Winter Discussions

Well, it happens about this time most years. Many of us are on the hard, winterized or otherwise away from real boating. I admit that while my boat is in the water year round, it serves as more of a floating condo during the winter months. People get a bit stir crazy and the next thing you know everyone is up in arms over the most pedantic things. Passionately clinging to the depths of their arguments.

I thought for once that I'd go out of my way to try to bring a bit more intelligence and meaning into a winter thread discussion.

I failed.

So what do you think about the relation of peoples cars to their boats? I tell you I can name a persons vehicle within one or two guesses and be right 100%, sixty percent of the time.

For instance:

The mangy sailboat: Old ugly smoky Volvo.
New sailboat drinking cheap white wine: New pristine Volvo 10mph under.
Nordie with oversized bow thruster running often: Range Rover
Nordic Tug, any size or age: Subaru
American Tug. Subaru
Ranger Tug: Clean Subaru
Go Fast: Hummer (not Humvee)
Thunderbird: Bicycle
Evviva: Anything he wants
Meridian: Toyota Camry
Bayliner: old Toyota Camry
Defever: no longer owns a car
Hatteras: Cadillac
48 Tolly: Porsche Boxster S or a fully restored eye catching 82 Jeep Scrambler




Next...

Ha ha!.....

I have a bit of a disconnect...

Cape Dory 28.....> C7 Corvette

But I also have a VW TDi diesel Beetle convertible in the fleet which matches up a bit better....

ghost said:

So what do you think about the relation of peoples cars to their boats? I tell you I can name a persons vehicle within one or two guesses and be right 100%, sixty percent of the time.

Next...

Click to expand...

Ok, so what do you think I drive?

Ted

I'm sensing a truck, probably Dodge. I can't nail the year, but the universe tells me you may have and held on to the mechanical injection as long as possible. I'm a little hazy on color, but I think there is a good chance its metallic.

Wow so I am mixed bag

Range Rover with off road snorkle

1993 Ford Ranger

Cadilac STS AWD

1929 Model A

ghost said:

I'm sensing a truck, probably Dodge. I can't nail the year, but the universe tells me you may have and held on to the mechanical injection as long as possible. I'm a little hazy on color, but I think there is a good chance its metallic.

Click to expand...

Keep forgetting the NSA has access to my smartphone camera.

Ted

siestakey said:

Wow so I am mixed bag

Range Rover with off road snorkle

1993 Ford Ranger

Cadilac STS AWD

1929 Model A

Click to expand...

Interesting.....Have you ever been attracted to a MacGregor?

Does an Island Gypsy 32 and a Pearson Ensign have any relation to:

Two MGBs, (one a V8 conversion)

One Nissan Xterra

One VW Sportsgerwagen

Eh? Got me. Can't see the connection.

Half right: my wife drives a Subaru.

I don't: what might it be?

dwhatty said:

Does an Island Gypsy 32 and a Pearson Ensign have any relation to:

Two MGBs, (one a V8 conversion)

One Nissan Xterra

One VW Sportsgerwagen

Eh? Got me. Can't see the connection.

Click to expand...

Stop fighting it. I know they are expensive. I know they are not always practical, but get yourself that Defender and never look back.

Conrad said:

Half right: my wife drives a Subaru.

I don't: what might it be?

Click to expand...

Honestly, since you are fighting the fact that you were destined to drive a Subaru, it really could be anything.

This is a longshot, but since I've already been 100% right on half the family I'll give it a go.

I was going to go with BMW, but that probably did not go over well in Cambell River so I back track a little. The thing is, I just don't believe a Toyota is a choice. It's what you get when you just decide to ignore you passion. It's not wrong, its just oh so practical. Be true to yourself. You go get that classic Saab and stop caring about what everybody else wants you to drive. Do it today.

Edit: I just noted that Cambell River was the location of the boat, but you are from Calgary. My bad. That changes everything. Or does it? Could it be? Did you follow your passions after all? I'm doubling down. It's a Saab, and the rear seats are torn from the hockey gear, fully equipped with Finnish Nokian hakkapeliitta tires in 235/45/R17 WITH studs. Just a guess.

ghost said:

Stop fighting it. I know they are expensive. I know they are not always practical, but get yourself that Defender and never look back.

Click to expand...

Well, you're not going to get a Defender in the US unless you buy a used one that's one of the few that were imported in the mid-90s. Or you can import one from the UK as long as it's more than 25 years old.

And nobody's going to get a new Defender anywhere on the planet after 2015 because Tata Motors is taking them out of production by the end of the year.

The photos are of one of our two Land Rover vehicles. Both of them were bought new, this one in the same year our GB36 was made, 1973. The "dirty" photos are from 35mm slides I took in 1977 when I shipped the Land Rover to Oakland from Honolulu, met a friend who drove out from Virginia with his canoe, and we took the Land Rover to the Yukon Territories for a five week camping and fishing trip before driving back to Oakland and shipping the Land Rover home to Honolulu. Fourth picture is what the Alaska Highway was like in 1977. It's all paved now. Last photo is the same vehicle today.

This vehicle is why I am living in the PNW today. In fact it and even more specifically, the capstan winch mounted on the front, are directly responsible for everything that's happened in my life since 1977, from moving from Hawaii to Washington, to going to work for Boeing, to flying floatplanes, to writing books, to getting into boating here and in Europe. Amazing the effect a single, seemingly insignificant event can have........

ghost said:

Honestly, since you are fighting the fact that you were destined to drive a Subaru, it really could be anything.

This is a longshot, but since I've already been 100% right on half the family I'll give it a go.

I was going to go with BMW, but that probably did not go over well in Cambell River so I back track a little. The thing is, I just don't believe a Toyota is a choice. It's what you get when you just decide to ignore you passion. It's not wrong, its just oh so practical. Be true to yourself. You go get that classic Saab and stop caring about what everybody else wants you to drive. Do it today.

Edit: I just noted that Campbell River was the location of the boat, but you are from Calgary. My bad. That changes everything. Or does it? Could it be? Did you follow your passions after all? I'm doubling down. It's a Saab, and the rear seats are torn from the hockey gear, fully equipped with Finnish Nokian hakkapeliitta tires in 235/45/R17 WITH studs. Just a guess.

Click to expand...

Well, you got the Hakkapeliittas right! No studs though, as I drive back & forth to Campbell River regularly, and studs would not be welcome - they barely tolerate the Hakkapeliittas.

You were vaguely warm...

I agree ghost ...... most will all make sense.

I own a Willard and a new Jetta. Turbo stick shift.
But I have two older cars .. a 73 and an 87 that are just for fun.

Geez, tough crowd. I get the tires right and I'm called "vaguely warm".

Not a Prius.
Could be an Explorer, but a man who buys Hakkapeliittas would tend to be more of a red wine drinker. Knows his way around a good steak too, and I'm not talking well done.
Wanted studs even, heck I even got that. Hmmm, I might go on a limb and say Grand Wagoneer, but those are too expensive to maintain going across the continent. Calgary is too practical to spend 100K just to warm up to nostalgia, even lovely Grand Wagoneer nostalgia. So..what is NOT an explorer, has the overland qualities of Wagoneer, but with a rugged leather interior?

I have its essence, I'm sure, but I just can't quite place it.

I'm going to say Toyota, but not the insulting Toyota. Something like a Land Cruiser.

Okay, what is it? Am I close?

Marin said:

Well, you're not going to get a Defender in the US unless you buy a used one that's one of the few that were imported in the mid-90s. Or you can import one from the UK as long as it's more than 25 years old.

And nobody's going to get a new Defender anywhere on the planet after 2015 because Tata Motors is taking them out of production by the end of the year.

The photos are of one of our two Land Rover vehicles. Both of them were bought new, this one in the same year our GB36 was made, 1973. The "dirty" photos are from 35mm slides I took in 1977 when I shipped the Land Rover to Oakland from Honolulu, met a friend who drove out from Virginia with his canoe, and we took the Land Rover to the Yukon Territories for a five week camping and fishing trip before driving back to Oakland and shipping the Land Rover home to Honolulu. Fourth picture is what the Alaska Highway was like in 1977. It's all paved now. Last photo is the same vehicle today.

This vehicle is why I am living in the PNW today. In fact it and even more specifically, the capstan winch mounted on the front, are directly responsible for everything that's happened in my life since 1977, from moving from Hawaii to Washington, to going to work for Boeing, to flying floatplanes, to writing books, to getting into boating here and in Europe. Amazing the effect a single, seemingly insignificant event can have........

Click to expand...

<sniff> Bea-u-ti-ful
That Defender is not a vehicle, its a life choice.

<sniff> I need to be alone now.

Conrad said:

Well, you got the Hakkapeliittas right! No studs though, as I drive back & forth to Campbell River regularly, and studs would not be welcome - they barely tolerate the Hakkapeliittas.

Click to expand...

Conrad--- Since this thread has no direction whatsoever, thread drift is not possible. So..... I'm curious how you like your Nokian tires. I am considering them to replace the original tires on my wife's vehicle when they wear out.

I have Bridgestone Blizzaks on my daily driver in the winter for the times it snows or the roads get icy Great snow and ice tires but they wear very fast. I'm told the Nokian snow and ice tires last up in the 50k range or longer driving year round. Has this been your experience?

Not only do the Nokian's last (Blizzaks wear their snow tread quickly, then you drive on something with less traction until they wear out). Nokian also has a more solid side wall than your typical snow tire, so the don't feel like oatmeal.

For Washington weather, try their WR's. I had them on my truck and they got along with our wet weather in Washington very well while tackling the passes with relative ease. Not quite the ice tire like the Hak, but I even ran them year round for 2 years. Nice tire. Not cheap, but very good all round experience and I got a little more than 50K out of them.

ghost said:

<sniff> Bea-u-ti-ful
That Defender is not a vehicle, its a life choice.

<sniff> I need to be alone now.

Click to expand...

Well, the first thing you need to do is learn the correct terminology for Land Rovers. The one in the photos is not a Defender. Land Rover did not stick that silly marketing name on the Land Rover until 1990.

Land Rovers were called "Series" starting with the Series I in 1948. Eventually enough changes were made to the vehicle to warrant a new model designation, so it became the Series II. Then some minor changes were made to make this the Series IIa. In the early 70s, a bunch of changes like a new transmission, interior and whatnot defined the Series III, which is what mine is.

The Series Land Rovers were available in two wheelbase lengths: 88" and 109" These numbers became the model designators. So my 1973 Land Rover is a Series III Model 88. (They also had sub-categories for their vehicles like Hardtop and Four Wheel Drive Station Wagon.)

In 1983 they made so many changes to the Series III that it warranted a new designation. Again, they keyed the name off the wheelbase. So the short body version became the "Land Rover 90" and the long body became the "Land Rover 110" Eventually they added a third body style, usually in pickup or crewcab pickup form, called the "Land Rover 130"

In 1990 somebody in the marketing department felt they needed a more zippy designator than just the wheelbase length. So they named the basic Land Rover the "Defender," a dorky name derived from the vehicle's use by various arms of the military. So now you have the present day designations of Defender 90, Defender 110, and Defender 130.

The Range Rover, which came out in 1969, has always had its own identity at Land Rover. When the company began introducing new models they badged them according to which category they best fit: the utility Land Rover or the luxury Range Rover. So the Discovery was badged a Land Rover as at least initially it was sort of utilitarian. So was the little Freelander. The Range Rover Sport, on the other hand, which has no parts in common with the full-size Range Rover by the way, was badged a Range Rover as it was designed primarily for luxury-minded pavement drivers.

This is why the entry level Evoque is badged a Range Rover even though it's about as far from being a Range Rover as it's possible to be. It's a cheap (for the Land Rover company) style study for paved roads intended to capture new customers for the brand in the hopes that they'll eventually move up to a Range Rover.

Sometime in the mid 90s Land Rover conducted a two-year, worldwide study to determine how the buyers of 4wd vehicles (all makes) used them. What the study found is that 90-plus percent of 4wd vehicle buyers on the planet NEVER take them off the pavement.

This changed the entire way of thinking at Land Rover. They continued to build the utilitarian Land Rover, now called the Defender, because there was a big market for them among farmers, miners, oilfield people, the military, and so on.

But.... when it came to the Range Rover, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Freelander, and now the Evoque, almost the entire emphasis was put on creature comforts, amenities, and on-pavement handling. They continued to offer them as 4wd or AWD vehicles because of the image that conveys (like calling a cabin cruiser a "trawler"). But they put almost no emphasis on actually making them better for off-road use. Why bother, since they had learned that almost every Range Rover/Discovery/Freelander buyer never takes them off the pavement.

Our other Land Rover vehicle is a 1991 Range Rover. It's the last of the off-road Range Rovers in that it has coil spring suspension, off-road steering, and other things that make it almost the equal of a Series or Defender off road. I use it for moose hunting in BC, for example, on logging roads in deep snow and across frozen creeks, sometimes towing a U-Haul trailer. At the time we bought it the manager of the Land Rover assembly plant in Solihull was a good acquaintance, so he had ours made as a Vogue SE, which was not a version imported to the US. Other than some minor interior details, it differs from the then-US-export Range Rover in the suspension setup and steering, both of which make it a better off-road vehicle although not as good of an on-road vehicle.

What a great thread.

What do I drive?

Me: Krogen Manatee North-Sea with wannabe windows. Hummer H-2 Raised Pilothouse with wannabe windows.

Looks a lot better than the stock H-2.

Greetings,
Mr. g. OK, I'll bite...Me, me, me....?

ghost said:

Geez, tough crowd. I get the tires right and I'm called "vaguely warm".

Wanted studs even, heck I even got that. Hmmm, I might go on a limb and say Grand Wagoneer, but those are too expensive to maintain going across the continent. Calgary is too practical to spend 100K just to warm up to nostalgia, even lovely Grand Wagoneer nostalgia. So..what is NOT an explorer, has the overland qualities of Wagoneer, but with a rugged leather interior?

I have its essence, I'm sure, but I just can't quite place it.

I'm going to say Toyota, but not the insulting Toyota. Something like a Land Cruiser.

Okay, what is it? Am I close?

Click to expand...

I think you are close but may I suggest perhaps a Jeep Grand Cherokee, not sure on the trim line but at least the Limited. All the overland qualities of a Wagoneer but with heated leather seats and steering wheel.

Marin said:

Conrad--- Since this thread has no direction whatsoever, thread drift is not possible. So..... I'm curious how you like your Nokian tires. I am considering them to replace the original tires on my wife's vehicle when they wear out.

I have Bridgestone Blizzaks on my daily driver in the winter for the times it snows or the roads get icy Great snow and ice tires but they wear very fast. I'm told the Nokian snow and ice tires last up in the 50k range or longer driving year round. Has this been your experience?

Click to expand...

Marin, we've had the Hak's on our Mercedes C230 Kompressor for 5 years, switching them out for Goodyear All Seasons outside of the winter season. They have worn very little, and are great in ice and snow conditions. One surprising benefit is that they seem to be less prone to hydroplaning than most other tires we've used. I would definitely recommend them.

And no, Ghost, the Mercedes is not my regular driver...

ghost said:

Geez, tough crowd. I get the tires right and I'm called "vaguely warm".

Not a Prius.
Could be an Explorer, but a man who buys Hakkapeliittas would tend to be more of a red wine drinker. Knows his way around a good steak too, and I'm not talking well done.
Wanted studs even, heck I even got that. Hmmm, I might go on a limb and say Grand Wagoneer, but those are too expensive to maintain going across the continent. Calgary is too practical to spend 100K just to warm up to nostalgia, even lovely Grand Wagoneer nostalgia. So..what is NOT an explorer, has the overland qualities of Wagoneer, but with a rugged leather interior?

I have its essence, I'm sure, but I just can't quite place it.

I'm going to say Toyota, but not the insulting Toyota. Something like a Land Cruiser.

Okay, what is it? Am I close?

Click to expand...

Far away. In my misspent youth I had my fill of off road vehicles before they were called SUVs. For the regular drive between Calgary and Campbell River I wanted a vehicle that was meant for distance driving at speed and in comfort. SUVs do not handle well at speed.

So....This Nordic Tug owner drives a Honda Accord Coupe with all the goodies. (Much better than my previous Mercedes E550 4matic.)

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. g. OK, I'll bite...Me, me, me....?

Click to expand...

A me me me car. Lots of those. There are German me cars, Italian me cars and even British me cars that scream the loudest while trying to look otherwise. American me cars look it, but nobody looks. It just all depends on what level of me me me you are at.

Now, what kind of boat do you have?

P.s. Yes there are French me cars, but this is the trawler forum.

twistedtree said:

What a great thread.

What do I drive?

Click to expand...

This is a tough one n reality. How attached are you to your bow thruster? There are Nordie owners and then there are Nordie owners. If you are the latter, it could be anything starting with a dehaviland beaver. Oh, I think you have something classic tucked away, but not something bought, something built.

What was your first car?

O C Diver said:

Ok, so what do you think I drive?

Ted

Click to expand...

And me?

Yes, I thought this thread was going to be more interesting because YOU were going to tell us all.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. g. OK, I'll bite...Me, me, me....?

Click to expand...

I suspect this is a trick. I bet you fly a Zeppelin.

healhustler said:

Me: Krogen Manatee North-Sea with wannabe windows. Hummer H-2 Raised Pilothouse with wannabe windows.

Click to expand...

Every one of your photoshop creations has made me happy. Thank you.