Saturday, May 25, 2019

THE SEA GYPSY SOLUTION

by Ray Jason

      Recently, when sorting through some mementos, I encountered three short quotations that had helped launch the Sea Gypsy decades of my life. It was startling to discover how much power and enchantment they still possessed. Allow me to share them with you.

“...whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul … I account it high time to get myself to sea as soon as I can.”

Herman Melville

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.”

John Masefield

There’s a race of men that don’t fit in,
A race that can’t sit still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.”

Robert Service

       That final quotation is particularly important to the subject of this essay. When I first began to wander the Wide Waters, it was not because I felt forced to do so. It was because I chose to do so.
       But in today’s society, there is a large segment of the population that is scorned with such venom, that I believe that their best strategy is to escape from the abuse that is heaped upon them in the terrestrial world. I urge them to revitalize their lives with freedom, substance and adventure by heading out to Sea.
       Who am I referring to? You might have already correctly guessed. It is young, white, straight males. I am not recommending that they join a navy or a merchant marine, but that they sail away from the growing and darkening madness in their own little freedom ship. It is much easier and cheaper than you might think and I’ll explain all of that later in this essay.

                                    
                              
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The Problem

       Our world is now so profoundly upside down, that the men who are supposedly basking in White Privilege, are, in fact, the only unprivileged group in our society. Here is the reality. Black Power is applauded. Gay Pride is trumpeted. Female Empowerment is enshrined. La Raza is muy bueno. The Indigenous are revered. And Trans “persons” are heroic. But if you advocate for white, straight men, you are immediately a bigot or a racist or a Nazi, and usually all of the above.
       When men are accused of Toxic Masculinity that is usually code for “men who are not among the various victim groups – in other words - white men.” They do indeed suffer from toxicity, but it is on the receiving end.
       98% of deaths in war are men. Only boys have to register for the draft. 93% of on-the-job fatalities are to males. On average, men live 5 years less than women. 80% of suicides are committed by men or boys. Mothers get sole custody of the children 83% of the time. In the USA there are 7 federal agencies dedicated to women’s health issues. There are 0 such agencies for men.
       As bad as it is in the larger society, it is far worse in our colleges and universities. The campus has become a combat zone with white guys in the cross-hairs. It is so extreme, that there are now over 2 million more female than male students in so-called higher education.
       This makes sense. After all, who wants to attend classes based on White Male Guilt or the Evil Patriarchy. A student can find plenty of courses on Black Power, Gender Studies, and LGBTQ Issues. But if you ask if there is a Men’s Issues class, you will be vilified and met by frothing protesters trying to run you off the campus.
       Fortunately, there is a humorous upside to this tragic situation. Even though you might not achieve a degree in Feminist Geology, you will not be saddled with enough student loan debt to make you a wage slave to the System for the rest of your life.
       If a young man turns to entertainment for escape from this emotional bludgeoning, what does he find? Movies, television, advertising and the internet are filled with messaging that describes white guys as either soy boys or over-the-top Neanderthal alphas. There is never a depiction of a bright, happy, fit, sensible young white man who is an asset to his friends and community.
      But as dire as this whole situation seems, I have an answer. And it is a good one. Come with me, let me help you escape.

The Solution

       Don’t walk away from this madness. Don’t even run away from it. Instead, you should sail away from this lunacy and rediscover your self-worth. Escape from the pathological ugliness that the post-modern West hammers you with, and explore the world on your very own handsome, self-reliant sailing home. The sea gypsy life provides more freedom and security than any style of living on our planet.
       Your vessel is a complete self-supporting system. Your power comes from solar panels and a wind generator. Your sails are your primary propulsion, but you have a sturdy diesel engine for when it is needed. A compact water-maker converts sea water into drinking water, plus you can also catch rainwater to keep your tanks full.
       You have the mobility of a backpacker, but with the creature comforts of a bachelor apartment. Your library includes both actual books and Kindle titles. You have a big stash of movies on an external hard drive that you play on your laptop. Your sound system is compact but righteous.
       Your little ship has plenty of food on-board from your last port. And you also have a back-up stash of long-life foods from prepper outlets. You’ve been wisely buying your alcohol economically at duty-free stores in various ports. And the beer is always cold in your 12 volt fridge.
       There are reasonably-priced radios on-board that you can use to monitor the world or communicate with it. Your laptop holds nautical charts for the entire planet in electronic form. You have them backed up on a memory stick, and you also have sufficient paper charts should the satellites go down. You can choose whether you want a security profile that is minimal or full-Rambo.

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Tactics

       So how do you get from where you are now, in a world that belittles you and makes your days miserable, to a lifestyle full of travel and adventure, where you are the master of your own destiny? Would you not gladly trade your cubicle or check-out counter, for a job that actually makes or fixes something, and where you are the boss?
       It is easier and cheaper than you think. I should know, since I have not lived ashore since 1992. Here are a few photos of my strong and handsome ship/home.
 



      Let’s begin. You need an ocean-capable sailboat and a trade that can be performed in many places. If you live near the open sea, you can pursue both of these simultaneously. If you live inland, you can learn your portable skill first and then head for the coast.
       Here are some trades that are valued in any port on the planet. Welding, diesel mechanics, outboard motor specialists, refrigeration repair, marine electronics, radio technicians, sewing experts for canvas projects such as awnings and sail repair, woodworking, fiberglass repair, scuba diving to clean boat bottoms, electricians, inflatable dinghy repairmen, plumbers and computer geeks.
       All of these skills can be learned fairly swiftly, and relatively inexpensively. If it is on-the-job training, you actually get paid to master the craft. If it is through a trade school, you can work at a “get by” job while learning the specialty that will grant you amazing independence.
       The basic tools for all of these skills will easily fit aboard a sailboat. Show up in any anchorage in the world with one of these trades, and you will be hired and respected. Incidentally, nobody will be prowling the waterfront, desperately searching for hedge fund managers!
       Meanwhile, as you are mastering a new craft, you can also be learning basic sailing. Go down to a local marina and present yourself to some owners. You will usually find folks who are willing to exchange boat maintenance work for sailing lessons.
       Plus, many communities have free or low-cost sailing instruction programs. Yacht clubs are always needing crew for their racing programs. Plus, libraries are full of both how-to books and inspirational books filled with great sailing stories. I’d particularly recommend Tales of a Sea Gypsy … because I wrote it. Here is the Amazon link.  

      And the internet is a great source of extremely helpful information via sailing blogs and Youtube videos.

       After you have learned to sail, and you have acquired a trade that is valued anywhere in the world, it is time to find your own dream boat. You will have been accumulating information on the type you want and what you can afford. They are insanely cheap compared to houses, and they don’t tie you down - they liberate you.
       Being young and skilled and motivated, you can find a neglected boat at a great price that you can live aboard as you fix her up. There are tens of thousands of orphan boats scattered about the planet just waiting for someone to return them to beautiful, seaworthy condition. And after a hurricane, when the insurance adjusters have written them off, you can discover astonishing bargains.
       To whet your appetite, go to www.yachtworld.com and then go to the used boat section and type in sailboats under $20,000. You will be stunned by the incredible listings that appear.

Conclusion

       Stop battling the System! It is too massive. It is too uncaring. It will crush you without remorse. Instead, acquire a skill that is useful and noble and in-demand. Learn to sail, and find yourself a modest but sturdy vessel.
       Then come join our worldwide sea gypsy tribe. You will be welcomed. And amazingly enough, we are mostly white and straight … and damned fine people!



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