Fending Off Basket Cases On A Yacht

[BlowingOldBoots]

So how do you do it?

[sarabande]

sharp boathooks ?

[Judders]

I tend you use a look.

It's basically the diametric opposite of my 'certainly, feel free to come alongsite, may I take your lines' look.

Both tend to work.

[Giblets]

Nappies hung on the guard rails used to work quite well!

[Seajet]

Nappies hung on the guard rails used to work quite well!

I found frilly knickers ( not mine ! ) had the opposite effect, a plank with nails through it with the spikes facing outwards might work.

I generally welcome people, and detest those 'no mooring alongside' notices, or even worse putting an inflatable amidships to deter people; Lymington Town Quay has been known for the latter.

However the only times I've had real hassle from boats alongside, I could have stood on deck with a bazooka and the clueless berks would still have kept on coming.

There's a lot to be said for plenty of good fenders and retiring to the pub with a book; or going ashore to buy a Big Gun.

[alant]

I found frilly knickers ( not mine ! ) had the opposite effect, a plank with nails through it with the spikes facing outwards might work.

I generally welcome people, and detest those 'no mooring alongside' notices, or even worse putting an inflatable amidships to deter people; Lymington Town Quay has been known for the latter.

However the only times I've had real hassle from boats alongside, I could have stood on deck with a bazooka and the clueless berks would still have kept on coming.

There's a lot to be said for plenty of good fenders and retiring to the pub with a book; or going ashore to buy a Big Gun.

"'no mooring alongside' "

OK if done by the Harbour Master presumably, or perhaps by those who actually 'do' have something precious & don't want a load of practice Day Skippers carrying out landings.

[Talulah]

If you hoisted a big 'Carling/Fosters/Carlsberg' flag that would put me off coming alongside but might attract exactly the crowd you don't want.

[Seajet]

"'no mooring alongside' "

OK if done by the Harbour Master presumably, or perhaps by those who actually 'do' have something precious & don't want a load of practice Day Skippers carrying out landings.

EVERY boat is precious, but that doesn't affect good manners and the hospitality which should be given to fellow sailors.

I was once at a visitors mooring at Itchenor, in F6 and a strong tide with a crew who'd never touched a boat in his life, and had a bit of a struggle with cleats - my error, should have shown him the drill, but it was a rush job.

We were going alongside a Vancouver 27, 'Black ****', the occupants just watched and didn't raise a finger, but I did get the " we're leaving at dawn" treatment.

I simply replied ' that's fine, we'll be made onto the buoy !'

Next mid-day when we were still both there, the idiot had a go at a chap from the Harbour Conservancy saying " Oh I've been in the game far too long to know it isn't done like that " ( clearly had never touched anything as muddy as a mooring in his life ) then said to me " I hope we didn't appear unfriendly "...

In a perfect world I'd have replied with something like a magnum to remove him from the gene pool - but as things go I just said ' well you did, actually !' then got on with my day.

I love my boat to bits, but the day I consider putting a 'no mooring alongside' notice ( and 'mooring' is incorrect anyway ) please take me out and shoot me.

[Judders]

I once found myself required to ask the instructer on a seaschool boat whether he had actually charged his clients to teach them so badly and informed the chap who had tied to the pulpit of the boat on which I was a guest that had he tied up to my boat in such a way I would simply have cut it away but this one was more hevilly built so I would show him how to do it properly.

The seachool in question no longer exists.

Generally though, I like rafting, so long as people are going to do it properly. It's better then us all ending up on finger pontoons in souless marinas, and dont forget that these people have chosen to sail to the same place as you in a similar sized boat and moor in the same place, so you've got some stuff in common!

[Talulah]

Some people are incredibly rude when you raft alongside.
"Why did you pick us?" sort of thing.
My attitude is always "If you don't want someone alongside go and park in a marina."
I do sometimes get cheased off when I see boats > 40ft on Lymington Town Quay or boats that straddle the red lines marked on the pontoons. Some people think they are less than 40ft but davits and a dinghy hanging on the back do count.
(The red lines are 40 foot apart except for the last one. That's how I can tell if I can squeeze between two yachts with 6 inches spare for and aft.)
It's also annoying when people don't move their boat up to the end or next boat but instead leave a gap fore and aft that's big but not big enough to fit a boat in.