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Portsoy, Scotland - Officials of the port's Scottish Traditional Boat Festival have strong-armed the local government into banning whistling for an entire town. While walking to work, citizens may hum or sing, and a pretty girl may receive a verbal complement, but putting one's lips together and blowing are simply not allowed. Last year's festival saw some rotten weather, and this year, nobody's taking chances.

You won't find Graybeard Cove marked as such on many charts – maybe three, tops. It's one of those secret anchorages of the Inside Passage that you either have to find on your own, or pry from what Sailing Directions always refer to as “local knowledge.” My Local was a Canadian cruising friend who is always looking for a quiet spot away from the “damned Americans.” He, by the way, was born in Walnut Creek, CA...

First off, there is no tin can involved. I started calling it “tin-can” because it was so simple it reminded me of two tin-cans on a string, but you will need neither the cans nor the string. What you will need are a computer, a piece of software (free to try), a shortwave radio with SSB, and a cable to connect the radio to the computer.