# Can sailnet improve your life?



## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

I have been posting here for some time so hopefully I don't need an introduction. This post is intended to encourage newcomers to use sailnet and meet fellow local boaters.

Yesterday (Sunday) I went out to Long Island to help a fellow sailnet member who I met & sailed with nearly 4 years ago. He is in a crunch period getting his Bene505 (clue to identity) ready for his family to use for the summer months. 

While walking through this boat yard I noticed a couple working on their boat and I heard accents that were not standard New Yawk-ese so I went over to them and began the age old Yachtie accepted practice of shooting the breeze. After a short conversation and exchange of info about our boats, where they are, how much work they are, how many trips to West Marine it takes to change a light bulb, the fellow asked me: "Are you on sailnet?" I replied: "Yes". He then asked if I was "Caleb-d" to which I could only answer: "Yes". 
It seems I may have suggested this boat yard to a sailnet member called "pfile" a year or two ago, and here he was with his Sabre 30 in one of the few local boat yards that seems to allow diy work.

It turned out they had recently pulled their old Wilcox Crittenden head but still had the service kit somewhere on board. Their new head is a Raritan so the WC rebuild kit was of no use to them. I have a WC head on my boat so I left them with the rebuild kit in my hand. 

I wish I had more time to share a beer with this nice couple but I had a bit of mildew to scrub off of various headliners in a 50' boat. My beer was also still warm. Next time I hope to arrive in that boat yard with my beer already cold enough to drink.

Sailnet works. I have met sailnet sailors in Annapolis, the Magothy, around my home port of NY/Long Island, as well as a notable sailor from Portugal, all through my online forum presence. There is a lot of good that can come from meeting fellow sailors and I look forward to meeting more of you when the time comes.

This makes post # 3,800 for me! Woo-hoo.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Nice, Caleb...


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Hey I could have been there with you I got an invitation as well but was on a no electronics vacation in the mountains so I did not get the request in time. 

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

I've met over 50 members, from Clear Lake, TX to Annapolis. Many offered assistance (rides to grocery, a meal, local knowledge, etc.) Some needed assistance. But all have been worth meeting. And when it's no longer so cheap to stay put, or I get tired of it, I look forward to meeting even more of the Sailnet Community, as well as those I've met before.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

I started loggin into Sailnet a little, to get a little of the red out. Then I logged in some more, to get more of the grey out. 

Regards,
Brad


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

*meeting*

I so agree. Well said.

It's really what keeps me coming to SN. (certainly not my prickly personality)

We have met many SN from here but also the LI Sound.

It's the main reason we have a Rendezvous every year on the Chessie. Not only have we made some great friends, but also some cruising partners. Great group.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Well, I was going to affirm but when I logged in with my android just now the first thing that pops up is 4 "gun nut" threads. This is the default setup with the android ap.

Isn't that special


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

xort said:


> Well, I was going to affirm but when I logged in with my android just now the first thing that pops up is 4 "gun nut" threads. This is the default setup with the android ap.
> 
> Isn't that special


Maybe it is time to dump your Android overboard, or at least leave it in your car/locker, or under a rock somewhere.
Still kind of glad to be a dinosaur on this front as my phone is decidedly not so smart. It claims to be a camera but really only makes phone calls tolerably well. No wifi, satellite or tiny keyboard, but tiny screen that opens like a Star Trek communicator. I love my StarTac (anyone remember these?).

You can't blame me for all the "gun nut" threads. Thank SBS for that.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Dump my android because SN has a [email protected] ap?
No, I'll just spend more time at other places with much better android implementation.
My android uses significantly less power than my laptop and is very convenient. Having tide and current aps, weather, etc in my pocket along with unlimited data works far better than the big clunky laptop and searching for open wifi while cruising.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

xort said:


> Dump my android because SN has a [email protected] ap?
> No, I'll just spend more time at other places with much better android implementation.
> My android uses significantly less power than my laptop and is very convenient. Having tide and current aps, weather, etc in my pocket along with unlimited data works far better than the big clunky laptop and searching for open wifi while cruising.


Yes, that is my biggest complaint about using either Tapatalk or the Android app there seems to be no way to filter out the off topic. I find the off topic to be very offensive with all the "my way or the highway" attitudes. I don't come here to hear about how "climate change is a hoax" or "happiness is a warm gun." At least "keeping a gun on board" is somewhat sailing related but all the intolerance in off topic is really unbearable. At least with the web browser you can choose "new topics, no off-topic, no politics" and makes it a much better experience.

At Anything-Sailing they make off topic an opt in thing. I like that, don't opt in and you don't see it. Of course over there the level of respect is much higher but it has gone almost silent in the last few months.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

miatapaul said:


> At Anything-Sailing they make off topic an opt in thing. I like that, don't opt in and you don't see it. Of course over there the level of respect is much higher but it has gone almost silent in the last few months.


Weeell.. Alex has certainly p!ssed-off an awful lot of people both here and there over many years with his larger-than-life ego and matching attitude, so you should not be surprised. I do feel sorry for Chris though, after all the time and effort he put in.



PBzeer said:


> I've met over 50 members, from Clear Lake, TX to Annapolis. Many offered assistance (rides to grocery, a meal, local knowledge, etc.) Some needed assistance. But all have been worth meeting. And when it's no longer so cheap to stay put, or I get tired of it, I look forward to meeting even more of the Sailnet Community, as well as those I've met before.


Righto then. Sounds like you've done the USA... so when are you coming over here??


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

> Sounds like you've done the USA... so when are you coming over here??


There's a reason I bought a boat well suited for coastal cruising.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

PBzeer said:


> There's a reason I bought a boat well suited for coastal cruising.


There's "coastal" ..and then there's the Pacific. It's a big world out there.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Thanks, in no small part to the input I got from here, as I planned my retirement, I realized I didn't have sufficient desire, nor means, to go beyond coastal cruising. And to me, the biggest question in buying a boat, is understanding how you will actually use it. Not how you might use it.

Plus, the East Coast of the US is probably one of, if not the best, cruising grounds for a more casual style of cruising than open water requires. Not to mention it's a huge area. There's more than enough places to go to fill my time between now and when I can no longer go.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

In that case.. Well done and good luck!


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## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

I can't be sure how many Sailnetters I've met IRL, 50 could even be low. Some of them have gone on to become good friends. Also the feedback I've gotten from you all on my posts about living aboard gave me the confidence to go after my current gig blogging for the Annapolis newspaper. 

And I continue to meet Sailnetters IRL: yesterday a nice HR pulled into the slip next to me. The delivery skipper asked me if I posted to Sailnet because he thought he recognized my boat. Turned out he was Jon Eisberg (sp?)


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Erica,

I'd like to meet Jon Eisberg one day too. He's written a few pieces for some of the major sailing rags in years past and has a ton of experience as a delivery captain. 
Google "Cruising World Jon Eisberg" and some of his articles come up.


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