Where Has the Cruising Counter-Culture Gone - Is It Too Late?

[Southern Star]

Does anyone else think that this thread has gone more than a little 'over the top'. I mean, Brent I respect your experience and your viewpoints, but your censorship complaints ring somewhat hollow in view of the fact that your recent post here still remains. Frankly, I have never seen this site as being one which allows only "posts made by the rich ridiculing and deriding the poor...". There have been countless posts where contruibutors and moderators have encouraged those of limited means - which have congratulated people on purchases of even the smallest, most basic vessels. IMO this is decidedly not a forum that is deserving of the criticism once directed at the justice system - "open to all, like the Ritz Hotel".

And daddle - calling anyone an 'idiot egotist' is hardly conducive to discussion or debate. It is certainly not enlightening, nor is it helpful. If you have a complaint or a criticism concerning a particular post, perhaps you should try to craft a logical response, or counter argument.

I am not sure what either of you are referring to with respect to the alleged insult to 'Tyler', but if he had sought an opinion on a plan, a proposed budget, or a boat for a specific purpose, then he should have expected divergent opinions - even criticisms. Whatever the impugned post may have said, I am sure it was not attacking Tyler or anyone else for being poor, but rather for being, in the opinion of at least one person, unrealistic. You of course can choose to disagree.

Brad

[BubbleHeadMd]

[John A]

Originally Posted by boatman61

On the Dutch side most Dinghy docks are at dedicated spots like Marinas, and bars like Shrimpy's/Soggy Dollar etc... French side its wide open... I always lock my dinghy.... not just to deter locals, some boaters aren't beyond 'acquiring' a second dinghy
Dinghy's get stolen all over the World.. if your STUPID & LAZY enough to leave it unsecured anywhere your asking for trouble... it only takes a minute..
Never had one stolen.. there or anywhere else..

I never had a dinghy stolen in ten years of cruising, I seldom locked it. The closer I got to the US the more I locked it.
I didn't think I was stupid or lazy, more cautious and trusting. I'd lived in the western US were houses were seldom locked, cars were never locked, and strangers talked to each other, heck, as kids we even slept outdoors during the summer.

The world is changing.

[idpnd]

I have yet to see the poor people being offended

[boatman61]

Seems the Counter Culture is alive and well......
No it isn't..
Yes it is...
NO IT ISN"T....

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by John A

I never had a dinghy stolen in ten years of cruising, I seldom locked it. The closer I got to the US the more I locked it.
I didn't think I was stupid or lazy, more cautious and trusting. I'd lived in the western US were houses were seldom locked, cars were never locked, and strangers talked to each other, heck, as kids we even slept outdoors during the summer.

The world is changing.

Apologies for misuse of the English language... personal slur not intended...
For "if your STUPID & LAZY..."
read "if ONE IS STUPID & LAZY...."

"The World is changing.."
Sadly yes it is.. but that's the price one pays for Commercialism, which promotes Materialism, and Globalisation, which gives the Corporate Thieves a free hand...
Where the mighty lead the lesser often follow..

[Jetexas]

I blame it on the baby boomers. All you old retiring people are hogging up the ocean.

I think we're just seeing something similar here to how in the past 10-20 years, most people wearing leather outfits and riding Harley Davidsons are yuppies.

The counter-culture makes things cool. Then the rest of us join in.

As has already been mentioned, technology and our incredible advances in communications just makes it that much easier.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Jetexas

I blame it on the baby boomers. All you old retiring people are hogging up the ocean.

We don't have a problem with this and are glad our plans are working!

[Pblais]

I blame it on the baby boomers. All you old retiring people are hogging up the ocean.

Mostly, it's the young, broke, and slow young people with more excuses than than ability. Clogs up the channels something terrible.

To find the counter culture take a trip to the good old days and hang a right. It's the first illusion just past your youth. If they ask what you want to drink then you got the wrong counter. It happens. Mostly it's a left right problem.

It's all an illusion so have a good one.

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by DPMatty

I first took to boats bumming around the caribean almost twenty years ago and have been looking to head back and may over the next year or so. While I'm not a complete misanthrope, one of the things that appealed to me was the counter culture that existed in the cruising community. These were folks who, like me, perhaps more so, left to drop out of the standard keep up with the jonses society.

I loved that. I came back started a business which I've been running almost by accident and dealing with people who I have loathed for twenty years. But I had some family obligations that I had to attend to.

Now in reading these boards and others I find the yuppies have taken to the sea... I know they've always been there a bit, but not like it appears today.

Am I wrong? Can one still get away and find adventure or must a new cruising ground be pursued? Are there really any left? The questions are sort of rhetorical, but not entirely...

I wish I had been born to a time of wooden ships and no electronic navigation...

I think use of the term "counter culture" is a bit of a red herring.

I lived in Alaska for ten years. Was a great ten years. What's there that isn't here is a different mix of what I call 'plain vanilla' versus 'characters.'

Plain vanilla are those who have never lived anything radically different from those around them. 2.2 kids, the house, two cars, a career. And maybe own a sailboat.

Characters climb Denali, mush dogs, kayak around Tasmania, ski impossible backcountry. Etc. And maybe own a sailboat.

Characters and plain vanilla don't mix too well. They self segregate pretty strongly.

I miss the characters. We just don't find them down here like we did up there. They are intertaining, especially compared to plain vanilla. So, yes, this post resonants with me.

I suspect that the mix (of characters to plain vanailla) has changed in many harbors. Many harbors have been yuppified, with plan vanilla becoming dominate.

But not all. And therein lies the destination.

Give me funky. Please. The country club types bore me. And me them.

[atoll]

why is it that true cruisers flock to places like sxm ,english harbour,spanish water,cartegena yacht club,suva,langkawi,marmaris,mallorca,seville,las palmas,the bvi,and then sit there as liveaboards and complain?
does it all come down to money=mobility?

[John A]

Originally Posted by atoll

why is it that true cruisers flock to places like sxm ,english harbour,spanish water,cartegena yacht club,suva,langkawi,marmaris,mallorca,seville,las palmas,the bvi,and then sit there as liveaboards and complain?
does it all come down to money=mobility?

We counter culture crusiers only stop at these places to re-supply.

Group-think, fear, and/or the herd mentality makes most cruisers circle the wagons for protection and reassurance that what they are doing is sensible. Comparing toys is impossible in remote anchorages.

The BVI's are full of bare boat charter types on a vacation that they've budgeted $4K+ a week to have fun, best to avoid this place.

As a general rule it takes about two years fulltime cruising before the trappings of urban life have been exorcised. Until then you're on an extended vacaion.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by John A

The BVI's are full of bare boat charter types on a vacation that they've budgeted $4K+ a week to have fun, best to avoid this place.

As a general rule it takes about two years fulltime cruising before the trappings of urban life have been exorcised. Until then you're on an extended vacaion.

LOL!

So Cruiser is the equivalent of the land based "Traveller" . "Keepin' it real dudes"

Met a lot of those over the years in far flung places, either reading the book "How to live on a Dollar a Day - someone else's" or the same guide to out of the way places.........."FMI another tree"

Me? I created my own category. "Alco-tourist" .......and motto "He came, he saw, he drank it" A lotta fun to be had with a $4k a week lifestyle on vacation for extended periods.

But at the end of the day it's all about what floats yer own boat - not someone elses.

[atoll]

stopped at suvarov ,cook islands the other year. there were 32 yachts there,so much for a deserted island.
though we did have some great parties with papa john and baker,and about 50 other cruisers,and managed to get some work out of the cruisers as well, when phlip of abracadabra and my self offered to rebuild the jetty.

when the great day came the yachtties managed to lay a slab of rein forced concrete 17 meters long and a landing for dingys.
not with out coertion though as id offerd to donate a bottel of rum for every meter of jetty. was a good party after and well worth a case and a half of columbian rum!!!!!!!!!
guess thats what it is all about,a bunch of under employed talented people festering in the tropics,with not enough rum and not much to do.
sounds like a counter culture,a bit any way.........lol

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...4&id=710060436

[atoll]

david we use term "alcofrolick",works for us old hippies(mind you you gotta be quite rich these days to be a hippie)