos. And condos are certainly stuffed with bored unhappy people.

[zeehag]

dear mrs don lucas....

please do not listen to or pay ttention to the horror stories--they only happen most rarely. they are beneficial in prevention of problems only.

boats break -- but they break faster in a port than at sea. if they sit too long, they are less worthy of sailing out of port.

boats and men ROT in port.

smooth sailing.

[rebel heart]

My life has been a pretty good story lately. Family is all back together, in Mexico finally, waiting for baby number two. I've been here for about two weeks and I'm already getting itchy to get moving again.

It really was a lot bigger than it looks.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

So I challenge you all to change her mind and post more boring stories of things that go good."

Yeah, there are days that are not as much fun on the water. But, I've had more bad days just commuting to work on land. Even on land on a good day things were never like this:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: HAPPY AT THE HELM!

I've been to a lot of waterfront restaurants and stayed at hotels on the beach but, none of them ever had a view like this:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: WHY I GO CRUISING.

Speaking of restaurants you may think they have had fresh seafood at one but, you will never have fresh seafood there like you get on your boat:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES: DAY SIX

Of course spending some time in Rachel's Bubble Bath (with or without Rachel)) is always fun:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: CAPT. MIKE IN THE EXUMAS DAY FIVE: COMPASS CAY MARINA AND RACHEL'S BATH

Yeah, you can find spas all over the place to pamper you. But, it's only at special islands where you can find one six fathoms under the water:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: CAPT MIKE IN THE MALDIVES: DAY EIGHT

[carstenb]

Well, don

Here's our summer holiday. First wo days running downwind in force 8. Only had the genoa up, but hot damn what a ride!

Next three weeks, sunshine (don't forget we're up here at lat 56), winds running 8-15 knots, drifted fro small harbour to small harbour. Dined on langoustines with white wine and champagne. Breakfast fresh baked rolls.

Swim in the big pond every day ( a bit chilly, only 68F). Bought a couple of big steaks one evening, grilled them on the beach, eatched another sunset.

Only boat problem was a plastic bag in the bow thruster. Then the bowthruster switch failed, but no big deal. Just sailed without it.

Now if she wants horror stories, got lots of them too, but the good times outweigh the bad many times to one....

[Boracay]

Suggest that she take a look at SailBlogs.com.
Use "Browse" to look at the recent posts.

I don't recall ever seeing a horror story there.

And if she never wants to be part of any horror story suggest that she take up meteorology.

[Kettlewell]

Sail up to Maine in August, and other than fog you won't encounter anything that can hurt you. If you get a foggy day sleep in late, get big bowl of chowder ashore for lunch, and read a good book. Cozy harbors every night with cute little towns to walk around. Lobsters right off of the boat followed up by fresh blueberry pie. Moorings everywhere if you don't care to anchor. Best scenery on the East Coast. And, that offshore run from Salem up to say Penobscot Bay is usually just a downwind pleasure in the summer. Harbor hop it on the way back if the wind isn't cooperating. Maine in the summer is one good story.

[zeehag]

awesome news--where exactly are you guys?? i made zihuat with 1 1/2 OUNCES of diesel remaining ......hoooyaaahhhh...400 miles on less than 40 gallons diesel fuel with engine running on 3/4 gal per hour--we SAILED....in 6 kts breezes we got 3kts out of boat with all sails up for a change....
cool fishie--what is it?? i was able to catch 2 peanuts(small tuna) on this leg...
good work on getting all back together--now tell the sailing stories..

kettlewell--maine, as i remember, is even cold in summer......

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i made zihuat with 1 1/2 OUNCES of diesel remaining ......hoooyaaahhhh...400 miles on less than 40 gallons diesel fuel with engine running on 3/4 gal per hour--we SAILED....

kettlewell--maine, as i remember, is even cold in summer......

Say what?? Getting ten miles per gallon is sailing??

But glad that you made it to Z-town, Zee!

And remember that in Maine, summer is something that appears on the calendar, not in the environment!

Cheers,

Jim

[zeehag]

jim--we HAD to sail or run out of fuel and hit rocks--lol--but is all good--i will grow my fuel tank to be bigger before i leave here....we drifted a lot also....