Hi guys,

I'm afraid I don't know any nautical jargon so I'll have to say this in regular American English.

I'm a science teacher and father in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. I've been playing boardgames (mostly family games) much of my life but have recently started indulging in more historical games like Sails of Glory, Wings of Glory and the COIN games from GMT. There's something about knowing that the miniatures (they're really beautiful aren't they!) and pieces and cards represent real human beings and their actions and maybe even their emotions that just grabs me.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've spent far more time reading about battles and ships and terms (what on Earth is a 'weather column' or what exactly weighs 12 pounds in a 12 pound long gun and so on) than I have playing SoG. Nonetheless, the boy and I have a few games under our belts and I've played a few solo, mostly putzing around with strategy and some of the standard and advanced rules.

In any event, I'm very happy to have found this site.
Ryan