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I talked with someone today about how THT got started. I mentioned it was initally "offshore" boaters and now many lake boaters actually use it as well. Then the debate started if lake boaters (such as Great Lakes) were considered as offshore boaters when using their boats in the lakes?
I've always associated "offshore" with deep sea or saltwater but does offshore simply mean off-the-shore regardless of being a lake, river or ocean?
This issue is not the most important of issues mind you but maybe it's time we define offshore.
"offshore" in my mind is beyond the sight of land. Depth, we've got it!
Any body of water accessible to ocean going shippingcanbe subject to"offshore" conditions. Talk to any veteran Great Lakes skipper about the challenges the GL's can muster up.[img]../images/emoticons/wink.gif[/img]Lake Erie, being shallow, can muster up an evil brew that will challenge ANY boat.
Boat design is the same, except for "nearshore" in ideal conditions. Fresh water has the disadvantage of less floatation, so scuppers "may" be compromised.
The water's big, but the fish aren't![img]../images/emoticons/frown.gif[/img]But hey our gear's cheaper![img]../images/emoticons/thumbsup.gif[/img]
Lastly I guess we can't use the term "old salt", but clean-up's a snap!
__________________ Any Port in a Storm!....currently seeking shelter.
Offshore is like 40 miles to 200 miles, dang now I have to go read about it again.
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I agree with GhostShip about the GL. I've never been on them but any body of water that big supporting a fleet of ships on them would have to be considered "offshore."
"A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake"..... from Wikipedia. So if a lake has a shore then you could be considered offshore. Nah.. is gotta be in the ocean. pick one, run out till you cant see land, then keep going another 20 miles... now your offshore.
1) Any distance away from where the water meets the land?
2) Totally out of the site of land?
3) A pre-determined distance (40 miles or so) away from the land?
Some part of "offshore" to me implies international waters, and semi legal gambling establishments...
I bet the late captain and crew of the 729' Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in "Lake" Superior in a hellacious storm only 17 miles from shore, would define the seas they went through as being "offshore".
Good point Dan [img]../images/emoticons/thumbsup.gif[/img]
ANY body or water, or a distance, that requires something other than "line of sight" navigation(ignoring oil rigs & electronics of course[img]../images/emoticons/wink.gif[/img])? [img]../images/emoticons/confused.gif[/img]Distance will varydepending ontopography and weather conditions.
__________________ Any Port in a Storm!....currently seeking shelter.
On Lake Lanier in GA, many boaters with a captains license call themselves "Captain So-and-So", and talk about about their big-time adventures on the salty brine. Lanier, however, is known as a toilet bowl boaters paradise. I would not consider this lake as "offshore", since you can always yell for the Tidy Bowl man to help if you run out of gas!
The Hull Truth just jumped the shark with this post.
Don't we all know the answer to this? Offshore is synonymous with the ocean for a reason. When you see a TV show or magazine with a name like "Offshore Adventures" does anybody actually think this may be a show set on a lake?
IMO, freshwater does not qualify, I don't care how big the lake is. Offshore= Ocean
offshore - that geographic area that lies seaward of the coastline. In general, the term "coastline" means the line of ordinary low water along that portion of the coast that is in direct contact with the open sea or the line marking the seaward limit of inland water
The Hull Truth just jumped the shark with this post.
Don't we all know the answer to this? Offshore is synonymous with the ocean for a reason. When you see a TV show or magazine with a name like "Offshore Adventures" does anybody actually think this may be a show set on a lake?
That was my thought when I was challenged regarding the term "offshore".
Do the Great Lakes fishermen consider themself Offshore Fishermen?
Are lake boaters considered "offshore" guys? 
