We’ve been struggling to find a way to utilize Mariola, the PyratSail 1980 Morgan 321. Our weekends are three day at best, limiting our cruising area to about a day sail from Boca Ciega Bay. So far these new modifications have increased our range and overall boating pleasure. Sailing Tampa Bay is finally enjoyable and efficient. For a larger picture of the mods please click here.

Inspired by Holy Taco, a little game to play if you’re feeling bored at the next Sailing Raft-Up.

You’re 17 and sail around the world alone, a great personal accomplishment. You did it for the challenge, to set a record, the endorsements, chicks, guys – good for you. But does it matter how old you are? We’ve all heard the Zac Sunderland hype - his P.R. machine is promoting him as the next Bear Grylls. Are these attempts the “American Idol” of the outdoor entertainment biz? The salt on Zac’s boat hasn’t even dried and already some other kid a few months younger is going to, or already is, making the same attempt. After that is Zac’s sister, and next up is a 13 year old in a wooden shoe.

Couldn’t all that time and effort be used to serve a better purpose? 

Great Moments in History: Johnny Smith, 13 years, 10 months summits Mt. Everest, breaking record of 13 year, 11 month old predecessor.

My desk, 7:30 a.m., coffee in front of me, still untouched – waiting. Trying to see through blurry eyes as I wobble the mouse arrow to the send/receive button and check my email. Among the regular crap,  a familiar subject: “PyratSail…Comment, Beer Can Island”. Cool, somebody posted a comment on PyratSail. Below is what the poster, ”Duke” wrote.

Comment:
Yea, keep your stuffy snob self away from Beer Can. 
We have fun here and don’t need you looking down at us.   **ck off.

I added the asterisks ’cause Mom reads my blog.

So, it’s 7:31, I’m wondering: what the heck is up in Duke’s craw, what did I write – is this for real? I found the source of Duke’s butt bug and tried to figure it out. Blah, blah, hotter than hell, powerboaters, powerdrinkers, dirty water, cargo ships…blah blah.  I can find  no words ranking Duke and his island brethren somewhere between the swine flu and shaven headed banjo players (which I am thank you very much).  WTF.

I take a sip of  the cheap Sam’s Club coffee, but it’s not helping. I’m irritated. A few snippy replies run through my head, but as soon as my hands curl up to type I realize you can’t reason with **ck off. That one is a conversation ender – try it sometime.

Without a good reply or any kind of brain activity at 7:32 a.m., I spam the comment and move on.  Still, it bugs me all day. My first heckler. Snobby?  Duke really took offense to my review of his fun spot - or apparently him. All I can figure is he interpreted powerdrinkers=bad and Duke=powerdrinker so Duke=bad! Duke smash!

Duke is so angry – how can a sailor get so upset? I mean, he couldn’t possibly be a powerboater. He probably doesn’t own a 22′ center console with a T-Top, 200 hp Evinrude, named something like Need For Speed with a swoosh plastered on the side. He probably doesn’t dump her off the trailer every weekend, fish around Tampa Bay and then throw back some Milwaukee’s Best with his buddies on the island. There’s no way he would do that. He’s Duke, Defender of Beer Can.

Duke knows the code. He knows sailors are born with a natural dislike for powerboaters. They are the ying to our yang - the dog crap to our green lawn. Powerboaters see a  slow moving sailboat as nothing more than an obstacle to veer around at high speed. Powerboaters (grrr) have spilled our beer, splashed saltwater in our drinks (true story) and caused countless other booze wrecks with their wakes. We’re natural enemies – cheetah/gazelle, Jon/Kate, Duke/words.

Dissappearing Russian Cargo Ship Theories – on Holy Taco – NSFWish

Related: Iranian Ship makes pirates hair fall out.

I seldom read. After a day of computering, sitting on the couch and watching TV gives my eyes a chance to enjoy a different point of focus – my brain go numb. Books are much more interesting than television, but they require focus and concentration. A recent gift from good friends, Wanderer by Sterling Hayden, got my attention. Now I’m beyond hooked. The first 60 pages of this book have some excellent inspirational passages – one that really needs to be shared, copyrights be damned. 

Try not to sail off after reading.

Please pardon my ingnorance if this is a classic every sailor should know  - like I said, reading is rare for this keyboard captain.

There’s a lot of random thoughts bouncing around inside “The Scrambler” and I’ll try and get a few out in this new category called “Across The Bow”. I don’t promise them to be inspiring or profound, just a glimpse of what’s going on with the nut behind the wheel of Mariola.

Here’s one that hit me this morning while stirring my coffee:
I think think the main reason the movie WaterWorld is such a hit with us sailory types, is that secretly, we’re all kind of hoping the world will flood. Then we’ll get to sail smugly around all the landlubber “atoll” dwellers shouting ”Shoulda bought a sailboat!”