Fun at the star wars bar
Still reporting from mob-controlled (i.e. boat boys) Portsmouth, Dominica.........I'll say that these guys are first and foremost master marketers.
Problem: Largely European sailors won't come in at night and patronize the restaurants out of some combination of fear and cheapness.
Solution: Boat boys set up an event.......call it a "fundraiser".......and actually charge everyone triple for the food. A little music, a little dancing.
Result: Every cruiser attends the "fundraiser" because these same Euro-cheapskates who leave no tips and steal breadsticks love to feel like they're kind of a mini UN. I can just imagine Cobra doling out the proceeds to the other boat boys.........."ten for me..........one for you..........twenty for me..........one for you".
The ensuing party was kind of weird but fun. I always laugh at these multi-national shin-digs because it reminds me of an inter-gallactic bar from "Star Wars". Remember ? Some alien with an elephant trunk talking to another whose head looks like a butt ? They all drink red liquid out of test tubes and snort at each other while sitting on bar stools ? Whatever.
We met some interesting individuals, but a few themes emerged as well. These people are largely hippies that drive boats (vs. VW vans). The typical cruiser here has very limited resources, no real plan, and some amazing sailing experience. They're all very free spirits and most of them drink a lot.
Take Ian, the Irish guy I was sitting next to. He apparently left Ireland, went to Australia, met Lanni (his hottie girlfriend).........talked her into sailing during a 3 week "relationship".......and then crossed the Pacific with her on their 30 ft. boat. He apparently kept lying to her about how close their next destination was in order not to freak her out. Now she's a big time passage maker.
We also me Pontus (from Sweden). Seemed to be trying to look like a young Bjorn Borg but his facial hair created kind of "high-school mustache" effect. He's sailed around the Med and told us a funny story about the Spanish being pissed-off that his mother had named him after the guy who killed Jesus. We suggested spending more time sailing in the Islamic world.
We also renewed acquaintances with our new BFFLs Hendrick and Arja (pronouced Aria), from Finland. Hendrick is kind of a renaissance man, speaking Finnish, Swedish, German, and English fluently......builds houses, fixes boat, and plays the guitar. Arga gives the initial appearance of being a well-coifed lobbyist.......great hair, Sarah Palin glasses. Also speaks a bunch of languages fluently. But she's a bit of a frontier woman. "Hendrick......please finish tying the knife to my fishing spear........I want to kill a fish now". She seems to know how to live off the land.......gathers herbs for tea. They both dive under their boat for lobster. What ? They also seem to enjoy swimming in holes cut in the ice near their native Helsinki..........."Yeah, Kirstin and I love that too.....the colder the better".........gotta fit in, you know.
Of course the Europeans' strange affinity for dancing to techno music was on full display........how long did it take Cobra to source that CD ? And I was happy that Kirstin had Arga to dance with all night. When my wife has too much sleep (i.e. energy), she's dangerous on the dance floor, and it seems Hendrick had also found this to be an unanticipated aspect of marrying a younger woman. But they had fun so it's all good.
Still no sign of the stray puppy I'm planning on liberating from Dominica. Where are you Rasta ?
Problem: Largely European sailors won't come in at night and patronize the restaurants out of some combination of fear and cheapness.
Solution: Boat boys set up an event.......call it a "fundraiser".......and actually charge everyone triple for the food. A little music, a little dancing.
Result: Every cruiser attends the "fundraiser" because these same Euro-cheapskates who leave no tips and steal breadsticks love to feel like they're kind of a mini UN. I can just imagine Cobra doling out the proceeds to the other boat boys.........."ten for me..........one for you..........twenty for me..........one for you".
The ensuing party was kind of weird but fun. I always laugh at these multi-national shin-digs because it reminds me of an inter-gallactic bar from "Star Wars". Remember ? Some alien with an elephant trunk talking to another whose head looks like a butt ? They all drink red liquid out of test tubes and snort at each other while sitting on bar stools ? Whatever.
We met some interesting individuals, but a few themes emerged as well. These people are largely hippies that drive boats (vs. VW vans). The typical cruiser here has very limited resources, no real plan, and some amazing sailing experience. They're all very free spirits and most of them drink a lot.
Take Ian, the Irish guy I was sitting next to. He apparently left Ireland, went to Australia, met Lanni (his hottie girlfriend).........talked her into sailing during a 3 week "relationship".......and then crossed the Pacific with her on their 30 ft. boat. He apparently kept lying to her about how close their next destination was in order not to freak her out. Now she's a big time passage maker.
We also me Pontus (from Sweden). Seemed to be trying to look like a young Bjorn Borg but his facial hair created kind of "high-school mustache" effect. He's sailed around the Med and told us a funny story about the Spanish being pissed-off that his mother had named him after the guy who killed Jesus. We suggested spending more time sailing in the Islamic world.
We also renewed acquaintances with our new BFFLs Hendrick and Arja (pronouced Aria), from Finland. Hendrick is kind of a renaissance man, speaking Finnish, Swedish, German, and English fluently......builds houses, fixes boat, and plays the guitar. Arga gives the initial appearance of being a well-coifed lobbyist.......great hair, Sarah Palin glasses. Also speaks a bunch of languages fluently. But she's a bit of a frontier woman. "Hendrick......please finish tying the knife to my fishing spear........I want to kill a fish now". She seems to know how to live off the land.......gathers herbs for tea. They both dive under their boat for lobster. What ? They also seem to enjoy swimming in holes cut in the ice near their native Helsinki..........."Yeah, Kirstin and I love that too.....the colder the better".........gotta fit in, you know.
Of course the Europeans' strange affinity for dancing to techno music was on full display........how long did it take Cobra to source that CD ? And I was happy that Kirstin had Arga to dance with all night. When my wife has too much sleep (i.e. energy), she's dangerous on the dance floor, and it seems Hendrick had also found this to be an unanticipated aspect of marrying a younger woman. But they had fun so it's all good.
Still no sign of the stray puppy I'm planning on liberating from Dominica. Where are you Rasta ?