I like a chatroom idea, but generally hate the implementation of them on forums, they're slow, buggy, and log me out of I swtich screens most of the time, go java!!
An IRC channel is an option, but we're fishermen, only a few geeks, so probably won't get much attention, BUT, you can do the same thing with just about any of the Instant Messenger clients, the original poster has an AIM account, listen in his profile, I use all the major clients myself. (have one program that connects to all of them at once, It's called Adium, for Mac, but since most people use a PC, there is Trillion), I'm not sure which service offers the best option, but it would be as simple as joining a room, we could call it Tinboats.net, and if you were the first there, you could start it, or if someone is there, you'd just join. I know a few of us always keep their computers on too, such as esquired, he could start a room, and always leave it open.
Either way, just another option, one I would personally rather see, but i'm not everyone either