Boring threads?

[Neeves]

I attached a link to an article in Practical Sailor on degradation on nylon rope and another on MOB. Both generated comments that such topics were boring and did not merit repetition. Previously people have commented that articles on snubbers and catenary are well aired. The suggestion was 'we old salts know it all'.

My response is that we have new members here, who might have joined so as to learn but also articles on MOB need constant repetition (I for one did not know that an MOB has a 50% chance of being retrieved alive, accepting that maybe many MOBs occur without fanfare).

It made we wonder how sailing magazines survive considering there is so little, really, new topics on which they might conduct an investigation.

This then led me to wonder what, the old salts consider, are the 'so new' developments in sailing/cruising that do merit airing.

Today I can think of Lithium, but historically Dyneema, carbon (fibre), GPS,chart plotters, sail drives....... but not omitting the investigation of the propensity of some tether hooks to fail (MOB again) etc etc

Jonathan

 

[roaringgirl]

Not so much huge game-changers like GPS or AIS, but tips and tricks like how to retrieve an anchor by hand or splicing dyneema into the end of a sheet to give freer running through the jaws of a pole.

 

[MapisM]

I opened this thread because the title made me curious to check if it was about the most boring of all boring topics, i.e. anchors.
Darn it, I just lost a bet with myself!

 

[veshengro]

There is a saying that people learn by their mistakes, so perhaps we should have a confessional section. I'm sure learning by other people's mistakes is just as valid. The only problem that I see here is that I'll be posting three times a day...

 

[pmagowan]

There is more than one way to skin a cat. i like to see how others skin theirs. I think the magazines can get repetitive but then lots of things are quite seasonal and worth repeating. PBO is good because you can see atypical ways others have confronted a common problem. We probably all have little systems or nuances about how we run out boats that nobody thinks to share. Like a recipe, you can make many things with the same ingredients.

 

[Refueler]

At end of day - people read the threads / articles that catch their attention.

The last thing I want to see is the 'Click-Bait' title such as Youtube has gotten into ...

I don't read Anchor / Catenary / Rode threads unless a particular point crops up. They bore me to tears.

I don't read heavy threads on electrics ... too many ways to do the job and too many people saying it shouldn't be xxxx

Its bias .... pure and simple.

I do have one trait that I hope can help others ... I am not afraid to post my mistakes and foul ups ... witness the keel crunching thread about my boat hitting big stone ..
Trouble is I think - not so many people think same and tend not to post about their errors.

 

[Bouba]

With time, old ways are consigned to history and new methods come into fashion....although not boaty related, I had a huge row with the tyre shop when I insisted that the two new tyres be put on the front and the worn ones rotated to the rear....because that’s the way we did it when I was a lad...some internet research later showed that I was wrong..being an old fart means never having to apologize

 

[Boathook]

There is more than one way to skin a cat. i like to see how others skin theirs. I think the magazines can get repetitive but then lots of things are quite seasonal and worth repeating. PBO is good because you can see atypical ways others have confronted a common problem. We probably all have little systems or nuances about how we run out boats that nobody thinks to share. Like a recipe, you can make many things with the same ingredients.

The magazines do get respective for those who 'know everything' but new people are always starting with boats and they need 'advise'.
I keep wondering whether to pack up PBO but they are still some bits that I try to store in the brain for future reference / jobs.
I've also got a lot of information from these forums over the years, but you have to work out who the actual 'experts' are rather than keyboard ones and does the advice make sense for my project.

 

[PCUK]

I opened this thread because the title made me curious to check if it was about the most boring of all boring topics, i.e. anchors.
Darn it, I just lost a bet with myself!

Don't feel bad I thought it was about taps and dies!

 

[Refueler]

With time, old ways are consigned to history and new methods come into fashion....although not boaty related, I had a huge row with the tyre shop when I insisted that the two new tyres be put on the front and the worn ones rotated to the rear....because that’s the way we did it when I was a lad...some internet research later showed that I was wrong..being an old fart means never having to apologize

Try that Tyre rotation lark with AWD !!

I blew my first Volvo XC70 AWD controller doing it ! Now if I have to change tyres - they are marked which position they came of ... so when they go back on - its same ...
1000 quid for a new AWD box tends to make you think twice !!

 

[Stemar]

With time, old ways are consigned to history and new methods come into fashion....although not boaty related, I had a huge row with the tyre shop when I insisted that the two new tyres be put on the front and the worn ones rotated to the rear....because that’s the way we did it when I was a lad...some internet research later showed that I was wrong..being an old fart means never having to apologize

At the risk of going off at a complete - and boring for some (so go read another thread ) - tangent, did you find out why that's wrong? It still seems logical to me to have the best grip at the front; better traction, and I reckon I've got a better chance of staying out of the scenery if I lose the back end than the front

 

[Bouba]

At the risk of going off at a complete - and boring for some (so go read another thread ) - tangent, did you find out why that's wrong? It still seems logical to me to have the best grip at the front; better traction, and I reckon I've got a better chance of staying out of the scenery if I lose the back end than the front

From the interweb....
Should new tires go on the front or back? According to Tire Review, new tires should always go in the back. Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost.

 

[Refueler]

At the risk of going off at a complete - and boring for some (so go read another thread ) - tangent, did you find out why that's wrong? It still seems logical to me to have the best grip at the front; better traction, and I reckon I've got a better chance of staying out of the scenery if I lose the back end than the front

mmm roundabouts and swings ..... lose front end - off throttle and front will usually re-grip .... Lose back end and what do you do then ? ease throttle and she'll rotate even more ... more throttle and you just lose more grip ...

With cars having more balanced weight spread today - the old ways of lead blocks in the boot - Cortina Savage as example ... my Capri 2.0S race car etc are long gone ...

 

[KevinV]

From the interweb....
Should new tires go on the front or back? According to Tire Review, new tires should always go in the back. Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost.

If you rotate new on rears, then rears to front you don't end up with time expired tyres on the rear. Also, because most cars are designed to understeer you don't have the situation that the front can make a manouver but you then lose the rear. Thirdly the best crumple zone and airbags are at the front - better to crash forwards than sideways.

 

[Refueler]

From the interweb....
Should new tires go on the front or back? According to Tire Review, new tires should always go in the back. Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost.

That's fine for 2wd only cars ....

Forget it for AWD and 4WD .... (note that AWD and 4WD are NOT THE SAME).

AWD cars should not have more than 2mm total tread difference across tyres - except where natural car wear occurs. Doesn't matter whether Halden or other - fact.

 

[Farmer Piles]

For many years the listing in the SW edition of the Yellow Pages had:
"For Boring See Civil Engineering"

 

[Farmer Piles]

But on topic: solar panels and modern controllers. Keeping batteries charged has never been easier.

 

[Concerto]

Certain subjects can seem boring to many old salts as they think they know it all. The forum is a place to communicate for ideas, problems and solutions. I certainly do not read many threads as they are of no interest to me or I cannot give advice. Last year I was surprised at the number of people who enjoyed reading my daily reports of sailing round Britain. Maybe more people should post in this vein for the many armchair sailors who only dream of going sailing but in reality only have a limited experience of a small cruising area. Creating interesting and informative posts is not for everyone, but we all have different levels of skills and very few travel far and wide.

There is nothing wrong with posting on a subject that is important, but some can find boring. Even I find anchor threads boring (sorry Neeves), but factual reports are important, rather than personal opinions and clashes defending their choice of anchor. It can almost be as bad as clashes over AWB and MAB, yes I have joined in at times. Then there are people who keep recommending a particular boat as the best choice, I am guilty as charged for promoting the Fulmar. We still get a few people mentioning the Anderson 22 in jest.

However, I do find it takes a long time to realise who posts good and interesting content. The reaction score shown for many of these forum members does not show their importance.

Interesting threads can easily be distracted and take on a split content. I would rather moderators would split these out and create a new thread to keep the original thread on subject. Even this thread has comments outside the original posters comment.

 

[Daydream believer]

We still get a few people mentioning the Anderson 22 in jest.

What is funny about a serious offshore fast cruiser, like the Anderson22?

 

[Daydream believer]

Interesting threads can easily be distracted and take on a split content. I would rather moderators would split these out and create a new thread to keep the original thread on subject. Even this thread has comments outside the original posters comment.

Interesting to who? Threads -like conversations evolve- The content can soon run out of steam, if one followed a strict subject-only line. Just the same as it would in a club bar. Everyone would be standing round in silence wondering whose round it was.

Besides I expect that even moderators have a life outside the forum- Although one might sometimes wonder what that may be ( Goodbye all- see you in a week!!)