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OddGodfrey

Sometimes We Are Indecisive — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

How do sailing cruisers decide where to go next? Many sailors have a route and a plan set in stone, guiding their every sea mile. We used to! It seems that went out the window a while ago, and now here we are trying to feel our way around in the dark. Where should we go next and when? That’s the de

Source: Sometimes We Are Indecisive — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

Sometimes We Are Slow — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

The LiLly Pond Lodge After our hike, we turned the car about and drove the five minutes back to Lilly Pond. We turned left into the gate and announced our arrival through a little speaker that connected us directly to Nils. He let us in, and they both met us in the parking lot for welcome hugs. &am

Source: Sometimes We Are Slow — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

Sometimes We’re Fast — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

At risk of being trapped in Knysna, we set off in search of long lost sailors who are currently testing the theory that sailors can successfully return to land and re-enter polite society after this ocean-going dalliance is done. Join us in this series of blog posts as we enjoy the South African’ Ga

Source: Sometimes We’re Fast — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

The Post Modern Superstitious Sailor — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

We sailors aren’t really superstitious anymore, but… Join us on the next leg of our passage down South Africa’s Coast of Storms. We test our favor with Neptune as we attempt to enter the dreaded Knysna Heads where, if we succeed, we will be met with a yacht club steeped in history and gin distille

I’m not supersticious, black cat just crossed my trail . . . (sf)

Source: The Post Modern Superstitious Sailor — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

Having survived one of the more miserable passages we’ve had in our whole trip, we enjoyed the safe harbor of East London along side both new and old friends. What’s the trick to re-motivating ourselves back out to sea? A dose of laugher must be the best sea-sickness medicine.

Source: The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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info Life

I Have A Good Excuse

I arrived in France on May 12th. My luggage got to France the 14th. The company responsible for delivering it gave it to Poste Français. I wasn’t home when they tried to deliver it, so they took it back to the main post office in Civray, 8km away. They did not notify me. After almost getting nasty about things, the delivery company told me what had happened. Yesterday I went up to Civray and retrieved my luggage. Everything was there. I shall post again! Carry on!

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Life

Paradigms

From the Space Needle in Seattle photo by the author

A paradigm (pronounced pair-a-dime) is a framework used to operate something, be it a club, website, club, or society. As it happens, a free society changes its paradigms roughly every eighty years. Look it up, and you’ll see many people claiming loudly that the cyclical theory of history has been debunked. In the 1950s, the theory of plate Techtonics was said by many to be debunked. Too bad for those guys, that theory predicts so well how the world is and will be that it is now accepted as correct. Amongst historians, cyclical theory is right where plate Techtonics was in 1955. And cyclical theory predicts general trends amazingly well. Trends such as the recent surge in hard-core conservatism (which happens at regular intervals) and the general zeitgeist of each succeeding generation. There is a book that explains it all: Generations: Howe, Neil: 9780688119126: Amazon.com: Books

Read that first if you must, but since you’re here, why not just go on? This is short, I promise.

Consider prior to the 1930s, when consumerism was considered crass, and people were afraid of plastics. Then came the Great Depression, and WWII, and now darned if people didn’t embrace consumerism is a manner that is, frankly, sort of embarrassing. The so-called Silent Generation, the one just before the Baby Boomers, was all over criticizing their elders over consumerist habits, the Red Scare, and other things. But, that was the paradigm of the age, and it worked. The biggest boom in prosperity in the history of the world ensued. But just as the paradigm that consumerism replaced was becoming increasingly dysfunctional, the paradigms we have been living in are no longer working well, and the resulting zeitgeist is one of, well, you’re living in it, you tell me your words for it. It’s not fun.

Oddly, every time the basic attitudes and structures of society need rearranged, they at least partially are, to the extent that people will put up with the changes, anyway. But to do that, there are always distractors. The Great Depression and World War Two kept everyone’s attention off of the structural changes in society, such as unbelievable levels of choice for consumers (do we need all that?), increased automation and mechanization, standardization of foods, housing, transportation and other aspects of society, and others I’m sure you could list if you want to. Those things were, believe it or not, not always popular prior to those mid-century crises, but they have been incredibly popular since. Ever drive on an Interstate? Nice roads, huh? And, of course, societal attitudes toward minorities and poor people have moved away from where they were just after that war. Some cities are doing what they can to ameliorate the damage caused by an Interstate Highway through historically thriving neighborhoods of minority people, for instance. There is a reason that those who cling to the “good old days” are unhappy today. Of course they are, and you would be too if you were in their exact place. But you’re most likely not, because the world is, as always changing, and the way society holds together must change with it.

So, our country will look and sound different in another decade or so. And everybody will either be actually happy about that, pretend to be happy about that, or be dismissed as an old grouch. I know because that’s how it always goes. You should have heard what some people were still saying about FDR in the 50s! But, the change will happen, and a new era of, well new eraness will begin. And, get this, immediately following the resolution of the current crises that distract us, the next generation equivalent to the Boomers will start being born. Bet you’re really looking forward to that, huh?

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OddGodfrey

The Vomit Comet, By Katherine Hepburn — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

Let’s just say, the passage from Richard’s Bay to East London goes down as one of the most physically miserable passages we have experienced in 24,000 miles of sailing. And, it made the cat angry. But Sonrisa hit another water-speed record while riding the Agulhas Current like a runaway speed train.

Source: The Vomit Comet, By Katherine Hepburn — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

Meandering — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

The question of our future follows us into some of South Africa’s most beautiful terrain as we Meander through the Midlands and onward to Drackensberg and Cathedral Peak. Enjoy some hiking and exploring South Africa with us while we avoid life’s pesky: “what’s next” question.

Source: Meandering — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

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OddGodfrey

Road Trip Through Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World

You remember the Oddgodfreys? Used to sail a lot, and post a lot. Well, finally, here they are again, after ONE, count it, ONE post this year! Yoiks! Don’t they realize that if they don’t post, I actually have to write my own stuff???

Okay, joking. Glad to have them back. Here is the latest, and there are two more. From here, just follow the links on their blog!

 

The Oddgodfreys commence their by-land wandering through South Africa. Leaving Sonrisa tied up to her slip at the Zululand Yacht Club, we embark into wild and unknown territory involving ramps to the moon, holes into the center of the earth, and hopefully, ghosts!

Source: Road Trip Through Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa — OddGodfrey: The Oddly Compelling Story of a Sailing Circumnavigation of the World