Yachting Like It Is

Love or lust, the two can be easily confused.  They are the basis for the themes of a million songs and unquestionably, they contribute to the collective inspiration of every generation of poet and writer alike.  From the sonnets of the Bard to the whimsical fancy of the modern song writer, the experience of love won and lost has etched upon most of us the relative value of poem and verse alike.

My affair started some time ago.  We passed in the street and I was at once taken with her beauty.  Her face, fresh and unblemished by the years, captivated me in a moment.  As she passed I glanced over my shoulder.  Her shape as she swooped by was trim and taught and athletic but all the while feminine and quite beautiful.   Her body was smaller than average and she looked petite and demure but maintained a hint of menace.  Like a cat soft and graceful but ready to pounce and devour at a moment’s notice.  I became instantly desirous of her and from then on planned my next meeting.

We ‘met’ shortly after that day as I had managed to get an introduction.  She was German and very new to the local scene.  After some time I arranged to fly to Europe and pick her up in Germany in the town that she was born.  I will not lie; I spent a fortune on a holiday and flew out to meet her.  We traveled together through Germany and France and I even took her across the channel to meet my parents.  I was smitten. 

No one could deny her looks were stunning but several people seemed a little daunted and surprised by her inner darkness.  We had our ups and downs and from the start I was aware that she drank a little too much.  On a number of occasions she drove me around the bend quicker than ever before but as I learned to handle her moods she became predictable.  As we took our road trip together and spent many hours in traffic I found her totally comforting and supportive.  She kept me cool during that hot summer in Europe and was happy to go wherever I chose.

She spoke a number of languages and was as excellent navigator and played music whenever I asked, the perfect companion one might say.  But there were problems on the horizon.  I was married and my wife wanted children. I had to decide if I should continue my affair but I simply could not part with her.

I returned home and she came to the USA, I actually paid for her to get here by ship as she could not fly.  I found her a place to stay and she waited for me patiently until the weekends when we could go out together.  As time went on I realized that she was simply too much of a goer for me; she was built for speed and I started to need more comfort. After the birth of our first child my priorities had also started to change.  She was simply incapable of coping with a baby. It may sound a little strange but my wife, who knew of the affair, had started to enjoy her company.  I saw them together once or twice and I realized that I simply had to let her go for fear she would come between us.

So now I have made the decision to part.  I want to know if there is anyone out there who is thrilled by the thought of travel on the open road and who is interested in buying a 2006 Porsche Cayman S.  She will be sorely missed and although she is not what you would call high maintenance she does have expensive taste.  She is not good with kids but great for weekends away.  Always ready for an adventure, in 16000 miles I have only seen her tired once.

Yachting has experienced, over the past decade or so, what amounts to a technical revolution.  The advance of technology with its ‘smaller, faster and ever more efficient systems has given us everything from black box navigation gear to high speed internet, global communications and even stabilization.  A good friend of mine recently took out his I-phone and showed me the alarm monitoring status of everything in his engine room as we sat at dinner several miles away.  Even the yachts that are getting greener are mostly reliant on technology and not common sense to achieve a reduced carbon ‘keel print’.

In the context of all these changes there is inevitably a chorus of ‘old school’ voices, several here on “Dockwalk.com” forums, that would seem to be saying that the new crew just ‘aint what they used to be’.  However in many respects, and writing as someone who can only text with two fingers and at a rate slower that an arthritic farmer, I have to say that these new yachties might well have a natural ability that can be exploited.

I suspect that many of the skills common to the newer generation of yacht crew could be quite useful.  After all there is surely greater and greater emphasis on computerized control of even rather modest functions aboard modern yachts.  Climate control, Audio Visual, Computer Networking, and Alarm monitoring, are systems that these days have a lot more silicone trickery invested in them than a car dealer’s wife.  Gone for good are the days of simple switches flashing lights and audio alarms.

But does this mean then, that the emphasis on technology will cause or is causing the focus on traditional skills both on deck and in the engine room to be left behind?  It is a reasonable concern and many these days seem to suggesting that it is indeed evident to the knowledgeable eye.  Many of the ‘accidents’ of the recent past suggest a failure to observe some of the very basic principles of Seamanship.  And seamanship is one of those things which is better passed on working environment than in a classroom.  Quite telling is the fact that even with the benefit of hindsight several people posting in the forums have seemed to suggest that there was a piece of technology that could have prevented some of 2009’s accidents in the first place.

So is there a skills gap developing for real?  Or is it more of a cultural gap where the modern techie culture is not accepting or interested in learning the basic concepts that keep things like the art of seamanship and hands on engineering alive.  Perhaps a bit of both.

I would imagine that for your average techie engineer who is most interested in interfaces and programming, it must be quite frustrating to have to learn the ‘Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow’ principles of Diesel’s cycle.  And, equally so for a captain to have crew that want to use the AIS interface on the radar overlay of the ECDIS plotter but who cannot tie anything other than a bowline.

Some time ago I watched in horror as a reasonable sized vessel tried to moor stern-to in Nassau on one of the outer docks of the Hurricane Hole marina.  The boat was berthing ‘down tide’ and the tide was moving at perhaps, half a knot.  The boat barged and scraped its way into the dock causing, rather fortunately, only a few thousand dollars worth of paint repair work but leaving fingers mostly intact.  In fact the largest dent was done to the captain’s ego.  Sitting in the bar a week later and discussing the incident the captain and crew all had suggestions and solutions that may have prevented the problem:  Less delay in the throttle system, more powerful bow thruster, different props, different steering gear etc. Etc. Etc.  When someone suggested that they should simply have waited for the tide to turn or arrived earlier they totally discounted the notion.  Instead citing other priorities as “…far more important to consider than getting into the dock with a favourable tide.”

There is undoubtedly less emphasis of some of the traditional ways of operating yachts which may simply be a skills gap.  What concerns me is that there is a lack of respect for the traditional ways of operating yachts.  From sound engineering practices to seamanship and ship husbandry there must be a commitment to keeping the past alive, we will certainly be safer for it.

There are any number of possible health hazards that may affect those working on yachts.  And, unsurprisingly, there is no end of mechanisms that we can employ to combat them:  From wearing shoes to avoid foot injuries to observing defined ‘hours of rest’ in order to combat fatigue.  However very little these days is mentioned about good old fashioned sea sickness.  I was always told that the best remedy for this particular ailment was to stand under a large oak tree.  Whilst this remedy is undoubtedly effective, even the very largest yachts are apparently unwilling to accommodate the seasickness threat in this way.

So just what is it and what can be done to avoid or cure it?  Supposedly seasickness a result of one’s balance being upset.  Inside the inner ear are three semicircular canals that contain liquid.  On the inner walls of these canals are hairs which move with the motion of the liquid and send messages to the brain.  As the motion of the body becomes more unusual the messages sent to the brain seem to range from ‘yawn’ to ‘vomit’ with ‘lay down clutching a bottle of water’ somewhere in between.

To those susceptible to the condition, sea sickness is terrible, debilitating disease, whereas to those who are unaffected; it is all in the mind.  There can be no question that sea sickness is indeed real in the clinical sense, but like stress and hypertension there is much to suggest that the mind can also play a role in its onset and severity.

I once sailed with a lady who would develop symptoms of seasickness within a few minutes of hearing a less than favourable weather forecast, even if the local conditions were calm.  Such was her mind’s ability to generate the feeling of nausea.  Likewise, when I sailed as mate aboard an old schooner and having been shipwrecked on a lee shore, the twelve passengers who had been previously confined to their bunks suddenly forgot about their “Mal de Mar” and became more concerned about drowning.

There are plenty of old wives who have, over the centuries, concocted solutions to sea sickness, from staring at the horizon to staying busy.  However in keeping with the times there are also numerous gadgets and devices on the market claiming to offer a cure.  From bands with little beads using the science of acupuncture to small electrodes designed to galvanize the same theory into more effective action.  There are also dietary solutions that are recommended from eating ginger to not drinking seventeen pints of beer the night before putting to sea.

In essence everyone is affected by sea sickness in different ways and over time everyone tends to develop their own means of coping.  I for one would be fascinated to know what people think is the best way to deal with it.  Whether you are affected by the motion of the ocean, reliant on a potion or if you are able to use mind over matter, just what do you do to cure what just may be the oldest disease on earth?

There can be no greater feeling of helplessness than watching a disaster unfold from position that renders it impossible to help.  Such have the last few days been for many who have watched the people of Haiti deal with a catastrophic earthquake from the distant and sometime guilty comfort of their television sets. 

For Haiti the clock is ticking, the actions taken in the first two weeks after such an event can reduce the overall death toll by a huge amount.  The greatest killers in these situations are the diseases which can spread incredibly quickly where mass concentrations of people gather without sanitation, medicine, shelter or food. In 1994 in Ngara, Tanzania, where the exodus of refugees from Rwanda first gathered, some estimates put the daily death toll at a little short of ten thousand.  But perhaps more startling is the fact that this number had decreased to a little as ten a day within a couple of weeks.  It is astounding what medicine, sanitation and shelter can do in such a short time if properly administered. 

In Haiti there is a huge amount of Aid being delivered through a port and airport not equipped to deal with even a tiny proportion of the traffic is is seeing now.  The Militiary have  already set up a full communication infrastructure and developed a coordinated system of planning and implementing everything from search and rescue activities to medical treatment centres and food distribution plans.  

The initial phase of activity is intense with huge amounts of resources and a ’save life at any cost attitude’.  As the first few weeks go by the problems become more complicated as politics, corruption and security issues become more concerning.  How many saw the images of a presidential palace in near ruins following the earthquake and wondered how such an opulent building could be justified amongst such impoverished neighbours. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to be rebuilt and just who pays for it!

The disaster response to Haiti has been tremendous and huge number of yachties have been involved gathering supplies and organising their despatch to Haiti.  I has been great to see such efforts but there is still that never ending feeling of helplessness many seem to be experiencing.  Wondering just what they can physically do to make a difference and there is something that we can all do. It is very simple and we are all capable of it, it cost little but it is vital.  You see in a few short weeks and months the news will have another focus and our attention will be diverted elsewhere perhaps an Oscar upset or perhaps a new war.  Very soon after donations will slow and relief will become development and in a few short months Haiti may just become a shocking memory.  So it is most important not to forget. There is nothing the aid agencies fear more than donor fatigue and being forgotten it makes operations incredibly difficult.  

Whatever we are doing now in the way of gathering donations and supplies we should keep doing it and perhaps this should be the theme of fundraising for the boatshow party season this year.  It is vital not to forget what has happened in Haiti not in a few weeks or months.  We may forget the recent property crash, no Haitian ever will.

In ancient Greek mythology, the human condition was determined to exist in three distinct status: Those who were dead, those who were alive and those who were “at sea”.  Such was the significance of the sea in the both the mythical and historical Greece.  Today much of the influence of ancient Greece can still be felt in our political doctrine, astronomy, medicine and language.  In fact it is all over the place if you know where to look.  If however, you think of ‘the classics’ as albums released by eighties bands with dubious, large haircuts and white jackets with shoulder pads, then the names of many of the yachts we see come and go will mean little.  it might be of interest to some that to this day, many yachts are named after the Gods, Heroes, Heroines and Deities brought to life and recorded in the tales of Homer more than 800 years before Christmas was even invented.

I have listed a few of the yacht names and mentioned their namesake and their character or qualities as they are portrayed in mythology.  They are in no order in particular and I am sure the list is far from complete.  

TRITON – The son of Poseidon, Triton was a sea god with fishes tail and must have looked like a cross dressing mermaid.  Triton was said to form into smaller sea spirits called Tritones.   Triton’s major contribution to ancient mythology was to guide Jason and the Argonauts when they were lost and to use his special trumpet formed from a sea shell, to blow on to the waves in order to calm the sea.

PERSEUS – Was only a demi-god being born of a God, Zeus and a mortal. He grew up on an island, being mentored by a fisherman.  Perseus was later despatched to behead the evil Medusa.  This he did with the help of some flying shoes from Hermes and a reflective shield from the goddess Athena.  On his way back from killing Medusa, Perseus rescued a bird called Andromeda who was about to besacrificed to a sea monster.

ATHENA – The Goddess of Wisdom, Athena was said to be the most fair and benevolent of all the gods.  Athena was born to Zeus and was said to have sprung from his head into existence.  

PEGASUS – Pegasus was a winged horse sired by Poseidon and Medusa who was a Gorgon.  Pegasus was strong and fast but could be captured and ridden by others.

APHRODITE – Was popular at all the God parties.  She was the goddess of love, desire and beauty but also the sea which is probably why her name is often lent to the transom of a yacht.  Aphrodite got around a bit and had a number of children, enough said.

ARTEMIS – Daughter of Zeus and the goddess of the hunt.  She was a strong warrior and helped protect the Olympians from the giants.  She was a staunch protector of  women and to a lesser degree young men.  

GAIA – Mother Earth, Gaia was the Earth and relates to what we today may describe as mother nature.  She emerged onto the mythological scene shortly after the ‘Chaos’.  Gaia was one of the first Gods and is said to give berth to mankind.

HELIOS – The Greek god of the sun and indeed the sun itself.  He moves across the sky daily in a chariot led by four horse that breathe fire from their nostrils.  At the end of the night Helios is brought back to the starting point in very large cup. Helios sees all and informs the gods of what he sees.

Another new year in St Barts gets off with a bang.  Two anchored yachts collide and through a series of pictures taken from a single perspective, a number of would-be Sherlock Holmes are revived from the dead to demonstrate an uncanny, almost instinctive ability to deduce fault and point the finger of blame. 

There are almost certain to be many more pictures and videos of these sorts of events which are, frankly, at times greatly entertaining especially to see from afar.  It simply has to happen more and more as ever greater numbers of people are using smart phones equipped with video and more ‘apps’  than a Swiss Army, dual voltage, digital, multi tool sort of thing.

Without doubt, the numpties out there will appear, in most cases in absentia, before the court of free speech where their minimum sentence will be an open aired public spanking.  Egos will be dented and mechanical failures will be invented.  There may even be a “Yachting’s Dumbest ” TV series with a former ‘captain to the stars’ reading scripts linking  puns of pure cheese and introducing video clips of yachting prangs to a room full of salad dodging morons who look like they were hired to entertain deaf children.  Obviously, I’d be up for presenting such a show as that.

There is a serious point though and that is; just supposing for a moment that the power yacht with the unusual design and star of the 2010 St Bart’s ‘first anchored shunt’ competition, was dealing with an electrical problem that rendered the yacht systems useless and the tender was being launched to get the chief engineer; who had suffered a massive electrical shock, to hospital.  And, that the captain had decided that he and his crew’s best efforts were to forget about a bit of scratching to a lightweight blow boat in favour of saving a life.  In this case the typical speculation would not serve the common good.  Especially if the part that failed causing the electrical fault was poorly designed for its application, new to the market and in danger of exposing others to the same risk.  In this case, the communal ears would serve better than the mouth.

There is absolutely no question about the fact that the greater good is served by learning from the mistakes and misfortunes of others.  But, open and frank discussion is very different from smug speculation which serves a subjective agenda. We cannot escape the fact that laughing at the misfortunes of others is a vital part of entertainment and where no-one is hurt who cares.  But let’s not kid ourselves that it benefits anyone other than the kindred voyeur among us.

There is discussion within the industry about a forming a forum already used in other sectors of the Maritime industry; where officials get together to share their own honest accounts of their misadventures, mistakes and lessons gleaned from accidents.  There are no notes allowed to be taken, no names allowed to be used and no publicity allowed to be exploited even by others that could gain from it.  The idea is that such a forum would be an altruistic gesture aimed at  sharing safety issues in a candid, frank and honest forum.

Could this work in yachting?  Do we care? Is criticism so hard to swallow? Perhaps it’s alimentary, my dear Watson.

Just what are we expecting to happen in 2010?  I am sure we are bored of hearing what went wrong in 2009 so I wonder if making a few predictions for 2010 will prove more encouraging.  Well at least we can predict, with some degree of certainty, the tides.  After last year however, there will no doubt, be many who are just as likely to be relying on Astrology as Astronomy.  In our business we can get pretty used to dealing with the stars and looking fondly upon heavenly bodies.

I have set out a few categories and made a couple of suggestions for 2010 but I would be grateful for those of you at the coal face so to speak to offer your own suggestions.  For fun I will review it one year hence and offer a reward for anyone that was in the fortunate position of saying “told you so”.

TECHNOLOGY – Well we have flat screen TVs, internet, zero speed stabilizers and sewage treatment plants that can turn urine into your drinking water, what could possibly come next.  My guess is power management systems that can improve further the bang one gets for one’s generator buck.  It seems as this area is something that is still appetizing to owners and still worth a premium.  That is likely to lead to investment and further improvements in yachting applications.  The technology is already out there in most cases so it is more a question of automating different systems in order to work together without the chief engineer being compelled to turn things on and off like a two year old who has just reached the height of the light switches.  Believe me I know what I am talking about!

More economic propulsion systems are also on the cards with much talk of hybrid and diesel electric applications becoming more available on smaller size yachts.  But, I suspect there is more than a year before they are an obvious option.

SECURITY – Everybody is investing in new security devices and solutions for yachts and I am sure 2010 will bring in more expensive kit.  Sonic cannons which can be used by untrained deckies should prove fun until someone loses an ear.  However I would hazard a guess that biometric security solutions will make further headway into the market.  Also I would guess that bodyguards will be wearing navy blue next year rather than black which is getting a little predictable.

DESIGN – The plum bow is in and 2010 will probably see more of this sort of look as the axe bow means you pay for more dockage than you can walk on.  Coatings for paint that reduce maintenance are coming too.  They are out there already but seen as a costly addition however, as they are more and more embraced by the paint companies or bought by them, they will possible be seen as a cost saving investment.  The same is true of glass treatment, particularly in light of the push toward eco sense.

AV SYSTEMS – There is always the chance of someone bringing in an AV system that an owner’s wife can use without going mental but we are probably looking at another ten to twenty years or so don’t hold your breath.  The IPOD looks set to become a firm fixture as part of the AV system for some but it may prove too cheap and uncomplicated for many to spec.  They may come up with a way to broadcast Blue ray around the boat during 2010.

NAVIGATION – Reliability is not really the issue these days, nor is accuracy but the interface system will become further simplified and intuitive.  I would like to see a return to simpler concepts where judgment is left to the watchkeepers who can easily get the info they need as opposed to the info that is available.

BUSINESS – Sales of yachts are a subject debated around every bar in every port and discussed in every magazine.  My guess is that sailing yacht sales will increase more than power yachts but that new boats may be designed without the resale or market acceptance being as much of a concern.  There will therefore be some interesting designs to come next year with owners applying their own subjective wants outside the market influence.  It may be that the brokerage business may come under pressure to be more transparent about yacht pricing after the market turmoil and extreme valuations of the recent past.  Could this happen?  Well if it does it will not be implemented by anyone called Mr. popular.

Chartering seemed to have adapted to the market, after the initial reduction in charter bookings, it seemed that many charters occurred at shorter notice with pricing discounted.  I would that this continues as value and pricing will continue to be predominant forces throughout 2010.

CREW TRAINING – I guess most people were hoping for a sea change to online courses by now but the STCW convention is going to make that tricky both from a legislation and business point of view, so I would suspect that online will serve the needs of the elective training market which is very small, before the mandatory training courses.

I could go on but I would genuinely love to hear from you out there on the cutting edge about just what you think the next 12 months may bring; good or bad.  However in looking online I did find a quatrain from a fellow called Nostradamus:

FROM THE EAST BEHIND A CURTAIN OF IRON

ARISES A SON WHO WILL BUILD AN ARK OF STEEL

FROM GERMANY SHE WILL SAIL

HER PICTURE WILL ADORN THE COVER OF EVERY PARCHMENT OF MANTOYS

Well I suspect good old Nostradamus was right again but only time will tell.

I have to say for the next couple of weeks with Christmas and new year, I, like many landlubbers will be all family oriented eating and drinking way too much and thinking of the truly important things that Christmas means:  Things like why James Bond is always on TV on Christmas day and whether there really is something in Turkey that makes you want to sleep the afternoon after Christmas lunch, or as some would suggest; is it down to the gallons of booze that even Grandma has been drinking since ten o’clock that morning.

This will be the second occasion in a very few weeks that many in the US will be basting, carving and generally scoffing as much turkey as possible, what with the close proximity of Thanksgiving to Christmas.  In fact only during the Clinton and Lewinski affair has there ever been more concentrated talk about fat birds and stuffing than these last few weeks.

Now it may seem that I will be totally focused on my own stomach but I will almost certainly be sparing a thought for the poor yacht crew who will be grafting away and dealing with the whim and fancy of the owner and guest. Don’t worry though, the incoming  MLC will probably allow you to claim overtime for working during holidays in the future and you might even be able to claim an allowance just for having to suffer the indignity of wearing a Santa hat to please the owners and guests. It might be that there is even a stipulated minimum time that crew be allowed to eat Christmas lunch.

I don’t envy you out there and I genuinely wish you all the very best both for Christmas and 2010.  Let’s be honest there are few who in our business who will remember 2009 fondly.  That said there appears to be light at the end of the economic tunnel, long tunnel though it is.  So, again, have a great Christmas yachties everywhere, (even to those who disagree with my blogs this year) especially those of you who are working.  Think of the tips and how annoying family can be in any case.

I would be grateful if someone could explain to me why we don’t have a reality TV programme about yachting.  We have reality everything else and apparently these days people will turn on the TV to watch other people playing cards or, a group of slappers in a house talking about their augmentation plans and their decrepit, pajama wearing pimp.  So, why not a yachting reality show. 

The format is simple, follow a few busy charter yachts as they prepare for their season and film them whilst they struggle like little ants to get their boat ready.  The sweat, the tears, the graft and the beers, you see it even rhymes. Of course some will suggest that privacy is an issue? Right now though, I am pretty sure that given the opportunity to market their yacht there are plenty of owners that would jump at the chance to have their yacht featured on the TV.  The guests, well that’s a different matter but they are not the interesting part in any case, it’s the crew perspective that would be interesting.  I guess it’s the same reason the Deadliest Catch does not feature seafood diners.

Obviously, just like the fishing reality programmes it would be important to point out that everything the crew does is highly dangerous. It is a vital part of true reality to make sure that the story unfolding on the screen is far more interesting that actual reality.  In fact, reality TV is actually a sort of enhanced reality. This is probably the reason that all the girls on reality TV are good looking and seemingly always just moments away from getting their kit off.

Yachting has the perfect recipe for a successful reality show:  Glamour, sex, danger and we are all pretty.  Well compared to a bunch of dog toothed, chain smoking fisherman we are, even the captains are pretty.  Imagine the drama trying get out of the yard on time, trying to get a contractor to show up on time.  Imagine being a fly on the wall when the captain does captain’s stuff, although that might be beyond the realms of camera access.

I still cannot believe that it has not happened yet?  Perhaps it’s because viewers don’t want to see images of wealth while the economy is so down?  No that can’t be it, as poor folk buy rap albums when most of the videos feature singers adorned in the ostentatious trappings of the tasteless rich.

In truth just telling the simple of story of what we do would probably bring millions of new crew members wanting to get into the business.  Could be good or bad depending on which way you look at it.  We shall see, but if we don’t get in on the reality act pretty soon we will be on to the next TV fad and who knows what that could be?  It could be worse than reality.

Quality of bottom is an oft used phrase in the maritime industry.  Some would say it is used to describe the hiring preferences of many but more recently it is a phrase used to describe the present state of the economy.  Everyone seems to be talking about whether we are near or on the bottom and whether it will be the start of a rise or whether it will be the predominant landscape of the next few years.  A sort of flat line so to speak.

This last 18 months has caused much pain to many and yet it is difficult to note whether important lessons have been learned.  There seem to be a few different schools of thought in the yachting business and depending on who you talk to they are the pessimistic view, the optimistic view and the realistic view.

The pessimists will tell you that we are going to be stuck in this rut for years to come.  The optimists if you can find them will point out that yachts are a great deal and that the market will come back strongly while the realists will have us err on the side of caution and use subjective knowledge as their justification.

Whichever is the ‘right’ view only time will tell.  It seems though, that few people are looking at the present state of the economy and analyzing it for themselves.  For example the last time the Euro got to this strength against the dollar it was big news as it seemed to impinge upon the fortunes of yachties, now however it is lost in the mire of the world economy.  Never in my yachting career has the economy looked so skewed in favour of the United States being the advantageous place to be and yet never has there been so much talk of the US being a tricky place to do business for yachties.  After years of discussions it appears that the B1/B2 visa is what we should be using to enter the states as crew aboard a yacht.  Informative as the information has been to this year’s crop of newbies, that just isn’t news, it only seems to be news in answer to the neigh sayers that ever doubted it.  Never has there been so much discussion about entry into the US or whether US crew members are suited for jobs aboard yachts.

Yachting is perhaps the most cosmopolitan industry, after maybe the UN; I have ever had the fortune to work within.  It thrives on the fact that its actors are adventurous and free spirited and perhaps more importantly mobile, crossing cultures and boundaries on but a whim. 

Essentially one has to believe that Yachties are heterogeneous and not homogeneous and that ascribing generic characteristics is needless.  To do so as seems to be the predominant trend of the moment leaves aside the concept that the very make up of yachting is a colourful collage of different outlooks in favour of the view that we are all conforming to the graying trend gleefully mapped out by gossip.

We must learn from the fact the bubble has burst and not wait for the next inflationary cycle.