Are Raggies aliens?

Well my only rescue happened off St Albans when we were diving close inshore. When we came to leave, the engine refused to start and we were caught at anchor as the race kicked in. We didn't want to cut the anchor line as we would have been swept into trouble.

Anyway a passing yacht very neatly sailed alongside, took our lines and took the strain while we sorted the anchor, he then towed up back to Kimmeridge while his good lady passed mugs of coffee down to us, and sarnies.

At that point we managed to get the engine spluttering enough to get into Kimmeridge bay. We never managed to trace the yacht so never had the chance to thank him properly. Can't remember the name now, it was about 15 years ago.

Anyway it was a very impressive piece of boat handling under sail which was part of the reason that I went off and learned to sail.

Also a big part of the reason that I am happy with both stinkies and raggies :)
 
Chrusty 1 said:
Why do you want to wave to everybody? It's just weird. I mean, you don't wave at all the other drivers when you are out on the road in your car do you?

It's always struck me as a bit odd, it's like Yoooo-Hooo, I'm in a boat Toooo-Hooooo, Well big deal, if you was in a bus you might have summat to wave about!
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Well, yes. when out in our Motorhome, we always wave to other vans & most wave back. Bikers too tend to nod or wave to each other as they pass. Altho I get fewer responses since I got my scooter.
 
DAKA said:
Not responding to any one individual as I do not wish to antagonise.

Oaf has been very brave to post this and doesnt deserve any criticism.

Clearly at first sight Oaf is finding enough twits in charge of sailing boats to believe that most sailing boat owners are burks.

In the Solent I have also come to the same conclusion on many occasion .


I like Oaf remain in disbelief that they are all as holes and like to understand why they do such apparently gormless actions and it is only through bravely asking the questions on this forum that one hopes to understand the actions of the apparent idiots.

If it wasnt for the likes of Searuch, Lescargot, and fireball preparing to share with us why they are apparent idiots on the water we would never learn why they pull such death defying , common-sense defeating stunts infront of our anchors, it is their explanations which allow us to tolerate the apparent idiots.

(ie weedy engines , poorly maintained as they have a back up sail, deep draft to keep off sandbanks , and total lack of control due to single engine to be able to get in a position to help.)

Perhaps not such total rowlock brains in this particular instance :)
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Thank you for the few kind words.

I hasten to add that there shouldn't be a "total lack of control" but there will be difficulties, particularly at slow speed or if sails are up & foresail is backed. Similarly, a long keeled boat will not turn quickly or reverse well unless the owner really knows his stuff.

I sailed off my anchor in one spot last year under mizzen & main - nice & easy, but I nearly hit an anchored MoBo because I hadn't noticed that the mizzen (which is behind me) was sheeted too tight & stopping me turning off the wind. Fortunately I spotted the problem & corrected in time to pass cleanly astern - if a little closer than planned. :o

Many skippers have limited experience of close quarters slow speed manouvering their boats (under motor or sail) and I think you are right that some will fear that they could simply add tp the casualties problems. Others are so concerned with themselves they don't even notice a casualty.
 
DAKA said:
Not responding to any one individual as I do not wish to antagonise.

Oaf has been very brave to post this and doesnt deserve any criticism.

Clearly at first sight Oaf is finding enough twits in charge of sailing boats to believe that most sailing boat owners are burks.

In the Solent I have also come to the same conclusion on many occasion .


I like Oaf remain in disbelief that they are all as holes and like to understand why they do such apparently gormless actions and it is only through bravely asking the questions on this forum that one hopes to understand the actions of the apparent idiots.

If it wasnt for the likes of Searuch, Lescargot, and fireball preparing to share with us why they are apparent idiots on the water we would never learn why they pull such death defying , common-sense defeating stunts infront of our anchors, it is their explanations which allow us to tolerate the apparent idiots.

(ie weedy engines , poorly maintained as they have a back up sail, deep draft to keep off sandbanks , and total lack of control due to single engine to be able to get in a position to help.)

Perhaps not such total rowlock brains in this particular instance :)
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Almost a back-handed compliment there...:D
 
Dazedkipper said:
Chrusty 1 said:
Why do you want to wave to everybody? It's just weird. I mean, you don't wave at all the other drivers when you are out on the road in your car do you?

QUOTE]

It's part of being sociable and friendly to one's fellow man...obviously something alien to you.
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Oh yes.....Obviously:rolleyes: I see that being sociable and friendly to your fellow man doesn't stretch to your comments on this forum though.:p:)
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Chrusty 1 said:
Why do you want to wave to everybody? It's just weird. I mean, you don't wave at all the other drivers when you are out on the road in your car do you?

It's always struck me as a bit odd!
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When driving my Landrover other Landy owners often wave and smile, when I had my Ferrari the same thing happened and come to think about it, it happens a lot when you have a rarely seen vehicle and you are spotted by another owner, agreed you Can't say hello and wave at every boat that you see, especially when hundreds of boats are dotting around Hamble and the Solent, But a smile is achievable, isn't it?
 
We are borg.

Diesel prices will be raised until you are assimilated.

Resistance is futile.
 
OAF said:
When driving my Landrover other Landy owners often wave and smile, when I had my Ferrari the same thing happened and come to think about it, it happens a lot when you have a rarely seen vehicle and you are spotted by another owner, agreed you Can't say hello and wave at every boat that you see, especially when hundreds of boats are dotting around Hamble and the Solent, But a smile is achievable, isn't it?
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Do you smile at all other cars, or just other Landrovers?
 
prv said:
A big part of that is that practically everyone has a mobile phone. Many or most will also have a subscription to a breakdown service (AA, RAC or Green Flag). So I could pull over, but they probably already have a mechanic in a van on the way; what use am I going to add?

If the driver was waving at cars trying to attract attention, I'd probably stop.



I have a vague intention to give hitchers a lift, but they have a habit of standing just where it's impossible for cars to stop. At my local motorway junction there is a layby just before the roundabout; if they waited there with a sign it would be easy for people to stop and pick them up. Instead, when there is a hitcher there (which is rare) they invariably stand on the junction itself, around a corner so you can't see them until they're right next to you and you're accelerating up the sliproad with nowhere to stop.

It was probably much easier when all you old-timers were trundling around at 40mph in your Hilman Imps :p;):)

Pete
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Balls,Often had my Imp up on two wheels
 
OAF said:
but the one thing I cannot understand is, when we were coming back in t the Hamble at lunch time on Sunday we were following a long line of Raggies and we spotted a small sunseeker just in the channel with its engine lid up, all the Raggies just went round it and offered no support, I shouted over is all ok to which the reply came, no all of our oil has gone I took them in tow and dropped them safely at their marina, why did none of the passing Raggies offer any sort of help?
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I'm a raggie and I keep my boat on the Hamble. But, I don't think I'm one of the yachts you are referring to, since I didn't arrive back until 16:00 on Sunday.

However, to provide you with some assurance, I would never ignore another boat if I was aware they were in difficulties. I have made efforts to help three other boats in the last 7 years - one of them a raggie, one a MoBo and one a small dive boat. To me, it doesn't matter what type of boat you are in - you are a fellow sailor. In each case, my assistance was ultimately not required. In the case of the MoBo and dive boat I was beaten on scene by stinkpots - they go a lot faster than me - and the raggie refloated off the Shrape Mud (off Cowes) just as I was preparing to float a line down tide to him.

But, here is my point. I would almost immediately realise if another raggie was in trouble. I know what consitutes unusual behaviour that would be a sign that there was a problem. Because I have never owned or skippered a MoBo, I wouldn't be as confident that I could spot that a problem existed. If a hatch is raised at the back of a motor boat is that always a sign that there is a problem? Could the boat simply be putting his tender or PWC back in its cosy locker? (What do you mean you don't all have one of them? :))

Was the other boat making frantic waving signs that would indicate distress? If they weren't, I would not automatically assume they were in difficulties. There is also the issue of draft. You don't mention precisely where this happened in the Hamble entrance channel, but if it was over to one side or other then my 2.1m draft would limit the assistance I could provide. Best I could probably do is stay on scene in case they get into real difficulties.

So, I think the real problem could simply be a lack of understanding between raggies and stinkpots. We each know our own kind, but the others are (and probably always will be) aliens.

(I do concede that there are bigots on both sides, but I'd like to think I'm not one of them:)).
 
Angele said:
I'm a raggie and I keep my boat on the Hamble.

However, to provide you with some assurance, I would never ignore another boat if I was aware they were in difficulties. I have made efforts to help three other boats in the last 7 years - one of them a raggie, one a MoBo and one a small dive boat. To me, it doesn't matter what type of boat you are in - you are a fellow sailor. In each case, my assistance was ultimately not required. In the case of the MoBo and dive boat I was beaten on scene by stinkpots - they go a lot faster than me - and the raggie refloated off the Shrape Mud (off Cowes) just as I was preparing to float a line down tide to him.

But, here is my point. I would almost immediately realise if another raggie was in trouble. I know what consitutes unusual behaviour that would be a sign that there was a problem. Because I have never owned or skippered a MoBo, I wouldn't be as confident that I could spot that a problem existed. If a hatch is raised at the back of a motor boat is that always a sign that there is a problem? Could the boat simply be putting his tender or PWC back in its cosy locker? (What do you mean you don't all have one of them? :))

Was the other boat making frantic waving signs that would indicate distress? If they weren't, I would not automatically assume they were in difficulties. There is also the issue of draft. You don't mention precisely where this happened in the Hamble entrance channel, but if it was over to one side or other then my 2.1m draft would limit the assistance I could provide. Best I could probably do is stay on scene in case they get into real difficulties.

So, I think the real problem could simply be a lack of understanding between raggies and stinkpots. We each know our own kind, but the others are (and probably always will be) aliens.

(I do concede that there are bigots on both sides, but I'd like to think I'm not one of them:)).
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+1

FWIW, I was on passage heading from Le Harve to Boulogne a few years ago when I picked up a mayday from a fishing boat with an engine fire, no one answered so I relayed to the CG and offered to go to their assistance as I could see the vessel on my horizon. After a hour or so the French lifeboat charged past me to the casualty so I stood down and resumed my passage. Down side was missing the tidal gate and arriving at Boulogne in pitch dark but at least I'd tried to do my bit. As the above post says...a fellow boater in distress whatever he's in.
 
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A "failure to proceed" will not always equal distress, as some situations are recoverable by deploying the anchor and fitting the spare "whatever" that has failed using onboard tools. Or just limp along on one engine.

But in the general case, a motorboat drifting without a fishing rod in sight, engine hatch up (not tender garage up) isn't a good sign, as most motorboaters do not routinely attempt to service their engines in the middle of the Solent or Southampton water. A friendly enquiry as to whether things are alright will always be appreciated (by me, anyway :)).
 
FlowerPower said:
But in the general case, a motorboat drifting without a fishing rod in sight, engine hatch up (not tender garage up) isn't a good sign, as most motorboaters do not routinely attempt to service their engines in the middle of the Solent or Southampton water. A friendly enquiry as to whether things are alright will always be appreciated (by me, anyway :)).
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I'll commit that to memory for the next time I see one of you drifting with the tide (but not engaged in fishing). It is good to talk. :)

BTW, how do I differentiate an engine hatch from a tender garage? :confused:
 
Angele said:
I

BTW, how do I differentiate an engine hatch from a tender garage? :confused:
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If its not in an anchorage be very careful, I'm not sure why flowerpower even mentioned tender garages and I dont know what connections he has but the only reason I can think why one would be open at sea is offloading of a client wrapped in a carpet :eek:
 
A couple of years ago, I towed a Sunseeker 55 into a harbour using a Bavaria 37 yacht. Bloke had run out of diesel.

Didnt laugh though coz I am licensed for sail and motor.

Plus I got a 200 euro 'drink' from the embarrassed driver. Ta.
 
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