We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
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We all see boats happily zooming around on nice days. I've been around boats all of my life but handling a larger powerboat in biggish water takes lots of practice and learning. Brains + Feel, like a Farmall on slanty fields.
At sea, except for storms and high seas, it's easy to get around with a Marine GPS. We have a semi-displacement boat so she is heavy, steady and comfortable unless there is a reason to clamber up to the bow to do things. A trained monkey would be better than me.
Besides heavy seas and storms, the challenge to boating is when you approach land: docking and mooring. In that way, boating is like airplane flying if less dangerous. Planes are meant for the air, and boats are designed for sea.
Besides all that, you need to understand the seacocks, the engine and oil (fairly new tough Yanmar diesel engine) the generator, the electronics (we got a new very complex marine GPS which I do not understand), the water systems, radar, etc. And that's just if it is a serious powerboat. For sail-boaters, there is a ton more to learn but I kinda have a feel for sail. Of course, sailboats have to maneuver under power often, near port and outside too.
I will not do nighttime or fog boating. Done with that.
My Skipper, Mrs. BD, is getting better. I am First Mate cuz it is her beautiful Maine-style, lobster boat hull "midlife" boat. She has driven it on the Atlantic with giant swells, but I will not do that.
I will never be able to dock this boat backwards into a slip. If she were a Hinkley with a joystick, I could dock her in the darn Grand Canyon but those boats are not for heavy seas, really.
Funny thing happened yesterday evening. We're about to leave dock after washing down, and a big Hinckley tries to dock next to us. From Newport. He is single-handed so I wait to help handle his lines because it is quite wavy gravy with 20 k wind. Tied up, he offers me a $20 dollar bill. I say thanks, but I am not a dockhand! Just do us a favor and help us push off. He did.
