Scott and other members,

Am I right, but has this list been infected of late with exposure to
some (shock, horror) examples of normal human behaviour and its
accompanying normal frailty? Is it just my imagination but is the
postings digest taking longer to read each day?

Is it possible that a metamorphosis is underway to maybe take us to a
more mature level arriving at where Passagemaking, as promised in the
lists title, might be getting back on song (if it ever was on song)?

Shiver me timbers, and lock the cat in the bilge, we have just had a
lady first mate invade our site bringing up issues that are about
passagemaking and the REAL things that go on when you go passagemaking.
Threatening as this might be to the groups of members who compete in the
"I'm smarter than you are, Ego - Fest", or the "My boat is bigger and
more expensive than yours, appendage deficiency group", or the "I've
done 6 zillion nm - so I have won, group", it should be after all a site
available for "different strokes for different folks" hopefully.

Those that get a bit precious with what they want from this site should
chill out a bit and enjoy the diversity of normal human interaction, and
the expected warts and all that come with it. Also what has happened to
a sense of humour? Isn't that really a usual part of normal human
behaviour when it's all is boiled down? Don't like the site -
unsubscribe. Bored with subject, get your mouse wheel in gear.

Ain't freedom of speech grand?

Peter Sheppard

Peter said:  Am I right, but has this list been infected of late with
exposure to
some (shock, horror) examples of normal human behavior and its accompanying
normal frailty?

Scott sighs and response:  Here's the problem,

Email as a communication medium really pretty much sucks (not as much as
catamarans :).  You can't put inflection on words, you can't emphasize
phrases, you can't use subtle queues that humans use to fully communicate.
Also, recent research suggests the brain processes written communication
with different defense mechanisms being active then those used with spoken
communication.  This can lead to unwanted interaction that takes time to
mediate and manage.

When I put a Vice President at Washington Mutual Bank up for sale on Ebay it
was a joke.  When I showed it to my boss, he understood it was a joke and
laughed out loud, said it was the funniest thing he ever saw.  When it
spread around the office (well the entire U.S. really) and the VP eventually
saw it, somehow it was no longer a joke?  I didn't understand how anyone
could think it was real, but a week later I had an interview with HR and I
was shown the door (well the elevator actually).  Anyway the point is that I
made a simple comment yesterday about my wife's role in vetoing or approving
the living accommodations of the boat we selected.  I was taken to task as
being sexist.  It's hard enough to keep a forum on task, much less address
the administrative duties of a list like this.  The T&T list has 4 admins
for 1,700+ people, this forum has one.  So, while human interaction is
normal, and a part of any forum, it would help me out to a great degree if
we try to consider others in our communication and seek to minimize the
sideline discussions that all to frequently crop up on other lists.

Oh, one very important reason this is also true, several of our key
subscribers are accessing the forum over pay per bit links (as I will be
shortly).  I hate to think I just spent .75 of Dave's money for him to read
me droll on about being fired from Washington Mutual.  I do hope there is
some value in this.

So, Peter, your contributions are welcome!  I do have a sense of humor, I
can laugh with the rest of them.  I also have to mitigate the issues behind
the scene that many of you never see.  So, sorry to those of you that have
no interest in this, and to those that do, if we want to continue this
discussion it must have some kind of connection to Passagemaking or it
should wind down.  Thanks!

Scott Bulger, PUP List Admin

John asked:  which weather forecasting service
members of this list would recommend. My wife and I will soon be
embarking on a Dana Point to Seattle trip, and then in Fall return
down the coast to Panama and through canal into Caribbean for the
winter.  Are there some services that are better for Pacific/west
coast transits and others preferred for Caribbean waters?

I don't know if the weather forecasters have "areas of expertise".  No one
I've talked to has suggested there are any problems or issues using them for
various regions, but I must admit I haven't asked about heading north of
Seattle.  Our focus has been heading south.

I'm installing a PC with access to the internet via three methods:  Cell,
WIFI and INMARSAT
Cell services delivered via Kyocera router and verizon air card services
with Digital Antenna 3 watt amp/antenna

WIFI via dedicated PC with Orinoco wifi card and hi gain antenna

INMARSAT via Fleet33 MPDS (4$/Mb)

I will run OCENS and retrieve their weather products for specific regions,
I'm attending their training class in May

I will use either OMNI or MWXC weather routing services on a per leg basis.

I rejected WXWorks and Sirrus because of subscription costs, uncertainty of
their long term viability in light of merger and coverage areas.  I have
purchased Coastal Explorer which has it's own weather products, but believe
the compression offered by OCENS will have an ROI when out of cell/wifi
range.

Hope this helps

Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA