Another day of being buzzed in the harbour

Chrissie

Chrissie

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Has anyone else noticed how the police launches in Portsmouth Harbour spend all their time following sailing yachts around the harbour?
This action has un-nerved me on many occasions, feeling a bit like being tailgated by the jam jars.
What concerns me most though, is that when motor boats are charging through the inner swashway, sending little yachts like mine all over the place at a time when I am already nervous of the tide sweeping me into the rocks, the police launch stays at a distance, not following the motor boats at all.
Does anyone know why the police launch follows yachts? and why they dont sanction speeding motor boats?
 
i have found that if you wave at them or try to engage them in conversation as you pass they always find that they need to be somewhere else.

..... the best form of defense ..... is always to attack .....

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
It is so that they can rescue you when you get swamped or capsized by the wash of the mobos.
 
One day they followed me so closely that I started to think they were about to arrest me, I was on the coachroof trying to hoist my mainsail, an anxious moment when sailing on my own anyway, I turned round and snapped 'what do you want?' to which I got the reply 'your burgee has come loose, its in the water'
Am I the only one that gets so nervous when they are following? I have been followed to my berth in the dark before now, very very un-nerveing
 
Its because you are easy meat . You have a sail number . You are slow so dont take much catching and their boats are not very quick so whats the point trying to chase someone who is going to get away anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Its either that or they are trying to work out why we enjoy pottering around at 5 knots scarring ourselves sometimes ... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Have noticed this too.

Mainly in winter from various patrol type boats.

I think they have to complete logs etc and probably have to complete a minimum sightings per day for whatever reason. Tough to keep the numbers up in winter.

It seems to happen more when I forget to fly my red duster.

They are very nice people when boarded or you meet them in waterside cafes.
 
Hi,
If you look at all the 'stink boat' & 'r.i.b' forums they all say the same "why are they following us" "dont they have anything better to do" well i think no is the answer to that as on the whole most of us these days are quite curtious to each other ie: there are as many holigans in yachts as there are in motorboats, (i have both so am very aware of both sides) yachts that insist on sailing up narrow channels trying to make everyone giveway when motoring would be a better option & motor boats going 9knts up harbours thus smashing everything in sight. Gladly the majority of us water users do respect each others space, so in answer to the question its a good thing the police/harbour patrols have nothing better to do is'nt it, it shows there at least a little harmony out there at last...
PS: there will always be the exeption to the 'harmony' rule but i find if you ignore them they go away & you get to laugh at um in the afternoon watching them 'trying' to get into a berth or being towed in /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
there are as many holigans in yachts

yachts that insist on sailing up narrow channels trying to make everyone giveway when motoring would be a better option
PS: there will always be the exeption to the 'harmony' rule but i find if you ignore them they go away & you get to laugh at um in the afternoon watching them 'trying' to get into a berth or being towed in /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

We have to use a narrow channel and sailing in them doesn't make us hooligans! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Hi Chrissie.
The ones in Portsmouth are usually marked "Defence Police" and they get very nervous if anybody gets too close to their big grey boats, and even more nervous if the big grey boat is visiting from the USA. The rest of the time they seem to be wandering up and down the Gosport shore looking for people climbing over their fences. They once came alonside us on the mooring to ask if we'd seen such-and-such a fishing boat but they failed to notice that Sue was at the top of the mast re-fixing the wind instrument transducer!
 
What you have to remember are there are two police forces working out of Portsmouth Harbour The MOD police in the big Pilot style Launches which gaurd the dockyard and harbour' and Hampshire police marine unit who have the smaller, Mitchel 31 launchs and a big black Rib. But look after the whole of Hampcshire coast. The MOD have nothing better to do sitting for 12 hrs a day in the harbour.
 
Manouvre to engage either bow tubes, or stern tubes, as appropriate. Calculate the offset, open tubes, fire & retreat to avoid detection .....

Bit of fun if nothing else.

Or vice versa & prepare to fire depth charges etc.

For each hit, take a swig from hip flask. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Ah, you are the problem Chrissie, you'll be the most interesting and attractive diversion they'll have had for some time no doubt.

Some balding old git of a bloke would go unnoticed! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Some balding old git of a bloke would go unnoticed! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ] Who said that? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I'm a balding old git & they took a look at me yesterday. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Gave them a nice wave, no response, unusual
Probably 'cos we've changed our mooring!!!! Upset the Status Quo!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Ah you flaterer, /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I suppose it could be the black sail and the pirate flag, perhaps the beautiful lines of the Contessa, I get followed every week, sometimes two or three times a weekend, though they dont always get close enough to talk.
 
Same thing happens to me here in Plymouth. Mr MOD river plod always seems to be following me! Minding my own business, perhaps just motoring up the river past the dockyard, look round, and... oh what a surprise, MOD plod again. It is interesting that, as someone else said, if you give them a wave, they lose interest and turn round to annoy some other poor yachty. Still, could come in handy one day if something went wrong - help not too far away!

Far worse, though, are the customs chaps - come screaming up to you in their big black rib, all dressed up like the man from the Milk Tray ads of years gone by with black RNLI style helmets. "Where have you been, where are you going, where are you based, do you have any goods on board that duty is owed on..." etc etc. Quite scary really. This has only happened once and they didn't actually board us!

Jerry
 
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