Sod's Law of the Sea

Badger · 25 Sep 2003

Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Why is this out of print ? Come on Adlard Coles, I'm surely not the only person who wants a copy.(Awaits hundreds of messages of support)

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AndrewB · 25 Sep 2003

\"Screwtape Letters\" for yachtsmen.

My trusty well thumbed copy, as grubby as the cover illustration, still lies aboard.

As with the Screwtape Letters, there is an awful lot of truth buried in what is unquestionably the wittiest book ever written on yachting.

But it was published way back in 1977 - and it's very dated. What it really needs is a major update. I think the authors are no longer alive, but surely someone could take on the challenge? There is plenty enough material on this forum, for starters.

Badger · 25 Sep 2003

Re: \"Screwtape Letters\" for yachtsmen.

Screwtape Letters ???? Please explain.

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MarkR · 25 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Try

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/offering-page/index=fixed-price&field-offering-type=used&field-asin=0540071757&field-status=open&size=25&rank=+price/ref=sdp_sr_u/202-2324342-8432643

They show three 2nd hand copies for sale. I have used amazon marketplace before and the quality is normally pretty good.

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tome · 25 Sep 2003

Re: \"Screwtape Letters\" for yachtsmen.

Mine also, though I agree it's dated in places.

If you haven't read it it's the tale of an eccentric uncle who falls (drunk of course) down the stairs of his yacht club, rendering him wheelchair bound for life. He bequeaths both his yacht and his equally eccentric crew to a favourite nephew and the remainder of the book is an account by the nephew who struggles to take control of the yacht, interspersed with spicy letters of advice from his decrepid uncle on subjects such as 'wimmin onboard', membership of clubs, the heads, and other such mighty subjects. For anyone who's memory takes them back to the period, it's a hugely enjoyable work.

The book would indeed enjoy an update, and I'm mindful of the fact that my own nephew regards me as both an eccentric and the owner of his favourite boat. I have been warned, and will tread carefully in the yacht club.

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Ohdrat · 25 Sep 2003

Re: surely someone could take on the challengemen.

I would suggest you PM Twister Ken, Jimi and Claymore for a start/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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Mirelle · 25 Sep 2003

\"Screwtape Letters\"

A book written by the late C.S. Lewis, in the form of a series of letters from an old devil, to a young one, explaining the tricks of the tempting trade. It would be a shame to spoil the nice twist at the end.

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Mirelle · 25 Sep 2003

Message of support

I wholeheartedly agree.

I have given away two copies and had a third nicked - the fourth, expensively purchased from a specialist secondhand dealer, does not go out of my hands!

This is the ONLY book that tells you everything that you NEED to know, as opposed to what you merely think you need to know!

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BrendanS · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Second hand booksellers on Amazon obviously doing a roaring trade tonight. Only one left and I've just bought it!

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NigeCh · 26 Sep 2003

I once had a copy ....

I once had a library of books but they've mostly been 'borrowed' never to be seen again. Ain't it nice when you have friends who nick books!!!!

I think I could write a new one in the style of 'How to Succeed at Sailing or an ABC of Everything Nobody needs to Know':

A is for orses; A dead one makes an undragable anchor or a lost diver
Beef or mutton ..... Never on a boat. It's porridge, porridge and then curried porridge. Most dangerous.
C is what you get for casting off with a good time hello Charlie
D is morse code for I've lost my sextant, dont' know where I am. Keep clear.
E by gum. Right hand down a bit.
F *&*% or just plain got me balls in a twist and haven't a clue where I'm going.
G I've lost the plot
H ... Mayday. There's a nutter onboard
I Aye Aye Aye. We're passing to larboard. Gimme another jar of port.
J ... Crew Romeo has just set fire to SWMBO. Hurrah!
K is really I fancy either a Kye or Kylie Minogue
L for leather all at 5 knots still attached to the shore.
M is truly a myopic with salted glasses trying to read what lights the minesweeper is showing when still in the pub
N (blank)
O for a pee from the shrouds .... Plop. Missed the shrouds.
P (just wet my pants) Sailing is not for me.
Q for ... a quick flash or practique (Funny buggers the French!)
R'f a mo. Where the **** is Juliet?
S is for bucket. When you've washed your teeth in it, use it for washing the dishes and then wash it out before you use it properly. 'S' stands for the shit bucket that needs to be washed out astern in between times.
T with sugar when you'r sick ... so watch out. It's projectile puke.
U'r on the helm (till landfall on the rocks on the lee shore)
V for the 4th reef (HELP!)
W Bush ... Severe pschychatric medicine required. Ditto Billy Liar.
X for drowning SWMBO plus 5 celeblatary blasts on the horn
Y fronts and no bra .... dragging is worse than sagging
Z for a nubile non UTC Zulu ... QQ ... QQ ... QQ

AB2,UJ1, KE3, GH6, IV5, FL4, DM7, PO Third Repeater, RN First Repeater, ST Zero, CX9, WQ8, ZY Second Repeater.

kilkerr1 · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Abebooks, my favourite online second hand book shop, have 6 copies, just bought mine there, hurry, hurry...

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.abebooks.co.uk>http://www.abebooks.co.uk</A>

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duncan · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

a sucker for a buy now deal............better be a good read!
down to 5............

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Bejasus · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Me too. Now only 4.

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Badger · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Got my second hand one from Amazon yesterday........ when they see all this sudden demand they may put it back into print. Anyone got any amusing sections they could post on this thread to wet our appetites ?

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Badger · 26 Sep 2003

On dropping jam and bread

They go on to describe the nautical equivelant as follows;

At sea it also lands aspect down, but also at sea an inverted bottom and legs indicate that the top end of that person is hanging down through the open floor cover over the engine trying to stop the shaft turning. A lurch of the boat divorces the slice of bread from the adhesive sticking it to the floor: the bread slides past the engineer. As it goes past his right ear he tries to grab it, misses, swears, and drops the spanner into the sump and swears louder.

The cussing from the engine alarms the cook out of the galley space; she steps on, and slides with, the remaining butter and jam. On deck the crew are handing the spinnaker which they hurl down the hatch on top of the engineer, the cook and the pot full of greasy stew she was holding prior to the incident. A keen young foredeck hand rushes down to the saloon to get out a new headsail. As he clambers over the heap of red nylon he does not notice that it conceals two muttering fellow crew members, or for that matter the open engine cover. He falls and helps push the mess into the engine space where the exhaust pipe, still hot from a battery charge, burns a hole in the spinnaker. The coaming edge claims a slice of his shin. Someone on deck shouts 'Now the workers have got the kite off, how about some grub?'

It takes some time to sort out the shambles in the saloon, and in the process the bread that slid into the bilge is forgotten. Four hours later the new watch pump the bilge, and the offending slice is turned into bread paste and blocks the outlet valve on the pump. The engine hatch is again lifted to attend to the pump when someone coming off watch carves himself a thick wad of bread, butters it, and spreads half a pot of strawberry jam over the top, then......

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SlowlyButSurely · 26 Sep 2003

Re: On dropping jam and bread

I think "Sod's Law of the Sea" should be mandatory reading for the Day Skipper course, along with Michael Green's "The Art of Course Sailing" and Bill Beavis's "The A-Z of Cheaper Boating".

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Spacewaist · 26 Sep 2003

Full House Aces on Jacks

Indeed - and once you have read it, who can forget the description of the standby forecaster employed during the Met Office Golf day?? Never been able to play liar dice with a straight face since!

<hr width=100% size=1>A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2003

PeteMcK · 26 Sep 2003

Lost mine 10 yrs ago

Need another. Absolutely essential reference text. I gave it to an RYA instructor who, even now, promises to return it.
In the sage words of Chief Dan George, "But, of course, he is lying."

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Mirelle · 26 Sep 2003

That\'s it!

It should indeed be Required Reading for the Day Skipper course - not only would this ensure its continued reprinting, to the good of us all, but an awful lot of gaffes would be averted!

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phanakapan · 26 Sep 2003

Re: Sod\'s Law of the Sea

Only 1 left now I've got mine- it better be worth it chaps!

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