In which I make a prediction...

Skulduggery of the worst sort, needful reading, and just the same old same greedy bastards...

It's interesting how what's normal changes when you're not paying attention. For instance, back in the early 90's from my vantage point was that the average cruising boat actually cruising was somewhere around 30-feet and now 30-odd years later the average is somewhere around 45-feet. Of course, the change was gradual but since I was not paying attention it sure seems like it sorta/kinda happened overnight.

These days, as it happens, I am paying attention and it sure looks like the pendulum has changed direction and smaller/sensible/affordable (i.e. common sense) boats are regaining their hipness factor.

Which does not mean that the floating MacMansion will no longer be with us but they will be a waning influence...

Listening to Free

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A very cool build..

Somewhat nervous making, G&T on a roll, and some truly impressive stupidity...

I don't know if you've been following the build of Yann Quenet's SKROWL but you really should as it's turning into a pretty awesome boat.

Gotta love the paint job...

Listening to Jesse & Joy

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On running before we learn to crawl...

On having perfected the "shrug", an important point, and I suppose there's just no cure for stupid...

Yesterday I had a note to the blog from a guy who's decided he wants to go cruising and was interested in my opinion about the boat that he's decided to buy to sail off into the sunset on.

What was more interesting was he mentioned in his note he'd never gone sailing or even been on a sailboat...

The scary thing is this is not the first email of this sort I have received and, I suspect, it won't be the last one either.

Truth be told, I'm not sure how he took my reply that he might want to consider learning to sail and, just maybe, might be better off doing a bit of sailing on different boats before he takes the plunge but, I expect he thinks I'm an ass for raining on his parade.

Maybe one of the best sailing books I've ever read is "Solitaire Spirit" by Les Powles who not only built a boat to sail around the world on without knowing how to sail but pretty much set off on his voyage with just a couple of hours of instruction. That said, a lot of what makes the book so interesting is the whole "guy-running-with-scissors-accident-waiting-to-happen" vibe... To say Les made some mistakes as a result would be something of an understatement.

Les Powles is a special case and an exception as every guy who pulls it off like Les did there are hundreds who did not... Something we all should keep in mind.

Listening to Geoff & Maria Muldaur

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another case for DIY...

Big money in death, a quick look at the scorecard, and a post worth thinking about...

There is a really excellent post over at the Marine Installers Rant about building an autopilot for not a lot of money and it is really a must read if you want to save money, need a system that you could actually repair when needful, and  just generally enjoy doing the DIY/geek thang.

Oh yeah, I expect it's the sort of article that makes the folks at Garmin and Raymarine pee in their pants so there's that as well.

Imagine a world where marine electronics are more affordable, user serviceable, and no longer disposable... Kind of takes your breath away.

The word for today is A-r-d-u-i-n-o...

Listening to Jesse Winchester

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Simple pleasures...

A worthwhile July 4th thought, some drinks that might get you through to the fireworks, and a book you might want to read...

It's amazing just how little most of us need to be happy. What's even more amazing is that a whole lot of folks don't know that.

So, it being the 4th of July, I plan to make some potato salad and read a good book which will make me one seriously happy camper.

Enjoy the day...

Listening to Tracy Chapman

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Yep it's really here...

Some back story on unaccompanied minors, George Takei making sense, and can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y...

Nothing focuses your mind on the fact that it is actually "H" season like the first storm of the season progressing to hurricane status and doing its thing.

More than time to check out the ground tackle, lines, and buy some new shackles...

Listening to Zachary Richard

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a place you may want to bookmark and use...

A bit of skulduggery, people in motion, and did someone say pitchforks...

I can't help but notice that the one cruising forum I find the most valuable is getting less and less traffic and, I suspect, that sooner or later it will lose all relevance.

So, the question comes to mind... why are folks no longer using the SSCA forums?

Looking around the net it seems the Cruisers Forum is still doing its thing but, looking further afield, it would seem that most of the cruising forums seem to have a lot less in the way of posts than they used to and it's starting to look a lot like a ghost town.

Curious.

One of the reasons I like the SSCA forum is that there seemed to be a minimum of BS, misinformation, and the mean-spirited masturbatory one-upmanship that seems the staple output of most of the other forums.

I'm pretty sure that I've gone on record before that the SSCA is a good organization and cruisers would be well advised to join if only for the SSCA newsletters which are invaluable for anyone needing good current information for the places we visit. That said, the organization does have its foibles but it is mostly fighting the good fight so deserves your support.

Drop by and check them out.

Listening to Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers

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