Sailing/cruising To Achieve One's Goals

[redbopeep]

After reading Liz Clark's blog, my husband and I started talking about what was so refreshing about it (besides good grammar and pics!). Well, the thing that jumped out was the fact that this cruiser wasn't identifying herself as a cruiser but instead as a surfer-girl.

Her outlook on life, her goals, where she's going and what she's doing doesn't simply focus on "cruising" for the sake of cruising.

We realized that we were craving another viewpoint like this. We absolutely love to hear about people who are achieving another life goal where sailing/cruising happens to be a conduit to the achievement.

What do you all think?

I'm not talking about the "common" benefits of cruising (travel the world on a shoe string budget) but instead real goals that may be achieved with cruising. I've heard of a fellow who has done marine biology research in the Sea of Cortez for many years that uses his cruising sailboat and I'll also heard of a fellow that was doing some coastal charting/mapping in Labrador, so I know there are folks who do it.

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

What do you all think?

I'm not talking about the "common" benefits of cruising (travel the world on a shoe string budget) but instead real goals that may be achieved with cruising.

Craig Venter - He's circling the globe in his luxury yacht the Sorcerer II on an expedition that updates the great scientific voyages of the 18th and 19th centuries, notably Charles Darwin's journey aboard HMS Beagle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Venter

http://www.sorcerer2expedition.org/v.../HTML/main.htm

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.08/venter.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Ocean_...ling_Expedition

This is a man that has changed the world...then purchased a sailing yacht, and continues to serve humanity while cruising. A hard act to follow.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Trim50

Craig Venter - He's circling the globe in his luxury yacht the Sorcerer II on an expedition that updates the great scientific voyages of the 18th and 19th centuries, notably Charles Darwin's journey aboard HMS Beagle.

Yes, we subscribe to Wired and read this article. Exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. Craig is amazing in his achievements.

[duckie]

Cruising has personal benefits, but I agree it would be even more satisfying if there was an external purpose.

This could both contribute to community good and bring you in contact with people you would not otherwise meet.

I was in the mountains of Papua New Guinea in the early 80's on an environmental scientific research trip. The research meant we interacted with more people (and less superficially) than if we had been simply tourists.

The internet means that you can do something worthwhile / interesting and then, by photos and text, inspire / educate thousands of other people.

An example of a possible project is the impact of sea level changes. I heard a scientist the other day saying the current prediction is that sea levels will rise by 40 cm in the next 100 years. Some models are predicting a great rise (up to metre), as ice caps shrink. [Lets set aside a debate about whether other members agree with predictions of climate change.]

IF the predictions of higher sea levels are plausible, it would be fascinating to research what impact this might have around the world. There are island communities in the South Pacific on coral atolls where their whole island might be uninhabitable (Kiribati?). How would the Maldives fair? Bangladesh? Some of the poorest countries would suffer most from the sea level impacts of climate change.

What are the obvious physical impacts (coastal inundation, salinity of crops)? What would some of the social impacts be? What are local governments and local communities doing about it? Can they solve the problem themselves by adaptation, or is world-wide action on CO2 the only solution?

Documenting these issues with a few case studies would help stimulate the world into action to prevent it. I saw a presentation by Al Gore. While the background science has to be solid, people wake up when they see photos and hear personal stories.

A yacht cruise would be perfect for such a project, and would take you to beautiful places. You have the scientific, photographic and writing skills to do it.

It would link you to people working on related issues. You could be a United Nations ambassador!

Just one example of a cruise with a wider purpose.

duckie

[Trim50]

Sounds good to me!

[Popo]

C.V. ...Maybe he's rich and famous... But that doesn't mean that he isn't a dangerous opportunist, too... He took the fruits of science and then transformed them into something from which benefits might only be enjoyed by the very privileged and wealthy. His company sought to copyright / patent things that ought to be shared at minimal cost -- so that all people might benefit in the future! How many of you understand that this man's company, Celera, commercialized the fruits of pure science in a way that makes the manufacture of universal medicines nigh impossible? He is not a hero. He is a danger to the commonwealth of humanity. God forbid the day when science is totally controlled by corporations...

The human genome and studies of genetic manipulation may be the only way we can "cure" disastrous ills like cancer... Scientists should work for every man and woman in this effort -- not merely for a means of monopolizing the technologies for the purposes of wealth generation.

But I'm not much surprised that the typical sailor blindly accepts that this individual is a "good guy" just because he is sailing around the world, hmmm... But how many of you really know what is going on here? He is out to monopolize scientific technologies and their applications, both of which should belong to the public domain -- forever...



http://genomebiology.com/researchnews/defa...ght-20040220-01

[MMNETSEA]

Hello David,

What a surprise re. your initial remarks on this forum , A Sailing Cruising Forum :-

a) "How many of you understand that this man's company ?"

"But I'm not much surprised that the typical sailor blindly accepts that this individual is a "good guy" just because he is sailing around the world, hmmm..."

c) "But how many of you really know what is going on here?

Do you not feel that your comments may be regarded as insulting ? in so far as you have no knowledge of what we sailors understand or know. Even more interesting are your assumptions regarding the typical sailor.

It is noted that you are seeking a crewing position elsewhere on this forum - your comments may result in very few sailors responding favourably.

[Auzzee]

Popo, you need to understand that 'opinion' is simply 'opinion'. There may be a right and wrong and perhaps experts may be able to quantify degrees of rectitude. Many people begrudge the wealthy their fortune and demonise saints merely because they made a profit along the way.

It is the province of fools to baselessly criticise; it is less easy to be objectively critical.

Let us hope you can go cruising in order that you may develop a more balanced perspective. You may then come to understand that the 'typical sailor' does very little 'blindly' and is perhaps a little more focussed and analytical than you seem to currently think. I welcome your future comments with the simple proviso of having relevence to sailing.

Best wishes

David.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Popo

C.V. ...Maybe he's rich and famous... But that doesn't mean that he isn't a dangerous opportunist, too... He took the fruits of science and then transformed them into something from which benefits might only be enjoyed by the very privileged and wealthy. His company sought to copyright / patent things that ought to be shared at minimal cost -- so that all people might benefit in the future! How many of you understand that this man's company, Celera, commercialized the fruits of pure science in a way that makes the manufacture of universal medicines nigh impossible? He is not a hero. He is a danger to the commonwealth of humanity. God forbid the day when science is totally controlled by corporations...

The human genome and studies of genetic manipulation may be the only way we can "cure" disastrous ills like cancer... Scientists should work for every man and woman in this effort -- not merely for a means of monopolizing the technologies for the purposes of wealth generation.

But I'm not much surprised that the typical sailor blindly accepts that this individual is a "good guy" just because he is sailing around the world, hmmm... But how many of you really know what is going on here? He is out to monopolize scientific technologies and their applications, both of which should belong to the public domain -- forever...



http://genomebiology.com/researchnews/defa...ght-20040220-01

Humm... I don't know who you are or your background in science. However, what I do know is that you've made a couple statements that many mis-guided scientists who don't understand effective technology transfer make...

My own background...by degree I am an engineer and MBA...I am the owner of a biotechnology-related company. I am an inventor and I also license the patents of others for the success of my company. I am a former US Government employee who was responsible for performing technology transfer work (work to get government innovations out into industry as quickly and effectively as possible by publishing results as well as making sure that government innovations (in my agency) were patented so they could be licensed by companies in industry.)

If a new way of doing things (i.e. new science or new engineering work) is going to be widely used, history has shown that the most effective way of quickly making this happen is to REWARD the inventor by allowing the innovation to be patented/protected for some period of time. This is why we have patents at all. Note, they are "limited" in time and scope.

When (self-interested, I will admit) individuals/companies are allowed to "profit" from their inventions/innovations, they actually...da...well...INNOVATE! And, when they're told that they have to "give away" their knowledge for free...they actually start hiding knowledge and playing the most interesting academic games. If they cannot have money--they go for power in some other way. Bottom line is that people are going to find a way so that they WILL benefit from their talents. For the good of all people, and the good of our economies, getting innovations "protected" so that self-interested people will actually SHARE their knowledge is, IMHO, a good thing. Else, we just have a bunch of crotchety old scientists with all the knowledge bottled up inside playing their own little power games with each other. Silly.

We can either do things to help the world a large to benefit from the innovations/inventions of bright people (and products of enterprising companies)--this means allowing patent rights (which only have a limited life, remember used to be 17 years from issue and now I guess its 20 from patent application in the USA), etc....OR we can do things to SLOW DOWN mass dissemination of knowledge by not giving innovators any self-interested reasons to "share"....

The "win-win" is to allow them to profit from their knowledge, and to allow ourselves to benefit as well. When they "share" and build companies on their knowlege, we all DO gain.

No sour grapes from me when I see someone profiting from innovations. They're improving my world--and yours too.