Relatives are asking what I want for Xmas. I was going to go with stuff that I NEEDED for Tybee, but I realized that the only things I really need are a new jib (outside the realm of asking as a gift) and free hotel rooms.

So whats on everyone's "wish lists" for the holliday season this year?

My wife and I are buying a GPS unit in celebration of the day.

Speaking of which, does anyone own a Nuvi 500? I'm considering one of those, but I need to find one in a store that has some of the add on maps loaded so I can see which maps I would need to get. With my stinkpot, I boat on inland lakes and a couple rivers in WI where it would be nice to have depth charts. I also boat on Lake MI's Green Bay and the Sainte Marie's River between Superior and Huron.

Pass my Ski instructors exam and then have some dosh to work to the next bit. One day I'd like to take the French exam as it is the hardest in the world.

Oh, a new job would be nice....

All i want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth,.... and piece on earth... after that all i want is IRA to return to being in the black.

I have on my list a Garmin Foretrex. The difference between the 101 and the 201 is the replaceable AAA batteries vs the rechargeable lithium batteries. Is there an advantage of one vs the other?

I'm registered at Surf City Catamarans, I need a jib and a spin, possibly a rudder blade, Cash donations to my account are accepted.
The fortrex gps with the built in battery is fine. I went three regattas and didn't have to recharge in betwen. But i do have the car charger for an emergency.

I went for replaceable batteries unit. I figure a long day on the T500 will outlast the rechargables...

I have had both. There are some differences but they are minor. My 201 is a replacment for a 101 that leaked. The 201 has been more durable or maybe I am just smarter.


With a good battery,the 201 is good for about 24 hrs of use.

The weak point on both are the pins for the strap and the screen. If you find a silicone case for it, let me know.

The fact that the 201 has rechargeable batteries means that the battery compartment is sealed and the chances of a leak reduced.

I've been using the 201 for a couple of seasons, and I'm pleased. I recharge at the end of each day. Been working great. I Aquasealed to unit to the wristband so as to not rely on the tiny pins.

Dave

I saw one of these on a youtube video, get my 201 Thursday from gpsworld. I priced compass and speed insturments that were almost 5 bills. this unit for a buck fifty looks like it will be perfect. Are there alternate wrist bands or has anyone tryed the tube mount adapter? I am guessing it knows the heading no matter what direction it faces unlike a compass watch that only knows the direction it's facing.

I think you should show your love of the F16 by asking for a yearly memberhship to the F16 Class Association.

http://www.formula16.net/content/view/60/63/lang,en/

That would totally make sense if I owned an F16.

Here's a short list of what I've got so far. Its more a "wish list" or a "pick one"

1) Findmespot for T500
2) Zhik Hydrophobic pants and possomhair hat
3) Foretrex
4) Harken 2145 Flipflop block

I have the 201 for almost three years now and it has been great. I have used it for entire weekends with out recharging. As for my Christmas list I am going to ask for one of those waterproof video cameras so I can take some video of us in action. What is it called, the Helo or Halo?

Tad, what's ya gonna do with the Harken 2145?

I keep asking for one of these.

Hero 3. Might be hard to find these days. I was ALMOST about to put mine on today when we went sailing but we weren't sure where to mount it safely without losing it. I need Jake to make me a bracket.



Midboom sheeting baby yeah! 5o5 style for better crew sheeting angle.

Some may not like this,but how about getting back to the true meaning of Christmas?

Doug

Well, that depends on who you ask. Read on, you might learn something:

Judaism, far older than Christianity, celebrates Chanukkah;
Hinduism, far older than Christianity, has Diwali, the celebration of lights;

In fact, find below quoted a rather interesting article about the various far-older-than-Christianity cultures celebrating the end of the year:

"YULE LORE

In keeping with the Yule season, this article will focus on some of the cultures that have contributed to our modern celebration of the winter solstice festival.

The modern Yule festival, of all our celebrations, has to contain the largest blend of celebrations of any Western festival. The practices and the date it is celebrated on, have been contributed by a mixture of cultures, including the Romans, the Celts, and Saxons, all of whom, from the northern latitudes of Europe to the Mediterranean area, celebrated the rebirth of the sun.

In addition to the state religion of Rome, other cults in the Roman world, such as Christianity, the worship of Mithras, and the worship of the sun (Sol Invictus - the Unconquerable Sun), celebrated a major festival at the end of December.

The Roman state religion called the winter solstice celebration "Saturnalia", a festival honouring the god Saturn. Originally, Saturnalia was held on only one day, December 17, but by the late republican period (circa 1st century BC), its observation extended over a number of days. Saturnalia was a festival of joy, optimism, and good will, just as it is for us. This is not at all surprising, as the Christian religion absorbed many of Saturnalia's festivities into the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, since Saturnalia, being one of the most popular festivals of the whole year in the Roman world, proved to be impossible to eradicate.

Saturnalia began on December 17 with a religious ceremony at the temple of Saturn in the Forum, after which a free public banquet often followed. Stores and Business were closed so that all workers could enjoy the celebration, and people greeted each other in the streets with the salutation "Io Saturnalia" ("Hurrah, Saturnalia!"), the Roman equivalent of "Merry Christmas!"

Saturnalia was very much a time for family dinners, parties, and gift giving. It was a time to wish your friends and neighbours well. It was even a time slaves could enjoy, for at this time of year, the slaves became the masters for a day and were waited on by their owners. Some owners even gave their slaves gifts, and possibly even the day off! Even the emperor wore a freedman's cap (the cap a freed slave wore to show his status) at this time, possibly to show the equalized status of all men during the celebrations.

The Sabbat of Yule is a midwinter festival that was celebrated by the Celts on Dec 20-21, when the winter sun enters Capricorn. The name Yule comes from the Old Norse "iul," meaning 'wheel' and referring to the idea of the year as a wheel turning through the seasons. Among the Norse, too, Yule was a solstitial festival that celebrated the rebirth of the sun, or the rebirth of the Norse god Frey. The Celtic name for Yule was "Alban Arthan" and was for them, as it was for the Romans who celebrated Sol Invictus, a celebration of the day of the sun, once weakened, begins to strengthen again.

Traditional Celtic Yule celebrations include lighting fires, both inside and outside the house, and decorating the house with holly, ivy, mistletoe, bay, rosemary, and branches of box trees. The Yule log (oak, pine, ash, or birch) was associated both with the rebirth of the sun and with fertility rites, being used as a phallic symbol.

The Saxons celebrated Modranect on Dec 24-25. It was the night of Christmas Eve and means "the night of the Mother," or "of Mothering." This was a celebration of the birth of the sun at the winter solstice. The day following the Night of the Mother was devoted to the Goddess as Sea-Mother. At this time an image of the Goddess was launched out to sea. (An interesting aside to be considered here is that one of the titles of the Virgin Mary is "Stella Maris", or "Star of the Sea." This clearly connects the Virgin Mary, a figure only ostensibly secondary to the Christ Child, with the Mother Goddesses.)

The celebrations, symbols, and dates that the Christian Church incorporated into their religious repertoire suggests that the membership of the Church held on to their Pagan beliefs, using Christian dogma merely as a veneer to make their covert beliefs acceptable overtly. Given the fact that the early Christians truly believed that Jesus, as the sun of the Hebrew God, was resurrected after his crucifixion, it is possible that Jesus' birthday came to be celebrated on Dec 25, not so much as to incorporate an already well-established Pagan celebration, but more to identify him as the God (as the sun) reborn."

You're in big trouble now!! Thank God it isn't me.