Annoying frapping halliards ... what do you do?

[AndrewB]

We live aboard much of the time. This weekend I had another round of a perpetual dilemma.

There's a new boat close to mine, and the owner had left his halliards loose and banging away in the wind. After a bit we couldn't stand it any more, so one evening I climbed aboard and lashed them away from the mast with a piece of string.

Then this weekend the owner reappeared and readjusted them back the way they were. I thought about it, but said nothing. By Sunday evening they were banging away just as bad as ever, so I've lashed them once more.

What would you have done? Assuming it's done in a sensible manner, do you think it is in order to tie back someone's halliards if they are disturbing you?

 

[DoctorD]

Yes, I think it is an understandable thing to do. A lot of people rarely visit their boats, and sometimes even tied off halyards come loose. I always take mine right away from the mast. I have twice this season tied halyards on other boats so they do not frap - I never sleep well the first night on the boat and frapping halyards always keep me awake. One was on a boat in my marina.

The second time I was in Cowes, late one Saturday and I managed to silence the worst offender, but there were so many other noises I just returned to my bunk to toss and turn!

I now carry earplugs for marina nights.

Graham

 

[gonad]

leave a note on the tie!

 

[summerwind]

Can't see anything wrong with tieing off his halliards. If he's upset about it, let him raise the matter.

In the case of your man I think the knots I used to tie him off a second time might be just a little difficult to undo ;-)

 

[heerenleed]

The man is probably a novice. If you don't tell him why you tie up his hallyards, he'll never learn and your temper will suffer a lot.
It is perfectly normal to tie his hallyards away from the mast, and it is perfectly normal that the owner will do so in the future. If he doesn't, I would give another couple of warnings and finally pull the hallyards up the mast. I honestly would, you know. That'll teach him...

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[DoctorD]

Yes sorry - must leave a note

I personally have been caught out trying to hoist a jammed halyard which I myself tied away from the mast.

 

[Guest]

Re: Yes sorry - must leave a note

While I am very hesitant to set foot on another's boat uninvited.....I fear that I will without to much hesitation to stop
flapping and banging halyards. We live aboard here in SW Florida, and my halyards are internal and the exposed half is
anchored to shroud cleats and cannot bang and make noise. I have a neighbor whose mainsail furling has an errant
halyard and block that irritates me....so I tell the caretaker of this vessel and he usually takes care of it. Should he fail to
correct the problem I will. Both my wife and I are real "pistols" if we don't get our sleep. I will leave a note in a baggy
and tell them why...or do it in person when possible. If he doesn't like it.....he just might have to engage the services of a rigger
to get his offensive halyards back down. Hopefully it won't come to that.....

 

[jollyjacktar]

Speak to him.

The first time, ask him over for a cuppa, politely speak to him about the nuisance factor and tell him that is his absence you tied the hallyards back for him. The second time tie them back and call to him when you see him next that you have tied his hallyards back again. The third time shout at him, fourth time throw the cuppa at him, fifth time let the hallyards fly to the top of the mast, sixth time cut the hallyards, seventh time move to a new location and/or scuttle his boat and/or scuttle him and/or leave for another port and/or sell your boat and/or sell his boat and/or use ear plugs and/or possibly consider that he is trying to annoy you to make you shift and that he is a right twit in the first place.