Enlightenment on an ocean wave

[Amy]

Amidst all the recent reflections on modern life in Britain, .........the shameless banking collapse, fat cat pensions, sickening bonuses, mass job losses, house reposessions, an overweight, depressed consumer based population who are now sickened by the greed culture, ive spent the past few hours in mental escapism.

I would please urge you to look at this website     http://www.tincanboat.com/   and read the 'Reflections 1&2'

Its made me laugh, cry and feel so much empathy and love. Its making me even more broody and more determined to have the adventure I know is waiting out there.

It shows what an introverted life many Brits live, it demonstrates what an amazing world we live in and most of all, how life should be. So much joy and happiness to be found that revolves around the simple pleasures.

Read it and you will understand. Im sure you will be wiser and more enriched for doing so.

[fizzy]

I cannot see the attraction,my dog Tag would'nt last 5 minutes on their dinjy and what about my beloved garden??? Good luck to you fair Amy follow that dream, rugby tackle it and claim it as your own! But Monsieur Le Fizzy is a land lubber Grand stylee. This type of caper scares the pants of me, sea water is cold and do'snt taste nice.
But it is a good website and if this or your planned adventure were ever turned into a book it's the kind of thing I'd love to read. Mind you before that Im waiting for 'Frotters Illustrated Eco-Diy Encyclopedia' to be on Amazon.

[Amy]

There are many people in the liveaboard community who have pets, mainly dogs and cats. Ive read several stories about cats who have fallen over or dogs trained to cr@p over the stern.
Animals adapt better than humans.

Why not make the sea your garden? It can be your larder too.

I was a water babe as a kid, always in the sea but then When i moved inland i slowly became scared of it, and now after 30 years, it terrifies me but i cant stop dreaming and thinking about it. I think the best think to do with phobias is to face them head on. Its a psychological issue.

I would so love to get the first hand material to write a half decent book/auto biog

I also await the Frot-o-bodgers-for-dummies

[Stonganess Chap]

Well your'e born and later on you die. In between you have to pack as much life in as possible.
No good brooding and moping about - get/borrow a small sailing dinghy and get back on the water.
I used to sail on Draycote water (couple of miles SW of Rugby) some years ago using Bosuns - what a laugh. I think the club is still there.
Failing that - sell up, buy a 22ft sailing dinghy and go round the U.K. Should provide plenty of material for a book - stopping off near to Naviton members places for a chat, dry yer kit out, decent meal and wine before planning the next leg of the trip....hmmm....actually, may just have to do something like this meself.

[Ivan]

If you're scared of water, start going to your local pool and learn to swim. I couldn't swim at all during my late 20s, so I took up swimming once or twice a week (not classes - just hard practice). Within 3years I could front crawl 2miles in well under 40minutes, swim a 20m length in 13seconds and swim two continuous lengths underwater. People used to say to me in the pool 'I wish I could swim like you' but actually, I think anyone could if they persisted for a couple of years.

[Amy]

Oh i can swim alright, I was a BSAC diver back in the day.

I think ive watched too many scary sea movies like Jaws, perfect storm, titanic and anything else with drowning or danger scenes in them.

Feel the fear and still do it I say.  Still more likely to catch a nasty human disease like flu or meningitus( i did) and die than be gobbled up by a shark or drown

[EccentricAnomaly]

Try this one: http://anniehill.blogspot.com/.  Long archive to go back in.  Their winter iced in in an isolate fiord off Greenland (deliberately) is the bit I found stunning: 1) that anybody would do it and 2) that they had such a good time of it, mostly.

[Amy]

Wow, what a story

How could anyone live an ordinary life after something like that?

[biff]

lo fair amy,
         things get worse and worse,however running off to see is not the answer,sit tight and wait it out.on our green isle,green in colour only, we have an election and we all know that the results will be astounding and usless,results at 11am this morning,can you imagine an election in england where some of the proposed candidate will not put the party name on the poster or leaflets.thats how bad it is here in ireland.
                     biff,