Sailing Focus - Are discussions loosing focus?

[Jentine]

Jemsea,
You are much like me. You post very little and read a lot. You should realize that this site is much like all other clubs, 10% of the members do all the work and set the tone. Those of us who choose to be better listeners than writers, have no complaint as to the tenor. Rarely, I will post and join the main body but mostly I listen. I learn more by listening to the varied topics. Whatever topics have no interest for me, I don't read. That is just the way it is. We give the lead to those who discuss the most and follow.

[Starbuck]

John, don't be put off. Observations from more infrequent posters is important, and provides a perspective that is often lost by the front-runners-of-many-words. They need the feedback, even if they kick a bit when they get it.

[Alan Wheeler]

I agree Jeff. I learn't along time back, and like to promote that even experts can learn from the beginners. Jentine and Jemsea, I would love to hear more of what you have to say and I am sure I will gain a lot from your comments. I am certainly no expert.
Definition of an Expert =: Ex is a has been and a spert is a drip under pressure.

[curlew07]

This is my first post. I was just bumming around in cyberspace and I stumbled across it. You seem to be some rather friendly people, not so much given to gossip, but rather serious about who you are, so I'm going to ask this question. It's one that has caused me no end of problems over the years. It concerns drogues and sea anchors. I'm talking a 30' Catalina, and while that might cause some to wince, trust me, this little boat is very well found with a lot of serious innovations. I can take her anywhere and she behaves, but I have fought many a storm because I don't know how to set a drogue or sea anchor properly. I have used both, but I'm definitely doing something wrong. Now don't start calling names, just give me some good advice.

[Kurt O]

John,
After everything you posted, I don't see your issue, looks like a lot words, but remember this is a forum which is open to many topics, I am a long time cruiser and find this to be an excellent way to discuss and view many topics
Kurt O

[capt lar]

Jemsea has been on this site for some time. He has 119 posts. He has contributed. He is an established member. He has the right to raise an issue without being told to go elsewhere. I should have said so when this tread was active. At this point I assume the point is mute and we have all moved on.

curlew07 - You will get a better reply if you copy your post and then enter it again as a new topic. Category should be "Seamaship and Boathandling". This thread is from last May and not about drogues. Sea anchors are hard to set and sometimes (most of the time IMO) more of a risk than a benefit. Specifically what problems are you trying to resolve. Fear not - We won't call you names.

Larry

[S/V Elusive]

Originally Posted by curlew07

This is my first post. I was just bumming around in cyberspace and I stumbled across it. You seem to be some rather friendly people, not so much given to gossip, but rather serious about who you are, so I'm going to ask this question. It's one that has caused me no end of problems over the years. It concerns drogues and sea anchors. I'm talking a 30' Catalina, and while that might cause some to wince, trust me, this little boat is very well found with a lot of serious innovations. I can take her anywhere and she behaves, but I have fought many a storm because I don't know how to set a drogue or sea anchor properly. I have used both, but I'm definitely doing something wrong. Now don't start calling names, just give me some good advice.

Curlew - first off, welcome aboard! I hope that you find this forum enjoyable and informative.

The forum is divided into many different sections in the hope that people with questions or expertise can find a topic they are interested in. In your case, we have a really good section where your question would be most welcome. Please click on the following link, or you can click on the menu box at the top of the screen titled DISCUSSION BOARD, and scroll down to the Engineering & Systems Forum and subforum of Anchoring & Mooring.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...play.php?f=118

Good luck!

[exranger]

I love this forum! lol Hopefully I CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS IN THE FUTURE, AS i LEARN MORE. rIGHT NOW i i ASK A FEW, AND GET THE BEST INFO ANYWHERE.

[exranger]

Ugh, sorry, my damn caplocks key.....

That's OK, I seem to be getting a bit hard of hearing anyway

[rsn48]

I've seen threads like this one in other forums I have frequented; from photography to model railroading, Runner's World to military forums. Good forums are a like a small town, but with some differences. First you will find that all forums have very active members, then the post count falls off dramatically with the bulk of members only posting a few times then drifting away.

The members that post a lot and have been around for a while have usually seen the same themes drift through, in model railroading it may be a request on how to ballast track, here it might be a request as to the best dingy, in Runner's World a good training program. The themes occur and re-occur often, usually issues raised by newbies but sometimes not.

As a community it is natural to discuss other things through the theme thread; so a guy may ask about a delta anchor only to have it ending up talking about a new anchorage somewhere. This is how we talk face to face, our dialogue is all over the place. If you ever taken a creative writing course on dialogue one of the things you are suppose to do is listen in to other conversations, then write them up to see how illogical we usually function in conversation.

Same thing happens here, even worse among forumers who have been around for a while.

[Sandero]

Personally, I find all the "off topic" thread and discussions a distraction and should take place "off site" or in private. I prefer to have a foroum which remains firmly planted on the topic. This may make the forum "dry" and unsocial to some... so be it.. hang at a bar and talk shop there along with all the other bar room banter.

The OT stuff only fills of the site and we (who are not interested) in it have to simply ignore it... no big deal.

Jef
sv Shiva
Contest 36s

[Alan Wheeler]

Jef, the OT banter is very important. As long as it remains in controll and dosn't get to far out of hand, it is just as important as the topic. Why? well it allows readers to gauge the personality and tone of the replier. After awhile, requlars will gain enough "experiance" of how to "take" a reply. With a "grain of salt" or with confidence. They get to know if a poster is full of info, of full of himself or just full of BS.
It gives the site personaility and warmth and sometimes that can be very welcoming to newbies and give them confidence that they can pose a question. Sites that are "cold hard fact" tend to be imposing to a newbie. They feel like they are taking up "precouse time of those that reply and they feel very very inferior to the the regulars that reply. I think it is very obviouse here, that we have ones that have tremendouse expertese, yet "newbies" don't feel that they should not ask that seemingly "dumb" question. I know I can ask many "dumb" questions without feeling like I have eye's rolling in heeds all over the world.:-)
However, in saying all that, it is important that OT banter is keep't in check and that it doesn't go on and on. So far I don't think we have seen toooo much of that here.

[Sandero]

My sense is that the lah di dahs don't do online fora... most of the people who read and post are the DIYers.. doncha think?

[delmarrey]

What do cruiser's do when they pull into port with other known cruisers?
They gather together and discuss boats, how to fix them and where they go.

If it gets off topic, it still comes back around to cruising and boats. That's why we're here. If someone intrudes with spam or other meaningful disruption then they are warned, and/or eliminated.

This is our MARINA. We have security that regulates and takes action when necessary (behind the scenes). Some may not be aware but we've been hit with dozens of spam, porn and other way out stuff just this week that is kept off the site. If we were to let it go, a majority of our registered users would be elsewhere looking for a new slip, probably without success.

So we apologize if we do not follow a strict rule of no OT stuff. We like people to feel comfortable here so an error once in awhile will be tolerated and forgiveness practiced, BUT NO SPAM.........................................._/)

Oh, and if your not a DIYer, then ones boat will look like the transient’s anchored over by the ship yard within a few years. That’s unless one has lots of moola$ and I haven’t seen any millionaire’s drop in lately.