Well, the shit is tickling the fan… Last week, another gal joined the Guatemalan aboard the broker’s boat; she’s an experienced ticketed sailor, who came over from the UK to explore the working angle. i was pleased to know that the two of them would be able to look out for each other, and help keep the broker at bay.
Well, the Guatemalan called me up from the boat yesterday, and i got out in a go-fast to pick her up. Looks to me like she’ll be going back only long enough to rescue her seabag and fellow crewmate. In the meantime, i’ve put her up.
i wish i could have been able to tell a better story, but now it looks like all the re-assurances the broker made (not wanting a lover, providing decent crew work, allowing them their own space/time) was pretty much just a line of crap. A couple days into an extended weekend of sailing and the lewd suggestions and possesive behaviors started appearing, along with an increasing obviousness that the only work aboard the boat he had planned for them was topless sunbathing for his entertainment (which, of course, never happened).
Does anyone out there have a positive story to tell re: answering/posting a crew ad online? Anyone? i’ve posted “sailor-seeing-boat” ads myself, but never gotten any replies that particularly inspired me. Of course, i’m a guy… Nowadays, i’m skilled and connected enough to not have to advertise. Generally speaking, the best hook-ups are on the dock, in the dockside bar, or on the racecourse, in person. Still, for the landlocked, the newbies, and the otherwise non-connected online ads have a certain appeal. Still, beware!
Everything floating
Went sailing and exploring this weekend with my friend the Guatemalan. She’s been here for about 10 days now, just settling in. The situation is a little weird: she advertised herself as available to crew on a few crew-placement sites, and had plenty of replies. She picked out the best-sounding respondant, and after a few weeks of emailing, showed up here to join on as cruising crew.
Coincidentaly, the fellow whose boat she joined is a local yacht broker whom i happen to have some contact with here around the boatyard. So, as it turns out, it’s more a case of “living on a boat at a mooring” than “cruising around the Caribbean”. The Guatemalan was looking for a bit more adventure; now she’s stuck on this boat with the both the broker’s misguided ardour as well as his teenage son.
This past weekend, we all went sailing. Normally, i wouldn’t have had much interest in sailing with the broker, but the Guatemalan was insistant; as much to enjoy my own company as to help keep the broker at bay. The sailing was okay, and i finally got to explore The Baths and Estatia Sound over on Virgin Gorda, but for most of the time she and i felt that we would rather have had better company than the socially-graceless father and son (and coming from me, “socially-graceless” is fairly damning).
The whole situation is an interesting one, that i will have to follow closely. Of course, i’ve offered the Guatemalan sanctuary if things get too weird on the boat. The broker doesn’t seem like a jerk, but still, he ought to have noticed by know how uncomfortable he makes her feel with his calling her “my princess” or “baby”, and finding excuses to touch her; it’s like he’s trying to come off as a casual, humourous, affectionate, and friendly fellow, but ending up being just plain slimy. It’s not really his intentions i doubt, just his manner.
If you go to any of the crewing websites out there, such as 7Knots or Floatplan, you end up seeing that the great majority of the “crew-wanted” ads read like singles ads; “…50-ish male skipper seeks adventuresome 20’s-30’s female first mate for extended cruising…”. Frankly, i think it’s pretty pathetic. Naturally, energetic, charismatic, beautiful young women like the Guatemalan have no problem finding hordes of guys who want to get her alone out on a boat, especially as she has a modicum of experience and doesn’t get seasick. She’s smart, assertive, and has her pepper-spray, but i’m still left wondering if she’ll be able to find a berth where she can really relax and enjoy herself. Right in her berth-wanted ad she abrubptly states “I’m not looking for a lover.”… Isn’t it ridiculous that she should even have to say so?
Just heard back from Quantum. The bill for the three working sails will be $976. Well, hrmm… James said anything under a grand would be a deal, so i guess i oughtta feel satisfied with that. The quote was for a worst-case labour scenario, and may end up less. Still, at that price, i should just get them to make it a $1000 even and get ’em to make up that tops’l while they’re at it. Hell, for that much money, why should i set needle to palm at all? Damned if i’ll let ’em charge me extra for my pennant either.
Kevin has relented, and now supposes that 3.8-ounce will be heavy enough for the jib and stays’l. He’s still leaning towards 5.9-ounce fabric for the main “for longevity”. But on a sub-50-square-foot sail? Well, they’re the experts, not i.
The best part of the news is the arrival time! i’d been expecting several weeks, but it looks like the sails could be ready as early as next Monday. Overall, dealing with Kevin and Dave has been a pleasure; they’re totally willing to accomodate all my little sail needs (tiny panel widths, weird mitres, shaped patches, miniature hanks, unusual beckets, etc.). Dave wants me to be there for the latter stages of construction, to make sure all the details are just as i want them, and to see what finishwork it may be better for me to do on my own. They are definately NOT a traditional sail loft, but pretty stoked about the project.
This is the first gaff sail they’ve ever built here! Normally, i’d be a little concerned by that, but they’ve figured out a great way to get around any problems. Instead of trying to traditionally cut the sails (read: edge curves, broadseams, tapers, etc.), they’re getting their Annapolis office (which has done a few small gaff sails) to mold the sails on their 3-D software, then cut shaped panels on their laser table. This way, not only are Dave and i spared some serious head-scratching, but Dave can also sew constant seam widths (which is certianly faster). This also makes it easy to accomodate two other unusual requests of mine: First, i wanted narrow panel widths; sailcloth these days comes in wide widths (50+ inches for the specialty tanbark sailcloth i’m using), but i wanted narrow panels (
Kevin from Quantum came by today to measure the boat up for sails! Okay, with a 4-6 week wait now in the offing, i ought to curb my enthusiasm a bit, but… woohoo! i feel like things are really in the home stretch now!
Got a bunch of things checked off the list these past couple days; outhaul rove, self-tending stays’l rig completed, mast step cross-pin got in, new mainsheet block lashings (the old ones were too tight), um, tops’l jackstay cleat installed, and many many whippings on bitter ends…
i have learned to overestimate running rig lenghths; i bought 120′ of line for the running rig (20′ more than i estimated i’d actually use), and have already run out! Still to install: stays’l halyard, tops’l halyard/sheet/tackline, and jib sheets. i think i’ll use something smaller for those last couple.
Of course, there’s a few other small hardware issues, as well as how i’ve left a few bits to be installed after the sails are here; thataway, if the sails aren’t exact, i han jiggle things to fit without much hassle. For instance, the stays’l boom will almost certianly require much tuning once sailing!
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