What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

[Robbie 2]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

Started building a John Welsford "Navigator".
Looked for advice etc upstairs then tripped and fell downstairs into the Bilge.
Great folks and a real WBF family atmosphere. Never left and hopefully never will.

[icyb]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

Some of the most diversely competent, wickedly smart people on the planet log in here.

The Tom's Lee's George's Ron's Kieth and Paul and many more.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I joined here about 5 months after 9/11 and I needed something to take my mind of that disaster. I originally found this place through the Stevenson Pocket Cruiser website and the Chesapeake light craft. I was living in my house in Cold Spring and wanted to build a boat in my barn shop to sail on the Hudson. I lurked upstairs and saw the plans for the Allegra 24 sailboat and fell in love. I started dreaming about building one and launching it in the Hudson and then sailing away from all my problems.

During that horrible time in both my business and marriage, I came down to the bilge to howl into the abyss. You all took me in and listened and gave great advice.

I never did build that Allegra 24, but I did find a 1954 Dyer Sailing Dow rotting in a front lawn. I went back up top to get avice and then came down here to moan about it and eventually came down here to show it off That was followed by an actually Weekender that I found and ended up giving to Oyster Mike ( remember him ) Then I found and fell in love with TidBit and restored her up top and showed here here. Then came another barn find Dove a 1940's Atkins Active III. That became a whole thread up in B&R and down here with Dave Flemming imparting some critical and crutIal advice. Dove now resides with another forum member PMJ. There was a sprucing up of a Amesbury sailing skiff and a couple of kayaks and ect.

In between there were forum members that went sailing with me and I went sailing with them. Russ on Sojin, and the most famouse WBF sailing thread the UNCAS thread where Capt Jamie, Steven, Mike, and myself sailing a 1948 Hinkley Sou'wester to the WBS in Newport. I documented and posted in the Bilge for the first time on this WBF a group of forum members sailing in REAL TIME from my then Palm Pilot cell phone ( pre iPhone )

That started a tradition of Bilge members sailing with me on Tidbit or me sailing on Talisman, Uncas, Arlie, Sojin, etc etc,

I've always said this is a collection of some of the best the best minds of my generation, and I truly believe that. This is the singular best place on the world wide web. I'm blessed and a better man by stumbling here.

Thank you for accepting me ....... for the most part

[TerryLL]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

When I first signed on here everyone on the upper decks warned me never to venture into the depths. So naturally, that was the first thing I did.

It's kind of a weird place, with a weird mix of personalities, not unlike any self-selected community of highly opinionated geezers. I stay for the entertainment value.

[John B]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I came to listen to some of the old guys and now I is one.

[WX]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

Peter Sibley talked me into it.

[ron ll]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I came to listen to some of the old guys and now I is one.

We stand on the shoulders of giants.

[Bobcat]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I have been around boats my whole life, lots of them wood. Been reading Woodenboat since about 1983 or 84. Can't remember when I started lurking. Signed up after I bought my Bobcat and lo and behold it's been 16 years.

Not sure when I ended up in the bilge, but what an interesting group. Just have to ignore the juvenile pissing contests.

[SKIP KILPATRICK]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

Alcohol!

Wait......no I was building a boat.

Alcohol brought me into the Bilge!

[Bflat]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

The magazine brought me to the forum. Gravity brought me to the bilge. "Gravity isn't just a good idea; it's the law."

[Mrleft88]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

There was no bilge. It was created while we watched the water rise from the keelson, and garboard.
It formed around those of us who bothered to man the pumps, and kept our feet wet.
It is not something that is found, it is profound, and existential in it's own supernatural glutinous way.
Gummy and stanky, but so important. It literally gives people a reason to live, even if it doesn't always give back.

[skuthorp]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

2002, I was contemplating building an Oughtred Macgreggor, and came across Norm Messenger on the subject on a work computer working nightshift. I was so ignorant about sailing canoes I didn't know what a Piccolo was in spite of having built my first wooden boat in 1963 and repaired a few others.
Via Norm I found the Forum, Peter Sibley, WX and a group of Aussie members, and being a long term political junkie, hence the bilge.
Someone said that the Bilge keeps the forum alive, they were right.

[Lugs]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I was a long-time reader of Woodenboat magazine. My first sail, more than 50 years ago, was on a wooden Moth, followed by racing on a 12' wooden KittyCat (fantastic boat) and the rather energetic Tornado - mine also being in wood. I wanted a family boat for the Sydney Olympics and started lurking on the forum back in 1999 or so - joining in 2000 after I bought a 50' cruiser.

There was some interesting political discourse, back in the day, leading to the Bilge being opened up. Back then, as now, people were wrong on the internet. Shout out to TylerDurden - check the price of oil mate. You owe me a beer. The sad part of the Bilge is that the losers really are losers and they resort to personal attacks. My disagreements with the former admin regarding their treatment saw him wield the banhammer a few times - but as subsequent events have borne out, I was, of course, right.

[Tom from Rubicon]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

Wooden Boat magazine brought me on board very early on. As in magazine stand, converting to subscriber.
Lee Baxter's master piece Bartender was a boat I lusted for. I have had to make do with a 1973 Boston Whaler Cohasset II.
I lurked for years. Nothing I could say qualified with Paladin/Chuck or Jack.

But the Bilge is an international forum, with many who keep us abreast of life beyond the US.

Tom

[RFNK]

Re: What brought you to WBF? How did you end in the Bilge?

I heard there was gonna be a 90 page thread about religion. Who could resist?