Mysteriously Absent Follow Ups

[Robinsvoyage]

I wonder what happen to all the people that post that they're about to do something and then never report back on their progress? Even the ones that ask the obligatory, "What sort of boat and how much money..." kind of questions.

[Harbor_Pilot]

Hi Robin,

That is a very good question.

Often we do not know the answer. If one watches the board, there are a lot of people that post a few times and then are gone forever or very long periods of time.

The reasons could be any number of reasons, possibly they lost the website address, they found what they are looking for here or elsewhere, or who knows why?

Sometimes responses are sent in private, via e-mail or private messages, which nobody but the sender and recipient knows about.

Some just read the board, and never post or rarely post.

I suspect there are some that say they are going to do whatever, (fill in anything - live aboard, sail from point A to point B, circumnavigate, etc.) and are just a lot of talk, or maybe have a big desire (a big dream) with no realistic motivation or means to actually do so.

Of those that do cast off, and go sailing or cruising, often have either limited, slow, or no internet connection. Some with internet connections could be paying high connection fees, and limit their time on line to things of higher priority like current weather data.

Nearly always, those posts in the Crew Wanted or Wanting to Crew forums are never heard from again, after they find who or what they are looking for. Well, or at least until the next time they are looking again.

Jeff

[Nausikaa]

I must confess to being guilty of this on occassion.

Often I will make such a comment when I am pressed for time, intending to contribute later, but with age my brain has become teflon coated - nothing sticks. My apologies for this. I will try to improve.

Aye

Stephen

yacht NAUSIKAA

[Peter Owen]

Some people are given to reporting progress; others aren't; some don't make any. Some, I'm sure, don't like the answers they get; others don't get the answers they want or need.

Me? I'm just a natural watcher quietly absorbing and planning and waiting for my moment. Not that interesting and hardly worth recording but, if I'm not the only one, it's just one more possible answer to your question.

See ya

[Robinsvoyage]

Originally Posted by Peter Owen

Some people are given to reporting progress; others aren't; some don't make any. Some, I'm sure, don't like the answers they get; others don't get the answers they want or need.

Me? I'm just a natural watcher quietly absorbing and planning and waiting for my moment. Not that interesting and hardly worth recording but, if I'm not the only one, it's just one more possible answer to your question.

See ya

Well, my trip down the Baja and around the Sea of Cortez on the Hard Knots, now slated for December-April of 2007-2008 will be fully documented with blogs, photos, and video... and I will still post on here..

One problem with not posting is an incident that happened to me while sailing off Catalina Island in a storm a month after I set off for Hawaii, and gotten stuck in Avalon because of an injury and boat problems; my cell phone rang and it was the coast guard at Alameda initiating an investigation on a missing boat, my boat to be exact, a week overdue in Honolulu. This report was made by someone following progress on my website, which I hadn;t bothered to update. After talking to the CG, they closed the investigation and gave me the guy's phone number that called them telling me to call them too.

[Duane2312]

Well I finally made some progress. I will be sailing for the second time in my life this weekend. The first time I was 12-13 on a very small boat with my uncle. I remember we had a very rough time. Lack of wind if I remember corectly.

My uncle was a huge influence in my life. He was a self taught musician, hypnotist, sailor, and model builder. If he wanted to do something he had no knowledge of, he went to the library and got the appropriate books and learned how.

My dream is to someday sail my own boat. Nothing too wild. Just a trip to the Carribean and a trip to Loch Ness. I plan on taking a few classes also. I check these boards and a few blogs daily to help keep this dream within reach.

[Peter Owen]

I think you lost your own thread a bit here, Robin. You asked a bit of a philosophical question, I suggested a few possible answers based on a simple view of human nature, my own attitudes/preferences and an in depth inspection of Rioja whereupon you went off on some sort of trip about forgetting to blog being almost as useful as remembering to file a passage plan. Sounds a bit of a risky strategy to me but ........ whatever rocks your boat!

I'll will now, of course, leave the last word on this to you and attempt to finish tonight's bottle while contemplating first my own and then my partner's navel!

Introspection rules; OK! See ya

[Robinsvoyage]

Originally Posted by Peter Owen

OK! See ya

No, actually... if you post an idea or question or thing you're going to do and then don't post back, some worry-warts might call the Coast Guard thinking you're missing. I admit I can ramble but I do stay on topic most of the time. What are you drinking?