SSSSM - Part Deux

[flysci]

Volunteer crew is fun, can be good company, and great help with all those boat chores that are so hard alone - even just filling up with water wher you can have 1 to hold hose in tank and 1 to turn faucet on and off. And when 1 or both like to cook? I get well fed!
But never the same as a close friend and confidant to snuggle with at night.

[CarinaPDX]

I think the perceptions of "single-handing" cover quite a range of circumstances, of varying risks. In my case I started on my cruise alone in 1993, after failing to find someone to come with me. While disappointing, I reckoned to not wait and get on with it - a good decision I think (but who can tell what the alternative might have been?). Between then and 2008 I sailed from Portland to as far as Scandinavia and Turkey and returned to Gibraltar; in this time I mostly was alone, did occasional overnight trips, and only once or twice was out two nights in a row alone. Otherwise I found crew for the passage. I do not feel this was a particularly dangerous approach to cruising, and worked quite well for me. During 2008-2009 I sailed 4 legs of nearly a week each alone (on the open ocean); this was clearly riskier, but not too much as by then I had things worked out and had AIS and radar to aid in the watch-standing.

If the choice is to stay home looking for a partner to sail with you, or go when you are otherwise ready, then by all means GO! It is not difficult to find crew to help on the passages. And the experience of sailing alone will force you to develop simple ways of doing boat chores (the water problem above is easy: buy an in-line ball valve at a garden store and put it at the end of the hose, followed by a short length of hose to put in the fill). And when you do have crew, you will be more appreciative of their contributions .

As for crew, I have had wonderful, awful, and a lot in between. A good crew can make for a memorable passage; a bad one also makes memories - just not good memories. It took a little time to refine my selection criteria, but I'll leave the discussion of crews to another thread.

Still, the best situation is to share with a partner. The problem is finding them - still looking.

[Yachts66]

Zeee never single hands! She alwas has Bubba da cat!! LOL

[deckofficer]

Shows you all how slow I am. Not being aware of the original thread (I hope it wasn't pulled, so I can catch up), and not stumbling across this one till today.

My first and only single handing was due to my partner at the time trying to close a drawn-out real estate transaction, at the same time the weather window was closing down. She wound up driving my motorhome, towing the dune buggy, down to Mulege.

Later in life spent years at sea, but for business instead of pleasure. I got tired of the air travel post 9/11 to get to my ship, stayed on land and started a business.

Sold that business 3 years ago to take care of my 92 year old dad. He raced bicycles till 85, but needs help now. I have promised myself to return to sailing on my terms and not a shipping company, when my care giving duties are completed.

[zeehag]

welcome, deck officer--- come to facepoo also---lots of activity there,also... ...https://www.facebook.com/groups/259429507425467/...would love to get to know ye better, sir....
thomas, correct ye are-- i am still doing breakdown cruises so i wont solo sail yet-- i truly do not have the death wish going, and boat neeeds so much.

where is smb--any one heard of or from him???

[deckofficer]

Thanks zee, also would like to know you better. My early perception of you is that of salty, take no crap, kinda of person. I'm sure you have a sweet side too. lol

[Coachbolt61]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Thanks zee, also would like to know you better. My early perception of you is that of salty, take no crap, kinda of person. I'm sure you have a sweet side too. lol

Huh?? That is her sweet side. She also has a killer cat.
Smiles. Coachbolt.

[SaltyMonkey]

I will take bubba kat! And a cash cow too! and now I am feeding CROWS! YES! I have crow friends now! They LOVE PEANUTS!!@!@!@!@ And they tell all their friends too!

ummm...bubba kate like peanuts??

[Coachbolt61]

Donut likes cats. He wanted to play. Cat didn't.
Donut has sad face. Now donut LIKES cats. Preferably fresh with salt and tomato sauce.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Coachbolt61

Donut likes cats. He wanted to play. Cat didn't.
Donut has sad face. Now donut LIKES cats. Preferably fresh with salt and tomato sauce.

Attachment 38458

bubba didnt likee that one....

[Coachbolt61]

When Donut meets Bubba you will realise why Donut didn't like it either. Scratched noses hurt! Mean kitty!

[lookoutnw]

After reading thru all this thread, I come up on a conundrum.
If I were looking for a Sailor’s Dream Goddess, why would she be here?
If she has her own boat? Then she is also on this thread?
Why would a beautiful woman, who is independent, and has her life in order want to give it up to join me on MY boat? Doesn’t pencil out. Can’t see to get 1+1 to equal 2 here…
So I thinks to meself, Maybe she be here, lurking in the corner awaitin’ fer a sailor such as I… Then the fog starts to roll in on this rocky lee shore, ‘What brings her to this here hazardous place, a place of sunken wrecks of lonely wayfarers of the sailing world? Be it she lost her ship? A storm sent from His Majesty Neptune he’self? Or a stormy relationship that was smashed on the rocks with more voracity that Triton could have mustered?
So here we be, one and all, awaitin’ the Siren’s call, that beautiful Mermaid’s song that will entice and command us to follow it to the ends of the earth. Shall we be lookin’ fer the Lost City of Gold? T’would we be findin’ that sooner than that one majestical sailorwoman we all be dreamin’ of?
Tis’ a strange world we live in Mr Jones, On with the quest, keep a weather eye out and keep her steady.
Luck and Fortune to all ye noble Pirates of the Main!

[Mexdon]

lookoutnw, what a fabulous discourse, it should without doubt bring out some sirens of sound virtue

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by lookoutnw

After reading thru all this thread, I come up on a conundrum.
If I were looking for a Sailor’s Dream Goddess, why would she be here?

B-because if shez here shez here to steal your boat and leave you on a deserted island with crabs in your hair and blueberries in your underwear!!!

I'M DOOMED, lookout!! Calamity!!! SAVES YOURSELF while you can!! ARRRG!

[zeehag]

lookoutnw and smb--- yer both sooo bad..lol.. i am boat owner with own formosa---sometimes 2 boats isnt a bad idea, as one can be in one place and the other in another place both enjoy sailing and visiting..is a thought for y'all.....