Posted by Mike Field on September 29, 2007 at 00:34:49 from 203.129.38.174 user mikefield.
In Reply to: Re: Swallow & Scarab - whose responsibility? posted by Laurence Monkhouse on September 28, 2007 at 19:26:32:
Thanks for this Laurence, it's exactly what I feel too --
"No insurance, no lifejackets, no buoyancy, no licences, no boat safety certificates, no grown ups (except to race against and defeat). We enjoyed ourselves, learned a lot which came in useful later on in bigger boats and longer voyages, got into one or two quite perilous scrapes, got ourselves out of them without outside help, and all of us survived.
Personally I feel really sorry for today's children, taught to believe that sailing is inherently dangerous, that boats must be feared rather than respected (Respect IS essential), and so missing so much of one of the greatest joys that life can offer.
And I think that it was reading AR that originally got me into this frame of thinking, which I have never regretted."
I still sail with no insurance, no lifejacket, no buoyancy, no licence, and no boat safety certificate. I suppose the bureaucrats will get me one day....
Also, I myself would add Eric Hiscock's name to that last paragraph as well.