Cruisers & Sailing Forums

The farm boys and girls will know what it is like to get up at 3 am and rescue a new born calf from the field when it is way below freezing, or know what it is like to try and warm up a baby lamb that has just been born, or know what to do if an animal has broken a leg or a neck. They know what to do with the variety of broken equipment and broken fences, and horses that get their foot stuck in a fence. What it is like to be injured and miles from help. These are a few of the things that separate the rural folk from the city folk, the things that city folk can not begin to understand. It is the same type of experience that an off shore sailer might encounter. A farm boy on a boat would learn how to splice a braided rope and bleed the diesel the first week on the job. I have spent a little while in the big city, last Friday and Saturday for instance, it sucked. I was born in the South of London, I can't stand the place. I will never regret the time spent in the rural area, I have learned so much from my red neck tractor buddies, and guns are real handy when you have a sheep with a broken neck. I guess if you do not know how to fix it, having money helps.

I think it is unfair for any of us to comment on the personal side of the couple in question, when we don't know what there side of the story is. I do know that they are on a very limited time schedule and they are viewing this as a short adventure. The cruising life aspect is still to come for them. Maybe it will come sooner than they themselves expect, once they are towards the end of their goal and see what a blast it has been. Maybe not. But that is upto them. But at the mo, they have a plan, a goal and are working towards achieving it. We need to be careful at how we judge them as we do not know all the facts.

Amazing! We are spending a lot of time emphasizing what Pat and Ali can't do. I think I perfer to think of all the things they can do! They have safely taken a boat more than 10,000 miles. More than half of that accross open ocean! Think of the skills that DOES take. We don't talk about being able to keep a watermaker running, navigation, piloting, weather routing, keeping ones spouse feeling safe and secure, provisioning, fueling, anchoring, tacking, financing, budgeting, keeping watch, handling leaks, beding hatches, VHF communication, SSB communication, managing electrical loads, keeping diesel engines running, engine maintenance, fuel managment, organizing storage, stocking spares, finding spares, keeping brightwork up, hoisting sails, maintaining sails, keeping sail from blowing out, not running into other boats, not having boats run into you, transiting the canal, keeping warm, keeping cool, refrigeration, not falling overboard, swimming, finding propane, filling propane tanks, pumping holding tanks, keeping the head running, keeping the batteries up, clearing customs, obtaining visa's, scoring beer, scoring pizza :cheers: managing tackle, keeping tackle from rusting, managing health, managing perscriptions, fishing, not blowing up the boat, not burning down the boat, not sinking the boat... ETC, ETC, ETC.

I was trying to figure out what I needed splicing for. The only things I could come up with were cosmetic. When I replaced the halyards I just used electrical tape to join the old to the new line. Went through just fine. I'll learn one of these days, but I don't consider it a safety issue, so it is toward the bottom of my list.

The reason I keep reading Bumfuzzles logs are they are so entertaining!!! Pat is a very good writer. I know he does not intend to teach anyone how to sail. I think his intent is to share his adventures with friends, family and people around the world that just might want to say hey! Do some of his points annoy me? yep! Am I appalled some times? Absolutely. But, I read them with my wife and she says, "we know more than they do, maybe I won't be so scared of going offshore!" That is worth more than seemingly 100's of books I have read by the multitudes of experts. We all know you pro's can do it, how about us mortals?

Oh well, enough said. I need to go install the new inverter.

Cheers, and fine sailing to all.

Keith
:cheers:

A quick “Google” on “Man Survives” turns up all sorts of interesting stories, including:

Latvian man survives deadly binge: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3335019.stm
A Latvian man has recovered after drinking enough alcohol to kill two normal people.
Tests showed that he had 7.22 parts per thousand of alcohol in his blood, while four parts per thousand would usually be fatal.
The man was taken to intensive care on Wednesday, but was well enough to talk to journalists on Thursday ...

Man Survives Jump Into Lion's Den: http://www.local6.com/news/3887764/detail.html

I don’t think that anyone would suggest that drinking a double-fatal dose of alcohol, or jumping into a den of lions is a good idea, just because it’s been done (more or less) successfully. I don’t think anyone would even seriously suggest that it’s “doable”.

Why then, should we assume that the fact of Pat & Elly’s survival (without major mishap to themselves or to others) on a semi-circumnavigation (c/w major ocean passages) suggests that newbi’s can successfully cruise with an absolute minimum of preparation, skill, and knowledge? I don’t think it does.

Respectfully,

Quote:

we don't know what there side of the story is

Isn't this what their entire website is about?

Quote:

They have safely taken a boat more than 10,000 miles

"God looks after children, drunks, and fools"

I DO give them ALOT of credit for getting out there and doing it!!!

:cheers:

Ok, I know I said the previous comment was my last, but what do you say to this?!?!?!?!

From Bumfuzzle.com...

Quote:

And since I was having so much fun with my spray paint I asked Ali if I could paint the Man Over Board Pole. Or as we like to call it, the Flag Pole. The MOB pole was painted red, which didn't match at all, although I'm guessing there is a safety issue involved here. But now it is this sweet looking gray that really ties in nicely with the fabric around it. A wise choice indeed.

:rolleyes:

Ummm yeeess. I have to admit when I read that, I took a gasp and muttered out loud, :eek: Ya did WHAT!?!?!?!?

It does look like they are lacking some sound judgment. I did read that they are keeping their life insuranve paid up! That could be a good thing for someone.

Now I need everyone to follow my thread on heading south so that I don't make anymore mistakes than I have to! I would hate to see a post like this involving me!

I do hope that doesn't mean you need help infinding the Direction of South Gunner. ;) :D

I can find south. It is getting south that could be a problem.

And it's up hill for you guy's too;) :D

I read their logs sometime ago and this particular entry caught my eye;

“Today I was once again reminded how very little I know about boats. I was looking at a West Marine catalog for a winch cleaning and regreasing kit. So I'm looking at it and it keeps talking about 1 or 2 speed winches. My winches didn't seem to fit the 1 speed category, but they were saying that the 2 speed winches should be able to crank in either direction. One direction is at a 1:1 gear ratio meaning for every turn of the winch handle the drum makes one revolution. And the other direction is like a 6:1 ratio. So I go over to one of the winches and turn it counterclockwise. Sure enough it spins at a 6:1 ratio. I have been raising the main by turning the winch clockwise. Meaning of course that I am spinning the winch about 6 times more than I need to be! Moron! No wonder I would be so exhausted by the time I got the main all the way up. In my defense, the winches were both broken before I took them apart the other day and I'm 90% sure that the 2 speed cycle wasn't working before. Of course that just shows again that I should have fixed them earlier. Anyway, I'm now looking forward to the next time I get to crank up the main.”

How is it that they could sail from Florida, through the Bahamas, through the Panama Canal, to the Galapagos and be en-route to the Marquesas before realizing that some winches on their boat have 2 speeds? This just doesn’t make sense.

I've followed Bumfuzzle's logs for some time and can't believe the negitivity they've encountered here. (jealousy maybe?)

Yes, they're unexperienced and yes, they may have been "lucky" but they've done what thousands of others, (and many here) have done or wish to do. They've got themselves a boat and did what they dreamed, moving aboard and sailing. At a very young age to boot.

Look at how many boats you see "permanently" tied to the docks? At the least, they deserve the respect of others for having the cohonies to go their own way, follow their own path.

Regardless if they're learning along the way, they've had problems with their boat and the builder should stand behind their product, not doubletalk and dodge. How loud would you be screaming we're you to have similar problems?

From their logs they're obviously good, decent people. If you read the e-mail exchange with Charter Cats they've constantly remained civil and shown respect due others.

Why not cut em some slack and help/teach them rather than criticize?

Cliff

Well said cliff and I agree. Greg.:cheers:

hey Ozskip, did you see you have mail?

This thread is developing into an interesting read in its own right. One observation I notice is missing to date is putting BUMFUZZLE's misadventures into the context of a full circumnavigation. All the hard parts lie ahead, while the Coconut Milk Run has a relatively well-deserved name.

My wish for Pat & Ali is that they sail NNW from NZ via Tonga before heading to Oz - certainly not try it straight across the Tasman Sea - and after enjoying the Coral Coast, ship the boat to either the Med or the States, depending on their remaining interest in cruising and the size of their residual kitty. I'm especially concerned about the Malacca Straits & either the Red Sea or South Africa as sailing grounds for these willing but unskilled sailors.

My hunch is that something of this nature - a trucated voyage - will soon look like a reasonable alternative for them. However, once past the SoPac, they get to swallow the whole enchilada.

Jack

Yeeuup. I think I have read that they haven't experianced anything more than 30knts yet.;) Well the Tasmin will change that I bet. I had a reply to an Email I sent them a while back. Inviting them to sail down to the two most breathtaking parts of our country. I mean, one of these places is considered the eight wonder of the world. Why on earth even come to NZ if you can't se the place. Their reply was they were on a tight schedule and wouldn't have time. That is truely sad. If they aren't going to see the world they a sailing around, they may just as well sail in a circle around their home harbour, till they clock up the same miles as a circumnavigation.:(

I can't believe it. I got this very rude Email from this couple last night. They have taken my reply totally out of context. OR there so called freind that told them about it has. How rude. They obviousely haven't read all the threads themselves, as they would have seen the ones where I was supporting them, and they would have seen the context of the posts in which we were all talking here.

Wheels, I am sure that if that couple have read your posts, they would have react differently. I also think that other posters that did criticize the couple did it in a good manner. The criticism was more professional than personal.

Thanks Yona.

Wheels;

:cheers:

Keith