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Date:         Fri, 25 Oct 2013 10:32:26 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Kids and Westies and Friday Sailboats/Westies.
Comments: To: Jason Ellsmere <jasonellsmere@me.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

You might want to re-think the sailboat idea, if you are 'projecting' from your Westie experiences.

Sailboats are a couple of magnitudes more serious than Westie travels. You may think Westies are very similar to sailboats, and yes, in size of accommodations they are... But the similarities end about there....I always laugh and shake my head when I hear people compare VW vans and sailboats....

At the end of the day (or anytime during the day you get the urge) aboard a Westie, you turn off the key and park it....get out and walk around, go take a hot shower somewhere..go for a walk.or just climb in back and relax in a no-worry environment. You can ignore everything till you turn the key and begin traveling again..If it won't go, you can call AAA and have it flat-bedded somewhere to get it fixed.

None of that happens with a sailboat...When you "park" it, it still moves, it's always still at very much risk. You can't just open the slider and step out...and when you do get away for a little while, you always have, in the back of your mind, the security of your boat..."Is the anchor secure? Are all the nearby boats secure, too, so they won't drag anchor and push or pull my boat ashore? Is that hose clamp (any one of dozens that can sink us) on the thru hull OK, or will it let loose and send my whole boat right to the bottom of the sea?".....like that...When you encounter a problem with your sailboat, something that would be inconvenient and expensive in a Westie, that problem can be catastrophic...end of sailboat, end of dream, end of life even...

No, sailboats are 'cute' like a Westie, and very much fun to be aboard when everything is just perfect...but if the weather goes to crap, or the waves are bashing you around till you are sick and bruised and ready to quit....you don't have the option, on a sailboat.

Sailboats are extremely serious. I worked for a few years in a yacht yard and I saw lots and lots of people who made the mistake of equating cruising sailboats with RVs or Camper vans...When they finally cast off the dock lines and went sailing....very often they got way more than they could handle and quit very quickly. You can find dozens and dozens of abandoned boats anchored in downwind ports like La Paz, at the (normally downwind) tip of Baja or southern Florida...boats that are someone's abandoned dream, done after one or two weeks of actually sailing and living aboard in the real world.... Great dreams, sailboats...but certainly serious life-changing pieces of equipment. Quite unlike that Westie that may be parked under your carport right now...

Don Hanson

PS...Most who get into sailboats with the dream of serious sailing take two or three YEARS of ownership before they actually cut loose....Two or three years getting "Ready"....and then a significant percentage, if and when they finally do GO....they find out they've invested all that time and energy into something that scares the crap out of them, that makes them uncomfortable, that isn't anything like they 'imagined' on those infrequent short Sunday sunny fair weather daysails....Many just fall into the..."Forever Getting Ready for the World Cruise" lifestyle....and end up living in some marina for years... Similar, maybe, to the Westie owners who are "almost ready" to take their vans camping?...grin. But you can take an ill-prepared Westie out on the road. You take an ill-prepared sailboat even one mile offshore and you better be a strong swimmer..

On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 8:04 AM, Jason Ellsmere <jasonellsmere@me.com>wrote:

> We just (aug/sept) did a 12,000km 6 week trip in our '90 Westy with a 1 > year old and a dog. Went through some hot states (CA, AZ, TX, NM, OK) with > no AC and we survived. Planning travel time, length and flexibility is > important. Should also note we bought the Westy 3 weeks before we left so > we were as newbie as it gets. > > Would we do this type of trip again, yup. Although Route 66 wasn't good > enough to do twice. > > I think the next big adventure will be in a sailboat. Anyone want to buy > a well maintained Westy? > > Still catching up on the trip report but part is up at www.laidbackdad.com > > Jason > > > > > > On Oct 25, 2013, at 10:43 AM, David Bjorkman <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET> > wrote: > > > > Fix the A/C. I ended up buying an '87 with power steering and A/C to > keep family harmony. > > > > Dave B. > > > > > > On 10/25/13, Jeremy Stovin<jjstov@YAHOO.COM> wrote: > > > > My kids , 11 and 8 have mixed reviews. They love Lola, and fight over > who will sleep on top. We took a long, inexperienced trip from Seattle to > San Diego this summer, without air conditioning, and tensions got as high > as the temp. The kids got over it. The wife, not yet. > > > > We did go on a one night outing with a bunch if other Westies, and they > had a blast. > > > > - Jeremy > > > > Sent from my iPad > > > > On Oct 25, 2013, at 7:22 AM, The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM> wrote: > > > > >> Blue rocks was our inaugural campout. The wife, > > >> myself, and our two little girls (ages 3 and 1). The > > >> rain was a bummer but overall it was very successful. > > >> > > >> Looking forward to many years of it until they no > > >> longer want to hang out with dad, lol. > > > > > > > > > It could be a long time. Our oldest girl’s first campout in the Westy > was at 8 weeks old. When she was 5 months old we took one though Europe for > a month. She does not remember a Westy NOT being part of her summer > routine. Now she’s 15, and we also have a 9 and 11 year old. All three > really look forward to our summer trips. In fact the 15 year old wants a > 70's Westy for her first car, but I told her I want her to learn on > something with airbags first. (Not to mention that I'm unconvinced that a > bed-on-wheels is the most prudent choice for a high school teenager. Kinda > sends the wrong message.☺ ) Maybe when she goes to college. I have no doubt > a Westy is in her future at some point; all of her best childhood memories > involve one. Besides I know where she can get parts cheap. :-) > > > > > > - Ron Salmon > > > The Bus Depot, Inc. > > > www.busdepot.com > > > (215) 234-VWVW > > > > > > _____________________________________________ > > > Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT >


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