Yachting myth busters

[Concerto]

A survey will always find every fault in a boat.

A survey will always find faults that do not exist in a boat.

(Yup, had both in one survey!)

Racing makes better sailors (not nicer ones).

Anchoring is simply dropping the anchor.

Marina berthing is always easy.

Yacht insurance covers everything.

Varnish protects wood.

Teak decks never wear.

A flogging sail is never damaged.

Osmosis is easy to repair.

Antifouling works.

Glassfibre is indestructable.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Some of these later 'myths' are just stating the bleedin' obvious.

 

[stu9000]

Doesn't varnish protect wood?

 

[oldharry]

"..needs a bit of TLC"

 

[ghostlymoron]

Doesn't varnish protect wood?

Yes it does
"needs a bit of TLC" this is just a misleading sales ploy!

 

[ronsurf]

"You have to be rich to own a boat"

 

[oldharry]

"You used to be rich until you bought a boat."

 

[ronsurf]

"Sailing is good exercise"

I hoist the sails, point her where I want to go then sit and drink tea/beer, listen to the Grand Prix/football and watch the world go by. I could be sitting in a chair at home for all the exercise I have!

 

[Nicholas123]

CQR anchors are rubbish & will never catch on.

 

[xeitosaphil]

And anyone who owns one is obviously rich.

This one's a good one as well

 

[vyv_cox]

Learn in a dinghy and you'll be able to handle a 65 footer single handed

Don't bother with learning in a dinghy, anybody can handle a 65 footer these days with power windlasses and furlers.

 

[Resolution]

The advice given on this forum comes from experienced yachtsmen who know what they are talking about.

 

[Resolution]

Sailing in Scotland is fun because: there are no midges;
tides are gentle;
the water is warm enough to swim in all year round; and
the pleasant sunshine guarantees you will get a tan.

 

[ChiPete]

Some yachtsmen fly a white ensign on their boat to indicate that they welcome visitors aboard without the need for any prior invitation.

And don't forget they also love you to raft up as well

Yachting magazines are always full of new and innovative ideas and would never consider recycling subjects published last year, and the year before that, and the year before, that....ad infinitum...

 

[JumbleDuck]

Everybody has a plotter, because sailing without a plotter is unsafe.

The holding power of anchors is directly proportional to their price.

Starter boats must be at least 35' long.

Non sailing wives will instantly become enthusiastic if given the opportunity to have a short, lukewarm shower in a small cupboard.

The French do everything better.

 

[mikeinkwazi]

That one always makes me smile too. All the standard blah on navigating without GPS tends to assume you have a functioning sounder (it's a rare yachtsman who has the skill needed to work a leadline in 12 fathoms at 5 knots to follow a contour). The magazines regularly pose problems starting with "imagine your GPS has failed, but your sounder is still working...". What they mean is, "imagine it's the 1970s when I learned to navigate"

A lot of it is old men trying to preserve the value of their hard-won skills, but 9v whirly depth sounders were available when they started sailing so those are ok.

Pete

Started coastal sailing in '73 No sounder no gps no VHF Had a compass which was fine. Shallow was when the centre plate kicked up! Ah the good old days!

 

[mikeinkwazi]

Yes, but it was all we had when Noah was a boy: in fact I navigated reasonably successfully for quite a few years by guessing speed and creating EPs. I did once have an EP with about a 50 mile circle of uncertainty, but even the edges of the circle were still quite a long way from land.

+1

 

[Tam Lin]

Started coastal sailing in '73 No sounder no gps no VHF Had a compass which was fine. Shallow was when the centre plate kicked up! Ah the good old days!

Don't tell fibs, the centreboard was your sounder!

 

[Bobc]

"You used to be rich until you bought a boat."

That's not a myth, it's the truth!

 

[Grumpybear]

Being comfortable in a boat is unseamanlike and probably irresponsible.