Plastic Classic Encounter

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:29 am

Friday evening I poked my head into a secluded cove looking for some action, and wouldn't you know it - there in the distance was a familiar pair of Tritons. I got my first tour of Glissando (a very, verrrry, nice boat) and gained a first hand appreciation of why I really should carry ice cubes on board. Thanks Tim! Enjoy your cruise Nathan!

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:54 am

An Ensign tshirt? pffffft!

Thanks John. Good to know the lads are still afloat.

oh, and for what it's worth, I'm in the "block ice and an icepick" camp as well. ;)

Post by **dasein668** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:27 pm

Earlier in the day he was wearing an Alexseal t-shirt. The guy's a billboard!

John, it was nice to see a friendly face at Pickering!

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:50 am

That's Tim, selling out to Corporate America!

John,I find your icebox comments hilarious.

I seem to remember poo-pooing an icebox in a boat as small as a Triton where there is no way to store sufficient ice to keep enough food cold long enough to make it worthwhile. I am pretty sure I even discussed this with you at some point.

Then I cruised with the Rum&Cheese Club and I decided to put in a small icebox. Now you have a rendezvous with the same club and lo and behold you too are suddenly warming(?) to the idea of an icebox. Their plot is insidious and their tactics are brutal... and it is working slowly, one boat at a time :-)

It brings back good memories though which is what I really need to get through my daily dose of fiberglass grinding. What must it feel like to NOT go to bed itchy every night?...

-Britton

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:44 pm

I seem to remember poo-pooing an icebox in a boat as small as a Triton where there is no way to store sufficient ice to keep enough food cold long enough to make it worthwhile. I am pretty sure I even discussed this with you at some point.

We no doubt poo-pooed the idea together. ;-)

Now you have a rendezvous with the same club and lo and behold you too are suddenly warming(?) to the idea of an icebox

Well, I'm certainly convinced that ice aboard is a sign of civilized sailing, and it would be nice to have on board. Tim really has me thinking this time. But a couple of things prevent me from rushing to ice. First, shouldn't we be suffering out there? Isn't that what sailing is all about? And, second, I wonder where this could all end. You start with ice. Then it will be a functional galley, hot shower and a shave, watermaker, flat screen TV, microwave, and espresso maker. Next thing it will be a genset and dinghies with motors on them. And so the spiral begins. It starts with ice and the next thing you know you need a bigger boat. Something like a Seabreeze perhaps. :-) Britton, I'll wait and see what happens with you now that you've installed an icebox. Then I'll reconsider in a few years. Maybe in the interim I'll "dip my toe" and try a portable cooler.

Speaking of luxuries on boats, the one thing I'd reaaallly like on my boat is a vacuum cleaner. I read somewhere today that the smallest decent vacuum cleaner uses 25 ah in 10 minutes. That's scary. Imagine where that could lead!

Post by **Tim** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:00 am

Cruising shouldn't necessarily mean roughing it; if that's what you're in to, that's all well and good, but by modern societal lifestyle standards, simply living on a 30 foot boat (or smaller) is already "roughing it", I suppose. By no means does it need to (nor should it) be uncomfortable or unpleasant. One can retain a simple existence and minimal systems on board without eschewing the most basic pleasantries like cold food storage and essential personal hygiene. You don't need generators or hot showers for either of these things, but some means of accomplishing both is essential for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't enjoy cruising, or at least not to the extent that I currently do. If it were the only option, I'd get by, but it takes to little to enjoy these most basic of comforts.

No one would call an insulated icebox complex or luxurious (well, maybe some native tribes in the Amazon basin...). Nor is a hand-or foot-pumped water system luxurious or complicated. Other than a comfortable and inviting interior, these are the only "luxuries" of this nature I really have on board; frankly, I consider them to be bare necessities. I agree that it can be a deadly spiral towards over-complication and too many "conveniences", but there's no reason to avoid all basic comforts just to avoid the few that might be taking it over the top. My boat is less simple than some, but by modern standards she's still quite rudimentary. That said, she's extremely comfortable and pleasant for cruising. But I have no need, nor desire, for generators, microwaves, TVs, and all that detritus. My next cruising boat might be a bit more complex overall, but will still retain as much basic simplicity as possible.

I like my drinks cold and enjoy eating real food, both at home and while cruising. I love being on my boat, but I would like it a whole lot less if I didn't have these "comforts" available.

FWIW, I only stock ice cubes as a convenience for enjoying those tall rum and tonics (or dark and stormies) in the evening. The cubes don't hold out very long (regardless of the quality of the icebox insulation), and an ice pick for the blocks is essential if one wants to enjoy those civilized cocktails-in-the-cockpit for more than a few days without a need to restock the ice cube situation. Still, there's no question that cubes make a much better drink than chunks of partially-melted block, so a weekly (or so) stop for ice restocking is not much of a hardship on any cruise.

bcooke wrote:Then I cruised with the Rum&Cheese Club and I decided to put in a small icebox. Now you have a rendezvous with the same club and lo and behold you too are suddenly warming(?) to the idea of an icebox. Their plot is insidious and their tactics are brutal... and it is working slowly, one boat at a time :-)

My work here is just beginning...hehe.

Anyone else want to be "converted" to the Rum & Cheese Club? Apparently, we're quite effective at our brainwashing techniques, so consider yourself forewarned!

The funny thing is that Britton cruised with us for a week or more...John only took one evening on board in order to be tempted by the dark (and cold and stormy) side. hehe

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:59 am

Tim, glad to see you made it back. Thanks again for the hospitality and the tour of Glissando.

You'll be pleased to hear that in keeping with my new philosophy regarding luxuries on board, I've bought a solar shower. I think I'm going to get a cooler next.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:10 pm

A30_John wrote:... I think I'm going to get a cooler next.

Can the heli-pad be far behind? ;)

Post by **Tim** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:46 am

A30_John wrote:Tim, glad to see you made it back. Thanks again for the hospitality and the tour of Glissando.

You'll be pleased to hear that in keeping with my new philosophy regarding luxuries on board, I've bought a solar shower. I think I'm going to get a cooler next.

You're a wild man! hehe

Glad we had a chance to get together on the water. I'm sure you'll continue to have trouble avoiding me...

Here are a couple more pictures of our informal rendezvous: the first shows all three boats, and the second shows John's A-30.