I tend to agree for the most part that it can be a bit catty & clickish but there is good information there. If you stay away from the more whiny forums you can find a lot of helpful information. If you go to the vents, rants & raves area... there is some whining. I have done some myself... and gotten support through it.
But right now there are a lot of things going on in my personal life and any forum at this time is taking a major backseat (as you can tell by how long it took me to post a follow up here) and I'm sure if I don't visit over there soon, I'll be booted for lack of activity. While I know right here my status is safe and when things return to calm, I'll be back in the thick of it and I'll still be a welcomed member here.
If you are a wife and need that additional support, CoastieChicks really can be quite helpful! It's just not everyone's cup of tea.

Proud mom of
SN Robertson, Colin
USCGC Seneca