Posted by Laurence Monkhouse on April 07, 2005 at 13:29:17 from 217.137.108.73 user Laurence_.
In Reply to: Re: Some form of assemblage - sailing posted by Jon on April 07, 2005 at 12:04:19:
It isn't really laziness - it might be less objectionable if it were.
These people - and they seem to include some of the actual yachting authorities - appear to consider that the use of sail is a slightly questionable eccentricity but that for anything serious the engine should invariably be used. There is a 'holier than thou' element which implies that those who don't use and depend on the latest technology are dangerous.
Try sailing into a Marina and feel the atmosphere this creates!
Personally I know exactly what my boat will do under sail. If I ever did hit anything it would be because the wind had vanished, and so I wouldn't hit it at any speed. But the number of times I have seen boats under power losing control and hitting things hard is very great indeed.
I once crewed in a biggish boat coming home from Portugal under sail with a broken down engine. The harbourmaster felt he ought to forbid us from sailing - it needed a 'gratuity' to make him change his mind! We got home safely under sail. People managed to sail boats all round the world for a good many years before engines were invented.
Where today is the spirit of AR as he sets it out in Peter Duck's words?