Monday, August 21, 2006

Time for a Change

It's time for a change
I'm tired of that same old same
The same old words the same old lines
The same old tricks and the same old rhymes

People change. Blogs change. Blogs even die.

For the past few days I've been thinking about my sailing plans and ambitions for the next year. I'm ready to make a major change in my commitment to the sport and, as a result, a related change in what I want to write about in a blog. I've even seriously considered pulling the plug on Proper Course.

When I started Proper Course I had the idea that I could perhaps write a blog about my various activities in sailing that might be of interest to a few other people. I was involved in all sorts of voluntary activities in the sport as well as my own racing and thought that I might be able to find stories that were sometimes funny, sometimes curious, sometimes argumentative... that people would enjoy.

I hoped it worked. It's been gratifying to read all the comments and feedback and it feels like I have a community of friends interested in sailing from all over the world now. (Though I haven't yet worked out who my reader in Azerbaijan is.)

I've even got a kick out of obsessively watching my stats and seeing my number of readers grow month by month. (Congratulations to reader number 25,000 from Dallas, Texas. Hope you found what you were looking for with the Google search on "queensport kolius").

Technorati
ranks Proper Course today as #3 out of 210 blogs tagged sailing. (But I could argue that #1 and #2 are not really about sailing at all.)

And some of you even say nice things about this blog. But only some of you, thank god.

So I've had a good time poking fun at my own sailing misadventures, digging up curious stories about boating on the web, writing a spoof advice column, inventing a fictional alter ego guest blogger, stirring up some controversy with those sensitive Enterprise sailors, writing nonsense, posting photos of my beautiful granddaughter and so on.

But where to next? It's time for a change.

To be continued...

14 comments:

Zen said...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo


wait, you mean puffy shirt was not real ??!!?

You lied to us...no wonder I never got my cub holder.

where is that KoolAid, life is cruel

Zen said...

doh, that's cup hold not cub.

my bad...

Anonymous said...

Don't pull the plug, we''l sink without you!

Anonymous said...

GD typo it's "we'll sink without you!"

Anonymous said...

Hey Tillerman-

I understand that blogs have a time to go...but I seriously hope you'll reconsider. If not, fair winds and following seas to you on your Laser...

Tim Coleman said...

There is a time for everything and sometimes it is right to prune back the good in order that something even better can come into being.

So whatever you decide, Mr Tillerman, I hope that you will enjoy the adventure.

Life is a one way ticket, so enjoy the ride and praise the ridemaster.

It has been good to read your Blog, a privilege to be a part of your adventure, if only in a small way. If you continue with it, all well and good, if not, the same is true.

As the wise man once said: "The wind blows where ever it will". Any good helmsan will tell you to keep a weather eye. Watch for the new wind and set your sails and steer your course to make the most of it.

Happy sailing.

Anonymous said...

You're blog is a great read. I'd miss it more than toothpaste.

Just sayin,

EVK4 said...

I see a celebrity roast on the horizon praising tillerman for his lifetime achievement award in the field of sailing blogging.

Anonymous said...

I bent my mast yesterday to the tune of 1000.00... and now this? I think i will crawl in a hole now...

Tony said...

A major change in your commitment to the sport... but what kind of change?

Are you giving sailing away? Surely not! Or are you going to the other extreme and starting a Tillerman Olympic campaign?

Whatever the change is, I hope that you keep on writing so we can keep on reading.

Cheers.

Pat said...

A blog vacation might not be the worst thing in the world, to, if nothing else, show that you own your blog and not vice versa. But, all your blog fans have our limits; we selfishly and rightfully want to keep hear about your adventures, enjoy your wit, and share some of the amusing parts of life and the watery face of the planet. Besides, we want to read about your take on the 2007 Dillon Open and Laser No Coast Regatta when you come out our direction next year and get to sail with us.

FishHead said...

the end of a legend? say it aint so...

Carol Anne said...

Perhaps you do feel a need to take a different direction in your life, but I beg you, PLEASE don't shut the blog down! I'm sure I haven't been the only person who has been inspired by reading this blog; surely there are others whom you have touched in the same way, and who have either taken up sailboat racing or rediscovered it.

Because of your inspiration, I said "yes" when I was asked to join an ambitious women's sailing team-building effort; because of you, I again said "yes" when I was asked whether I'd be a skipper; because of you and Zorro, I have kept going at times when I was about to give up the entire idea of racing at all.

Zorro tells me, "Don't quit." I'm now telling you the same thing.

Pat said...

Sure enough, Tillerman is planning to cross not one, but two oceans. But, neither on a Laser, nor on "something more serious".

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