Cost/Benefit Ratio of Offsoundings weather reports

[Fore and Aft]

Mara Mae I wouldn't be touching that ignore button just yet. These guys are all pretty tame and most have some interesting stuff to say. You just have to realise some people feel very passionate about certain subjects........LOL. The best bit about this forum is that it is relatively troll free compared to another sailing forum where it seems to be like a bar room brawl. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to be insulted at least its better to be insulted by another boaty and not a faceless troll.
Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

[jeanathon]

Originally Posted by Mara Mae

Adelie can you please explain to me how the ignore list feature works? Thanks

If I may. Just click on the users name then select ignore. You will still see when that user posts, but their message will be hidden unless you click on it or someone else quotes them.

[Adelie]

I was only vaguely aware of it before becoming a mod. I think you copy the other members name and paste into the list in you control panel. Have you found the UserCP? In the web view I t’s right under the thread title when you are in a thread. Ignore list is one of the options on the left.

Since I became a mod I have consistently sanctioned people that were ostentatious about putting other members in their list. Publicly announcing who you are ignoring is rude, it’s like you are back in middle school. If you use the feature, just do it and be done with whomever. You will still see quotes of people on your list.
Nobody gets to put a mod on the ignore list and we don’t get ignore anybody either.

[Mara Mae]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Mara Mae I wouldn't be touching that ignore button just yet. These guys are all pretty tame and most have some interesting stuff to say. You just have to realise some people feel very passionate about certain subjects........LOL. The best bit about this forum is that it is relatively troll free compared to another sailing forum where it seems to be like a bar room brawl. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to be insulted at least its better to be insulted by another boaty and not a faceless troll.
Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

I am not insulted, more hurt by the vitriol. I simply don't see the communicative need. I have faced and survived many life threatening situations and know from those experiences that my questions are pertinent. While they attempt to interpolate the realities of recreational marine travel with my professional aviation training and experience, I know how to make safety-based trip planning decisions and have considerable experience and training making life saving decisions in perilous situations. Short of posting my pilot logbook or my search and rescue certifications, here I have tried, as has Adelie, to express several times that I value the experiential data but dislike the abusive rhetoric. Now I am just going to ignore blowhards.

[Mara Mae]

Originally Posted by Adelie

I was only vaguely aware of it before becoming a mod. I think you copy the other members name and paste into the list in you control panel. Have you found the UserCP? In the web view I t’s right under the thread title when you are in a thread. Ignore list is one of the options on the left.

Since I became a mod I have consistently sanctioned people that were ostentatious about putting other members in their list. Publicly announcing who you are ignoring is rude, it’s like you are back in middle school. If you use the feature, just do it and be done with whomever. You will still see quotes of people on your list.
Nobody gets to put a mod on the ignore list and we don’t get ignore anybody either.

Thanks agree about the middle school. Do I understand correctly that I can just chose to ignore a member and nobody knows but me?

[Mara Mae]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Mara Mae I wouldn't be touching that ignore button just yet. These guys are all pretty tame and most have some interesting stuff to say. You just have to realise some people feel very passionate about certain subjects........LOL. The best bit about this forum is that it is relatively troll free compared to another sailing forum where it seems to be like a bar room brawl. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to be insulted at least its better to be insulted by another boaty and not a faceless troll.
Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

Great question. I think thats what will do. But I am going to start testing SSB weather fax with MacOS radio decoder to see if I can get the forecasts. They are a pretty good bunch although a couple of them could do better after a large cuppa Camomile tea.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Mara Mae

Thanks agree about the middle school. Do I understand correctly that I can just chose to ignore a member and nobody knows but me?

I believe so. I never used it before becoming a Mod and since then can't use it.

As I indicated before, you won't see their posts, but you will see quotes of their posts.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Mara Mae I wouldn't be touching that ignore button just yet. These guys are all pretty tame and most have some interesting stuff to say. You just have to realise some people feel very passionate about certain subjects........LOL. The best bit about this forum is that it is relatively troll free compared to another sailing forum where it seems to be like a bar room brawl. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to be insulted at least its better to be insulted by another boaty and not a faceless troll.
Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

Something implied above but not overtly stated is that some of the annoying folks actually have very good contributions. Something the mods wrestle with occasionally.

For those that don't know, if you think somebody is being rude please let the mods know by flagging the post for review.

At the top right of every PM and bottom left of every post there is a TRIANGULAR icon to report items for review by the mods. Every flag using this function generates a new discussion thread just for mods to see and notifies some of us by email. Since we are scattered around the globe, there usually is somebody awake that may be in a position to deal with a problem. Responses can take from hours to a day or so depending on how critical the issue is.

If somebody is rude to you and you respond in kind, the mods will delete posts or less often edit the posts, and sanction both parties if we notice or somebody else flags the posts.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Mara Mae I wouldn't be touching that ignore button just yet. These guys are all pretty tame and most have some interesting stuff to say. You just have to realise some people feel very passionate about certain subjects........LOL. The best bit about this forum is that it is relatively troll free compared to another sailing forum where it seems to be like a bar room brawl. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to be insulted at least its better to be insulted by another boaty and not a faceless troll.
Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

CF is ripe with these tradewind sailing is benign comments, along with a tradewind circumnavaigation is easy statements. Tradewind passage making is wonderful till its not.
One reason the tropics are (where the tradewinds are) harder to forecast than the higher latitudes is because very small differences in barometric pressure makes very large differences in weather. In high lats an obvious low marches a across the map and is well dealt with by the models. In the tropics it is far less obvious, has only minor pressure difference from the nearby high and floats in and out of existence. Secondly the cyclone seasons are no longer near as clear cut as they used to be. Out of season and edge of season cyclones are a real risk. If you are on passage you will not get some long warning of the systems tracking like you would expect on land. It will popup from some squally area and start its march. Downloading daily weather gives you a chance to deal with it. And no dealing with it does not mean out running the weather with 250 mile day runs. In the tradewind belts you might choose to head direct toward the equator ( motoring or sailing) to avoid the likely path, or work to take the low on its weakest side.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

...Another thing I was thinking about your question is how vital is a daily forecast if you sail in the correct season along the trade wind route?
Cheers

If all goes well, the daily forecast reveals nothing unexpected and maybe one gets little added benefit from it.

But even on a trade wind route there can be weather factors that affect you, such as stonger than usual trades ("reinforced trades") or light wind, even reversing winds. And there remains the possibility of an area of squalls or an out of season depression. Knowelege gives you power.

And what do you have to do on a passage anyhow? 30 minutes to download and review the daily GRIB file or WEFAX is not a big burden and it just becomes your routine. Many folks also listen and participate in SSB or HAM radio nets each day (and get additional, real-time weather reports as well as gossip).

Keeping an eye on the weather is just good seamanship.

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by Adelie

I was only vaguely aware of it before becoming a mod. I think you copy the other members name and paste into the list in you control panel. Have you found the UserCP? In the web view I t’s right under the thread title when you are in a thread. Ignore list is one of the options on the left.

Since I became a mod I have consistently sanctioned people that were ostentatious about putting other members in their list. Publicly announcing who you are ignoring is rude, it’s like you are back in middle school. If you use the feature, just do it and be done with whomever. You will still see quotes of people on your list.
Nobody gets to put a mod on the ignore list and we don’t get ignore anybody either.

Wait, you’re a mod? Did not know stirring the pot was a key function lol

As far as the purely academic debate of the value of weather reports off soundings, perhaps it isn’t as useful traveling at slow speeds, but it certainly has value. Only you can decide how much. Getting tossed about in a Cape Dory 30 is terrifying, and will shape your purchasing priorities.

As to the reality of it, you’re not going to be in this situation nearly as much as you will be coastal passagemaking. Having good info is crucial on these passages, and Wi-Fi and cell have been unreliable in my experience, in the anchorages I frequent, and certainly offshore.

I think the more useful question is, “what kind of weather info do I need for the sailing I’m actually going to do?” And it just won’t be perpetually offshore, but often in out of the way places where weather is pivotal to daily planning. Especially if your wife is on board. I think you said that’s the case. Mine gets seasick, so I’d always use all the info I could get to avoid a nasty seaway.

No question you’re a competent, smart guy, but don’t let hubris shape your choices and planning. Not saying they are, but that is the impression I got through a few limited exchanges here. The ocean has chewed up all kinds of smart guys, because it isn’t enough to be smart. My family would have vomited far less if that were the case.

Cheers-

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by cheoah

Wait, you’re a mod? Did not know stirring the pot was a key function lol
….-

I don’t see chiding members for being rude as stirring the pot.

For various reason I chose to do that rather than delete posts and issue sanctions.

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by Mara Mae

I have addressed this already but hopefully this will be the last time. According to lifewire an internet troll is "In simple terms, trolling is when someone comments or responds to something you post, usually in a confrontational way that is designed to garner a strong, emotional reaction." 1. I started this discussion so by definition I am not a troll. 2. Many 5 star members here have responded to my original question with intelligent, rational, informative and helpful comments that are informed by reason and experience not emotion. 3. I never and will never use strong language, exclamation marks, uppercase, sarcasm, irony or other rhetorical devices designed to illicit emotion or express an emotionally charged opinion. 4. I am a new member at CR and value this technology as a useful way to gain practical experience from a community of experienced sailors. 5. One of the site moderators is part of this discussion and has repeatedly defended my questions as valid and an appropriate use of this group. 7. I am 59 years old. Married for 35 years with three university educated children. I am retired from several careers one of which is commercial aviation. Another is Education. I have a PhD. I built my own home. I own rental properties and a Cape Dory 30. I am a member of the OCC and the RYA. Gee whiz guys what type of credentials does a member need to have here to ask a question without being accused of trolling? I am not a troll but I sure think there are some flamers and roasters here.

Lol, we have a lot in common MM. Same age, married almost as long (34 years), and the boat I plan to get is a Cape Dory 30. Or a 33 if I can find one. I've already had a Cd28 and loved it. They are definitely boats that can take you just about anywhere you want to go.

Imho, unless you are on a shoestring budget where every dime and dollar make a difference in whether you can go or not, weather information is probably the single most important thing to have. I have already stated in another post that I feel it is more important than a liferaft.

Knowing whats ahead and where to go to get around it is the key to safe passage making. If you stay out of disastrous weather you will not need the liferaft.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Adelie

MM:

5-stars has no implication of experience or reputation, 5 stars means you’ve made more than 1,000 posts, good, bad & ugly.

If you go to a member’s profile thou can see how many times they have been thanked. Each box is 100 “Thanks” or fraction of 100. At some point they stop adding boxes and start changing the shade of green.

There are 2 posts that explain a bunch of things:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...tml#post655376

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...tml#post664199

[PippaB]

The difficulty in this is evaluating the benefit, and this is what Stu was pointing out. It’s pretty easy to evaluate the cost, but what is the benefit, to you, of never having to sail a small boat through a day of winds > 80 knots? For me, based on unfortunate experience, the value I would place on never having to do that again is priceless. When one side of the equation is priceless, well, that means you spend everything you have to get there. Other people might view the same conditions as a refreshing challenge and seek them out.

Then you have the secondary question, if you have this data, how confident are you in your own ability to properly interpret the weather report and to make the right decision based on that report? Again, something nearly impossible for anyone else to evaluate for you.

And then lastly, how capable is your boat and crew of executing the decision?

Personally, I think that most cruising boats, with two days of advance forecast information can significantly better their situation if caught out on a passage with a major storm forecast on the horizon. The OP mentioned a hurricane, the average hurricane is about 300 miles in diameter, with two days warning of the probable track you only need to be make 75 miles/day to have a good chance of avoiding the worst of it. I feel my boat and my crew can do that in most conditions, so I would like to have the gear aboard to receive that forecast.

But that’s my math, since the value of the benefit is so personal it will be different for everyone who runs the analysis.