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Old 01-26-2008, 07:53 PM   #1
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After reading Billabong’s latest log entry I was forced to think about the “perspective” of cruising. KT describes their new friends aboard a 27 foot boat following behind them and seemingly enjoying the crossing from a completely different perspective than they were aboard their fully equipped “yacht”. http://svbillabong.blogspot.com/

Without refrigeration or many modern conveniences, the true sailor takes pleasure in the experience of simple existence…wind, full sails, water passing by the hull and fish drying in the sun.

Several weeks ago we discussed Paul’s situation aboard Blue Stocking

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/bluestocking/

in which he had come upon hard financial times while underway. JeanneP then pointed out that she encountered many people while cruising that had far far less and yet they didn’t even seem to think that their situation was anything but paradise purely as a result of perspective.

As I sit here on my boat with digital HD on my 37inch plasma, I’m wondering if I really need such a thing while cruising? Will I enjoy my trip any more than if I didn’t have the hassle of having to keep my batteries pumped full of electrons just to view a few hours of the life I’m really trying to leave behind by going cruising in the first place? I wonder if I’ve lost sight of the goal…the reason that I want to go cruising in the first place? Do I really need 350Watts of solar…3.5kW AC, watermaker, satellite tv?

Would I be better off just saving my pennies and learning to enjoy fishing more?
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Old 01-26-2008, 08:45 PM   #2
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From the blog you referred to Trim50, " I watched their little 27 foot (yes, two-seven FEET) boat roll from side to side".

Now, NAUSIKAA is feeling a bit put out and much peeved as well as worrying in case she is out of favour 'cos she is 27 feet l.o.a. Now, I know you did not want to hurt her feelings but she is getting worried in case I want to swap her for a newer and bigger model. After all, she tells me that I did that with my ex-wife and I must admit that she has a point there. Ooops no, perhaps not a bigger model concerning the wife.

I know you mean well with your post but now I worry how to calm NAUSIKAA down and convince her that in my eyes she really is a beauty and that I am not on the market for any other? I know that this is going to cost me. She has been hankering after one of those fancy SeaMe active radar reflectors for some time now so maybe I will have to bite the sour apple and get her one to keep her happy. Perhaps I should get her one of those Taylor's heaters that DON'T require electrickery to work too? She would like that. Yep, that's the answer. It's the Ghent boat show in two weeks time so I had better get along and get her something there too.

You know Trim50, you are gonna cost me a lotta cash! The least you could do is give me an interest free loan to buy the stuff and never, NEVER, EVER again mention that 37 inch plasma when NAUSIKAA is listening. But you can come fishing with us. She'd like that.

Aye // Stephen
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Old 01-26-2008, 09:49 PM   #3
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Oh Stephen, we know Nausikaa has nothing to be concerned about! In fact, she is likely the essence of a "true" sailor.
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Old 01-27-2008, 01:03 AM   #4
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"but that doesn't mean there is an inkling of joy"

I felt something like a stab in the heart when I read that. "Oh, dear, how very sad that makes me" is what I thought. I can't imagine spending days or weeks on a passage feeling like that. I really hope that she is getting some pleasure from this, they've been doing it for four years now. I can't think of anything I've ever done that I could say there wasn't even an inkling of joy. I hope it is hyperbole.

Perspective, indeed.

Nausikaa shouldn't worry, I have no doubt that she's the apple of your eye. But sure, you ought to buy her a little trinket or two. Girls like a little bling-bling occasionally.

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Old 01-27-2008, 01:13 AM   #5
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I really wonder if it is truly a matter of perspective or practical usage. I think life in a marina needs the stimulii provided by modern conveniences. I could not do without airconditioning, the teev, ice cream in the freezer etc. I am finding that I spend as much time 'indoors' when living onboard in the marina, as I did when I was living in my house.

When I am anchored, or under sail, the TV is rarely turned on (nor is the stereo) and even here in the extreme tropics, there is seldom a time when there is insufficient wind to keep the boat into the wind at anchor, that I find the need to fire up the genny and the aircon. I tend to live 'outdoors' when at anchor and to drift fully away from the suburban lifestyle offerred by marina life.

I think voyaging in a modern,well equipped apartment is somewhat anachronistic...There is no doubt the technological developments which have transformed facilities aboard cruising yachts have brought many more people into the cruising fold...equally these developments mean more cruisers spend more time in marinas to keep their systems updated and maintained. Indeed, I know of one cruising couple who boast they have virtually never used their dinghy in several years of international cruising.

So if there is truly a difference in persepctive, it may well be a choice between the traditional quest for adventure, and the desire to merely transplant a comfortable life from land, to a clone of that lifestyle afloat, albeit with a degree of portability. I think in such a deal there is bound to be a high rate of failure.

This is of course all from a personal viewpoint. My boat is large, comfortable and has some pleasant modcons which are necessary in a marina. But at sea, I have a traditional boat with the addition of engine driven refrigeration, hot water via heat exchange and a few modern nav goodies. The bottom line is that I can continue to sail and live in comfort even if the engine dies and the sun doesn't come out.

I guess the land based equivalent is the camper who spends thousands on a three bedroom, two bathrom tent, hot water system, lounge suite, inflatable bedroom ensembles etc. etc. etc. Sure it's still camping....but.......!!

I find also I use the computer less on the boat than when I am on land. Rather than surfing the 'net, I find joy in my textbooks of ropework (fancy splicing/knots etc) and find more time to practice at becoming a slightly less crappy musician....and I feel there is joy in the latter, at least, for my future moored neighbours.

David
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Old 01-27-2008, 07:05 AM   #6
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NAUSIKAA is feeling a little less miffed today although she says that you guys are just saying those nice things to make her feel better, which is also going to cost me! I just can't win. I will do as Jeanne's says and get her some trinkets, although she does not take easily to trinkets either, preferring a few quality items to lots of gizmos which look good in the ship's swindlers but really have no place in a cruising boat.

I spent a long time telling her that I chose her because at 27' she is manageable by me alone (although I am having my doubts after this debacle). She need no one else to look after her, at sea or in port, although we always welcome an extra pair of hands. With one or two there is sufficient space. She says that we don't need a shore-side way of life because people, especially ashore but even at sea too, surround themselves with every possible convenience known to mankind and then don't use half of them.

As an example, I remember when my wife wanted a juice centrifuge. "Is it necessary?" said I questioningly. "Of course" was the reply followed by a long conversation amounting to don't question my judgement- just pay up. I paid up and about three years later asked why the "juicer" was never used after its maiden voyage? "Because oranges are too expensive" was the answer. Like most people we needed a big place to live just to hold the unnecessary, unneeded and frequently unused gizmos we had bought in our quest to make other people rich.

So, the gist of my conversations with NAUSIKAA was that she need not worry. I have no intention of first buying all the widgits, gizmos and whatsits, thereafter realising how useless they were and getting rid of them only to make the same mistake again. Thus NAUSIKAA is safe. I don't need a bigger boat even if there is a Midget 31 who has been flirting with me.

Without all the attributes of modern life, I find I have more time to listen to music, read books and spend "quality time" with myself as well as my boys. A few examples of what I mean:

* I sold my last car in 2006. I now walk to work. It takes 40 mins to get there and 40 to get back. As a result I am in better shape than I have been for a long time and it saves me time as I don't spend 15 mins in traffic jams, need to service, clean and otherwise take care of a car nor do I need to put in half a working day each week to pay for it.

* Upon my return from South Africa I gave my TV to a friend in Cape Town as it would not work with the system we use here. I have not bought another since then and find I am less stressed. I don't "have to get home to see this weeks episode of Coronation Street / The Flying Doctors / Zevende Laan / Peyton Place or whatever the poison is in your place. I find also that I have more time to do the things I want to do instead of lying on the sofa staring at the TV.

* I didn't buy a new dishwasher upon my return either. It is not really necessary.

By cutting out a lot of the "necessities" of modern living I am getting fitter and enjoying life more but it is a process of maturity. It applies both ashore and at sea. I am also helping in the fight against global warming in the process as well as leaving cash over for other, more important things. Last, but far from least, it means NAUSIKAA and I can spend more time sailing than fixing all the "systems" which have gone wrong.

Lin and Larry Pardey's website contains a great description of issues with systems going wrong HERE

Aye // Stephen
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Old 01-27-2008, 07:19 AM   #7
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Ahh...the Juicer!

High up on the list of man's most useless contrivances. But if you really want to see a waste of $ in the kitchen try the breadmaker. It is an ideal implement if you want to spend 2 hours waiting, while you make a very expensive, small, substandard loaf.

I don't think anyone ever bought a breadmaker for their own homes......why, I wonder, are they considered such good presents?

As for good trinkets for Nausikaa........I recommend a hand cranked LED torch, an expensive double skinned, stainless steel vacuum flask, a nice porthole mirror (gives you someone to talk to on a long trip) and a bottle of Bundaberg rum (makes that conversation just that bit more satisfying).

Cheers

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Old 01-27-2008, 08:47 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Auzzee View Post
As for good trinkets for Nausikaa........I recommend
* a hand cranked LED torch........... Good idea!

* an expensive double skinned, stainless steel vacuum flask................. got it already

* a nice porthole mirror (gives you someone to talk to on a long trip).............nah, I might start answering back and that would be worrying

* and a bottle of Bundaberg rum (makes that conversation just that bit more satisfying).............. a bottle of rum and I could have any conversation without the aid of a mirror- Just popping out to get one

Thanks for the good advice David
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Old 01-27-2008, 05:02 PM   #9
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Quote:
hand cranked LED torch
When we set off on our adventure 22 years ago, we carried a torch that needed no batteries - one squeezed the handle to power the magneto (?) that generated the electricity to operate the torch. It was kept in our ditch bag, though it was dug out several times while we were at anchor.

When we bought MV Watermelon it came with a torch that again needed no batteries, its light was now an LED, and one shook it to charge it. It's called Night Star, and the picture below is of the larger one.



And now I have a new, crank charged LED torch.



Fortunately I give away my stuff as I acquire new stuff, or our boat would sink! But look at the selection of "stuff" we can get nowadays. Flashlights of all shapes and sizes are my bling-bling.

http://www.nobatteryledlight.com/?gclid=CN...CFQUalgodmF-cOQ
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Old 01-28-2008, 02:16 PM   #10
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David....

How funny with the breadmaker. My wife insisted on one after we moved ashore a couple of years ago. She promised breads galore, and what I got was one SMALL BRICK, and never another attempt. She just sold it 2 days ago for one fourth it's purchase price. Some how I refused saying I TOLD YOU SOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Trim,

I believe also that once you leave the dock many things will change. There will be so much to do, and so much to see that the TV will get very little use. I have a small flat screen, but when we travel via sail it never gets any use. The lifestyle in a marina is one thing. The lifestyle cruising is quite another. Don't feel guilty for the TV, or anything else. I am sure soon after you leave your life will soon slip into a simplier lifestyle.............
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Old 01-28-2008, 03:00 PM   #11
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I'm kinda hoping that is the case. I bought the 37 inch for Lori so she wouldn't go into shock after having a 50 inch to watch her football on. I then called the manufacturer to determine how many watts the thing draws. It took RCA 4 weeks to get back to me on that question which simply blew me away. Anyhow, it draws 170 Watts!...that is just stupid while cruising.
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Old 01-28-2008, 09:54 PM   #12
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I got given a bread maker as a present. I use it fairly regularly (maybe 2 or 3 times per week). After a little bit of experimentation with the proportions, it produces good quality product every time and costs about 50% of the cost of a store bought loaf. I like the fact that I can set it to finish baking at 6:15 (when I get up), so I awake to the smell of fresh bread. Would I have one on a boat? Never! But at home it certainly pays it's way.
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Old 01-29-2008, 10:55 AM   #13
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I have a breadmaker - it's MY HANDS

I've been making my own bread for at least 5 years now - it's about 10 minutes of effort and the rest is done by the yeast while you're doing something else. When we were cruising in the Caribbean it was especially easy to prove the bread as it just sat on the transom for 20 minutes (when at anchor ).

Breadmakers are another one of those useless western inventions that are supposed to make our lives easier but actually end up doing quite the reverse.

OK; I concede that if I want the smell of fresh bread at 6.15 I'd have to get up at 5.00 to make it (or live over a bakery) but then you can't have everything

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Old 01-29-2008, 11:14 AM   #14
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For me bread on a boat is a task for the pressure cooker. Such a versitile bit of kit.

Aye // Stephen
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Old 01-29-2008, 01:55 PM   #15
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Cliff, cruising friends of ours used to make refrigerator yeast rolls (I think you can find the recipe in the OLD Joy of Cooking), and just bake a few every day or two. that way you could do most of the work one day, and have fresh-baked rolls early in the morning just by popping a few in the oven.

I had a friend who made croissants this way, too - kept them in the fridge and just baked some each morning. Actually, that's how bakeries do it, but with special proofing refrigerator/ovens.
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Old 01-29-2008, 02:34 PM   #16
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We use to use our hands for bread while travelling, and I am sure with some effort, and experimenting it could have been accomplished with the breadmaker. I think this Sunday on my day off I will do a couple of loaves, and drive the marina nuts.....LOLOLOLOL
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Old 01-29-2008, 04:15 PM   #17
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Quote:
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I'm kinda hoping that is the case. I bought the 37 inch for Lori so she wouldn't go into shock after having a 50 inch to watch her football on. I then called the manufacturer to determine how many watts the thing draws. It took RCA 4 weeks to get back to me on that question which simply blew me away. Anyhow, it draws 170 Watts!...that is just stupid while cruising.
There's a couple different little gadgets that you plug your 110V appliance into and it "counts" the energy use of the appliance. You simply plug the monitor, breadmaker, whatever, into it and it gives you the usage. Since it varies over time, if you leave it plugged in for a few hours you get a better idea of the average use by the particular appliance.

The "rated" usage by the mfr isn't usually what the appliance will use--it is usually the expected max use. Your monitor MAY draw significantly less than the 170 Watts but the only real way to find out would be to monitor it while it is in use.

Its always a bummer to learn that something uses a lot of energy though...we have a little Shuttle Small Form Factor (SFF) computer that we were intending to use on the boat. However, it consumes more energy on average than our fullsize (tower) computer which happens to have a very efficient motherboard with some kind of hibernate mode for its dual processors. Go figure.
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Old 02-02-2008, 01:01 AM   #18
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Couple of small points on the bread makers.

First-they can be a real help if someone is troubled with arthritis.

Second, My wife uses ours frequently- to mix and knead the dough. And for that part it isn't running all that long.

THEN she puts the stuff into bread pans ands bakes it. Makes GREAT cinnamon rolls too.
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Old 02-07-2008, 02:45 AM   #19
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Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.

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Old 02-07-2008, 07:24 AM   #20
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Interesting thoughts. I've been trying (sorry, Yoda/Redbopeep) to live a much simpler life at home for a year or so.

Nothing too dramatic and certainly not a one man crusade to save the planet but switching TV's off properly rather than leaving them on standby, walking/cycling to the local shops (which are closer than the supermarket) and eating a bit more healthily. I've also lost all interest in clothes and bling - a curse in my youth - and found that the occasional glass of wine, shot of Mount Gay rum or pint of Guiness is somehow more delicious than the good few of yore - also less damaging the next day!

I haven't quite got to the point where I don't need a car but I do now drive a 1986 Citroen 2CV which bowls me along at unbelievable speeds towards the local municipal golf course and contributes to my friends concerns for my sanity. Our local council also provides me with a free travel pass which enables me to travel on local buses and trains for anything up to 30 miles and this will be extended to the whole of the UK for bus travel in April this year. I haven't yet bitten the bullet on air travel but, if and when I have the cash and courage to buy my dream cruiser, this will, hopefully, become my home and prime mode of transport.

Please don't think that I'm being a goody two shoes in this but I was not a little shocked when I followed Jeanne's pointer to that page with all the battery free devices - the number and variety of torches doing essentially the same thing in the name of eco-awareness somehow defied belief; multiplying this page by similar ones for every product which the human heart desires - including breadmakers - and I had a brief moment of real despair about the modern curse of consumerism.

Not everyone is in a position to even dream about cruising, of course, so how will we persuade the developing world to move to a simpler - quite probably more satisfying way of life - when our western culture seems hell bent on the opposite.

See ya
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