MOONEY PLT RECEIVES CONFUSING CLRNC FROM CTLR.

Narrative

I RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC; ON THE GND; FROM ZOA. THE ROUTING WAS 'CLRED TO MENDOCINO VOR; V494 SANTA ROSA (STS); V108 CONCORD.' AFTER TKOF; I ESTABLISHED A DOWNWIND DEP FROM THE UKIAH TFC PATTERN. AT THIS TIME; ZOA STATED 'RADAR CONTACT -- SEBOUND.' MY POS AT THIS TIME WAS APPROX 5 NM NW OF THE MENDOCINO VOR. THE CTLR'S STATEMENT 'SEBOUND' WAS INTERPRETED AS CLRED TO PROCEED SE TO INTERCEPT V494. THIS MISTAKEN ASSUMPTION WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CTLR'S SILENCE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINS. NEARING V494 INTERCEPTION; (APPROX 15 NM S OF MENDOCINO VOR) THE CTLR QUESTIONED MY ROUTING. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS 'COMING UP ON V494.' HE STATED THAT THIS 'COULD BE A PROB.' HE NEVER EXPLAINED THE POTENTIAL 'PROB' -- AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ROUTING. THERE ARE 2 POINTS: 1) SAYING NOTHING MORE; EARLY INTO THE FLT; THAN 'SEBOUND' GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE MORE DIRECT METHOD OF V494 INTERCEPTION WAS CLRED AND 2) IF THERE WAS A 'PROB' WITH THE ROUTING; HE SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING EARLIER; WHEN THERE WAS TIME TO CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF FLT.