Should weather/sea conditions questions be banned

[JOHN B SLOOP, Newcastle-upon-Tyne]

Hi I may have got out of the wrong side of bed today but why do some posters persist in asking unanswerable questions about sea conditions and climate. If they wish to have some idea of a region's climate why don't they Google Climate/The Place of Interest and low and behold a website will be highlighted which will contain better information than we can provide. Are people really so lazy they can't be bothered to find more accurate information for themselves?

[dst87, Falkirk]

As someone who works in tech I've often asked myself the same question about certain IT issues - after all, as many IT folk will know, Google is the best tool for even experienced people to find out the answers to stuff.

The problem is that some people just don't know how to use a search engine.

I posted something on Facebook the other day asking what people preferred - Lava Lamps or Plasma Balls. Someone actually commented asking what a plasma ball is. It would have been much quicker to just look it up, but some people just don't consider it, or don't realise how much information is available online.

I haven't seen the posts you're referring to (yet) but perhaps people would like some first hand experiences as to what the weather might hold from people who have sailed in the same region at a similar time of the year?

[cornish girl, falmouth]

Frist hand experiences are always best. CG

[Neil Down, Southampton]

Sorry, but could be wrong side of the bed.

I would do nothing to stop the unanswerable questions, although I may take the rise sometimes. People ask about weather, they ask whether anyone has been in cabin XYZ and they ask how much alcohol costs with monotonous regularity BUT

They are asking, they are communicating and who knows what that will lead to. That is what we do here, we communicate and if we say you can ask whatever you like but not A or B or C we are limiting our scope so excuse them, call them lazy, under your breath of course, but don't stop people writing, for them it may be the start of something new and their involvement might be massive....look at us. .....Neil

[Cooke, Ashby]

I agree Neil. People new to cruising and new to the forum are going to ask what could be described as 'obvious' questions. Hopefully they get a range of opinions and are able to form their own conclusions. If we had no new members we'd not last long. Judith

[jan lowden, sunderland (2)]

Sorry, but could be wrong side of the bed.

I would do nothing to stop the unanswerable questions, although I may take the rise sometimes. People ask about weather, they ask whether anyone has been in cabin XYZ and they ask how much alcohol costs with monotonous regularity BUT

They are asking, they are communicating and who knows what that will lead to. That is what we do here, we communicate and if we say you can ask whatever you like but not A or B or C we are limiting our scope so excuse them, call them lazy, under your breath of course, but don't stop people writing, for them it may be the start of something new and their involvement might be massive....look at us. .....Neil

Thankyou Neil,if we all looked up every question and answer on Google,what would be the use of this forum? In fact we could all just Google everything and not bother going anywhere,But as you say, it does lead to conversation,just as when you may be the newbie anywhere,night school,job,etc, sometimes it helps break the ice.So please dont think we are all lazy or stupid for asking certain questions. Jan.

[liauq, w mids]

Frist hand experiences are always best. CG

have to agree. I always research ...but you don't always get the right answer and first hand knowledge can be crucial; I went to a hotel on the big island, hawaii which had lovely weather in the morning and clouded up every midday..no research would have told me that! (also caught up by 9/11 but that's another story).
so, please be patient and give what info. you can.

[jimtheoldsalt, felixstowe]

Thankyou Neil,if we all looked up every question and answer on Google,what would be the use of this forum? In fact we could all just Google everything and not bother going anywhere,But as you say, it does lead to conversation,just as when you may be the newbie anywhere,night school,job,etc, sometimes it helps break the ice.So please dont think we are all lazy or stupid for asking certain questions. Jan.

Every ship works in a seaway differently,every weather system is different,AND every passenger reacts differently.so people's views are only a generisation.
With all the weather that is given out on tv these days I would have thought that anyone could look at a weather chart before going on a cruise and if they see the isobars close together they will know to pack the seasick pills.

Jim

[annie, Glasgow]

I completed my 1st crossing of BoB last week.

None of the comments made on any forums were in my opinion accurate. We all react differently to differing sea conditions.

I am under strict instructions, by another forum member, to say no more on the subject.

Suffice to say asking for a sea condition forecast is equivalent to asking for a UK weather forecast - 4 seasons in the 1 day is always possible

Annie

[gardeners, bracknell]

Annie.
My first time on a big ship, at 19, on a troopship crossing the Bay of Biscay in a force twelve with 3500 other soldiers. I think 3450 were ill but I loved it. If I had not been a good sailor I would have been critical too. But after two days, I awoke at 5 00 hrs to the sounds of anchor chains and ships cranes. I dashed up to the deck and there before my inexperienced eyes was the Rock of Gibralter. I was so gobsmacked I raced back down to our deck and hauled my mate out of his bed and forced him up to the deck and said "look Geordie, it's the rock of Gibralter" His comment? "you got me out of bed to look at that. I've seen hundreds of pictures of it" and went back to bed. I realised then, in 1952 that not everyone saw things the same as me. We sailed that day into the Med. Blue skies, calm seas wonderful sunsets and I was hooked, excited and even now my blood sings on board a ship going anywhere, rough or smooth.
As you can see from this, asking me about weather, sea conditions would get the answer just love it whatever it is like, have drink and watch the sun go plop, kiss your missus and rejoice. Our sailors, our heritage went out with just the sails and hope of a good wind.
Aren't we lucky?
Ta ra,
Alan

[Neil Down, Southampton]

Every ship works in a seaway differently,every weather system is different,AND every passenger reacts differently.so people's views are only a generisation.
With all the weather that is given out on tv these days I would have thought that anyone could look at a weather chart before going on a cruise and if they see the isobars close together they will know to pack the seasick pills.

Jim

Jim, surely you as a person who knows the sea will understand that there is a vast amount of difference between a transatlantic passage using the more southerly routes and one that uses the northerly passage and the stretch in between can also be fairly well described. I know this, you know this but the novice cruiser won't have a clue about the differences and if they ask a question about a transatlantic crossing then the best thing we can do for them is to explain. Many hundreds of miles separate these routes so they are normally vastly different.

To be condescending with new cruisers or people new to a transatlantic cruise is unfair in my opinion. ....Neil

[Diva18, UK]

The difference between a northerly or southern crossing of the Atlantic is basic information to anyone who has an iota of common, sense, or education, and need not be tirelessly brought up on the forum. Same for the Bay of Biscay and other notorious crossings, Gulf de Lyon is just one. Ditto the Med.Pacific, Indian Ocean etc.They can ALL have bad sea conditions, whatever the season.

We have done both crossings, north and south Atlantic, at different times of the year, and each time the weather was vastly different, after all....... it's weather!!!

Look it up, it's not rocket science!

Posted at 23.14 or thereabouts. (Saves looking it up.)

[Neil Down, Southampton]

The difference between a northerly or southern crossing of the Atlantic is basic information to anyone who has an iota of common, sense, or education, and need not be tirelessly brought up on the forum. Same for the Bay of Biscay and other notorious crossings, Gulf de Lyon is just one. Ditto the Med.Pacific, Indian Ocean etc.They can ALL have bad sea conditions, whatever the season.

We have done both crossings, north and south Atlantic, at different times of the year, and each time the weather was vastly different, after all....... it's weather!!!

Look it up, it's not rocket science!

Posted at 23.14 or thereabouts. (Saves looking it up.)

Try to take yourself away to some other subject and think how you might treat the subject. You are used to the WWW and should have a very good idea of how to find things out but let's suppose the subject was windsurfing or glass blowing or foot painting; might there not be some questions that you would like answered and would those questions for an expert be of a basic nature.

I think you are maybe looking at it in a way that others would not. Why be so strict; after all we all started somewhere with cruising, none of us knew it all before we'd been round the block a few times. A little leniency might not be bad. ....Neil

[hat776, malta]

I think that anyone who has enough IT knowledge to ask a weather question on a forum or Q & A site would have enough IT knowledge to get the average weather statistics on-line. But maybe it's not that straight forward or easy to understand if you want sea conditions. Reading that there are 5 foot waves or Force 8 wind wouldn't mean much to many people.

[jan lowden, sunderland (2)]

The difference between a northerly or southern crossing of the Atlantic is basic information to anyone who has an iota of common, sense, or education, and need not be tirelessly brought up on the forum. Same for the Bay of Biscay and other notorious crossings, Gulf de Lyon is just one. Ditto the Med.Pacific, Indian Ocean etc.They can ALL have bad sea conditions, whatever the season.

We have done both crossings, north and south Atlantic, at different times of the year, and each time the weather was vastly different, after all....... it's weather!!!

Look it up, it's not rocket science!

Posted at 23.14 or thereabouts. (Saves looking it up.)

You do realise that some of you are coming across as quite unfriendly on this forum,not the sort of cruisers i would like to meet,thinking just because YOU know something,EVERYONE should know it!Please be nice! Jan.