Catastrophizing in Currents article

Wed, 8 Oct 2025 15:45:47 GMT

I'm not sure If I'm alone in this, but I was extremely disappointed by the recent Currents article below.

I found it catastrophizing, overly alarmist, speculative and alltogether inappropriately negative. IF the article is a true reflection of our reality, we might as well all just give up on the dream. In contrast, I would argue that offshore cruising has NEVER been safer than it is today, for a wide variety of reasons that should be obvious.

Enough of the 'over-the-top' climate hysteria. It is becoming 'unbecoming' and unbearable.

Preparing to Sail Offshore as the Planet Heats Up

Wed, 8 Oct 2025 16:50:19 GMT

Agreed. However, that is just one point of view, and I think most of us are smart enough to realize that it is based on what is rapidly being revealed as a hoax.

I think and hope the organization is big enough to entertain many different points of view, and I will be interested to see if Currents publishes a counterbalancing article. Such an article should be very easy to write.

Next, I would like to see a policy against political statements at BW events. Such statements have their place in opinion pieces that no one is forced to read, but are as out of place in group meetings as religious and pseudo-religious mumblings.

A club meeting or rendezvous is not a religious or political event and should be including people of all various viewpoints including those who find such statements exclusionary and offensive.

Case in point, I was considering registering for an upcoming rendezvous but stopped short when I read that the event includes an unnecessary formal recognition statement of a highly contentious and political nature. The event could and should proceed very nicely without any such virtue-signalling proclamations.

If Bluewater is about cruising let's keep it about cruising and keep the latest fads in politics and religion out of it.

So, in my opinion, free expression of ideas no matter how wrong-headed are not out of place in our publication, but virtue signaling and political statements are definitely out of place in public events that the organization holds.

Wed, 8 Oct 2025 18:40:13 GMT

I wrote this reply to a comment on my personal Facebook page. I think it makes a few points:

Agree that crossing oceans in a small vessel is difficult, dangerous and it has always been. However, there are many positive things that has made it safer than ever, including the possibility of having 24/7 realtime weather and real broadband internet with weather routers, help, etc. etc. Running headlong into a hurricane should not be a realistic situation, in contrast to years ago where such a voyager was completely on their own. This article accentuates speculative ‘heavy on the negative’ as you say, with nothing to make anyone actually want to even try to go out there. Also, it seems to simply accept that things are going to hell. Regardless of whether one believes in the ‘settled’ nature of climate change or not, there have been serious coral bleaching events for decades since the 90s, so it is nothing new. My point was only that Bluewater Cruising Org should be careful to not become a nihilistic, negative, catastrophizing and political virtue signalling organization. I think there is some elements of that happening and I personally don’t like it. But hey, it’s just my opinion after all. We’re entitled to our own.

Bluewater Org also recently published an article and added files to the website (Environmentally Responsible Cruising - Best Practices) suggesting that any cruising that doesn’t aspire to netzero emissions is simply irresponsible and unacceptable. The article went into incredible, ludicrous detail about how we are ‘supposed’ to audit every possible cause of unacceptable carbon footprint, and how we should think of, plan for and change our boats and lifestyles, to become responsible and acceptable participants in the cruising lifestyle. Examples included many good ideas but the tone is to imply that anything other than the most minimalistic lifestyle, vessel and plans, are not ‘best practice’ and therefore considered unacceptable.

It was preachy, politically and climate action activist blackmail in intent and tone, and again, completely off-putting to a large potential readership and membership section of Bluewater. If this is what is to become the MAIN future of the organization’s vision, I want nothing to do with it. Nothing wrong with that per se, but it needs to be ‘part of’, and not become THE vision only. I always thought BCA was to help and motivate people to go cruising, however they wanted to. Big, small, simple, high end technological or whichever way. There’s no right, no wrong. But it would seem BCA has become a political actor for a particular viewpoint. I’m hoping I’m wrong.

Hopefully however these were simply individual opinions. Howeverif that is the case, one would expect to see alternative voices and articles as well, which I hope will be coming.

Wed, 8 Oct 2025 20:11:28 GMT

Very well said.

I've watched the devolution of this organization towards virtue signalling and pursuit of impractical goals.

That is a diversion from the organization's purposes I understand it. I'm hoping it's just another fad.

Wed, 8 Oct 2025 20:19:29 GMT

I used to be a part of the organizing structure (Vice Commodore for the Calgary chapter). I have absolute faith that this is not actually the reality or a conscious plan, but more of a perception. I am trying to point that out strongly, and making the point, like you, that we have to continually be on guard that we don't alienate a part of our membership (I'm not in any capacity other than a member and haven't been for years now, but I still know many of the selfless volunteers who are going above and beyond to give their free time and energy to the org). I think these criticisms are needed, but also some understanding that it is very difficult to run and maintain a volunteer organization. After all, they are probably critically short of people willing to put in the effort to write articles! SO - I stand by my opinions and criticism, BUT I also applaud BCA simply for being there and all the effort going into running it. I have absolute faith that our 'perception' is skewed by those who are willing to write, rather than by the voluteer board making political decisions. But it is also up to us as membership to push back when we see stuff like this getting a wee bit to far to one side or the other......