The Kaufman's

capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
5,072
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
"These people, and, I think, many others who cast away their ties to shore, do it for a kind of escape to permanent vacation." I keep seeing this attitude from those who don't cruise and it makes me cringe. The reality in most cases, is that it's a great deal more work than "toes in the sand, drink in my hand", whether one is sailing 24/7 on a crossing or interisland cruising in the Caribbean.
Why is it the very people who come on these forums to ask for advice when they have a project on their boats seem have so little understanding of what it must be like to operate and maintain a boat 24/7/365, that is not their spare time occupation, but their only home, their transportation and in many cases the only big ticket item left in their lives?
Please somebody, show me how I can escape to a permanent vacation, toes in the sand, drink in my hand, and expect everything on my boat to maintain itself and function properly.
 
W

Wanderer138

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Apr 19, 1999
1,670
Pearson Wanderer Titusville, Florida
Familiies with infants crossing oceans in sailboats is nothing new. The Cornells and Goodlanders were doing it 30 years ago. Cruising World magazine recently published a series of monthly articles by two families doing the same thing today; the Clarks on "Osprey" and the Zartmans on "Ganymede". We admire these people for that, and deservedly so. IMHO, had the Kaufmans completed their passage across the Pacific without incident, very few people other than their friends and families (and some of the people reading their his-and-hers blogs) would have known or cared.
 
Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
capta said:
Please somebody, show me how I can escape to a permanent vacation, toes in the sand, drink in my hand, and expect everything on my boat to maintain itself and function properly.
Click to expand
Why it's simple- it's ONLY about as much effort as maintaining a house, yard, probably two cars, etc. ;) Only the boat moves around and is in a whole lot harsher environment.

AND that house won't SINK on you if you neglect it.

I'm with you on this one Capta
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,432
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I thought that comment might set some hair on fire! I don't doubt there IS a lot of work involved and I'm sure it's not permanent vacation.

But ... all I did was echo the stated motivation from Charlotte's own blog. They wanted permanent travel, access to exotic locations (beaches) that 2-week tourists could never hope to find, the scenes they sometimes found of the ocean made the hardships more bearable, and she kept thoughts in her mind of running barefoot on the beach, relaxation on the beach with immediate family, and hikes with the family for more energetic pursuits. If not a permanent vacation, it sounds like a desire for vacation that is available whenever the mood strikes.

Capta, who better than you to describe the motivation for your lifestyle? I'd bet that freedom from the necessity of conforming to a 9 to 5 is a pretty big part of it. How about the ability to live in a location where so many people come specifically for vacation? Not deriding it, just making note of the motivation.

"where ever we are anchored" I thought I read that somewhere on an avatar. What does that mean, I wonder? ;)
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
TSBB 2 said:
Why it's simple- it's ONLY about as much effort as maintaining a house, yard, probably two cars, etc. ;) Only the boat moves around and is in a whole lot harsher environment.

AND that house won't SINK on you if you neglect it.

I'm with you on this one Capta
Click to expand
That's exactly the motivation I need to work on something.
 
redhead78

redhead78

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Dec 30, 2009
680
jeanneau 38 gin fizz sloop Summer- Keyport Yacht Club, Raritan Bay, NJ, Winter Viking Marina Verplanck, NY
Its a lifestyle decision they made, same as you and I for our careers and where we choose to live, and its nobodys business but the people who make it. I am in twice as much danger every day, with my 70 mile round trip commute, in NJ on RT 80. Am I wrong to take a job this far away and possibly overtax emergency services, should I get a job I can walk to???? Red
 
Rick Webb

Rick Webb

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Jun 2, 2004
3,650
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
These are the Guys that Heros call the real Heros

Scott T-Bird said:
http://news.msn.com/us/family-saved-at-sea-asks-critics-to-hold-judgment

I commend these folks for wanting unsolicited donations to be sent instead to a fund that benefits the families of Air Force rescuers ... "That Others May Live Foundation".
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I've lived and worked in the midst of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Special Ops guys. I've never been more involved than be part of the process that sends them along to do their thing but I can not think of another group of guys who are more deserving of our respect and adoration.

I almost have a hard time getting my head around the dedication, devotion and sacrifice these guys and their families make to our freedom all on an E-5's pay.

Some night when you are all soft and secure in your home with your family compare what Firemen or Cops make (don't get me wrong they deserve every penny plus more) and the pay of Sergeant in the military then add the multiple deployments they make, not to mention all the time away from home just for training. We can't thank these guys enough.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
5,072
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Scott T-Bird said:
Capta, who better than you to describe the motivation for your lifestyle? I'd bet that freedom from the necessity of conforming to a 9 to 5 is a pretty big part of it. How about the ability to live in a location where so many people come specifically for vacation? Not deriding it, just making note of the motivation.

"where ever we are anchored" I thought I read that somewhere on an avatar. What does that mean, I wonder? ;)
Click to expand
For me it was a different route to arrive at cruising. First, a commercial fisherman, Mexico to Alaska, in my teens, then a sailing racing crew; much easier and safer than fishing. Black gang on commercial vessels was next, learning engines and systems. Early retirement at 22 from the music business allowed me to buy a boat and circumnavigate, my life's dream. Then yacht owners asked me to operate their boats, so it became a profession, until it was time to retire. Never having lived in a house, it seemed foolish to start at 62, so I bought this boat and went back to what I knew and enjoyed. I don't think voyaging was ever a conscious decision for me; I never had an opportunity, nor a trade, that would conform to the 9 to 5 lifestyle.
As for "where ever we are anchored"; not having a house or any ties to any particular place, we are home wherever we are.
 
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

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Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Well, I just read where the kaufmans are suing. Naturally. It seems the satellite company is where they'll seek funds for another boat. I don't know if it's the epirp people or a phone, but no matter.

I did have some opinions about this train wreck and kept it to myself, but now I'm just disgusted. Now along with some kardashions, (I SWEAR I have no clue who these people are, or why anyone keeps up with them), Kato, Paris Hilton, and a slew of other nobodies in this world.............would just go away...
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I thought I also heard they'd pay back the US taxpayers for their rescue if they won.

But that doesn't quite get the litigious taste outta my mouth. Ptui.
 
G

gettinthere

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Nov 26, 2008
1,970
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
So they make the claim in court that the satphone co is responsible and they should pay for the rescue.
Then the court decides the sat phone co is not at fault, the kaufmanns are...then what? :)

The law of unintended consequences may prevail in that court!
 
Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
I can't really argue about the law suit, but-

The satellite phone, that had been in use to be in contact with a doctor, was SHUT DOWN by the company, because they were MAILING a new Sim card, which of course was not possible to receive in mid ocean. Seems to me that a company providing a service which is KNOWN to be used by people far away from civilization, and depending on that linkage, has the responsibility to have a significant overlap in coverage, just for situations like this.

Don't ya think??

Kinda like changing the frequencies on EPIRB's and then saying- oh sorry- didn't you hear?
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
TSBB 2 said:
I can't really argue about the law suit, but-

The satellite phone, that had been in use to be in contact with a doctor, was SHUT DOWN by the company, because they were MAILING a new Sim card, which of course was not possible to receive in mid ocean. Seems to me that a company providing a service which is KNOWN to be used by people far away from civilization, and depending on that linkage, has the responsibility to have a significant overlap in coverage, just for situations like this.

Don't ya think??

Kinda like changing the frequencies on EPIRB's and then saying- oh sorry- didn't you hear?
Click to expand
Yes, I do.
 
Levin

Levin

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Apr 7, 2007
165
Hunter 340 San Diego
ALCON:

I'll be interested to see how this all turns out. I actually know some people who work for the satellite phone company that the Kaufman's are suing and it sounds like the story might be different than what the Kaufman's are putting out. Actually if you dig back into Eric Kaufman's digital past (as some other people on a different website did- I think Sailnet) there is a lot of inaccuracies in his story. Apparently he was a very prolific poster on these other bulletin boards (does anyone still call these sites that anymore?) and one thread I was reading they put together pieces to show how his boat likely got into all the trouble it got into due to poor maintenance on his part.

Anyway, just thought I'd add my 2 cents...

Take care,
-Levin
 
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