Comments on: Fear for sailors is a giant octopus – and has been for centuries http://intheboatshed.net/2009/11/14/fear-is-a-giant-octopus-and-has-been-for-centuries/ Journalist and writer Gavin Atkin's weblog about boats, boatbuilding and restoration Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:29:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Larry Henryhttp://intheboatshed.net/2009/11/14/fear-is-a-giant-octopus-and-has-been-for-centuries/comment-page-1/#comment-61234 Larry Henry Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:36:08 +0000 http://intheboatshed.net/?p=8434#comment-61234 Gav I will never go to sea again in anything less than 70,000 tons...laughing but enjoying...(seen some large fish etc myself in the Caribbean as a boy... 200lb Groupers & 5 ft greenback turtles) Larry Gav I will never go to sea again in anything less than 70,000 tons…laughing but enjoying…(seen some large fish etc myself in the Caribbean as a boy… 200lb Groupers & 5 ft greenback turtles)
Larry

]]> By: Benhttp://intheboatshed.net/2009/11/14/fear-is-a-giant-octopus-and-has-been-for-centuries/comment-page-1/#comment-61181 Ben Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:35:03 +0000 http://intheboatshed.net/?p=8434#comment-61181 Yes, I've read that they're out there but I think any cefalopod in the Mediterranean would be hard put to grow to 40cm before it ended up in somebody's pot.I think that nowadays the giant cefalopod has somewhat been displaced as a scary sea monster by the shark. Thanks to Jaws etc. However, as a symbol for deep, lurking, unshiftable fear the giant octopus, capable of dragging a whole ship and crew under, wins outright. Yes, I’ve read that they’re out there but I think any cefalopod in the Mediterranean would be hard put to grow to 40cm before it ended up in somebody’s pot.

I think that nowadays the giant cefalopod has somewhat been displaced as a scary sea monster by the shark. Thanks to Jaws etc. However, as a symbol for deep, lurking, unshiftable fear the giant octopus, capable of dragging a whole ship and crew under, wins outright.

]]> By: Gavin Atkinhttp://intheboatshed.net/2009/11/14/fear-is-a-giant-octopus-and-has-been-for-centuries/comment-page-1/#comment-61177 Gavin Atkin Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:13:37 +0000 http://intheboatshed.net/?p=8434#comment-61177 I think a touch of fear is essential - it's part of the excitement, it keeps you on your toes, it's also part of what makes the small boat sailor in some ways different to other people, and it's also part of what small boat sailors have in common.You'd have to be almost entirely without imagination to have no fear at all when sailing on the sea - but reading this stuff I can't help thinking that some of the people who cooked up the stories Elliott repeats in his book may have had a little more imagination than was strictly good for them.Big cephalopoda exist, or so I gather from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>, but thankfully I don't think they're common in the Mediterranean.Gav I think a touch of fear is essential – it’s part of the excitement, it keeps you on your toes, it’s also part of what makes the small boat sailor in some ways different to other people, and it’s also part of what small boat sailors have in common.

You’d have to be almost entirely without imagination to have no fear at all when sailing on the sea – but reading this stuff I can’t help thinking that some of the people who cooked up the stories Elliott repeats in his book may have had a little more imagination than was strictly good for them.

Big cephalopoda exist, or so I gather from the Wikipedia, but thankfully I don’t think they’re common in the Mediterranean.

Gav

]]> By: Benhttp://intheboatshed.net/2009/11/14/fear-is-a-giant-octopus-and-has-been-for-centuries/comment-page-1/#comment-61165 Ben Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:25:26 +0000 http://intheboatshed.net/?p=8434#comment-61165 Chilling stuff Gav. Maybe the less imaginative, more pragmatic sailors can go to sea with no fear. But for the more flighty ones, like me, overcoming deep seated fear will always be an issue. Ben Chilling stuff Gav. Maybe the less imaginative, more pragmatic sailors can go to sea with no fear. But for the more flighty ones, like me, overcoming deep seated fear will always be an issue.
Ben

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