Meeting fellow offshoreonly folks
 

I am curious how folks hook up. I must say my wife and I were disappointed at the Lake Hartwell poker run. We didn't know how to hook up with others here so I wore an OSO T-shirt at the registration Party and the Card Opening the next day after the run. I must say we are beginning to think this isn't our click to be in. I did see 1 other OSO T-shirt but I knew who the tag a long was with and he wouldn't even acknowledge a look!

I will say most everyone on the run waved back or waved 1st! In spite of not meeting other OSO'ers we had a great time! We had a H of a hand! 2 Queens even with our hole card from having our boat inspected! I'm pickin the cards next time! :D

I would say if you know you're going to an event, plan ahead. Post a thread asking who's going to be there and what boat they'll be on.

I've met a ton of fellow OSOers .... but I've been the instigator ... for instance, last weekend at Lake Norman, I saw a Skater comin in, I helped them dock, asked if they were on OSO and then introduced myself. If I waited for people to recognize/acknowledge me ... well.... that just wouldnt work :D

:D:cool-smiley-026::D You are a special case.

Chris' suggestion sounds like a good method. I've been more vocal at events lately in asking peeps if they're on OSO... get some positives, but surprising the number of 'no' or 'rarely' replies you will get. I guess the fact is, if everyone that owned a performance boat was here, it would be kinda crowded.

I remember joking with PicChic at the OSO party in Key West -- we were thinking about going around the bar yelling out screen names...:cool-smiley-011:

I think OSO should send all there members a plastic name badge the size of a credit card with a pin on it and with their name and their OSO screen name. Then we could wear them on our shirts to poker runs and boat shows etc. I'm sure others would ask you where do you get those cool name tags and we could tell them to join OSO.
It would be a marketing tool for them because we would only be wearing them around other boaters and it would get the OSO name out there to other boaters

I'd recommend doing your own informal "runs", and posting an invitation to OSO members on the forum. You'll get to meet OSO people, and, hopefully, some friendships will develop.

Michael

A couple years ago I started a thread a thread about a month before I went to Ft Lauderdale for a medical conference and was met out by OSO Steve, Dollabill, and CashBar. Last summer started a thread about a job in Vegas and met BajaFresh and Holy Moses on the trip out for my interview.

Had several conversations online on OSO with Dyno from Michigan and met him in person on a trip to Grand Haven.

Same with Phantom Chaos. Knew him through OSO and met up with him at the SCOPE poker run.

Great way to meet some great people.

I can sympathize with you. It was the first time to Hartwell for me, and my wife, and I didn't decide to go until Friday afternoon. By the time I got to the registration party, the registration was over, so I went back Saturday morning and registered. The people at the registration were nice but didn't know much about the run, just gave out the packet and the lunch. By the time I found Portmans, and then the stops, which were hard to find I thought, and got back to the final stop there was no where to moor without swimming in 25' of water, so I went back and put my boat on the trailer and drove back to Charlie T's, and was 18 minutes late, so didn't get any cards. As you said, people on the water seemed friendly, but I'll not go again without someone I know in advance or can connect with.

Wish we had internet at the house we rented.(We arrived Thursday morning) I would have touched base. Yeah.. I figured it would be that way at Charlie T's because it is not tie up friendly. I came back with nearly 2 cases of beer. :( Figured we surely meet a few ta come pop a few with.

My wife and I are not the type ta push in on people. Obviously the people we saw were into their own click and didn't seem receptive to meeting new people. Perhaps another day.

I found it to be the same as you describe and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet you. I had planned to stay until tomorrow, but when we didn't meet anyone, we packed up and came home today, so we'll be on our local waterway tomorrow. Ironically, we are always meeting strangers here, but like you said, everyone up there seemed to be into their own thing. The people with the power sqauadron at Portman's were very professional at the launch, but Portman's weren't involved with the run, and it seemed to me that was where the action probably is on that lake. Oh well, there will be other opportunities.