Reflections and Realities

[Philip]

do you reakon we will get broad band when we are travelling on the high seas? would be good , convoy of sailers , all helping each other , moving with sun ,,, lov the idea!:kisses:

[Mike]

Haven't tried it yet, Phil but I would imagine it's possible. We can always set up a radio link anyway!

When I was flying in Africa, I kept in touch with friends here using what used to be called 'Portishead Radio', a worldwide HF link. Those guys could plug me into a telephone anywhere in the UK so that I could chat while flying.

No doubt there is some way of getting broadband onto a boat.

[Philip]

first stop pick up peter!

[Mike]

Let me see now ... too darned cold where Peter lives, Phil. I suggest we all meet up somewhere in the Med where the sun is shining, the beaches are sandy, and the wine is cheap. ;)

We could always drink a toast to Peter. I somehow have a feeling he prefers the snowy parts of the world. I admire that but can't even begin to contemplate living with all that white stuff. Rather be too hot than too cold.

[Clip]

It's the money dudes! Said to the Wife tonight, I don't want to die here (Manitoba), got to move to ocean. Yarmouth Nova Scotia wouldn't be too bad.

It's on the mind as I'm getting my esophagus removed soon, meet and greet the surgeon on Wednesday, and find out when.

[Mike]

... . It's on the mind as I'm getting my esophagus removed soon, meet and greet the surgeon on Wednesday, and find out when.What the ... strewth Peter! That message truly shocked me. :jaw:

Dreadfully sorry to hear this and offer my sincere condolences, my friend. I've been pretty poorly myself but it sure sounds like you've been suffering in silence. Good luck with the surgery, Peter.

I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you and hope your op is successful and allows you to return to a decent quality of life afterwards.

Please keep us up-to-date on what's happening. Yarmouth looks pretty nice on Google Maps, Peter, and ideal for a man who likes being on the water.

Best wishes

[Clip]

No big deal it was in the cards for decades, ever since I got a bug when living in Pakistan . It ate the system out, before anyone knew it.

Didn't know how to say it, but the good news is that I have had it monitored for 18 years now. So it should have been caught early. Got a great wife (Norma Jean) with guts, and family to help her. If all goes well that will be that, I'll loose weight, look fit and be fit, and live to be a hundred. The family suffers from a strong heart.

But, my time in Manitoba is limited. Enough, time to live.

Tell your kids, don't waste their money on crap. I went from being in the hock to being over 1 and 6 digits wealth in under 17 years, when I realized in few hours of thinking, what I was about to leave the wife. That in the real time of a 1/2 second, while I realized I was going to die (but didn't, off course) when in a near miss. It can be done. Wish I figured that out 35 years ago.
The other illumination I got when I was scared and uncertain was "By stepping forward, a man can do no wrong." I got that from a voice in my head, while questioning myself during the flood in '97 here in Winnipeg. I was deciding who'se home got saved or not, I did not like that, and I don't know who it was, but it calmed me down, to get the job done.

[Philip]

shocked as well pete!, all l can say is god go with you my freind , atb phil

[Mike]

No big deal ... .Quite a big deal in my view, Peter, but you have the right spirit, for sure.

Jeannette was very worried for me recently - and it passed on to the kids too, of course - but I said then that we are all going to die of something. What really matters is what kind of a life you've led. Speaking for myself, I feel I've had a pretty extraordinary life with no real regrets at all. Sounds like you feel the same way, Peter.


Didn't know how to say it, but the good news is that I have had it monitored for 18 years now.Good news indeed. On 'how to say it', Peter, you are among friends here and I suggest the best way to say it is somewhat irrelevant. I, for one, am very pleased you have shared it with us. I consider that a compliment, for which I am grateful. You have been a loyal and constant contributor to this little site and we care very much for those who care about us.

Got a great wife (Norma Jean) with guts, and family to help her. If all goes well that will be that, I'll lose weight, look fit and be fit, and live to be a hundred. The family suffers from a strong heart.Me too (Jeannette) and that, of itself, is an astonishing achievement in this day and age. There is much in the old adage that behind every good man is an even better woman.

I believe you will lose a bit of weight but will eventually return to a normal diet with a high probability of full participation in life - and even work. My ticker is battery powered, so I could also live to be a hundred, mate. Wow! Not sure I really wanna live that long - unless the rest of the body can ensure a decent quality of life.

... my time in Manitoba is limited. Enough, time to live.If Yarmouth beckons then you should perhaps get there as soon as possible. I don't know either place but Yarmouth definitely looks a great place to be for a sailing man.

Good advice for the kids, Peter. However, I would include that money doesn't matter even half as much as fulfillment, which encompasses a wide spread of achievements that, when reached, make the difference between happiness and misery.

The other illumination I got when I was scared and uncertain was "By stepping forward, a man can do no wrong."Absolutely. Couldn't agree more. And there are not enough people stepping forward these days. When they do, they may well be ostracized for doing so by all the do-gooders, sycophants, and hypocrites out there who seem hell bent on homogenizing the whole world into one gutless, politically correct, mass of compliant morons. It takes courage to step forward and fight your ground as you believe is right.

Again, good luck with this operation. I love your courage and your spirit, mate. Knew you were a star from the get go and this simply confirms it.

We are with you, Peter. :approval:

Respect and kindest regards

[Mike]

Since Peter has been so forthright in his post above, I am inspired to reveal something I have been hesitant about making public.

Most of our steady members are aware that I have had some health issues. They are not going away. My doctors are against me placing myself in a situation where I am remote from medical emergency treatment.

Further, I want to commit funds to Jeannette's business plan as well as invest in my son, Jamie's, musical aspirations.

For these reasons, Jeannette and I have decided to lower our sights somewhat with regard to a larger boat. We both love Rendezvous and, all things being equal, would love to build her. However, a 29 footer is possibly a bit ambitious for me in my current state of health. And it would use most of our available funds. Therefore, we have decided to aim a little lower; a little more manageable if you like.

Good old JohnW, scholar and gentleman that he is, took this news extremely well and suggested we wait a bit for a new design he has in mind. It is essentially a somewhat larger Pilgrim with a cabin. John tells me it will be a 19 footer but with tons of room aboard for cruising for a few days at a time. The biggest plus of all is perhaps that she will be a trailerable design, enabling us, for example, to take a car into France and launch her into their rivers and canals. Closer to home, we can sail the Bristol Channel where we live, venturing south to the Scillies or north to the east coast of Ireland. We also love the Welsh coast around Pembrokeshire and all the way up to Anglesey.

A short journey by road to launch into the English Channel would allow us access to England's south coastal waters as well as across to the Channel Islands (where Jeannette and I were married some 22 years ago) and the west coast of France.

Thus, the revised plan is to finish the Tender Behind build and go on to build a Sherpa, followed by the new design that is presently set in John's mind alone. More on that as it starts to become a reality. I have no doubt at all that she will be ideally suited to the plans we now have. And she will be a winner for sailing in the waters mentioned above. We can rely on John to ensure that she'll do everything we need and more.

Sadly, I will not now need much of the timber and other expensive gear I have already bought in anticipation of the Rendezvous build. I plan to sell some of it off on eBay very shortly. I do not intend to start advertising on this site but will let members know what I am selling by posting some links to the eBay adverts.

There ya go. Thanks, Peter, for the inspiration. :approval:

All the best

[George Waite]

Mike
Just picked up on this thread, missed the 2/3 pages indicator. Sent many a message through Portishead radio myself Mike, remember waiting in the Christmas que a few times in remote places using ships radios.
Peter
Picked up one of them bugs myself mate, thankfully only a mild one that re-visits once every couple of years or so but the bloody thing won't go away. Good luck with your op old son we will be thinking of you.
George

[Mike]

Mike

Just picked up on this thread, missed the 2/3 pages indicator. Sent many a message through Portishead radio myself Mike, remember waiting in the Christmas queue a few times in remote places using ships radios.Yes, George, a lifeline to civilisation was Portishead Radio. Fellow pilots tell me it no longer exists, which seems a great shame if true. It made flying in some of the remotest parts of the world almost pleasant at times.

You're right in that it got really busy at certain times of the year but, on the whole, it was virtually an instantaneous link of remarkably high quality considering it was on HF.

Another lifesaver was Air Traffic and Flight Service in what was once Rhodesia. No doubt that is long gone too and has delved the depths achieved elsewhere within Africa. Having your own SAR watch facilities was vital. Some aircraft went down from time to time and nobody started looking for weeks or more. A most disconcerting thought when things got a bit hairy - as they do.

Regards

[George Waite]

Mike
I have an uncle (82) who was stationed at Portishead radio for years and was also in Rhodesia many years ago setting up stuff for the BBC (now lives in Looe). Portishead was the most powerful transmitter in the Northern hemisphere for a long time. An abbreviated form of the old mast is now in use by Avon and Somerset Police at Portishead. If I remember rightly the old International Aeradio company had some remote postings, I remember their people having been in some odd places for a long time (Khasab. Masira, Sharjah,Ghan etc etc).

[Mike]

In that case, George, I have probably spoken with your uncle many times, though I never got to know any names. Highly professional outfit ran that service. I loved 'em. Is it true that they no longer exist? If so, it's a great pity but I guess technology overtook 'em in the end. That does not necessarily mean that things are any better, of course. In fact, I cannot imagine a more useful or helpful service than that which was offered by Portishead Radio.

I am definitely getting too old, mate. Say hello from me to your uncle in Looe next time you are talking to him - and tell him I said thanks for helping keep me sane in some quite insane places!! :)

Regards

[Clip]

The one thing that bugs me, is how much of a delay in boat building it will cause me this season? Mike, it makes perfect sense to build what fits, I constantly worry about starting something I can't complete, and surmise you are the same. Do you have any further details on what you may end up building? Off course building a boat is fun and may really never be completed.

[Clip]

I myself had visions of sailing the oceans, that kind of changed after the sailing course last year. I would be happy with the Great Lakes -North Superior-, and -Georgian Bay-. Maybe threw in the Trent Canal, and the summer shores of Nova Scotia. This was part of the reason to limit my beam to less than 8ft (7'9" actually to fit a container).

[Mike]

The one thing that bugs me, is how much of a delay in boat building it will cause me this season?Peter, delay should never really 'bug' you, pal, as it takes as long as it takes, irrespective of any other considerations. If you cannot work on it physically, then work on it in your mind. That is as essential a part of the process as the hands on stuff in my opinion. The journey in reaching your goal is usually more pleasurable than the day of arrival at it, in my considerable experience.

Mike, it makes perfect sense to build what fits, I constantly worry about starting something I can't complete, and surmise you are the same. Do you have any further details on what you may end up building? Off course building a boat is fun and may really never be completed.Peter, the real 'killer' in this case was Jeannette realizing that she cannot possibly succeed in her business plan if she spends her time roaming around aboard a boat, no matter how wonderful that might be in her contemplation. She's right, as usual, and I have the added problem of a series of medical problems that have reduced my fitness considerably. Suddenly, building a 29 footer became a farther away dream than it was. It is perhaps something I might do if I am still around when Jeannette eventually retires. I am quite a bit older than she is, so that is not to be taken for granted. At the present moment, it actually seems highly unlikely - I am sorry to say.

As to the boat I will now build, take a look at JohnW's Pilgrim. It is, in fact, a bigger version of one of his best designs thus far, as is Sundowner, Swaggie, and a couple of other highly successful designs. Then imagine it a couple of feet longer with a good sized cabin. John's designs all have 'roominess' aplenty. I venture to suggest that most of his designs offer more internal space than any other boats of the same or similar overall length. This is something of a standard, a signature if you like, of a JWBoat, coupled with the beautiful, and eminently seaworthy, hull forms he comes up with.

I am extremely confident that, despite my ill health, I can succeed in building a nineteen footer. Another ten feet might just be the difference between a beautiful build and an unfinished project. As to 'worrying' about it, there is no point in worrying about these things. Like I have said elsewhere, it is important to know your limitations. But it is equally important, in my view, to ensure you don't exceed them.

It's not a big deal to simply alter ones plans to fit a factual situation. It's something I have had to do all my life as an aviator. It is vital to keep some flexibility in your plans so that you have somewhere to go if the original plan becomes a bit pear shaped. That is one of the reasons why there are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots. ;)

Regards

[Philip]

dreaming is ok mike ! we all do it. working on boats its part of it . nearly 50% of my work is done in my head, will this work ? is it pratical? trailruns in your head is the best way, l am usual happy with my work but just sometimes l will take it down , l learnt the hard way with boats if you do get it wrong it can become expensive, trail run it my head and its only cost afew messed up brain cells!!! lol atb phil

[Mike]

Well yeah ... I agree with you Phil. Except those brain cells don't actually get messed up. They tend instead to get better and more agile the more they are used - whether or not things work out as planned.

I never start work on any project without first spending a hell of a lot of time just 'thinking' about it. Jeannette used to think I was just daydreaming but she has come to realise that it is an essential part of just about everything I do.

In aviation, there is an old adage that goes something like: "A successful flight is one that was executed according to a successful journey at the planning stage." I always found that to be precisely right.

When I watch Jonny Wilkinson setting himself up to convert a try or take a penalty kick, I see him actually visualising the ball's flight between the posts. He doesn't always score, of course, but his average is way better than most. Visualisation is the way to go. It helps through every step of the execution.

Regards

[Philip]

and there is me thinking half my brain was redudant! lol atbphil

[Mike]

Heh heh! :rofl: I am tempted to answer that, Phil, but I prefer to keep you as a good friend. In any event, there ain't much of your brain that you don't know how to use, so desist from trying to hoodwink the rest of us into thinking otherwise. It won't work, mate. :paperbag:

[Philip]

Dam! blown my cover! he!he!. find it easier then folks dont expect to much o you!

[Philip]

gone off thread for a min, well l suppose it isnt , the hoodwink , did you know that a falconry word? to hood a falcon to make it believe its night, i.e hoodwink.

[Mike]

Ha ha ha. :rofl: Yeah, Phil, but where does the 'wink' bit come from? I can see the 'hood' being from falconry but once hooded you can't see a wink. Come to that, you can't see anything. :detective:

[Philip]

hoodwink means to decieve , when in falconry we hoodwink are falcons to decieve them thinking its night, , most the words we use nowadays are falconry terms , cadge something , mantlepiece, fret, fed up, gentle . l could go on and on !!! if you have read shakespere . falconry terms are althrough his works ... atb phil

[Mike]

Strange thing, the English language, Phil. It's a real hotch potch when you start to look into it.

I have enough trouble getting it right, or nearly right anyway, without worrying about the origins. Fascinating stuff though. Thanks for that. Never too old to learn something new. :approval:

[Philip]

just going back on topic for min every day is a good day, it is up to us! atb phil

[Mike]

Sounds like you've become a bit of a Buddhist, Phil. I agree. It is largely up to us - but there are some things you just have to cop sweet and wear - like neighbours who like to hide behind the skirts of fuzzy coppers while sticking their tongues out at you! Heh heh. ;) He who last laughs ...

[Philip]

just smile at them mike, easy! not buddist more of my hippy views coming out! watched a progamme the other day the secret millioniare, poor kids with terminal illness . makes you realise life not that bad! atb phil

[Bruce Peckett]

just smile at them mike, easy! not buddist more of my hippy views coming out!

Aha, somebody else with hippy tendencies eh? :-)

I flirted with Bhuddism many years ago but the prosepct of a lifetime of no meat, no sex and not being able to swat that bloody wasp kinda put me off!

Bru

[Mike]

... the prospect of a lifetime of no meat, no sex and not being able to swat that bloody wasp kinda put me off!I would have no problem at all without meat or not being able to swat wasps ... but ... :horn: