Posted by andy b on November 21, 2004 at 14:15:00 from 81.135.108.161 user beardbiter.
In Reply to: Re: TARBOARD, strangers yet friends posted by Peter H on November 18, 2004 at 19:39:33:
I wouldn't dream of inviting Peter H sailing; he might bring shame and ignominy upon the ship by wearing the wrong sort of jacket, mistaking a club for a jib-boom or failing to mouse his sisterhooks. Besides my canoe with a makeshift sail is about the best I can offer, not much opportunity for "pretentiousness" there, so I shall have to make do with being pretentious on Tarboard.
As it happens I agree, on the whole, with Peter H; sailing offers many more opportunities for looking down on other people than fell walking, although undoubtedly fell walkers assess other people's gear, apparent expertise etc. For a start, there is the possibility of posh sailing: expensive yachts, paid crews exclusive yacht clubs. This is the world that AR and other upper-middle class cruising yachtsmen reacted against. There is no real equivalent in the fell walking world. Then there is the question of competence, doing things well and looking as if is easy, even if swanlike serenity above the surface is achieved by some desperate paddling below. Again, walking on the hills is usually pretty straightforward so there are not so many opportunities to mess things up. Then there is the whole business about tradition, calling the bits of string by the right names etc, what Taqui Altonyoun called "being navy". You don't really get to do this in hill walking.
I think AR has a lot to answer for in promoting these last two forms of one upmanship, although as has been pointed out even the competence worry wort John made mistakes.
An aside, I don't think the distinction is between coarse sailing and "pretentious" sailing, which is what I've called "posh" sailing, but between competent sailing and sailing by good luck rather than good management.
PS I like the idea of being a dummy for life jacket, that’s about my level of competence.