What am I doing wrong?

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Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
Those of you in New England know what I'm looking out the window at right now. Soon, I've got to go out with my back aching from slipping on the ice a few days ago and horse the snow blower around so we can get the car out.

Meanwhile, friends currently in the Bahamas send me a steady stream of reports about diving for Conch, dinghy rides to meals at open air restaurants on the beach, etc.

I check their SPOT tracking beacon frequently:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0sKGa9AJRCF45FaX5L5g6PLcZGvSb3nMe

and can't shake off the disquieting feeling that there is something about this boating stuff that I just haven't figured out yet.
 

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kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,216
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The Spot is great ! Used it to watch as some friends crossed from California to New Zeland.. Have you followed the Japanese guy's attempted solo circumnav? He has something like the SPOT and ya can watch daily as he moves on..
 
letterman

letterman

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Jan 27, 2007
383
Irwin 37' center cockpit cleveland ohio
I think he meant...when do I get IT, and chuck the snowshoes into the briny deep. I to have that problem...I have comforts...nice home, neighborss (well sort of), a JOB...but I could do that in the warmth of the Bahama's, Virgin Islands, Hawaii!! I think it's the insecurity, the fellowship of friends of 40 years, family, and Lake Erie (with a current so small, and always in the same direction, and tides that only come with the wind).
I sit in a nhouse warmed by a wood stove, drinking hot coffee for comfort, and viewing the mess the street plowers left me to shovel out...can you get this in the carib Mon??? Heck no.
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
You mean this??? Aw, it aint so bad. Going for a nice snowshoe later with my pup and my wife on my birthday!

 
frank balcer

frank balcer

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Nov 18, 2006
183
Kirie Elite Elite 37 Moss Point MS
Cold here

hey folks its cold here in Mississippi too. It is 52 now, supposed to go to 68 by noon. Anyway im digging out warm clothes cause friends and I are going sailing at 10 this morning.
 
Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
I'm a big SPOT fan.

kloudie1 said:
The Spot is great !
Click to expand
I have mine on almost any time the boat is moving. Friends and family enjoy it greatly when I'm cruising. The Google Earth sat photos give them a good idea of where I am.

I do a lot of single handed daysailing (hope that's past tense and my long distance cruising plans pan out starting next summer) and Barbara can get a good idea when I'll be back instead of having to interrupt me with a cell phone call. I really don't like juggling the expensive little thing in confined waters and harbor traffic.

I particularly like the option to summon private help coordinated by friends on shore instead of calling out the full resources of the USCG that might well show up and take the decision making away from me, leaving my boat unattended and vulnerable.

I've set up my "Help" message so that it includes a link to a page of full instructions as to what to do and a list of resources. It's slow, but you can use the SPOT features to communicate a limited idea of what kind of emergency you are facing.

You can see a sample of my emergency page here:

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/EmergencySample.htm

Another thing I like about the SPOT is that it is not primarily a marine device. The OnStar like outfit that receives the 911 messages expects them to be used in mountains, cities, foreign countries, etc. If I take it with me hiking far inland in Newfoundland and use it because I break a leg, their response will be just as effecient. If the USCG gets a message from your boat registered EPIRB 10 miles inland, it's going to take them a while to figure out what to do.

Coverage is limited but includes everywhere I plan to go. I wouldn't consider it a substitute for a self activating EPIRB on long distance ocean routes but it's a good back up and complement. After using and testing it for a season, I think it's a reasonable alternative for near coastal cruising. The tracking feature means you are getting value from it every day instead of being like and insurance policy that only repays after an accident.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I recall years ago in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, inside the back cover, was a column called, "The neighbor next door"- one or two sentence observations of life. The author said the nicest thing about being retired was sitting at the window with a nice cup off hot coffee... and watching his neighbors have to shovel their cars off to go to work.

I'm retired, and so far no snow to shovel in Annapolis, MD, but I still love watching other people go to work.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I see your flying Pig is at 23.52.79/75.76.63. I have friends in the harbor at 23.31.14/75.45.54 on an Island Packet "Nice 'N Easy", with a hard dodger. Have your folks offer Bill and Sue a thousand dollars if he'll stop playing the keyboard. Ron
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I see your Flying Pig friend is at 23.52.79/75.76.63. I have friends in the harbor at 23.31.14/75.45.54 on an Island Packet "Nice 'N Easy", with a hard dodger. Have your folks offer Bill and Sue a thousand dollars if he'll stop playing the keyboard. Ron at Severn House.
 
JerryA

JerryA

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Oct 17, 2004
550
Hunter Hunter 170 Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie
Re: Doing Wrong

Not sure Roger, but I'll accept your advice if you figure it out. Here's what I see out my window while drinking coffee this morning. At least my boat is in my shop where I can mess with it. I ran the snowblower twice yesterday to keep the drive clean. The official number was 11.9" for the two days, alot for here.

JerryA
 

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sailingdog

sailingdog

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Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Roger—

When you cast off the docklines for the final time in Maine, headed south to the Caribbean, I'm pretty sure you'll figure it out.... ;) If you haven't figured it out by the time you get to the Bahamas, let us know, and one of us will come over and take over Strider for you... :)
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
Bad news

I have a friend here in Maine who is at Centerbaord yacht club who has tried casting off the lines and sailing to the carribean the last two years. He has never made it further south than NJ. He seems to have the worst luck in the world. Her always has these unbelievable stories of problems he raninto. Maybe he started on Friday but I don't buy that. I start my annual cruise on Friday every year and it is always problem free with great weather. In fact this year we even managed to win the overnight race that started on Friday and I had a woman on board:eek:
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
The snow is pretty

to look at as long as it's just a photo. I remember from my childhood what it is like, and for me now looking at a photo will do fine. So keep them coming.
 
sailingdog

sailingdog

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Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Tim—

You'lve probably just jinxed yourself... ;)
Tim R. said:
I have a friend here in Maine who is at Centerbaord yacht club who has tried casting off the lines and sailing to the carribean the last two years. He has never made it further south than NJ. He seems to have the worst luck in the world. Her always has these unbelievable stories of problems he raninto. Maybe he started on Friday but I don't buy that. I start my annual cruise on Friday every year and it is always problem free with great weather. In fact this year we even managed to win the overnight race that started on Friday and I had a woman on board:eek:
Click to expand
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
sailingdog said:
Tim—

You'lve probably just jinxed yourself... ;)
Click to expand
Good point Dog. Although now that I think of it, it did rain 1 day for our 2 week cruise the last 2 years. Maybe I will start out on Thursday this year;)

And for the record, 2 months til we start our BVI cruise...on a Thursday:dance:
 
oldiesrocker2001

oldiesrocker2001

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Jun 8, 2004
350
Macgregor 21 Clinton, NJ
Jersey didn't get hit as bad as some places-and not as bad as predicted but my plan to move south as soon as I can retire is still the first thing that comes to mind as soon as I see the first snowflake. Of course I'll move up to a 26c or d, but that's a "hardship" that I can live with! With plans for upper west coast of Fla, I could sail the gulf or visit points along the panhandle area. This brings me to a question; what do you guys that are canal front do when a storm is on the way? I realize that if I go that route there will have to be a decent drop to the canal to minimize storm surges and such, but if your 'baby' is in the canal at your dock(or even at a marina's dock) what extra preparations do you do other than praying more than usual?:neutral:
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Storms and Canals

Oldies, I live on a canal, and have survived Katrina, Gustav and Ike, with virtually no boat damage. The house was flooded in Katrina, but the boat survived fine. Marinas around here were all torn to hell. There is a large marina less than a mile from me, and 70 to 80% of the boats there were totals. I am of the opinion that you are much better off in a canal. I take a couple of anchors across the canal, set them good, and tie off to the dock. I leave enough slack in the lines for a surge, and make sure the anchor lines are tight enough to keep the boat out off the dock and out of the yard.
 
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