Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Top 9 Sailing Blogs of 2011

Everyone does top ten lists, but here on Proper Course we have higher standards than most, and only nine blogs on the whole planet achieved the level of excellence required to be one of Tillerman's Top Sailing Blogs of 2011.

1. First up we have Windtraveler, undoubtedly the best blog on the planet about a couple of newlyweds sailing around the world on a 35ft Hallberg Rassy Rasmus.

There is Brittany who is NOT the Brittany with the same last name who blogs about "keeping the fire alive" in relationships, and whose blog is blocked by her company's firewall as being pornographic. And there is Scott who is NOT the Scott with the same last name who is a prolific software development consultant and who seems to be really smart. I love people who tell me who they are NOT in their blog profiles. That appeals to my sense of contrariness.

And then there is Baby Girl who apparently has a Caribbean soul having spent her most formative months in the Islands. With her momma she has swam with sea turtles, snorkeled tropical reefs, sailed through some gnarly squalls, visited over four countries, done a handful of Hash runs, and hiked to waterfalls. Oh, and she's not even born yet! I love sailing blogs that are about people who are not even born yet who go on hash runs.

2. Number 2 on my list of Top Sailing Blogs of 2011 is the deliciously named Doc Häagen-Dazs who writes Time on the Water. He's obviously a good guy because he and his family used to race Lasers back in the 1970's and 1980's. But now he's just another cranky old geezer blogger like me who writes posts about things like this that would never be tolerated on his boat.


I love sailing blogs about intolerance.

3. The third blog on this amazing list of Best Sailing Blogs on the Planet is the misleadingly titled Captain JP's log. It's not a log; it's a blog. And it's not written by Captain JP. The real author is the well-known Australian journalist and sailing personality Buff Staysail who does an excellent job of impersonating a suave, man-about-town from London who supposedly spends his time ice-skating, going to the theater and watching the wild beasts in Shepherd's Bush. But he doesn't fool me. I love sailing blogs that are about the wild beasts in Shepherd's Bush.

4. The fourth blog on my list of Best Sailing Blogs on the Planet of All Time is also somewhat misleading. FrogMa is not a mommy blog for tadpoles, and Bonnie the author is not the mother of a frog. Why would she choose such a ridiculous name for a sailing blog? Bonnie is in fact a hard core Sunfish sailor. She races her Sunfish. She runs Laser regattas. She makes her boyfriend go Sunfish sailing with her. And she even goes Sunfish sailing at the end of December in a typically brutal New York winter. It doesn't get any more hard core than that in the Sunfish world. I love sailing blogs about ladies who are hard core.

5. But the title of Best Sunfish Sailing Blog on the Planet must go to my2fish: a blog about sunfish sailing. Not that my2fish: a blog about sunfish sailing is actually a blog about Sunfish sailing. Of course not. It's actually about Norwegian Laser sailing and how to navigate past the goose. The secret of successful blogging is to choose a niche that nobody is else covering and my2fish has certainly done that for the "Norwegian Laser sailing and navigating past the goose" niche. I love Norwegian goose blogs.


6. Number six on this list of amazing sailing blogs that may or may not be the Best Sailing Blogs in the Solar System is Center of Effort by someone called Judith Krimski who says she is "a graphic designer, freelance sailing writer and blogger of all things one-design sailing" and also "three-time Boston Sailors Regatta Champion." Like me she suffers from a delusion; hers is that she believes that Boston Harbor is the BEST sailing venue in New England. Hmmm.

Anyway, in spite of her delusion, Judith writes a damn good sailing blog, covering such diverse topics as what Judith thinks about in the Laundromat and the sailing achievements of Steve Jobs. No wait. There really is lots of sailing on this blog. She recently scored an interview with elite Laser sailor Clay Johnson where she ventured where no other sailing journalist has dared to venture with her scoop about what really happened to the hair on the back of Clay's legs. No, seriously there are lots of great posts about sailing on this blog. But I do love sailing blogs where ladies talk about men's hairy legs.

7. Number seven - yes possum we nearly are at the end - on this list of the most amazing, fantastic, Bestest Sailing Blogs in the Galaxy is Apparent Wind which apparently is written by a blogging tag team of Annie, Eric and yarg - but it's mainly yarg. Annie, Eric and yarg are apparently "Laser dudes." Ahah. I like blogs by Laser dudes. Apparently yarg is a high school sailing coach and he writes very thoughtful posts on topics such as How Einstein taught sailing, why the America's Cup is like watching gelcoat dry, and how to pack Lasers in a cardboard box.




Apparently his job keeps yarg very busy because he doesn't post all that frequently to Apparent Wind. I wish he would write more often. This blog definitely focuses on quality rather than quantity. Apparent Wind is to Proper Course as Chateau Lafite Rothschild is to Bud Light. Apparently I love sailing blogs that taste like expensive wine with almond and violet aromas.

8. Number eight - almost there possum - on this list of the Bestest Sailing Blogs in the Universe with Almond and Violet Aromas is..... the one and only.... O Dock. What can I say? Unique. Quirky. Original. Amazing. Addictive. Almond and violet aromas. Try it. You'll like it.

9. And finally possum, the winner of the title of Best Sailing Blog on the Planet 2011 is.... Earwigoagin by Tweezerman.


35 comments:

O Docker said...

Congrats to all the winners, especially Tweezerman!

The competition was tough, especially with world-reknown sailors like Frogma in the running. With her formidable Sunfish skills, I wonder if she'll try other kinds of boats this year.

Didn't know if I would make the list again, having blogged so little this year, but I guess you agree with most people who tell me the less I write, the better.

Tillerman said...

Exactly O Docker. Your inclusion on the list is a reward for your blogging less in 2011 in the hope that it will motivate you to do more of the same in 2012.

Sam Chapin said...

Thank yOu Mr. T. I will get busy and check out the six I am not familiar with.

Tillerman said...

You are welcome Mr. C.

My annual top blogs list is partly to expand the awareness among my 3 readers that Proper Course and dilbert.com are not the only blogs worth reading. Please pass on the link love.

Baydog said...

It was all the pointy football, wasn't it?

Buff Staysail said...

Finally, the recognition I deserve!

I told JP we should have called it "Buff's blog" but would he listen?

Does he ever?

So cheers Tillerman - the first rounds on me!

Pandabonium said...

Excellent list, but damn, that girl needs a helmet! Or two.

Tillerman said...

Baydog - I think you have a very good chance of making my upcoming list of Top Eleven Blogs on the Planet about Men in Tight Pants Throwing a Pointy Thing. Or perhaps you could write a few posts about cricket?

Panda - I will pass on your safety advice to Doc's sister.

bonnie said...

Honored! Especially amazing since we hardly got to sail during the summer!

Fall was good though. And that December sail was just...OH. Just brutal! The howling winds! The icicles forming on the boom! The...oh, wait, it was 51 degrees and we don't think the wind ever got up to the forecasted 8Kts.

Man that was great.

BTW, O Docker, Holly the Sailing Co-Chair would probably like to see me "sailor up" and graduate to a Laser one of these days. The Sunfish are just supposed to be the starter boats.

But they're so much fun!

bonnie said...

ps - There are a number of blogs on this Top 9 list at which I have been lurking - this is a good reminder that it's time to update my blogroll again. Thanks!

Tillerman said...

Sunfish only starter boats? That would be heresy for some people I know. Personally I like the Laser marginally more because it is a better fit for my weight and height. If you want to get more serious about sailing and racing, bonnie, in your shoes I wouldn't be too quick to abandon the Sunfish.

harrymvt said...

You're too modest, Tillerman (at least in this post) -- Proper Course belongs on this list!

Tillerman said...

Not at all Harry. I am just a mirror reflecting the bright lighthouses of the shoulders of giants...

No wait. That makes no sense.

Tillerman said...

I hope everyone realizes that making my annual list of top blogs is the kiss of death for those blogs. Where is EVK4 now? Zephyr? Stay of Execution? Rule 69 Blog? Eli Boat?

I rest my case.

my2fish said...

a kiss of death? crap. no wonder my page views are dwindling.

I was just about to say thank you for putting me on the short list, too.

EVK4 said...

Where is EVK4 now? Funny you should ask.

O Docker said...

Oh no, why are you showing me the ghost of bloggers past?

I must change my ways!

Tillerman said...

See what I mean? EVK4 is now using his "sailing" blog to tout broadcasts of his kid swinging a bat.

Seriously though, good for him. Life goes on. Life is not all about sailing. And Edward has chosen to dedicate his leisure time, and his blogging, to his daughter's swimming and his son's baseball. Bravo sir! I salute you.

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

Tillerman, I am.... speechless. I take back all of those instances where I referred to that 13'10" cat-rigged racer as a "The Kirby Sailboat".

Pandabonium said...

"kiss of death" - confirmation that mediocrity is a survival strategy.

Tillerman said...

I suppose making this list doesn't have to be the kiss of death. Five O' Clock Somewhere and The Horse's Mouth were on my first list in 2005, and they are still going strong.

PeconicPuffin said...

Bonnie not the mother of frogs explained the name in this bit of blogma.

You killed off the Superblog? Cheese Louise call your list Kryptonite!

Tillerman said...

I didn't deliberately "kill off" any blogs but you know how it is... When a blogger reaches the peak of his or her career by winning a Tilley award, after that life doesn't have much more to offer in the way of major challenges. Sadly some winners can't stand all the fame and adulation and their blogging starts a downward spiral into utter nonsense and dementia, until finally they sink into a blog coma from which they never awake.

PeconicPuffin said...

"utter nonsense and dementia"

Hey I was writing like that before winning a Tillie back in the day. And I'm proud to say I still do now.

Tillerman said...

It is true that the Sailing Blog Academy members who vote for the Tilleys do have a soft spot for blogs that feature original high quality utter nonsense.

Danny said...

Windtraveler is nice but this should be at the top of your list IMO ..<.http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com/>

Windtraveler said...

Thank you Tillerman, it is an honor. I am happy we share a sense of humor (and a love of the water). Oh - and now the baby has been to *five* countries in utero. She is going to be a ROCKSTAR. And Scott is hellbent on getting her a laser, so look out ;)

Tillerman said...

You are welcome Scott and Brittany. And thanks for putting a link to this post on your Facebook page. Wow, you have a lot of readers. I appreciate you sending some of them my way.

Claudia said...

Thanks for all these links, I love to discover blogs out there about sailing. your list is great, i have a big thumb up for Windtraveler, they've got the spirit! Check out our blog, maybe it's your #10 that you didn't know about ;-)

Albert @ metaliteind.com said...

This is surely s great collection of links. And like Claudia, i also like Windtraveler, their family is really great. They're an inspiration to me.

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

If you can build our blog host a metal Laser, Albert, I'm sure your website will move to the top of the list!

Steve Crompton said...

JP's is brilliant fun :)

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Anonymous said...

This was incredibly entertaining, and it's nice to see some new sailing blogs I hadn't heard of before. Thanks, and happy holidays!

Capt. Joe said...

Thanks for the good read and the caption of "cheating the nursing home...". On a boat since '82, so I needed some ideas. Very good.
Can I use that? I'll change a few things, like "die on my stinky powerboat", ;>)
www.cruisingdog.com