Whats the silliest question you've been asked...

[timmygobang]

I'm doing the ARC this November with some friends.

Since deciding to go, conversations with no boaty friends mainly run a consistent course of questions such as

"How long will it take"
"How much water do you need"

sensible questions I'm sure you'll agree, but then you get some like

"So will you be anchoring at night?" .... "no, the Atlantic tends to be quite deep"

or

"How do you cook?"...."in a oven like you"

So whats the silliest/funniest question have you had about crossing the Atlantic.

I need some afternoon delights

 

[aslabend]

I think everyone has had the "will you be anchoring at night?".

Don't know the dumbest question I was asked but before I set off from Beaufort NC, I was in a bar chatting to a local and he asked why I was there. I said I was about to sail across the Atlantic he asked how big the boat was. I said 38 foot and he said "that's far to small, you must be *ukin*crazy". Turned out he was a retired stoker from a US aircraft carrier. Every boat must seem pretty damn small to him.

 

[Poignard]

Years ago, when I was in the RN and you still had to wear uniform ashore, I was going home on leave and I got chatting to an old lady on the train. She said "I suppose you see a lot of the world but don't you get fed up with eating fish?"

 

[vyv_cox]

Two friends were sailboarding on the west coast of Ireland. An elderly lady walked along the beach when they were resting ashore and asked them where they came from.
'England'.

'what, on those things?'

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

"Ben whats your name ?"

 

[SHUG]

When I was wet behind the ears a lock-keeper on the Crinan Canal told me they were only opening one gate of the lock to conserve water.

 

[colhel]

So whats the silliest/funniest question have you had about crossing the Atlantic.

I need some afternoon delights

After spending 20 days on a 32 footer from Bermuda to the Azores, then getting caught in a storm off the bay of Bisacy and nearly getting run down by a container ship.
I was asked, "did you enjoy it?".

Have to say, one of the best experiences I've had. Only wish I was sailing somewhere warm like you, rather than just the return leg.

 

[Amulet]

Whats the silliest question you've been asked...

That one!



(Sorry, but you invited the smart-ass response.)

 

[Terra-Loon]

How does a wind generator generate wind?

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Boy walks into a sweet shop and goes up to the counter and asks.

"how much are your penny sweets?"

 

[Kimmo]

Before we left for our one year cruise, the few funniest (or silliest) question that our friends asked from us were:

- What are you going to eat?
- Can you watch TV?

Also a skipper of a brand new 43 footer when we told him that we were leaving with our 40 year old 30 footer asked:

- With that? (with his eyes almost popping out of his head)

 

[Lakesailor]

Is Well-Rigged's willy really as big as yours Phil-san?

 

[Blueboatman]

Ok true one. Provisioning in Canaries for a crossing, it was easiest to plonk all the produce and juice cartons and 'stuff' in the Avon dinghy then transfer via bleachy water ( cockroach eggs) and drying in the sun, to a suitable locker.
I thought it would be interesting vaguely to take a piccy.
Somehow whenever people subsequently flicked through a pic or two, the question was.....''and you towed your food behind all the way, huh?''

 

[robinwr]

Where do you plug your generator in when you're on the mooring?

How do you know where the wind is coming from?

Had the anchor question last weekend........the same weekend that said guest brushed her teeth with the tap running.

 

[Avocet]

Not really a question, more of a request, but from my (then) pre-teenage daughter:

Dad, can you move that sail please? It's blocking the sun.

 

[RupertW]

Not really a question, more of a request, but from my (then) pre-teenage daughter:

Dad, can you move that sail please? It's blocking the sun.

You jest but I've had to tack or gybe many times over the last few decades after that request from girlfriend/wife. I ask myself whether I want to get there 20 minutes earlier or have them come sailing the next weekend.

Silliest question when I crossed the Atlantic was people looking at the World map up on our wall at home and asking my wife, "How far across is he now?"

 

[timmygobang]

That one!



(Sorry, but you invited the smart-ass response.)

There's always one

 

[dhippey]

Boy walks into a sweet shop and goes up to the counter and asks.

"how much are your penny sweets?"

Not as daft as it may seem!!
See http://www.thepinksweetshop.co.uk/Penny_Sweets
Then look at the line Penny Sweets
Sweets that cost 1p - 5p each.

How strange can life be?

 

[Thistle]

[In a broad Texan accent in the middle of Edinburgh] What time do they fire the one o'clock gun?

 

[Reptile Smile]

I was teaching year 9s surveys - they're gathering data on cars.

"Sir, how do you spell BMW..?"