patrick.net

Actually it's the longest day of the year. But the southern hemisphere gets to enjoy the extra light.

I have a friend in Santa Cruz who has sailed all over for years. He showed me a picture of his 'crew' when he was in South America sailing south from Rio. It was two very young girls in teensy thongs. Other pictures are of him naked on his boat.

I guess all kinds of people, including retirees on pensions, volunteer to crew on people's boats as crew just for the ride and the thrill without the ownership hassle.

Ceffer says

I guess all kinds of people, including retirees on pensions, volunteer to crew on people's boats as crew just for the ride and the thrill without the ownership hassle.

It's typical to help out with expenses when crewing on someone else's boat.

Onvacation says

Any other sailors out there?

I sailed some Hobie Cats when I was my 20s. Capsized every one of them trying to max speed. Capsized a keel boat as well on Lake Folsom, but not my fault as the buckle jammed when I was letting out sail. Girlfriend aboard dumped me right after that.

Boat flipper here too! <----

Tenpoundbass says

Actually it's the longest day of the year. But the southern hemisphere gets to enjoy the extra light.

Thanks @Tenpoundbass I did not know this.

https://explainingscience.org/2015/08/24/september-18-the-shortest-day/

Giant hydro foiling windsurfers seen in New Zealand!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/p7Yxu48s8FU

Sailing is the funnest thing to do outdoors, with the possible exception of surfing.
Anecdote herewith:
I went to a cool town in Mexico in 1981, Valle de Bravo.
It has a nice lake.
I went to some club and some guys had sailboats and one invited me to sail on the lake.
The boat was a J-24, from Rhode Island, among other cool sailboats on the lake.
I later wondered: “How much did the guy pay for transportation and the boat all the way to the middle of Mexico?”
I used to dream of getting a Hobie cat down to the Sea of Cortez and sail around and see the various islands there.

Full Moon Cruise

So jealous!

Recently I rented a 20’ sailboat on the bay in San Diego and sailed around with the family. Was fun for me and my son. My girls just complained. Bah! I haven’t had much sailing experience but I have the basics and got the boat to do more or less what I wanted.
Boring!
According to the girls.

We just back from SD. I've rented little sailboats at the Mission Bay aquatic center before but they were closed this year.

I have loved San Diego ever since I was working out of La Jolla Embassy Suites back in '96 and was able to rent a sailboard and putter around the bay in nothing but a pair of shorts on December 15.

"If you're on a boat throw away the clock.

If you're on a sailboat throw away the calendar."

Old Sailor Saying

Heading out.

Nice!

It is getting so hard to tell what is real. I just looked at all the cash in my bank and feel like splurging on my boat (always more projects). Is money in the bank going to be worth more than some blocks, pulleys, and a new sail? Which one is going to give me more pleasure?

I do know that I have worked hard from a young age. I have earned multiple degrees and certifications. I know trades and technology. I am as self sufficient as anyone else in this country who gives half his money in taxes to people; more self sufficient than many. I have saved for the future.

What good is a portfolio? What good is a house if the government can confiscate it at any time?

Lately I have been driving around a little and talking to old friends. A couple have retired because they could. Others put on their mask and go to work everyday because they have to. A few, including myself, do the best job they can communicating over zoom. They all feel that the covid reaction is a fraud. Not all of them believe that the election was. They just want to get back to "normal". Some are more than willing to take a shot of poison in the arm to do it.

I love(d) my job, I know I am helping people and enjoy (gaslighting myself here) the day to day tasks. I get paid well, have a LOT of time off, and a sense of accomplishment. I am lucky to be on a team that really care about the job and each other.

So what to do? I could retire and survive, especially if I moved out of Cali. I could suck it up and continue to work on the screen at all hours, further blurring the work/home boundaries, in the hope that this is temporary.

Or I could head over to the chandlery and spend a couple hundred bucks on some shiny new blocks that would let my jib sheets fly more freely and go sailing, putting all other decisions off until tomorrow.



I kind of like that idea.

If your lucky you will get 50,000 sunrises and sunsets in your life. Take advantage.

Onvacation says

So what to do? I could retire and survive, especially if I moved out of Cali. I could suck it up and continue to work on the screen at all hours, further blurring the work/home boundaries, in the hope that this is temporary.

Me too. I'm done if I want to be, and moving out of California would make it easy to never work again.

Still, I'm a bit worried that Biden will be as bad for my stocks as Trump was good. And the dollar could turn to shit. So I do nothing, for now.

Onvacation says

It's brave of you to fly the flag of freedom near San Francisco. They regard it as the enemy flag.

Patrick says

So I do nothing, for now.

I'm sitting on the boat with four of those new blocks. I didn't get to test them today but I can tell they're going to make my tacks and jibes smoother.

And back to the screen (work) when I get home.

Onvacation says

If your lucky you will get 50,000 sunrises and sunsets in your life. Take advantage.

I had a strategic spot in my last apartment but for the last 2 years I miss both. Was just thinking about that the other day: Maybe time to move.

Padmapper says: no.

Not much available and rents have risen.

Ready to go on a sunset cruise.

Onvacation says

Benioff's tower looks like a giant middle finger on this pic.

I think of it as the representation of his dick.

He probably does too.

FuckCCP89 says

Onvacation says

Benioff's tower looks like a giant middle finger on this pic.

Looks like it is leaning right!

Close to another day

Heading out for the sunset

Onvacation says

Heading out for the sunset

I was freezing my butt off in TX that day. I think I have PTSD.

Social distancing again today.

Into the sunset.

Nice! I can almost hear the waves hitting the bow and maybe that seagull chirping.

OV, you ever charter boats outside of CA? I've never sailed and was thinking of getting into it to charter bareback in the Caribbean for vacations. Wasn't sure the barrier to entry. Or if lack of frequent sailing would make it less safe? I've got Lake Michigan here and I know there are courses, but don't want to get into it if I can only sail once or twice a year and not be safe with the family having just taken courses and very infrequent sails.

I think I'd be fine docking on the motor as I've done that 100x's on motor boats in the 25'-56' range, some solo (no dockhand or passenger help). Just the skill of sailing and being confident in it with other non-sailor passengers helping out. I really want to bareback a cat or mono in the BVI's or other Caribbean locations. Cost of a captain for the week is nuts, but I get why. Then you start saying fuck it and get the chef too and do full board. Next thing you know, it's $5-8k/couple on your average cat.

I'd like be able to provision and captain myself for $3-4k/couple. And I'm not looking to get out on open water. Would be island hopping with 1-2 sails/day to snorkel or go out for lunch. Moorings or marinas. Bahamas, USVI, BVI, etc.

WookieMan says

OV, you ever charter boats outside of CA?

Not yet. I have rented a 25 footer for a day sail down in Mission Bay, but I have never chartered a sailboat for multiple days. I am pretty happy sailing in the SF Bay. We have all kinds of conditions and quite a bit of wildlife (birds, seals, the occasional harbor dolphin). They say if you can sail in the Bay you can sail anywhere in the world.

Sailing is a lifestyle as much as a sport. Every time I go to my boat and open the cabin I feel like I am coming home. I am going to get my captains license one of these days.

If you want to charter in the Caribbean you need to be certified or able to prove that you are able. I hear the Caribbean can be really nice sailing but you need to now how to navigate and use your instruments as it is easy to run aground in all the "skinny" water down there.

On my bucket list is windsurfing from one island to another in the Caribbean. They used to have a race called the HIHO (Hook In Hang On) in the BVI's. The fleet of windsurfers is followed by a fleet of chartered catamarans. Big party, lots of fun.

If you really need a captain for a charter I would do it for free, but I don't cook.

And it was 62 degrees while I was sailing yesterday. That is warmer than many "summer" days out on the water around here.

Onvacation says

The fleet of windsurfers is followed by a fleet of chartered catamarans. Big party, lots of fun.

I used to wind surf a bit when I was a teen. I remember my back (lats in particular) getting ripped / sore even after I was good enough to not fall.

Just on windy lakes in NorCal. The boards and sails were huge back then for that type of wind surfing. The stuff people used in the ocean were much lighter smaller but you couldn't stand on those boards without moving or they wouldn't float.