Have sailors never had it so good ?

A

alec

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Sep 2003
Messages
825
Location
East Coast
Visit site
Have sailors never had it so good ?

More money to spend on things. More toys to play with. Better safety. Better mooring/berths. Wider cruising areas. Better engines etc etc

Should we be more thankful than we are, or is there stuff that you miss from days gone past ?


Overall, are we ahead ?
 
I definitely dont miss sitting on the side of a GK24 in ISORA races across the Irish Sea, (cant believe we ever thought we had a chance of winning!).
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

Well the TV's boring so here goes:

More money to spend on things - I'm retired and on a fixed income. In case you hadn't noticed Tony and the sour faced one are taxing us to pieces.

More toys to play with - If I want to play with toys, I do so at the computer. When I want to sail, I use a boat. I really don't understand all this desire to destroy the pleasure of sailing and the sea with bleaping electronics. Some is sensible obviously but I don't want toys to play with on the boat.

Better safety - really? Have the calls to the RNLI gone down? Aren't they concerned about the number of 'break-down' service calls they get?

Better moorings/berths - Really? Would those be those expensive things with clanking riggin on all sides. I can't see any difference in the quality of my swinging mooring compared to 25 years ago. It's more expensive of course!

Wider cruising area - Init the same as it was only now you have to be at anchor or in a marina if that's your choice on a summer's weekend by 4pm or not get in.

Better engines - Umm well you might have me there. But I'm not sure that a 25 year old neglected diesel is all that much better than a 25 year old neglected Stuart Turner.

Tell me, what's it really like sailing on Planet Zorg?

What do I miss - the space, the freedom, the sharing of skills and the peace. It's ok because I avoid the weekends but it ain't what it was.
 
Do you remember when most people rented TVs from DER or Radio Rentals because TVs were expensive. (what became of those companies) And not that long ago an answerphone could only be rented!
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ? [Re:tillergirl]

Think many who learnt to sail in the days of black and white feet and fathom charts and pencils are seriously put off by bleaping whatsits whatever their worth. Sailed for years before I bought a log and sounder - then had to make a conscious effort to look at the horizion again instead of at two smart a-sed electronic squares.

On the subject of Radio Rentals - how many can remember the real good old days when you used to rent a radio from Redifusion. At least Redifusion had cable before Sky.
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

[ QUOTE ]
I'm retired and on a fixed income.

[/ QUOTE ] Ah - and therefore entitled to moan about everything! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

Oh yes!
that quiet spot where you could anchor for a day or two and only see a handfull of people.. all of them polite friendly mariners who also understood thier boats .. harbour masters who knew and loved thier "domain" might skull over in a clinker dinghy, more to chat, make sure you were ok and tell you about the shop only 4 miles walk from the shoreline, than to charge you the realistic fee for harbour dues.

That place is so much better now there is an aquatic car park full of plug-and-play plastic boats bristling with mobile phones vhf alarms and every third boat has a plasma tv blaring out till 3am... On warm days the supermarket leavs its doors open so you can enjoy the musak.
The "harbour master" is a worthy teenager who hates being there and only works cos he gotta pay his uni fees ..somehow... He whizzes about in a dory and knows FA except how many quid per foot per night to charge... OOOPs I forgot its 5 times as many quid now.. but it's ok. The charge is per meter.. not per foot... + 4 pounds for the shore supply..(wadda yer mean you DONT want 240v? tou might as well cos you have to pay for it)
The chandlers is also right there.. a mere 20 paces from the quayside. (which is less than a mile walk along the vast maze of pontoons)
It is staffed by two uni students both with earphones and Ipods which is fine cos they dont have a clue what the stock is for, so you have no need to communicate with either of em... just select what you want and cough up yer dosh.
Yep.. we never had it so good.
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ? [Re:tillergirl]

One of our first computers at work was built by Redifusion!

Donald
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

In all of that my friend, you have my whole hearted agreement!................Progress?..............yeah right!

If only I had a Time Machine!
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

...... spent a few long moments sitting on my boat looking across at Webbs boat yard (pin mill) the otherday. Peeing down with rain, half a dozen old sailors, oilys on, huddled around an open brazier in the mud. Just chatting.

Some things aint changed............yet.
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

You and Tillergirl are absolutely right. Perhaps one shouldn't look back to those 'proper' sailing/motorboating days, but it's hard not to. There are so few places now that aren't totally blighted by the same ghastly picture you paint, but then, those new to the water don't know any better do they.

After over forty years of owning both motor and (for the last 34 years) sailing boats, I'm within a gnat's whisker of calling it a day. It's nothing to do with costs (I have a very low cost deep water mooring and winter the boat ashore at a friend's for example) but almost entirely down to the points you emphasise.

I suppose the last straw for me, is being charged now to anchor in two of my favourite local cruising spots - Fowey and Falmouth - though at least here in Plymouth there are no such charges .......... yet!

We use our boat a fair bit - five months this summer going down to Avignon and back for example with negligible charges - then we get back to 'grab-grab' UK. And how depressing is that!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

[ QUOTE ]
...... spent a few long moments sitting on my boat looking across at Webbs boat yard (pin mill) the otherday. Peeing down with rain, half a dozen old sailors, oilys on, huddled around an open brazier in the mud. Just chatting.

Some things aint changed............yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

No that's true, but I fear that it wont be long before they will have, and for ever! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

[ QUOTE ]
You and Tillergirl are absolutely right. Perhaps one shouldn't look back to those 'proper' sailing/motorboating days, but it's hard not to. There are so few places now that aren't totally blighted by the same ghastly picture you paint, but then, those new to the water don't know any better do they.

(snip)

[/ QUOTE ]

You are absolutely right in my opinion, sadly "they don't know any better"......but even more sadly, they don't have any interest in knowing any better either.

I think for a lot of people these days, notions such as you have just expressed are relics of the past, a bit like me I suspect. Never mind, I can take a little comfort in that my local area is still blessed with quiet and free backwaters, in which to while away some time, without the clanking and clamour of modern life assaulting my sensibilities.

Just a quick edit, maybe some of us ought to ask "The Management", for a BOF's Forum, where the likes of me can go and chunter on about the "Good Old Days", and such, free from the insessant babbling about paying taxes, politics, the latest gizzmos, Global Warming, etc. etc? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Just a thought?
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

[ QUOTE ]
Certainly don't miss old oilskins. More Goretex please.

[/ QUOTE ]

Though it pains me to admit it (only a little)............you are absolutely right!
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?

Ah yes. The Navy Lark on the Rediffusion radio in the kitchen or Sing Something Simple with crumpets by the fire in the lounge.
We had 3 off them there black radio speakers, each with a clunky black switch near the window.

speaker_a.jpg


When I found out some people had cream speakers and switches I was most miffed.

Rediffusion_2004_002_small.jpg


I had a studio behind the the old Rediffusion buildings in Hull

rediffusion-oldhqb.jpg


Cable TV in 1938
 
Re: Have sailors never had it so good ?[Re:all]

Always remember first time I went into St. Abbs 30 plus years back. Harbour Master was an old guy called George Cary, sadly long gone. He took me by the wrist and said come with me laddie then lead me down to the pier ends. He then pointed out the dangers from all angles of approach, give me very good advice on when and when not to approach the harbour. He went on to tell me the tale about the rock that lies in the approach to the harbour. They had written to Trinty House or whatever to ask if the rock could be blown up - reply came back to the effect that if they could manage with the rock in the days of sail, they should manage even better in the days of power, so we'll be leaving the rock where it is.

Sadly no one has time for this any more, yes it is a miss, and meeting such characters made it all worth while. George had a gaff rigged sailing dingy called Peggy, whenever a yacht came into the harbour it always seemed to stimulate his interest in Peggy, always busy regardless of his years, always making sure you were soundly tucked up for the night.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top