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Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''s the better sailor?

7K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Real Ale 
#1 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Ahoy me matey''s , there be a fine argument brewing below deck of me ship and in the fleet in general. The question is simply stated in the Topic. Avast there ye knaves out wit it, once and for all we''ll put this one in de hammock and let it swing in the wind.Big Red 56 the Pirate of Pine Island
 
#2 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

I''ve learned that if yu wants yer rum ration daily and piece and quiet and tasty food fer yer belly and a little - - - to keep ya feeling good then by all means she is a much better sailor than I, and don''t forget it.men all have trouble saying those three little words "i don''t know".
 
#3 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

This is a question without a single right answer. Each type of sailing has its own special requirements. Off hand there is absolutely nothing about living aboard that in and of itself makes for good sailing skills.

Bluewater cruising requires a lot more independence and the ability to repair your own boat, and greater skills in over the horizon navigation, weather prediction, heavy weather sailing strategy, and today seems to imply a range of skills such as radio communications and leaving and entering countries requirements.

Coastal sailing requires better piloting skills, dealing with currents and entering strange ports. Performance becomes more critical, in particular, light air performance becomes more critical.

Of course if by ''best sailor'' you mean getting the most out of a boat, then the racing sailor knows how to get the best speed, play currents and wind shifts, maneuver in tight quarters, and really get the most out of a boat through sail trim and boat handling.

Jeff
 
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#4 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Ahoy me matey Jeff_ , you had me nodding me head in approval wit ye right up to the point where you started jibing round me stern and sticking yer wisker pole where it don''t belong. I think we all be racers inside no matter what we sail and I can''t imagine any one with access to the water like we enjoy, to limit therselves to racing. Sure there are fine points in racing but there also be a whole world of rules and regulations what makes no sence what so ever.
Such micro management of the field of play and the equiptment just serves to make racing an inter-active board game with little resemblence to the world of sailing. The often used term of "sport of sailing" is a misnomer and has little to do with the art of sailing. Sailing has never been a sport and until someone develops a better way to traverse the planet and enjoy the water it never will be. Big Red 56 the Pirate of Pine Island.
 
#5 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

I just have to add my own warped view here. Firstly are we talking about what makes the best "sailor" or "seaman"? I remember a story from Newport Calif. A sailor in the 30''s would sail single handed up to the Newport Yacht club to play tennis. He would step of his sloop onto the dock and let the vessel sail off by itself. By the time his match was done, he would meet his sloop coming back to the dock. If true he was a good sailor.
I humbly, love to tune my sailboat to the prevailing winds and waves so that it sails itself with the minimun input from me. I see the most astonished looks from passing sailors when they see me with my hands off the tiller while they are fighting theirs.I also love to go out when most are coming back, sail on full canvas when others are reefing. People here call me a great sailor. But this had very little to do with qualifing for a Master''s license. I have brought my fishing vessel back asking the Almighty only that my body not wash up on shore because people who knew me would be so angry that I was out when they thought I should not. So am I a good sailor, or a good seaman? I''ve known both that did not come back.
I sail to or just beyond my ability so that I can learn. I take no risks when I have passangers. I love the sea and take it for what it is, the ultimate challenge.
Just my warped view...JEF
 
#6 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

I think JEF raised an ineresting point about your question. You asked "Who''s the better sailor?" If the question had been, "Who''s the better seaman?" Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal sailors each has their merits. But when you ask about sailing ability, nothing teaches sail trim, analyzing local conditions, and boat handling like racing, no racing teaches sail trim,analyzing local conditions and boat handling like racing one design.

I know you pirates ''don''t need no stinking rules'' and that ramming people is part of a pirate''s stock and trade, but for the rest of us, racing rules are mostly a slightly more sophisticated set of the rules of the road that anyone who sails must live by. I agree with you that I frankly do not advocate a sole diet of racing as a way to build skills. And I also agree with you that its hard to take time to enjoy the beauty of sailing when racing, but in terms of sailing skills building nothing beats racing.

Jeff
 
#7 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Lets see , Liveaboards - My old marina in DC we had three liveaboards none of these boats or captains were capable of leaving the dock ( electric bilge pumps running constantly) these were also the same people who had magnificent tales of the sea, places they had been and places they were going(literally as their boat rots beneath them).Same thing here in NC only these boats leak more.One guys boat leaks so bad I loaned him a submersible pump(this is a pump I drain swimming pools out with)Yet he still tells me of all the places he is going.Right. I consider coastal sailing bay sailing, lake sailing, etc.Once you learn to deal with the fluky breezes and power boat chop what else.Blue water sailors are by far the elitist no question.
 
#8 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Ahoy me scurvy knaves, the latest upto date exit polls here in the sunshine state ,known for screwy election outcomes , is the tally so far:
1 vote for WOMEN sailors
1 vote for RACING sailors
1 vote for WARPED sailors
1 vote for BLUE WATER sailors
With just ten percent of the precincts reporting this one could take longer than the last but not to worry I''ve asked the secretary of state to look into the irregularities and we''ll probably ave to have a court ruling on write in canidates and dimpled posts. Big Red the Pirate of Pine Island reporting from return central, now back to you where ever you are!
 
#11 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

The Best Sailor, in my humble opinion, is the one who takes an interest in, and is ready to help at the drop of a hat, his fellow sailor... regardless of his experience on salt or sweet water, blue or coastal
 
#12 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

hold on a minute folks:do I understand this right if you lost a limb that makes you a good sailor,, if thats the case I must be a realy good sailor by now and I can stop paying attention when people try to tell me somthing.lets keep this string light and happy.HOW many people out there are amps hold up your prosthetic device....1.? any more.the term short handed takes on a litteral meaning when people see me sailing.I have lots of fun with it if ya can''t laugh at yerself yer in real trouble:
 
#13 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Election Update
1 Women Sailors
1 Racing Sailors
1 Warped Sailors (no re-voting allowed)
1 Blue Water Sailors
2 Pirate (sailor implied)
1 Humble/helpfull Sailors
1 Laughing Amputee Sailors

Somebody''s got to call this thing, so with my vote for the Pirate, Pirates have it!! I Guess JEF had the right Idea in conceding, I suspect he may have guessed where I was going? One serious wrong response for Blue Water and the rest don''t matter. My point was the other argument about qualifications which has always led to an argument not just here at Sailnet but everywhere. No one can qualify what makes such a broad term as Sailor. Therefore there can be no real kind of sailor superior than another. Some may have accomplished more, some may have just started, dosen''t matter. If it''s(sic) is in yer blood you are a sailor (mabye not a good one) but you have value to sailing as a whole and to Sailnet. Most importantly to me. I love you guys!!! Man...... I gotta stop drinking. Big Red 56 the Pirate of Pine Island.
 
#15 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

AHOY..big red ya can''t throw the hat in yet!we haven''t heard from all the "sailors" that went out sailing for the weekend .Lets wait till they get back to give us some more oppinions .with all this snow and ice here all a sailor can do is read and dream of spring launch.what brand rum?
 
#16 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

duffyM,

It is sure that you jest with the query, "What brand rum?". Of all libations so tagged rum, there is only one truly deserving the name, that being of course Gosling''s Black Seal. All others, while perhaps somewhat effective, pose nothing more than semi-sweet interludes between the enjoyment of Bermuda''s own.

Snap
 
#18 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

When you''re feeling up to it, may I humbly suggest that you mix a bit of Ginger Beer with the Gosling''s Black Seal, proper ratio is 2/1 Ginger Beer to Gosling''s but that can vary; called a Dark''n''Stormy from the thunderstorm looking head that forms atop the mixture. Bermuda''s national drink I hear.

The bestest sailor I think, is the one who hoists the "Splice the Main Brace" flags and then serves up Dark''n''Stormys to those who show.
Snap
 
#19 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

DM,

I''m AGHAST! Mt Gay is from Barbados (I know when the bottle is on its side it kinda looks like Jamaica...) But for the Bermuda Gosling Black Sheep drinkers you should try some Appleton''s Estate 21 year old (really from Jamaica) with the Blue and Silver label. I just drained the last of mine (it''s unaffordable or unavailable in the States) a month ago and was depressed for a fortnight.

But on Esmeral we keep a ready supply of Puerto Rican rum to be used solely (no pun intended) to send the fish we catch on to their greater reward without a lot of flopping about.

As to the "better" sailor...my vote goes to the one which carries a supply of sippin'', and mixin'' rums with enough variety to make a killer Mai Tai.

Killer Mai Tai Recipe:
Short Glass with ice
Squeeze of lime
1 Part White Rum
1 Part Medium Rum
1 Part Dark Rum
(optional) 151 Floater
Pour together and hold glass near a fresh pineapple for no more than 15 seconds (you don''t want to bruise the rum). Enjoy while you can still hold the glass.

Jim
"Esmeral"
 
#20 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Mentioning Appleton''s rang a bell so I checked and sure enough a pilot friend of mine had bought a bottle of the stuff you described and gave it to me as a gift. Immediately I had a drink in your honor.

Puerto Rican rums?; I knock down a couple of Ron Ricos w/coke daily, seems to clean out the pipes. Really, Ive never met a rhum I didn''t like.

I have copied your fine recipe for the Killer Mai Tai and hope to have you''n''yours aboard some day to share one. I''ll try to save some of the Appleton''s in case we should meet.

Snap
 
#21 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Gee I had to look back to see what I really said,got my rums mixed up ,got my countrys mixed up.I had just better shut up and drink.Hope my nav. skills are better than my conesuier and spelling skills.The recipe''s are good this board maybe could use a page for sailors recipe''s(food and drink)for, survival of course.maybe not.ANYhow I stand corrected and thank you .....
 
#24 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Who be the best sailor, matey? Aye, it be the one who gains the weather gauge first, who can choose the moment when he bares his full broadside and unleashes the fires of hell from his guns.

racers? liveaboards? bunch of swabs. The true sailor and seaman is the one who can rain steel from afar, and the one to whom opponents strike at the first sign.
 
#26 ·
Live Aboard,Bluewater,Coastal- Who''''s the better sailor?

Ahoy there Cap''ns all. Suddenly found myself slamming up against a harbour wall in Izmir, Turkey. I must surely be the worser sailor / seaman - there ain''t no rum of any description to be ''ad ''ere me hearties - only some golden local brew wot the local brown eyes call "ye old Efes", an undestinguished apology for beer and a million miles away from my namesake. Sheesh, should have turned west at Kosovo.
 
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