Sailing in South Korea

[lochinvar]

Hello All,
I am on assignment in South Korea and had some free time to go down to Busan from Seoul.

Busan Korea claims it has an active Expat sailing community called BESA: Busan Expat Sailing Association. I looked them up online and they looked like they were having fun AND could speak Engrish.

So I went to Seoul Station, to arrange taking the Korean version of the bullet train called KTX down to Busan and find these guys.

Here is Seoul Station with all the tracks.



I tried emailing these guys and no answer. I decided to pop in on them anyway. So I boarded one of the trains and off I went. On the way, the train came out of an underground tunnel and we shot across the countryside like a bullet. Here is the speedo app on my iPhone:



Needless to say, we were hauling some @ss.

When I got there, I walked and walked trying to look for this BESA. I finally made it to the yachting waterfront (what the signage said) and this is the scene that confronted me. Magnificent as far as the building are concerned. (I am sticking my iPhone through the high security fence to get the pic)



I was sorely disappointed. There was no BESA or any access to any sailboats. Oh yeah, you could salivate through the bars of a high fence and look at some of the sailboats there, but mostly big motor yachts.

Walking around the waterfront, I came across these magnificent tile murals for all to see as they stroll down the sidewalk frontage of this multi-billion dollar Korean waterfront. Ready?

Here is the first one. (My comments follow the pic)



Katboot. Really?? I mean, can't these doodaa's spell? Katboot. Well, if a feline stray gets on my boat, I might give it the "boot". I just look at this in disbelief. Cheezo...

Stepping to the next mural:



Slup. Harrrrrr. Maybe it is a really slowww sloop. Slup. I am amazed. Um. Wow. I appreciate the art of this and all, but this "slup" looks misshapen. What's the deal with the mast base? It looks like a python has swallowed a toolbox. And the lines of the boat. Maybe early "Bayliner Buccaneer" with a bad paint job?


Ok, okay. Next...



Harrrrr!!. "I get a schoner looking at these old boats..." Really??? Heh. I don't know where some of those jib halyards are attached. A Gaff-rig I guess, but weird main mast.
Okay-okay. Settling down. Appreciating the art of the drawing. But "Schoner" Man!

Stay with me. Next -



Ok, now, according to "hooked on phonics" this is a go. Heh. Were they ever called Kutters?

Ready? next-



Like - "pass me the ketsch, please..." WTF?? And the picture on this one is so true... Or Not. The thing looks like it has a misshapen poop-deck or maybe a center-cockpit something. Ketsch. Yes, folks, one for the record - for me.

All Right, one more:



OMG!!! A correct 4-letter spelling. And a Gaff-rig at that. Looks like she took a torpedo in the hull at the waterline. Sorry, can't have any correctly spelled boats here folks...

By this time, I am walking back and forth on the sidewalk shaking my head. The Koreans that are walking and biking around me are trying not to notice the "crazy American" shaking his head, etc, but wondering what the h$ll I am up to.

All in all, I had to walk about 7 miles that day trying to pass the time until my scheduled train seat back was ready. Thought I would share these magnificent sidewalk murals with my fav sailing community.

-Shawn F.

[crazycarl]

wha?

their wis sumtink wong wiff da spillin u sa?

luked perictly gud 2 mee!

[Craig]

Looks like they are using German spelling. Katboot is German for English spelling of Catboat. Schoner is missing the "umlaut" accent. No, the Koreans are not idiots.

[lochinvar]

I didn't say that Koreans were idiots so that inference is Knot Korrect. I work with them all the time in the tech industry and when I showed a couple of them the pics, they were embarrassed. They looked them up on Google and told me that is all the artist(s) had to do.

I will go for Schuner for schooner. That isn't what is spelled in the pic. So Nix-nine. And Ketsch?  Slup? C'mon.

Personally, I think they are funny as Hel.

[Craig]

Sorry, did not mean to imply that the Koreans were being called idiots. Actually I miscopied Schoner as Schuner. Oops! Schoner is actually the correct German spelling of Schooner! Engage brain before typing! My bad!