Boat rage at Whitehaven

[ValleyForge]

Sounds most unpleasant, I guess that would put a bit of a blot on things for a while. The chap was clearly an oaf.
Got shouted at in St Malo once a long time ago but it was in French so didn't count.

 

[sailorman]

Is the lock not big enough to take more than one boat at the side?
My ploy in locks where several boats were waiting is to hang back a bit then tie up to a boat that is already on the wall, then I don't have to be concerned with tending lines and if I am near the front I go out first
I am often single handed so anything for an easy life

That is the trick, hold back & let others tend lines, you also get out early too

 

[nathanlee]

What does the panel think?

What sort of boat was it?

 

[dt4134]

Whitehaven lock is easily big enough for a couple of yachts to tie up each side one in front of the other. And it has floating pontoons so no ropework that should even challenge a novice.

So unless one of the boats was pretty big or the OP had really tied up badly I can't see how he would even have had any difficulty. Maybe he was scared of his own boathandling.

 

[Blueboatman]

Angele that is good advice ta, I hate ( dislike) the downwind approach to PS ESP at low tide with a big fleet of racers parked outside!

 

[Hugh Foulis]

This is west cumberland we are talking about, not civilisation. What the chap said and did amounts to no more than friendly banter in that part of the world.

I know of a family in that neighbourhood who one new years eve couldnt find anyone to fight with so they set about each other cos its traditional.

HF

 

[beserksail]

Wats yer problem MARRA, locals cum fust.

 

[tcm]

On returning from the Isle of Man, on Sunday. We prepared the boat to enter the sea lock and called the lock keeper to lock into the marina when just off the South breakwater. On rounding the breakwater we found the lock gate just opening, and no vessels waiting. We entered the lock and made fast starboard side too. A few moments later a yacht came steaming in towards the lock with much shouting and the skipper with a full on rage, saying that he was first and wanted starboard side too. He then claimed that I had messed up everyone else while he reverses out with other boats astern of him and tries sort himself out!!

While he let forth with his opinion in the lock, I was gobsmaked and speechless and considered a response form me was unlikely to settle his rage. After some thought about the matter later, I am at a loss as to why someone should behave in such an un-seaman like manner and get themselves worked up to such an extent.

What does the panel think?

hm. I think you kludged the use of un-seamanlike. Firstly cos it's a hyphenated and seamanlike is definitely a single word.

Secondly because I don't see anything particularly un-seamanlike in going a touch apesh!t - it might be described in many ways but "un-seamanlike?" Not really? For example - who's the more piratical, eh? - you being all goody goody ooh gosh what a horrid man - or him flying into a blind rage, hm? It might even be quite seamanlike to totally lose it in the lock, thereby venting prior to a long passage, possibly. As others suggest, you should have whacked him (fairly seamanlike) or even sunk his boat (very seamanlike indeed). Alternatively, as an example, one guy actually whacked my boat in a lock Porto Solente and wouldn't pay for the gelcoat fix or even acknowledge his fault. A week later i found him with clients in his dink in Yarmouth, so I sent the kids after him in our faster dink with mega water pistols. They drenched him, his mates laughed, and he lost it again! See? Much more seamanlike and even also a bit stylish? Well, better than you coming whining about it here for crissakes?

Thirdly i suppose it's a bit un-seamanlike to be in a marina anyway. Both parties guilty ... me too at the moment. But again, you complaining about him being un-seamanlike in a marina is bit like you complaining that somebody didn't fix the bog in a "gentlemanly" fashion. It's not really possible to be very seamanlike in a marina, nor very gentlemanly whilst up to your armpits in sewage.

Finally it's a bit sad and possibly un-seamanlike that this seems to be the most interesting reportable aspect of your trip. Please tell us otherwise?

So, um, I'm afraid to say that the panel thinks that you're a bit of a drip. Sorry. Hey, you asked. Maybe you made up for it later, and ravished his wife? That would be extremely seamanlike, I think.

 

[rich]

In France,,,,He who hessitaits is last one in,or you don'tget in! you just have to go-for it

 

[saltylegs]

You haven't spent much time on here then

Whatever you do don't mention brokers, anchors or Bavarias.

maybe he had the "anchor" down from his bav speaking to his broker about an upgrade to a keel boat and failed to notice the gate open as his bent shaft hook was dragging and you zoomed past

 

[lenseman]

. . . . While he let forth with his opinion in the lock, I was gobsmaked and speechless and considered a response form me was unlikely to settle his rage. After some thought about the matter later, I am at a loss as to why someone should behave in such an un-seaman like manner and get themselves worked up to such an extent. . . . . .

When he had finished ranting at you, you should have looked him straight in the eye and with a wry smile said:

"I suppose you think I am a bloke who gives a damn"?
.
.

 

[robertj]

Did you geninely not see any boats waiting? If you just pushed in and thought well I'm just doing it then I feel getting some cutting words is par for the course. Ranting is ott but it happens.
As far as returning patronising remarks would indeed inflame the situation with this type of fellow, what you failed to say saved you from a possible embarrassing situation.
I would have taken over a bottle of wine to him, explained that you didn't see him and felt the lock keeper opened for you alone and when challenged after maybe made a mistake.
Offer your hand with no hard feelings.

Bob

 

[MANXPEDRO]

Maybe the fella sounding off, came last in the 'round the island' hence him being p!553d off, and you getting the ear ache. Whitehaven will easily fit 2 boats a side, so he could easily have gone in astern of you without any fuss.

 

[Angele]

Did you geninely not see any boats waiting? If you just pushed in and thought well I'm just doing it then I feel getting some cutting words is par for the course. Ranting is ott but it happens.
As far as returning patronising remarks would indeed inflame the situation with this type of fellow, what you failed to say saved you from a possible embarrassing situation.
I would have taken over a bottle of wine to him, explained that you didn't see him and felt the lock keeper opened for you alone and when challenged after maybe made a mistake.
Offer your hand with no hard feelings.

Bob

That might be worth a try .....

.... but without the wine.

Why waste a good bottle if it turns out he really is a total pr$ck?

 

[snowleopard]

You cannot wait about for people who call from some distance out can you.?

Sounds like you can call out from the back of the queue 'I baggsy first in'.

 

[maby]

Impossible to comment on a specific incident without having been there, but it does sound like he overreacted even if you were in the wrong!

We have to lock out and back in every day. Our lock operators are pretty methodical and will usually make clear the order that boats should enter. If in any doubt, I will normally give them a call and ask if I'm next.

 

[RichardS]

Did you geninely not see any boats waiting? If you just pushed in and thought well I'm just doing it then I feel getting some cutting words is par for the course. Ranting is ott but it happens.
As far as returning patronising remarks would indeed inflame the situation with this type of fellow, what you failed to say saved you from a possible embarrassing situation.
I would have taken over a bottle of wine to him, explained that you didn't see him and felt the lock keeper opened for you alone and when challenged after maybe made a mistake.
Offer your hand with no hard feelings.

Bob

The OP stated "on rounding the breakwater we found the lock gate just opening, and no vessels waiting" so I'm not clear why you are proposing a course of action as a remedy to a situation that did not arise.

Richard

 

[Croak]

The OP stated "on rounding the breakwater we found the lock gate just opening, and no vessels waiting" so I'm not clear why you are proposing a course of action as a remedy to a situation that did not arise.

Richard

Most boats would have radioed in before rounding the breakwater. So an order may well have been established. Which is why I said, in an earlier post, that it is a good idea to be listening on ch12 from a mile out, to get an idea of what is happening before you radio in.

 

[Cardo]

I've not dealt with locks much, but surely this should be a first come first served system? Why should you have to wait for someone behind you just because they got on their radio 3 miles out?

 

[TSB240]

Arzal Lock

He should try that at Arzal

We went through Arzal barrage lock last year with about 35 other boats. Not a single radio call. First come first in. Do you think the French form an orderly Queue?
Well in fact the majority organised themselves into rafts three abreast before entering the lock.

http://cdn.tripsailor.com/thumbnails/0001/3699/0004/3409/6283ba3499577_screen.jpg

Brilliant use of the space but its not always so well organised!

http://art-of-remembering.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834cfa71569e20115722e89c8970b-320wi