... wake up on the wrong side of the bed today ? I didn't miss any part, thank you. Let me be more clear ... if someone runs their generator (or their genset, or their engine, or, for that matter a wind generator and I can hear it) after say 5-6 PM, or before 9 AM, or all day, absent some kind of duress, I'll be pissed. And YEAH, I will absolutely (and politely) mosey on over, point out the fellow's inconsideration and ask them to please pick a better time. And if they don't, I'll happily (and quickly) move. No problem.

A few points I was trying to make, and perhaps you missed that, were ... is the Board really a place for rants ? I don't think so, but I guess you do. I like the Board to provide information & solutions to every day mechanical and/or technical questions, I love to hear about experiences others have that may further my own. I really enjoy seeing photos from Phil. I take Jon's advice as excellent education. Tom's stories & pictures always get my interest. Larry always seems to have the right answer. I'd like to think this Board has something positive to offer for everyone. I don't want to read about some upset cruiser bitching about a Honda after a long weekend, or some turkey who anchored too close ... is that really necessary ... or productive ? And is the rant against the Honda, a Yamaha ... or some inconsiderate asshole ? And if it's the later, then I say move on, there's no shortage of inconsiderate assholes out there, is there ? I run into one or two every day it seems. What's next on your list Rick ... Hummers, McMansions, or leaf-blowers ?

I grew up in Chatham on the Cape a long time ago and spent many a day on the water around the Cape & Islands. Are these places the same as they were 40 years ago ? No. Are they still special, well, maybe not quite as much to those of us who remember what Nantucket used to be like when we could tie up to a dock for days, for free. That doesn't mean I don't want to go back, but another point I was trying to make is things change, for better and for worse. 40 years ago, there wasn't GPS, AIS, touch screens and 15" plotters. WiFi, computers on board and the gamut for electronics. Refrigeration and a nice, hot shower. And if you're going to grab a ball in the middle of the summer, on a weekend, at Cuttyhunk or Hadley these days, then be prepared to be disappointed. Hopefully it won't happen, but don't let some idiot running his Honda at cocktail hour ruin your day. And if these kinds of things bother you, maybe another less crowded place would be a better choice, there's no shortage or uncrowded anchorages out there. We generally try and avoid crowds for exactly these reasons, but if I'm in Nantucket and someone comes home singing, past midnight, after a few too many gin & tonics at The Club Car and wakes me up, then I'll probably put the pillow over my head or put in some ear plugs, not let that bother me, go back to sleep and probably wake up in the morning and forgotten all about it.

Hondas aren't going to go away Rick, so get used to it. I don't like using them either, but I'd rather not run my engine and I don't want my beautiful, well loved boat looking like some kind of luggage rack. Until they come up with a solar panel that is half the size that produces twice as much, I'll stick with it. We have done everything reasonably possible to reduce our Ah usage ... from LED lights, to photodiodes, to engine driven (and 12V) refrigeration in rebuilt & well insulated boxes, and hand steering as often as we can ... hell, we even turn the Plotter brightness all the way down when we're not looking at it. We average 50-60 Ah/day, in the Tropics, with refrigeration, a freezer ... and a 13 year old who loves computers ... not many can say that. I think we are about as conservative as we can be, I'm not about to go without refrigeration in the Bahamas or read by kerosene, although I know some that do and good on them, they are my heros. We were in the Bahamas last season for 75 days, I ran the Honda 10 times, for 1-2 hours per time to charge my batteries. I think the Honda is a great invention. Like anything else, moderation is the key. It's the excess that gets folks irked. As Larry says, when you set the Honda to ECO mode, it does purr, ours can hardly be heard, and they are load sensitive ... we don't heat water, or run a microwave, or drink coffee, so all's my Honda is doing is running a 40A charger, for two hours, once a week. If for some reason another boat is within shouting distance, then I'll ask before I pull the cord ... and I always circle around with the dinghy to make sure my Honda can not be heard by neighbors, and I only run it early late morning to early afternoon.

Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.

So Yeah Rick, I am respectful ... go pound sand.

Cheers, John