Fed up with politics on a supposed 'Yacht' Forum

I'll guess this is directed at me, the one who "needs a life". I work my tail off 5 months a year (on the water), work hard 2 more months (on the water), then get the winter off. In my off time, well this morning I was out riding in 16* to give a flag line and MC escort to a Viet Nam Vet on his final mission and will be back out tonight to greet and give a MC escort to a Marine coming home from Afghanistan for his first Christmas home in 7 years. Enough of a life? I contribute often to YF because, as a professional mariner, boats are my life and YF is good place to learn and to pass on what I've learned in over 50 years on the water. It p--ses me off when people use YF for political propaganda, and it will not go unanswered. As for being a lefty-liberal, you are so incredibly far off let me just suggest you never claim to be a navigator, however I am Independent. So how about we all just watch for those words, and when we're tempted to write something including them...don't. That's how YF can best serve the boating public.

I'm going to take exception with this. And responsibility. I've been a little side-tracked recently, but I move threads every day. Matter of fact, THIS thread started life in the Yacht Club, but I moved it to the General Discussion. And every day - without fail - Lars, Kevin or myself take out the trash (sorta speak). You guys just don't see it.

As it should be! But sometimes, each of us gets blinded by passion in the pursuit of excellence or opinion. There's an old saying... "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". However I like my own saying better, as it applies to our virtual world... "one day, you may actually meet me. And I'm bigger than you!"

Let's keep it real folks. Behind these screen names are 'real folks'.

6'2" and 230 lbs, and looking forward to meeting you..

Spot on, lets go back to the important stuff.

We have similar stats Dag, but I have to wonder... how do you fit into the cockpit of a 747?

Heavy Jet, Heavy pilot...

Nah, don't fly 747s anymore.
Now on the 767, plenty of room, but I don't want to fly no 737 or Learjet, would not fit in there at all..

Back in the old days when I lived on a sailboat in the Virgin Islands I flew DC-3s, Twin Otters and other prop-jobs and had no problems in the smaller cockpits...Guess the airplanes shrank like my uniform pants over the years.

As a Newbie poster to this site all I can say is political jabbing seems to rule the internet. Sign out of here if you want but the next forum will be just as rife if not more so with political BS.

It will only get worse as November 2012 approaches. So type/think as if your 5th grade teacher is looking over your shoulder.

Well said, however I'd say to do it as if your children and grandchildren were looking over your shoulder (and they may be).

So, you want this forum to operate at a level within the sensibilities of children? That should clean house pretty quickly... of everyone.

You know, not doing anything you'd be ashamed to have your kids know about is not a bad goal. Of course not attainable, but a pretty good goal. It's hard to be less than the best you can be in front of kids.

Don't forget about the female members.

Do you really think they drive by the beach to check the surf?

politcs is easy you don't want to be one you want to OWN the right one's

happy holiday's travler

YachtForums wrote:

And behind the entity commonly known here as "airship" (though I could not claim to be YF's greatest consumer of alcoholic beverages, even though many here irresponsibly attribute this crown to me) is also a real human-being. Obviously unsatisfied with "his lot in life". And with serious suspiscions that he's been short-changed by most of his fellow human-beings (including family, employers, governments and girl-friends) for most of his life over the past 51 years. To be sure, if I could somehow "unload all my baggage", before engaging within these forums, I'd do so willingly, just to preserve the peace as it were...

Unfortunetly, that is not the case (just not possible in my case anyway). Most of us I imagine, contribute to these forums, perhaps "over-weighed" by their own life-experiences as a back-drop or founding for their posts. That's all what I do (how else could I contribute honestly without becoming a mere robot ostensibly without sensitivities, life experiences etc.), as if there was a sole and correct (if not entirely consensual) response available at "the end of the rainbow" or wherever else forum mods generally search for "the truth".

I personally have many (increasingly happier) memories of working aboard an aged Italian billionaire's yacht in the late '80s, cruising French Polynesia for 2 years before the owner found his ideal "retirement home - an unihabited valley in Tahiti". Sadly he died merely a few years after his dreams were realised. There were some occasions when the crew would be fishing during the evening "to pass the time", but sometimes using the main ship's crane to lift out of the water a 2.5-3.0m shark (not for food, or the fins, just for the jaws). Once all the "blood and guts" had been washed off the usually immaculate teak decks, what remained of the shark would be preserved in the yacht's deep-freezer for future fishing bait. Back in those days, I enjoyed "fishing" as much as anyone else aboard. Today, I wonder how I might have reacted sometimes if I were the yacht owner back then...? Today, I can understand the reaction of the yacht-owner in not reacting. "The crew are enjoying a moment of respite, far from their families, and whilst I might usually disagree with what is going on from the decks of my 55m yacht, the (Captain and crew) should be allowed to decide between themselves whether or not this is worthy behaviour".

For what it's worth, we caught far too many fish in the Galapagos, French Polynesia etc. (too easy). It was all dumped into the deep-freezer, perhaps 10-15% actually consumed by the crew. When we eventually arrived in New Zealand, all the contents of the (walk-in) deep-freezer were emptied and confiscated by NZ customs officials (including leg of lambs - origin NZ)...?!

Going back to the main subject and the reason for this particular thread though. In another thread, we heard from a couple of yacht-owners (if not exactly superyacht owners). Complaining about how the proposed / envisaged Italian government taxes (of which they have not been able to give us any more details) will affect them. One explains that his small yachts (he's responsible for at least 4 such yachts) are berthed in Italy, that these yachts are somehow "works of arts" which are hardly ever used and would consider moving the berths to a more understanding fiscal regime. Someone else, was very vociferous in explaining that he paid all taxes (income taxes, VAT on the yacht etc.) but never followed up on my suggestion that he used a 3M protective film on his varnished cap-rails etc.

What does anyone else here really believe when it comes to tax evasion or avoidance? I've heard that yachts wanting to use the IYCA have to pay "in cash" for their berths in order to honour their bookings?

So try to understand me when I suggest that (insofar as most national tax authorities are concerned), the yachting industry is increasingly under the "magnifying glass". For tax evasion, (unfair tax-exemptions) or simply tax-avoidance etc. - "good luck" to those who depend entirely on offshore companies and jurisdictions?! And all for the sake of not having to pay 20% VAT...?!

I'm going to sleep. Officially on holiday from now until 07/01/2012. Thanks.

So Loren,

Can you summarize this thread so far? Merry x-mas everyone!

Seems politics creates a very popular thread, something not wanted by many.

Hi,

Happy Holidays Airship.

Would the boat you spent time on in French Polynesia happen to have been called Puka Puka at the time?

As for the IYCA and cash only policy , I was just asking this of a Captain a week or so ago and was told that whilst cash is still accepted it is no longer the required way to pay. I am not sure however if this depends upon who you are ( long term relationship with the ruling regime)or if the same applies to all users of the port who do not hold the leases on the berths they use.

Airship, a few nuggets from one just a little older. Don't dwell on mistakes for they're in the past and can't be changed. Instead look on them as education, how you got to where you are today. Don't dwell on your misfortune, but instead on the positive aspects of your life. We've all paid our dues. They give us the right to live. Just look around anywhere and we're sure to find someone much worse off than ourselves. Be careful of the alcohol. It give a moments joy followed by a world of hurt. I hope you have a Merry Christmas. Do something nice for someone today. It'll be paid back tenfold in the coming days.

after been away from the forums for a while i actually was kinda suprised by this stuff - but guess what: even thu i'm more left, i'd apreciate not talking about politics and rather talk about the big boats
btw: 6 foot 2 and a pilot? my respect
oh - and happy holidays for everyone

PS: Carl, when are the next reviews coming up?

Thanks..Free beer instead.?

We have 3 sea trials that have been postponed following FLIBS 2011. Two of them were rescheduled for December, but at this point... it looks like January. Sorry folks, unlike most of the magazines and EVERY one of the toddlers in tiaras, pretending-to-be internet publishers of yachting websites, typically run by 20-something year old kids who have have never been involved in the design, engineering, construction, maintenance, navigation or ownership of a yacht, we're not doing reviews unless we've had our editorial team aboard the boat and slammed head-on into bow high waves.