Considerate use of ship's generator please

[Angele]

Yarmouth specifically bans ‘em, so you ought to have had the backup of the harbour staff if inclined to complain.

Isn't it that Yarmouth is very specific about the hours when engines and gennies cannot be run, rather than a ban? And those hours include some times (e.g. 1800 to 2200) which I would see as antisocial, but are not within the prohibited hours. That almost encourages use during those times, as no one can say "oi, you aren't allowed to run that at this time".

From the Yarmouth website:

NOISE - There are others using the harbour at the same time as you - keep noise to a minimum, especially at night. No static running motors to be operated between 2200 and 0700.

 

[prv]

Another aspect of Robin's post; why in a more or less empty anchorage with acres of space, like Loch Aline, do some people feel the need to anchor so close?

They don't feel confident picking their own spot, but if there's another boat they see it as a marker for "the anchorage".

Does that work? I thought the sound was internal...

Drowns it out, apparently. If there's no noise then he hears his internally-generated whine, whereas if he pipes in Stephen Fry reading audiobooks then it's covered. Wouldn't work for me as the words would keep me awake, but apparently he's used the same books for years so knows the text inside-out and it's just a background noise with no inherent interest.

The side benefit is that despite sleeping in the saloon, he's not woken up by others going to the heads, running the water pump for a drink, or putting the kettle on in the morning.

Pete

 

[Malish]

Fair point. I've tried that on one occasion before. On the pontoons up the River Truro at 23.00 one lovely evening about five years ago. I was told to "F*** off and mind your own f***ing business".

Since then I've been somwhat reluctant to make a polite request as I'm not overkeen on being told to "F*** off".

Hits the nail on the head - as a generalization, those with a noisy generator generator don't give a to*s if it annoys anyone else...

 

[jrudge]

As a Mobo owner a few comments.

Firstly no need to anchor close to another boat. There should be little need to run a generator in port unless the shore power is low capacity - say 16 amp - and then only for cooking I assume. Generators are used in the med ( where i am based ) to run the air con at full capacity if shore power is not up to it. This can usually be turned off after 30-40 min.

Do remember these are all electric boats so on anchor they need to be run for cooking, battery charging, water making etc

It takes all sorts to be on the water and boats come in all shapes and sizes but long term running in port andxancjoring close seems generally pointless - but the boats are designed around a generator so it will get used!

 

[RichardS]

They don't feel confident picking their own spot, but if there's another boat they see it as a marker for "the anchorage".

Pete

I believe that is true.

There is a longish bay called Stupin near us and the first time we anchored there the boats were all at one end, although there was plenty of room, so we thought that the holding was perhaps better at that end, or perhaps the hotel at the other end had a noisy disco or something, so we joined the other boats.

Next time we went there the boats already anchored were all at the hotel end .... so we decided to try that end and it was also fine.

We drove past the bay last night and all the anchored boats are back in the first end.

Now when we go there we choose whichever end takes our fancy. :encouragement:

Richard

 

[duncan99210]

Does that work? I thought the sound was internal...

Mike.

The “sound” is internal but you can lessen its effects by using random sounds at low level as you go to sleep. I used to use a set of pillow speakers playing the sound of rain or waves on the beach to help me sleep. I was also given therapy to help deal with it and now no longer need the speakers to help me sleep.

 

[Seajet]

jrudge,

and that's your problem chum, unless you want to be called antisocial or worse; if your boat is so badly designed it inflicts nuisance on others, do something about it - don't expect the rest of the world to tally with your poor choice.

If I was kept awake all night by a water cooled generator I'd be looking for a cork...

 

[Elessar]

jrudge,

and that's your problem chum, unless you want to be called antisocial or worse; if your boat is so badly designed it inflicts nuisance on others, do something about it - don't expect the rest of the world to tally with your poor choice.

If I was kept awake all night by a water cooled generator I'd be looking for a cork...

hey I agree with you 100% SJ about the cork - but JRudge said he didn't leave his on so don't shoot him!

My boat is all electric and I can boil the kettle and use the microwave off batteries via an inverter. For more serious cooking I run the genny for 1/2 an hour or whatever and that tops up the batteries and heats the water too. But not overnight that's daft for me and everyone else. Before I installed the genny last year I had a diesel hob. Gas on boats is bad in my book, but that's thread drift........

Not that it matters but for the record the only time I've been kept awake all night was by a yacht genny not a mobo genny........

 

[Seajet]

Elessar,

fair enough but I was not being anti-mobo, I think we all grew out of that years ago; I'd quite happily put a cork in a sailing boat if the owner was running the genny all night.

As a matter of fact, I spent a season as ' engineer / deckhand ' on a 38m hotel barge in Burgundy; we had two AIR cooled generators ( I often wondered whose bright idea that was ) one in the engine room and one on the aft deck - and of course lots of air conditioning, ice maker, etc etc, at certain points of the trip when we pulled up beside the bank with no electrical hook up* I cringed at the noise we were making in such lovely countryside, and always shut it off by 11 PM, the guests could lump it...

* Each village or town on the way had different electrical and water connections, it was not unusual for us to trip out whole villages - so I also learned where each village circuit breaker was and to switch it back on with less load before we got lynched...

 

[Genoa]

Better still get some pipes but dont learn how to play them

Does it make a difference? Learning to play them, I mean. Sounds awful either way!

 

[jrudge]

jrudge,

and that's your problem chum, unless you want to be called antisocial or worse; if your boat is so badly designed it inflicts nuisance on others, do something about it - don't expect the rest of the world to tally with your poor choice.

If I was kept awake all night by a water cooled generator I'd be looking for a cork...

Not sure what my "problem" is - but flapping halyards can be just as annoying!

A properly installed generator does not make much noise. If you are anchored on top of it or in port then yes you can probably hear it. If people anchor responsibly at a reasonable distance then I would be surprised if you would hear much.

I was on Cabrera ( Mallorca) a few weeks ago and a boat had a cheap DIY store type gen running. Annoying - yes. Sailboats running engines for long periods to change batteries - again you can hear it ( more so that a gen ) but there are all sorts you can get het up about. Jetskis through anchorages etc. Remember the person doing it by definition does not give a stuff so the only one who looses out on enjoyment is the person allowing themselves to get irritated!

 

[Seajet]

You have it backwards; if you are causing an annoyance to those around you, it is you who are at fault, don't expect others to adapt just to suit your selfish attitude.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Remember the person doing it by definition does not give a stuff so the only one who looses out on enjoyment is the person allowing themselves to get irritated!

It's probably worthwhile also remembering that a significant number of 'sailors' derive huge enjoyment out of getting irritated, if fact it is a major part of their hobby, at least judging by the posts on here.

 

[Heckler]

Fair point. I've tried that on one occasion before. On the pontoons up the River Truro at 23.00 one lovely evening about five years ago. I was told to "F*** off and mind your own f***ing business".

Since then I've been somwhat reluctant to make a polite request as I'm not overkeen on being told to "F*** off".

If any one tells me that I give it them back, if they want to fight then the next few words are, ok take a swing, make it a good one, they usually back down.

 

[Seajet]

It's not a matter of fighting, or ' being easily annoyed ', the OP started this thread simply asking for considerate behaviour, not a huge request in 2018.

When people say ' stuff you I'll be as inconsiderate as I like ' they can expect an uneasy night wondering what's going to be done to them for a laugh...:encouragement:

 

[duncan99210]

We were recently in Zea Marina, Athens. We’d arrived at sunset and were joined promptly by an Azimut mobo who took forever to shut down his main engines. Fair enough, the skipper was working single handed whilst his passengers looked decorative. But his generator kept runnng. Not too noisy but enough to be irritating. But that wasn’t the real problem. There was no wind and his exhaust was emerging between his boat and ours, filling the cockpit and boat with fumes (smelt like he was burning old engine oil not diesel).
The skipper deeply embarrassed. His problem was the owner (an immensely obese chap) insisted on keeping the generator running for the air conditioning whilst the marina staff sorted out an adaptor for the shore power connection. The guy kept apologising and the marina staff were also both concerned and quick to sort the problem out but..... neither the marina nor the skipper would simply insist on the selfish git lounging about in his air conditioned capsule suffer a little discomfort by having his freezer turned off for all of about an hour. Grrrrr
It’s actually a typical attitude in these parts and there’s not much that can be done about it. However, just occasionally an opportunity arises for subtle revenge. We were moored in Poros and a large mobo came in alongside us. We were due to set off for Athens at oh my god it’s early the next morning, so thought it courteous to point out he looked as if his anchor chain had gone over ours. “Oh no”, say he, “can’t have done”. Then ran his ruddy generator all night long ‘cos his guest wanted to watch TV. At 0630 the following morning, we tried to leave, only to discover he had laid his anchor over ours.... cue much heaving on chain, running back and forth with his chain nicely hooked. Meerkat impression followed of both crew and guests, until the skipper finally gave us enough slack anchor chain to free ours: our amusement was complete as head guest clearly laid into skipper for an unexpected early morning alarm call....

 

[Seajet]

There's a lot to be said, even in UK, for a facemask and snorkel, combined with a set of corks...

 

[[2574]]

My conclusion from this thread is that people are, and will be, selfish and discourteous if that serves their own purpose. Thus there is only one practical solution - up anchor and go somewhere else.

Terrible shame that we have lost the need/ability/desire to think of other people's needs alongside our own.

 

[Seajet]

My conclusion from this thread is that people are, and will be, selfish and discourteous if that serves their own purpose. Thus there is only one practical solution - up anchor and go somewhere else.

Terrible shame that we have lost the need/ability/desire to think of other people's needs alongside our own.

The same people probably drive Audi's...

 

[mjcoon]

When people say ' stuff you I'll be as inconsiderate as I like ' they can expect an uneasy night wondering what's going to be done to them for a laugh...:encouragement:

I suspect that such people don't have enough imagination for that!

Mike.