Will the Real Sailor Please Stand Up

[Dockhead]

A real sailor is anyone, even if he has only 200 sea miles to his name, who when finding himself out of sight of land, feels a rush of endorphins, and simply knows in his bones, that he's at home.

[bill352]

Originally Posted by 29palms

So don't sell your nautical experiences short. Some story to you may seem unworthy of discussion,

Never knew that to be a problem, actually.

[29palms]

Originally Posted by sww914

I think sailor is a more general term like lubricant for instance. You have tug captains, tanker captains, commercial fishermen, cruisers, all sailors. You have oil, grease, transmission fluid, all lubricants.
If you wanted to define the most hardcore sailor, IMO that would be the solo circumnavigators. (that word kinda looks like circumcising alligators, now THAT would be hardcore!)

I don't know about hardcore being a solo circumnavigator. A bit lonely and wreckless if you ask me. Kind of like swimming alone or diving alone. Asking for trouble. What gets someone to the point of wanting that kind of solitude out in the middle of the ocean with noone to talk to? Peoplehaters? Must be an extremely boring life. Is it about being alone or is it about seeing places and doing interesting things? Sorry if this offends any solo circumnavigators. Most hardcore? How about those Alaskan boats going out for crabs?

[OldPelican]

Can you make a monkey's fist, a turk's head and a thimble splice?

Can you make a three star sextant shot resulting in a triangle so small it looks like a period?

Do you know the difference between flotsam and jetsam or between a cunningham a martingale and cross-catharpings?

Do you know what "the Devil to pay and no pitch hot" really means?

Can you get three shots out of your 12 pounder in a minute?


Me neither :P

Guess I'll go sit with the other landsmen and King's hard bargains

[Hudson Force]

Real sailors are all those who are out at sea except those that are seated in the dining lounge with someone nearby to pick up the napkin if it falls from their lap.

[atoll]

real sailors live off the bounty of the sea.....whatever it may be.......AAAAARGHHH!!!!!

[rgscpat]

Even a good crew in the age of fighting sail would have been pretty satisfied to get three shots off in something more like five minutes.

Modern sealants are so much more efficient and tidy than pitch and oakum and seamless construction is a huge boon to people who want to enjoy sailing rather than boat slaving.

[The Garbone]

Originally Posted by 29palms

That was the problem with Diego Garcia. Everyone wanted to be great bullshitters but it wasn't cute anymore after hearing the BS day in and day out. I'll stay on my end of the bar thank you very much.

HoHo.. I was on DG from 93 to 94, funny you refer to it. I knew a few folks that did 2 or 3 consecutive there. Did they still talk about the Marines that shaved the donkeys? Is the horse dead yet?

I was in the Navy for six years, I was a sailor. The retired MCPO I work with is a sailor. I would like to think of myself as a sailor again now that I have a boat but I imagine there are some folks with boats that will never be sailors, its all perspective.

[29palms]

Originally Posted by The Garbone

HoHo.. I was on DG from 93 to 94, funny you refer to it. I knew a few folks that did 2 or 3 consecutive there. Did they still talk about the Marines that shaved the donkeys? Is the horse dead yet?

I was in the Navy for six years, I was a sailor. The retired MCPO I work with is a sailor. I would like to think of myself as a sailor again now that I have a boat but I imagine there are some folks with boats that will never be sailors, its all perspective.

I was in Diego in 87-88, never heard of donkeys getting shaved but knowing Diego Garcia, the culprit had to have been ALCOHOL!!! Just add Marines. I was a sailor/mariner, whatever you want to call me sailing on Motor Vessels, but I got no boat now. I fly everywhere. I'm a aircraft tech for airlines. I fly to where I want to be now.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by boatman61

.......
So lets have some 'Outings' so's I know which end of the bar to avoid... bullshitters are so much funnier...

Mind if I join your end of the bar

[Jonathan Reiter]

The difference between a sea story and a fairy tale: A fairy tale always starts with "once upon a time"...a sea story always starts with "now, this is no ****.." IMHO, Sterling Hayden was a "real sailor"

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Mind if I join your end of the bar

Ahahahahahahhaaa
Anytime mate

[29palms]

The joke is on you. He will join your end of the bar as long as you buy him the drinks. My end of the bar has the ladies. ahahahahahaha!!!!!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by 29palms

The joke is on you. He will join your end of the bar as long as you buy him the drinks. My end of the bar has the ladies. ahahahahahaha!!!!!

Perhaps not..... IME, the ladies will quickly be at the Boatman's end regardless of anyone else in the bar
Well. the real ladies that is

[SkiprJohn]

Great post! Thanks!

What's good about this post is that everyone here in the CF has different experiences and we all consider ourselves sailors. OP certainly has many experiences and a myriad more than I do.

I've been to Baguio and Subic City and Olongapo and when my friend and I had taken the Philippine Rabbit bus up there to stay at the Air Force lodge the rooms were all taken. We sat in the lodge next to a roaring fire and regailed all the AF members and their spouses with sea stories until the wee hours and had a great time. We'd been in many different combat situations, he on a ship and I in country, and were still young enough to remember them clearly. I'd been through a hurricane on a Destroyer (tin can). We also were aboard many different types of ships and my friend had spent some time in the Marines doing fire control (targeting) so he had some stories to tell as well.

I now have 30 years of stories about the Navy and 45 years of stories about sailing.

When I'm gone I would be honored to be remembered as a good sailor.

kind regards,