Analog and Sailing

PeterA said:

Yes, beaur. Maintenance is indeed often overlooked. Just keeping the brightwork looking good on this boat is a lot of work. Same with analog. Cartridge rebuilds, cleaning records, replacing belts, cleaning styli, all the adjustments previously mentioned, etc.

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Oh, powerboats require huge maintenance. I had a 32 foot power catamaran and while it was still new, had the steering rod come apart while we were in rough waters. Shut the engines down, crawled inside that bay with hot engine an inch from my nose and a wave comes over and dumps a ton of sea water on the engine. I get soaked and am dying of steam on my face. Get out and use the two engines for steering. Make it back to our mooring, go in there and notice a tiny little set screw had come loose, causing the hydraulic rams to no longer turn the engines left and right. A tiny bit of nail polish took care of it coming loose.

I spent 90% of my time maintaining the thing than using it and so eventually sold it. I lost $30,000 per year for that period even though I did vast majority of the work myself!

What is the old saying? Best days of boat ownership is the day you buy it, and the day you sell it!

We downsized to a much smaller fishing boat and the darn thing still requires more maintenance than we use it.

NorthStar said:

Yours Greg?

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Not mine.

Why is this in the Turntable forum?

It's a verisimilitude...in setting up one's turntable for optimal performance versus operating a sailing boat. It adds a certain cachet...je ne sais pas quoi mais c'est pas grave c'est beau quand meme. :b ...Like sailing with the analog/natural elements of earth, wind, water, peace, relaxation, ...sweet melodies.

It's a stretch, that's what it is.

Gregadd said:

Not mine.

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That was the first time ever I saw that. I admit; I was intrigued. :b

Johnny Vinyl said:

It's a stretch, that's what it is.

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...A nice one. :b

Johnny Vinyl said:

Why is this in the Turntable forum?

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Peter is saying a turntable is the same as an out of control sailboat that is spinning.

Peter, I think you can take the analogy further. I'm not a sailor but was an avid car enthusiast. Aside from the issues of set-up that you raised, there is the issue of how visceral the experience once 'behind the wheel' at speed-when you are actually using the thing for its intended purpose, not just getting it 'ready.' I can get more joy from a well-set up older Porsche than from the latest bling exotic from Italy (and I've owned quite a few of both). At a certain point, it's not about the specs, or the theory, but a combination of things that have to do with weight, balance, and a certain immediacy of the experience. That doesn't happen all the time in analog, but when, with the right recording, it does, it is a transcendent experience. I don't pretend to have professional qualifications as a driver--far from it compared to others who have spent years honing their skills and have the instincts- but I know what it is like to be almost part of the vehicle. (I've experienced this on motorcycles as well, and would imagine that sailing the right boat that is set up 'just so' has to be the same kind of 'being part of the thing' that takes you beyond yourself). That, to me, is what it is all about, and why it is worth the trouble of fussing with the gear.
And no, I haven't done any acid recently.

Gee, I have been doing hi-fi and sailboat racing (and speedskate racing) for several decades, but never noticed any similarities between hi-fi and these athletics.

Speedskater said:

Gee, I have been doing hi-fi and sailboat racing (and speedskate racing) for several decades, but never noticed any similarities between hi-fi and these athletics.

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Are you also a snowboarder and a poet? :b