Cruising and the Coming Storm ~ Recession, Depression, Climate Change, Peak Oil

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by brantleychuck

All that gloom and doom is just noise, turn off the tv for a month and you will realize virtually none of the gloom and doom you listed affects you in any way. This is something I have to remind myself of occasionally .

I just read this whole thread and found it so interesting. It looks like " peak oil" was a hot topic. Kind of funny now looking at the current global oil market. Just spent a week at my little trailer house in sw Florida , boat project floating in the back yard. My old school des


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Actually I do not let the day to day ongoings in the world affect my life or plans at all although that doesn't mean that I ignore it completely. In fact, I never watch the idiot tube but do read the newspaper(s) most often when flying back and forth to the boat or when waiting in the Lounges at the airports.

However, I do in fact pay attention to my childrens (6) lives and I can tell you that the opportunities available when I was their age were much more abundant than they are today. I owned and operated a mid sized railway construction company (20mm annual revenues) for many years until I sold it and retired last year at the age of 52 so fortunately I have the wherewithall to help out my children and grandchildren if it becomes necessary. They are all making their own way in life so far but I can assure you that they are struggling far more than I did at their age however I am not one to step in and bail them out frivolously as I believe that this would only be detrimental. My worst fears are that the idiocy of the politicians today will result in further reductions in the quality and standard of living for them. Just look at the federal election in Canada that is ongoing. Instead of talking about healthcare, the economy, education, etc. they are arguing about whether muslims who are applying for Canadian Citizenship should be allowed to cover their faces when taking the oath.

If anyone here thinks that conditions in the world today are better than they were when I was a child then they are sadly mistaken or just have their heads stuck in the sand. But then maybe I am just confused.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Actually I do not let the day to day ongoings in the world affect my life or plans at all although that doesn't mean that I ignore it completely. In fact, I never watch the idiot tube but do read the newspaper(s) most often when flying back and forth to the boat or when waiting in the Lounges at the airports. [edit]

If anyone here thinks that conditions in the world today are better than they were when I was a child then they are sadly mistaken or just have their heads stuck in the sand. But then maybe I am just confused.

I hear you.... That makes two of us.

We have one hard working adult daughter who, like you stated struggles to get ahead as a registered nurse along with her husband in today's world, and another 30 something adult child who refuses to work hard and demands that mom still pay for everything she can't afford.

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

- a boat that sails well (little/no need for fuel),
- with very simple rigging and sails,
- with huge water tanks, (to store rainwater),
- a small pile of solar panels,
- copper plated bottom,

- five pounds of Musto saltwater hooks, 10k yards of nylon monofilament, two quality spearguns with plenty of spare rubber,

I would add a year worth of supply of quality freeze dried food. They now have up to 25 years of shelf life. Just in case, you know As well, propane will be impossible to get, so cooking with propane will be ab issue. Something to think about.

[Pelagic]

In the last 6 years since this Thread began...ask yourself:

Has the sense of time getting faster and faster as well as your heightened awareness of world distractions..... prevented you from achieving your cruising goals?

Therein lies your answer.

[valhalla360]

double post

[valhalla360]

Not buying the kids can't get by argument.
- Owning a $20mil railroad was never commonplace and even for those who made it, within a generation or two, the kids were usually right back to average.
- A kid who expects mom & dad to pay for everything is something ... but I certainly wouldn't call it lack of oppurtunity.

Let's look at oppurtunity: Tell me how much easier it was to set up a nationwide advertising campain 50yrs ago compared to today. It seems bad because what worked for you doesn't work for your kids. Example: When canals came out, teamsters (the original ones with horse drawn wagons) were undercut. Later the canal boatmen were undercut by trains. I'm sure they saw the lack of oppurtunity also as their traditional jobs went away but were replaced by other jobs.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Not buying the kids can't get by argument.
- Owning a $20mil railroad was never commonplace and even for those who made it, within a generation or two, the kids were usually right back to average.
- A kid who expects mom & dad to pay for everything is something ... but I certainly wouldn't call it lack of oppurtunity.

Let's look at oppurtunity: Tell me how much easier it was to set up a nationwide advertising campain 50yrs ago compared to today. It seems bad because what worked for you doesn't work for your kids. Example: When canals came out, teamsters (the original ones with horse drawn wagons) were undercut. Later the canal boatmen were undercut by trains. I'm sure they saw the lack of oppurtunity also as their traditional jobs went away but were replaced by other jobs.

Ah but you have to actually read what was posted. I never said that I owned a 20million dollar railroad, What I said was that I owned a Railroad construction company that did 20mm revenue a year. I only stated this so that there was no misconception that I understood how the business world worked.

We didn't and do not give our kids everything and we made sure to let our kids know that they wouldn't be getting free hand outs for the rest of their lives. They were given the opportunities to experience life and decide the direction that they wanted to go. Not all of them were happy with our approach but then, they are the kids and we were the parents.

Yes you are absolutely right that technology will always result in changes to traditional jobs making some obsolete as well as reforming many others. This is not the issue as it has been going on for thousands of years.

Mostly the issue with the younger generation in the first world countries is the
sense of entitlement that they have. Yes, this is the fault of the parents. Most children from these countries did not/do not have to earn anything on their own and so when the time comes to leave the nest they are not prepared for reality. However at the same time this does not explain the lack of opportunity available for them today. Even highly educated people have limited opportunity today as I cannot tell you how many phd and masters graduates applied for work at my company because a labourer or machine operator made more money with better benefits that what was available in their fields if in fact there was any work available at all. We could get into this issue in more depth but this is probably not the place for that discussion. (Radical thread drift)

I was only expressing my opinion that although I do believe that the world situation will at some time get better, we will suffer a lot more doom and gloom before it does. Probably not in my lifetime.

[valhalla360]

Nothing wrong with expressing your opinion.

My bad on the $20mil company but even if it's revenue, that should translate into income several times better than average, so the point is still valid that it was never realistic to expect similar levels of success (even if they had the oppurtunity becuase you set them up for it)

I believe a lot the phd's and masters not being able to find jobs still goes back to that entitlement issue not a lack of oppurtunity. From my experience with my nieces and nephews, they are unable to articulate why they got an advance degree other than they are supposed to. Then they don't expect to start at the entry level. Several have passed on jobs in their field because they expected better but after a few years, no one wants to consider them because they are a few years out with zero experience which is a huge red flag.

It's frustrating because you can only offer so much advice before you are just nagging them to no good purpose. The ones that took what they could and then worked thier way up are doing very well. Unfortunately, they are the minority.

I know it sounds like an old crumudgeon but I'm a big believer that a little struggle is good for kids. There is a point where kicking them out on their own is helping (not that it sounds like you were coddeling them).

[AiniA]

Things change - for every positive development in the world over the last x years you can always find a negative. It has been like that for at least a couple of centuries. The rate of change now is higher which makes it more complicated. One needs to be adaptable while at the same time willing to push for a world that is better - both politically and by example.

[belizesailor]

Its amazing how many buy into these gloom and doom future predictions...which have been going on for eons and are inevitably incorrect. Why? Because its impossible to accrurately predict the future. Those who prey upon these paranoias (and there is an entire industry) spread misinformation as if they are writing with certainty (which of course is impossible). To the extent of assigning specific dates (Ive noticed October seems to be popular). And, their delusional audience gobbles up what they are psychologically predisposed to believe.

What I do know, with absolute certainty, is that the predictions of all these opportunists, or just plain old paranoid-delusionals, will be wrong. So, all the preparations you make for these delusional predictions will be wasted...the disaster that may or may not develop won't be the disaster they predicted, nor will it happen when predicted.

You prepare and plan within the relm of what is rational, avoid the hot spots, and get on with life. If **** happens, deal with it in the realm of more immediate reality not paranoid-delusional projections.

[Cottontop]

Originally Posted by undercutter

If anyone here thinks that conditions in the world today are better than they were when I was a child then they are sadly mistaken or just have their heads stuck in the sand. But then maybe I am just confused.

Things aren't getting any better for that tiny slice of humanity that are well-to-do westerners. Tch, tch.

Ask black people in Alabama if things are bettter than they were 50 years ago. Or Chinese, or Indians, or shoot, most anybody in the world. (OK, things are worse in Syria)

Look at worldwide statistics on life expectancy, child mortality, disease, starvation. Tremendous improvement in the last 50 years.

But Americans (and Canadians?) are struggling to afford their vacation homes. So sad.

[DeepFrz]

The US military, and I dare say other military s of the world, know how things are going and they are preparing for the changes that are happening right now. Then of course there is the chest thumping of the US against Russia. Anyone who thinks that the migrations that are happening are a temporary thing are not keeping up with what is happening. The corporate owned news and politicians are not giving you the full picture. You have to be willing to look deeper to find out what is really happening. Listen to the thinkers of this world instead of people like "The Donald".

[lonesoldier0408]

I've seen fanatical commitment, first hand, in Iraq. Sailing away to a less confrontational port will only get you so far. So, when you've run out of places to run, "It's been nice knowing you." If you doubt this, consider that, time never looses. Live long enough and you will be lambs to the slaughter, even if the butcher is time.
Although the fanatics are giving time a run for it's money!


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[Pelagic]

I think one of the saddest developments in cruising will been the loss of individuality and uniqueness of those who now and in the future will make that cruising choice.

Boats will flood the same destinations whose surprise factor has been destroyed by the ever growing virtual data on every possible destination.

The successful marketing of the cruising dream has diluted its value and will hasten its demise as solitary anchorages and simple villages, become tourist destinations.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by lonesoldier0408

I've seen fanatical commitment, first hand, in Iraq. Sailing away to a less confrontational port will only get you so far. So, when you've run out of places to run, "It's been nice knowing you." If you doubt this, consider that, time never looses. Live long enough and you will be lambs to the slaughter, even if the butcher is time.
Although the fanatics are giving time a run for it's money!


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And your solution is?

Granted, nowhere is 100% "safe", never has neen and never will be, but there are certainly places which are much safer than others...and today it is much easier to know the difference before setting sail.