Can't We All Just Get Along?

A kind looking woman visited the store recently. She immediately identified herself as a boater and took interest in our vast selection of totes. I explained how easy it is to have a clasp added to the tote of her choice or how we could make a bag with a zipper if that was her preference.

We talked about our shared loved of pockets. And agreed that pockets are like closets, you can never have too

many of them. I showed her our “baby bag” style of tote with six pockets and metal clasp.

Suddenly the conversation turned quiet. After a pregnant pause, she asked if I had a bag with powerboats on it instead of the primary colored tiny sailboats that decorated the bag we were admiring seconds ago.

This was the first time I became aware of the Hatfields/McCoys aquatic feud between power boaters and sail boaters. She admitted, “I could not possibly carry a bag with a sailboat on it.”

The change in the woman’s demeanor and her adamant refusal of a sailboat image made me curious about the origin of her attitude. With a little informal research, I found that boaters do favor either one type or the other and often hold some perceptions (valid or not) about the “Other.” It is rare to find a person like myself –referred to as bi-boaters or transvesselites*- with “oars” in both boating worlds.

It comes down to a matter of personal preference on what type of experience is sought after leaving the dock. Powerboats with shallower drafts provide greater access to shallower water and can get closer to the beach. Whereas, sailboats -relying primarily on harnessing the wind - can offer an unlimited range of quiet travel. There is no wrong answer. I would not refuse either.

Anyway, the woman decided to customize her own version of the pocketed “baby bag”. We agreed that a durable, domestically manufactured bag made from recycled sailcloth with an overt nod to nautical lifestyle is the best accessory of all – no matter what type of boating experience you prefer.

*For more on the differences, read: http://www.liveaboardliving.com/power-vs-sail.htm