What to say...

[CBinRI]

Stay out of it. This is not exactly on point, but I purchased a 41 foot boat that was located in northern Maine and recruited certain of my wife's family members who were sailors to help me bring it down to Rhode Island. One of my wife's female relatives became concerned about weather (with no knowledge regarding same) and started a behind the scenes campaign to delay the delivery. I ultimately had to hire a couple of pros to help me deliver the boat with blue skies and 10-15 from the northwest the entire way. It ended well but I am still resentful about the interference. In this case, I would only inject myself if the rest of the crew is entirely inexperienced as well.

EDIT: Woops. I guess this is a moot point.

[camaraderie]

UMMM...GUYS....SEE POST #24
The Sailingfool kept his mouth shut
The kid went sailing
the kid had fun
the kid is still alive. End story.

[sailingdog]

LOL... did any of you guys even read the thread... the kid has gone and already come back... and apparently had a great time while he was out there...

[genieskip]

I'm glad the kid's back and had a great time. I just want to point out that many boats that go offshore have a green crew member aboard. How the hell else will people get experience? One Bermuda race we had 7 grizzled old oceangoing hands with tons of experience aboard and two green hands. In rough weather the first couple of days every one of the "old salts" spent time by the weather rail, chumming the waters. The green hands? Solid as rocks. You can never tell.

What I would want to know before commenting is - What's the experience of the skipper and the other two hands? How well built and prepared is the boat? That to me is the crux.

[CBinRI]

SD, don't act quite so shocked that people respond before they get to the end of the thread. With my feeble memory, if I wait until I have read every post I would never remember what I was going to say. Of course, we might all be better off, but that it is a separate issue.

[j34035]

I remember a story of a young man trying to get a job. He was refused the job for he had no experience. Asking how he could get experience he was told to get a job!!
Congrats are in order for this young man for having the courage to take on a challenge such as this. He had a chance to learn self dependence and teamwork that most 20 year-olds have never had. Good thread!!
DD

[cardiacpaul]

so what happened,
did the kid go?
did he drown?
did he live?
did he meet a 18 year old smurfette with huge water wings and now they're on a 100 day journey?
did he swear off the sea forever?
did he get scurvy?
is he working for solar stik?

sorry... I guess I should read.

[JiffyLube]

Some people will think what the young man did was hair brained, and some will not...I'm one. I don't think that going on a great adventure is like going to war, but knowing what a person is getting into is very helpful. When I was 19 I left Hawaii with two fellows for California, One was experienced (the owner and builder), and the other man and myself were not. We didn't know each other or our abilities before the voyage, but we sure learned soon enough that we could depend on each other during our baptism by fire. The boat was a 28' piver designed trimaran, home built in the backyard of our Ventura Ca. owner. He had sailed it over to Hawaii with two men, and we helped him sail it back to California. As I looked back on that adventure that could be called the Ship of Fools, I realized that we were darn lucky to have made it. We lacked 'everything' that I would not sail without now on that same route...no lifelines, PFD's, life boat, dingy, harness and tethers, gloves, foul weather gear, VHF, GPS (those where strictly sextant days), auxilary power, extra sails, no way to recharge our 'one' battery for running lights (we only put them on when necessary), etc...it was a real bare bones trip! The main point of all of this is, I will never as long as I live forget that adventure, or the resourcefulness and resolve that we had to 'make it'! While I fondly remember those days of my foolish youth, I have absolutely no desire to repeat it again. What I did learn about myself though, was I am a survivor...and if I think I can do something...I can do it!

[bestfriend]

Originally Posted by RainBabe

Give him some advice, pat him on the back, tell him you will be waiting to hear about his adventure...

Before everyone jumps all over you, he's back already, made it safe, read the thread, its a good one.

[sailingdog]

JiffyLube-

There's a big difference from what you did and what this kid did... This kid was crewing on a well-found vessel with experienced captain and crew... Not a home-built boat of questionable construction with relative novices for captain and crew, and certainly not a boat as ill-equipped or prepared as the one you're describing.