The Political World of the Marinas

[danielamartindm]

Sailors only join the pettiness and insanity of other humans when they become likewise landlocked, as in a marina. When a fellow sailor needs help on the water, no one talks politics, class warfare, religion, or anchors.

[Pete7]

Sailorboy, your problem is that you have chosen a marina. Do they not have boat yards full of old wrecks in the US. The sort of place real men go to at the weekend to escape SHMBO. A place with paint on the concrete and the rig is old coveralls with more paint on them. The day is normally spent making tea and wandering around talking to other men about stuff, this years hot anitfoul paint is always a good ice breaker. Occasionally a boat might move a bit but only to come out again for more work.

Pete

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Understood, bt remember that some people find things to complain about wherever they go...

Jim

True, but that type typically doesn't last long. They long for shopping malls and groups of like-minded individuals to commiserate about how miserable they are and fight amongst themselves. You know, kind of like wild hyenas at a kill...

[boatman61]

Marinas dont really bother me much these days.. learnt long ago that theres the old gits and know it alls who "Tut Tut..!! I wouldnt do that" the world over and most sailors are like ex-pats who can do nothing but bitch about where they are and everything that is not..
"I fookin hate Spain/Greece/St Martin/Wherever.."
So.. I go third line and hang with the natives and non sailors.. well away from the 'experts.
😀😀😀

[double u]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Quite true.

Every time I read someone complaining about other people, I can't help wonder how self-inflicted his problem is. Life, education, work, success, marinas, etc... are what you make it.

I want to contribute a little anecdote:
years ago a swedish cruiser asked me in Darwin how our 2 previous northbound Red Sea trips had been so I told him all about the strong headwinds, having been shot at (had a bullethole in the mast to prove it), the hassles in the various anchorages in Egypt, the agent-, Suezcanal- & baksheesh-hassles etc. Suddenly he yelled at me what an idiot I was & it was all my/our fault with this kind of attitude, & if you have the right attitude it's going to be wonderful, etc. etc. (I was wondering why he had asked me in the first place...)
interestingly enough we met him again in the Med after his Red Sea & Suezcanalpassage - & lo & behold: it had been terrible! (even without having been shot at...)
so lets not start a sort of "victim-blaming". We have a saying in German that very often is total BS too: "it sounds back out of the woods the way you called into them!" very often one does not "call" at all - & the sh.. flies out of the woods!

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by rognvald

So, if I follow your logic, you cannot have a successful life, a good education, a successful business/job or overall success in life unless you ARE NOT critical of other people???? "Self-inflicted" problems have a direct connection to intelligence. Without a brain, everything is acceptable and similar to the amoeba, the most you will be capable of doing is to move in one direction or another in a stimulus response. And, of course, we will conveniently ignore the last 2,500 years of Literature, History and Philosophy that deals with Man's relationship to the world and his dissatisfaction with the status quo. The History of Mankind is the quest of dissatisfied human beings looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence. If we left the world to those who are so easily satisfied, we would still be living in the Stone Age as meager hunter-gatherers seeking a sustenance existence in an uncertain world. You are what you make it? Only if you are incapable of ignoring reality. The great people in Life are never meek. Meek people in life are never great. Just ask Darwin. Good luck and safe sailing.

The difference is those who just randomly spout critical thoughts without a filter are usually just seen as people who lack social skills and rarely change anything. Those with social skills steer people to their way of thinking are the ones who are successful at it.

As with any social situation, you need to establish yourself. The new guy coming in without an introduction or pedigree and telling everyone they have it wrong after being there for 2 days is going to be seen as a blowhard and will get the responses you stated. It's not politics, you just haven't established yourself in the group but are busy telling them how they are doing things wrong.

You might be right or there may be a perfectly good reason for how things are done and you are just ignorant of the reason.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Is a click the same thing as a clique?

a member I assume

[double u]

Originally Posted by rognvald

So, if I follow your logic, you cannot have a successful life, a good education, a successful business/job or overall success in life unless you ARE NOT critical of other people???? "Self-inflicted" problems have a direct connection to intelligence. Without a brain, everything is acceptable and similar to the amoeba, the most you will be capable of doing is to move in one direction or another in a stimulus response. And, of course, we will conveniently ignore the last 2,500 years of Literature, History and Philosophy that deals with Man's relationship to the world and his dissatisfaction with the status quo. The History of Mankind is the quest of dissatisfied human beings looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence. If we left the world to those who are so easily satisfied, we would still be living in the Stone Age as meager hunter-gatherers seeking a sustenance existence in an uncertain world. You are what you make it? Only if you are incapable of ignoring reality. The great people in Life are never meek. Meek people in life are never great. Just ask Darwin. Good luck and safe sailing.

[S/V Illusion]

Excellent example of complaining about people who get along with others.
That you somehow equate socially well adjusted behavior with sociopathic behavior is interesting. Do you have many friends?

Originally Posted by rognvald

So, if I follow your logic, you cannot have a successful life, a good education, a successful business/job or overall success in life unless you ARE NOT critical of other people???? "Self-inflicted" problems have a direct connection to intelligence. Without a brain, everything is acceptable and similar to the amoeba, the most you will be capable of doing is to move in one direction or another in a stimulus response. And, of course, we will conveniently ignore the last 2,500 years of Literature, History and Philosophy that deals with Man's relationship to the world and his dissatisfaction with the status quo. The History of Mankind is the quest of dissatisfied human beings looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence. If we left the world to those who are so easily satisfied, we would still be living in the Stone Age as meager hunter-gatherers seeking a sustenance existence in an uncertain world. You are what you make it? Only if you are incapable of ignoring reality. The great people in Life are never meek. Meek people in life are never great. Just ask Darwin. Good luck and safe sailing.

[double u]

"Do you have many friends?"
so today it's quantity, that counts...?

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Excellent example of complaining about people who get along with others.
That you somehow equate socially well adjusted behavior with sociopathic behavior is interesting. Do you have many friends?

Friends??? How loosely most people use this word. I have many social acquaintances but only a couple close friends. It's not quantity . . . it's quality. If you go through life and are fortunate to have ONE good friend, you are indeed a lucky man. In regards to sociopathic behavior, I don't think you understand the meaning of the term which is defined as "a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience." This is quite a leap for you to make such assertions about someone you don't know and especially . . . how that person has lived his life. SV, the "Herd" is always distrustful of those who do not follow their thundering hoofs but embraces those who blindly follow their every twist and turn into mediocrity, complacency, and compliance. How easy it must be to never have to think on your own and make "sameness" the guiding light of your life. Good luck and safe sailing. . . Captain Rognvald--a man who has been labeled psychopathic, antisocial, criminal and lacking conscience. I suppose I could think of a few worse things to be called . . . well, maybe not.

[briblack]

I've enjoyed my time in the yachtie community. Great folks!

[Peregrine1983]

Having grown up in Jersey ***gasp!*** and lived my entire adult life in Brooklyn ***double-gasp!*** and NYC ***passing out from horror***. I can tell you that here, in any marina, or ANYWHERE else on the planet there is one universal truth: You get what you give.

[zeehag]

funny here the marinas in summer have only 4 or 5 year round residents. is no politix except with management and that is relieved by coca cola in bottles as gifts. the locals cannot afford such luxury so it is appreciated.
perhaps a dock bbq would soften your political adversaries some so you are more accepted.. but donot do it too often, as the inhabitants will get overly used to the fine dining and expect it. this tactic seemed to work well in lost angeles, where clicque bears a special meaning.
having grown up on long island, clicquiest place on planet short of manahatta, i found clambakes were magical to join those who disliked each other in festivities. worked well.

[fatherchronica]

We were in our last house for 27 years and I had no friends in our neighborhood. A lot of acquaintences but no one I wanted to go do anything with or really to even do more than say hello to. When we finally moved aboard into a marina I had more friends than at anytime of my life. While we differed on many issues we all had boats incommon. Even fishermen and powerboaters are lured by the same sea as me. The only click I encountered that I couldn't and didn't want to try to get into was the widow women with small dogs click. They invited me to walk my dogs with them, but my penis got in the way of any meaningful meeting of the minds and they were all petty gossips. So I was happy to avoid them. But I learned plenty from peoples differing knowledge and opinions about all things marine and I have been politically active for 45 years and have read hundreds of political books, and between one and three newspapers a day for most of those years, so I didn't mind talking politics. It has been that way at every marina we have stopped at for the last 5 years now, and while I only stay in touch with family and one old friend from high school, I do stay in touch with many cruisers who are my friends. My wife was leery of how it would be living aboard and following my dream, but she loved it maybe more than me. She particularly likes folks we just meet inviting us to do things with them and impromptu dock get togethers. Have we met some jerks, sure. But mostly not. We have more in common with most people we interact with than at any time of our lives.