Another Newbie

[landes_h]

Hi All.
Just signed on to Cruisersforum. I came across this via OpenCPN Forum. I first tried to enter this introduction via my "Slimbrowser", however it leaves only an empty entry. So I use Google Chrome now; no prob. The world is just not compatible.

We, that is my wife MARY ANN, myself HORST, and my yacht ALMA, are living in Munich, Germany while the boat (a Bavaria 38/2003) is berthed in Slowenia.

I will retire mid of July and wwe will spend the a lot of time on ALMA sailing up and down the Adriatic. We have no plans in making great passages or doing any other amazing things, just enjoy life, peace and places. (And of course good food !!).

I hope to conrtibute to the forum and will read and study whenever time permits.

[skipmac]

Hi Horst and welcome to the forum.

Sounds like a great plan. Have fun and enjoy the retirement. If you get bored with the Adriatic you can always pop over to the Caribbean for a short visit.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by landes_h

Hi All.
Just signed on to Cruisersforum. I came across this via OpenCPN Forum. I first tried to enter this introduction via my "Slimbrowser", however it leaves only an empty entry. So I use Google Chrome now; no prob. The world is just not compatible.

We, that is my wife MARY ANN, myself HORST, and my yacht ALMA, are living in Munich, Germany while the boat (a Bavaria 38/2003) is berthed in Slowenia.

I will retire mid of July and wwe will spend the a lot of time on ALMA sailing up and down the Adriatic. We have no plans in making great passages or doing any other amazing things, just enjoy life, peace and places. (And of course good food !!).

I hope to conrtibute to the forum and will read and study whenever time permits.

Howdy and Welcome Aboard the Forum Horst and Mary Ann!

You posted some good info in your intro.

I have not yet been sailing in the Adriatic, but I hope to someday in the future. From the photos I have seen, it looks beautiful and I like history, so would like to see some of the ports around that sea and further in the Med and Aegean too. The food? I know I would enjoy exploring the delicious local foods too!

_________________

A Few of my Favorite Tips for New Members to this Forum:

Since you are new to this forum, let me mention a few things you might miss but that could help you more enjoy your time here:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ics-19760.html

There are also some "social groups" that are more focused on special interests, and as I saw, they can be fun for their members. I am not a member of those groups, but you should be able to find them if you do some exploring of the forum website, look for "groups."

For example, a female sailor might be interested in the Mermaids Group. It has 206 members.

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - All Groups
________________________

My POV: Profiles Help People Relate

Since a site like this is all about "sharing," the more sharing you and others do, the more interesting, fun, and potentially helpful this site becomes for all. It is what makes it a nice, more friendly, social community too.

I am an unofficial advocate for posting "About Me" information in a member's forum Profile "About Me" tab or page or section. You can also post photos (e.g. of your boat, etc.) and a description of your sailing goals or experiences or boat projects. I also think it is a good idea to include in your profile where you are located (country, region) and your type of boat if you own one now or had a boat in the past. If you did not put much information in your profile initially when you signed up as a member, you can edit it later and add more.

As I see it, the "About Me" tab (page) within your forum profile is the most helpful part of the profile. Many members will look at it, so it is a good idea to put something in there early in your membership here.

The About Me page/tab is always instantly accessible by any member in seconds. You may click on a member's name (or avatar) to see their public profile and through that page you can also send them private messages if you wish. You can look at my profile for one example, and see I have written something in the About Me tab, and also posted some photos in an album (in this case showing my other passion; I am an artist and I am passionate about painting sailboats).

Since you have posted relevant information in your "Meet & Greet" post, simply copy some of that to you profile "About Me" page, because the "Meet & Greet" post will soon disappear into the archives in a matter of days.

I also see the About Me tab/page as a good place to post any long-term requests you might have. For example, I am an artist who likes to paint sailboats. So I have an "evergreen" long-term request or appeal asking that any sailor who has taken a photo or snapshot of a traditional or special sailboat, to please contact me via a Private Message (PM) and let me see their photos of those boats, as I am always looking for new models (reference photos) to use in future paintings I might make. Since you will be in the Adriatic, you might come across some interesting old boats. If so, it would give us another reason to connect, and I find that fun. Other sailors may have other long-term requests (e.g. looking for some special boat part, looking to connect with owners of a type of boat, looking for information about their boat model). The About Me page is a good place to keep that long-term request visible, especially as owners of your brand of boat may look there.

I encourage you to complete the profile early in your membership in the forum, so those people who would like to know something about a new member can learn. I did not post a complete profile (only due to my ignorance about that feature of the site), until after I noticed that my empty profile page had already had 1,000 views by forum members. This meant I missed sharing information with those 1,000 folks who had some level of interest in who I am. I missed the chance to connect with others who have more shared interests, and I might have missed some possible friendships too. I was completely surprised at how many people look at member profiles, so it really is used and viewed and can be a good way of sharing information and connecting and relating. I firmly believe it can help a member (individual or couple) and a community in many ways.

You can maintain your privacy or use a pseudonym or "screen name" as you wish. Not everyone does post any written "bio" or even a photo of themselves. Some people are shy or reserved. I respect that too. But, I have seen the positive benefits of sharing some information and believe it is the best thing to do in most cases.

I also encourage the use of a photo (e.g. a "headshot") of the sailor (or couple) as the avatar. I think it adds to the human feeling of an online community to see a face and know a little about that person, and makes it more likely that people are treated with respect and courtesy. I have seen several members change their avatar from a generic one (e.g. a cartoon) to a personal one (a human face) and was pleased to see the face of the real person. Our human brains are wired to remember faces, it is natural. Later, it becomes nice to see the real human face of a friend, even if you have never met them in person.

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - FAQ: User Profile Features

Want to Post Photos?
Here is a FAQ page on how to post photos here.
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - FAQ: Reading and Posting Messages
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - FAQ: Reading and Posting Messages
_______________

[Don C L]

Hello and Welcome,
I am looking forward to hearing your experiences cruising in the Adriatic! You will have a lot of good tips for us here!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, landes h.