peter Spectre's Compass Rose Review blog discontinued

[rbgarr]

Too bad. I'll miss it.

Here's an old one: http://www.maineboats.com/correspond...iew/boat-names

[Lance F. Gunderson]

That's really sad. Uncle Pete is one of my favorite writers.

[JimConlin]

Is he retiring?

On the subject of boat names, I note his counsel that a boat name be easily understood. Sometimes you can really go wrong.
Years ago, before the cell phone, there was a wonderful institution, the Camden Marine Operator. Through them, cruising yachtsmen and others could use VHF to make a phone call. It worked, and wasn't cheap and anyone listening to Channel 26 (and 28) could hear the call. For a cocktail hour in July, Camden Marine was great entertainment.

Placing a call involved a conversation with the operator over the number being called, billing and such. Sometimes the operators mangled boat names in amusing ways.
'Wings of the Morning' (see Psalm 139) became 'Strings of the Awning' and
'Frozen Wind' became 'Broken Wind'.

Maybe someone will write the short essay "The Human Drama of Channel 26".

But I digress...

[rbgarr]

Jim,
When I lived in Camden, Bud Chater, the yacht club's steward, launch driver and go-to-guy would get teary-eyed with amusement about those malapropisms. He was sure the operators did it on purpose and he would have known, being friends with everyone in town.

[adampet]

I was running through some old bookmarks, cleaning them out, when I ran across Compass Rose. Well that led to wondering what "Uncle" Pete was up to as I had enjoyed his writing so much. A quick Google and here he is http://www.maineboats.com/peter-spectre

enjoy,
Adam

[rbgarr]

I just learned from one of the 'From Whence We Came' columns that Erskine Childers was executed for gunrunning for the IRA. I didn't know that.

[Dick Wynne]

I just learned from one of the 'From Whence We Came' columns that Erskine Childers was executed for gunrunning for the IRA. I didn't know that.

Well, technically no. He got clean away with running German guns to Ireland in his yacht Asgard (along with Conor O'Brien in his own yacht), this was some years before his execution. That was for firearm possession (of a single small pistol given him by Michael Collins). Interestingly 4 young men were hurriedly shot for a similar offence just before Childers was, and no further similar offences after Childers were met with execution. Lending credence to the theory that the 4 preceding executions were to set a precedent, and that his death was a politically-motivated execution. The government in Ireland at the time being the so-called Irish Free State I believe, who were opponents of the Republican movement. All this from the (recently read by me) 2002 Childers biography by Leonard Piper, the title of which seems to vary with time and continent. Highly recommended. Postscript: Childers' son went on to become President of Ireland.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I just learned from one of the 'From Whence We Came' columns that Erskine Childers was executed for gunrunning for the IRA. I didn't know that.

Nothing to do with it.

To expand a little on Dick's answer, he was executed by the Government of the Irish Free State for, in effect, being a member of the IRA, pretty much in retaliation for the murder of Michael Collins.

He was a member of the delegation that negotiated the Treaty, then he denounced it and took up arms against the very independent Government of Ireland that he had just created.

Try here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Erskine_Childers

[Rick Starr]

I want to thank you publicly David for repeatedly bringing MBHH to light here on WBF. I have come to miss what Peter brought to WB, and have subsequently subscribed to MBHH. I am awaiting my first issue.

One of the happiest moments I can ascribe to this forum was a (mostly off-line) conversation I had with Robb White, Caroline Magerl and Peter Spectre.

Cheers,

Rick