h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Sailing on the seas of earth - The basic rules! - A696990
Author: mcnala - U189904

I hope that this entry will interest a few that are think about sailing!

If you accept this entry I will have follow ups for it in the future!

Hi McNala,

I'm a keen sailor too.

Generally, edited guide entries should contain more facts. You should avoid the first person ("I'll give you..."). You have quite a few typos. " while your at sea" should be "you're". "motor boats have giveaway to you." should be "have to give way". There are more. Drop the text in an editor like Word and see what it says.

From the title I was expecting the rules of the road. Sail before power, sail boats amongst them selves. The rules when you can't tell which side the other boat has its boom. That sort of thing. But it seems you plan that for a later entry.

I just submitted an entry on celestial navigation. May be you have some critique on that?

Awu.

Hi ncnala!

I would agree with Awu's comments. It would be worthwhile reading the editorial guidelines, I think.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/Writing-Guidelines

The entry has potential, however it needs more work.

Arr! Memories of desperately outrunning a squall in a 24 footer, piloted by a slightly tipsy Scotsman!

An admirable start. This could benefit from a little Guide ML as well as the spell-checker mentioned by my esteemed colleague.

Thank you all!

I'll go through it again for typos. That is absolutly a no, no!

When I comes to sailing and rules, there are of course rules that are basic for any sea traveling and one should learn them first, in my opinion! That's why I wrote this artical and planing a follow up, that will be purely for sailors, that are planning to sail!

Might I ask if using Guide ML for entries are a must?

Guide ML is definitely *not* a requirement, but if you are including things like lists, it really is the only way to control where things appear on the page.

Check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/Writing-Beginners for more information.

If you decide to write using Guide ML, you will find it is really not that difficult, and there's always lots of help available!

One of the easiest ways to learn is to examine the 'code' for existing pages. To do this, just replace the 'A' in the article reference number with the word 'test' Like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A680285 change to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/testA680285

You can do this using the 'Address Bar' in IE, or even from postings such as this

The same trick works with personal spaces, except you must type the word, 'testuserpage' instead of merely 'test'

Oops That should be: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/test680285

... and I've just started getting the hang of writing in html!!!

I've gone through the entry, and revised it. I don't think there should be any typos and I've remove first person where it is not necessary.

I guess that you are getting a little bored with this text now, it's just that I have experience a lot out at sea that makes me believe that not many know the basic rules of sea travel or just don’t care. Hopefully not the latter!

Thanks
mcnala

Section 1, Rule 10.

They say that time you spend sailing does not count against your allotted life span. In other words, sailing can add years to your life.

Section 2, Rule 1.

A good rule is one foot of boat for every year of your age. Seems about right. A small dinghy for a teenager, a fifty foot ocean going yacht for a rich, old man

Awu
P.S. Just joking.
P.P.S. I left a note on your personal space. Did you see it yet?

Hi McNala!

I'm not sure this entry is ready yet. I've a couple of comments on the entry as it stands and an additional rule (or two) which you might wish to consider.

The second sentence reads strangely and you might do better to omit it.

The third sentence starts with a typo 'Ther' - needs a final 'e'.

'Don't drinking alcohol' > 'Don't drink alcohol'.

A basic rule should surely be to learn about sailing and navigation before venturing out. Your rule no. 3 almost, but not quite covers this.

A further rule should be about letting someone know you are going out, where you are going and when you expect to arrive/return, so that if you get into difficulties, someone can alert the coastguard.

This list of rules is fine if the entended audience were all sialors in a sailing mag azine. You need to expand on these and tell us why these rules are important. If you do I'm sure someone will eventually recommend it for inclusssion of=r pass further comment to move it along its way.

Anyone to second this for a move to the Flea MArket?

The author lasted posted here in February...

I'll second that!
Awu

OKilee dokileee

My personal experiance has been;

A small 15 to 20 foot boat when you are young to learn on.

a 25 to 35 foot yacht at middle age to brag about.

a nice little pocket cruiser at about 20 feet with a cabin to enjoy after the above.

A fifty footer at age fifty is just a status symbol thar requires young friends or a hired crew, just my experiance not intended as as a flame or troll

Considering we have edited articles such as A87767518 - How to Sail Dinghies, is this article now too short to rescue and been superseded? It has, after all, been in <./>writing-fleamarket</.> for over a decade with no interest...

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