Do people understand almanacs anymore?

Elessar

Elessar

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Spent Saturday night at Gunwharf. Sunday morning on the flood there was mass ignorance of the small boat channel. All by yachts as it happens but that may be because the motorboats were not underpowered against the strong flood. They were stationary alongside blockhouse overtaking each other like lorries do, ie sitting abreast but not actually overtaking. The yachts spilled right across the main channel, going nowhere.
I pointed out the chaos to my wife and switched on the vhf. The language on 11 got quite interesting and a police launch was dispatched. 5 hoots from the ferry quite a few times.
Once out, a ferry reported to QHM and basically said that they get used to poor behaviour but that it was an exceptionally dangerous day. There were so many offenders that he couldn't get all their names an that the worst offender was aba aba.
So what do you reckon - did they know about the sbc and ignore it, or were they ignorant? Do you know aba aba?
 
As much as the Solent is the yachtman's mecca I wouldn't sail there for all the tea in China! My sailing is for relaxation, not for adding another stress factor.
 
One of the main reasons I retired from the Portsmouth Harbour Womble Patrol was because of the abuse we used to get from boats (raggie & mobo) when we tried to point out that they should be in the SBC. IMO most of the transgressions are caused by total arrogance and wilful disregard of the rules in force. Nearly all the boats we had problems with were actually permanently moored in the harbour so had no excuse whatsoever for not knowing the rules. Something along the lines of "I've been sailing in and out of this harbour for the last ** years and I'm not going to be told what to do by anyone!" was the most usual retort.

Everything at the entrance in captured on CCTV so serious offenders can and have been traced.
 
Giblets said:
One of the main reasons I retired from the Portsmouth Harbour Womble Patrol was because of the abuse we used to get from boats (raggie & mobo) when we tried to point out that they should be in the SBC. IMO most of the transgressions are caused by total arrogance and wilful disregard of the rules in force. Nearly all the boats we had problems with were actually permanently moored in the harbour so had no excuse whatsoever for not knowing the rules. Something along the lines of "I've been sailing in and out of this harbour for the last ** years and I'm not going to be told what to do by anyone!" was the most usual retort.

Everything at the entrance in captured on CCTV so serious offenders can and have been traced.
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Should send out one of those grey boats that sometimes use the harbour!
Can't understand why QHM doesn't get a bit more 'nasty', what would happen if the French decide to attack us, how would we get a gunboat out of there?





Note to self
We ain't got any to send!
 
alant said:
Should send out one of those grey boats that sometimes use the harbour!
Can't understand why QHM doesn't get a bit more 'nasty', what would happen if the French decide to attack us, how would we get a gunboat out of there?
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The only way these people will learn is firmer enforcement; trace the owners and prosecute/fine them as per harbour byelaws. Of course you could say this kind of nonsense (replicated across the country) is another argument for compulsory licensing, as after all if someone has been a bit naughty then the authorities can then threaten to remove/endorse their license and 'take their toys away'.
 
john_morris_uk said:
Every time I meet someone who says they don't like Abba I invariably discover that they know nearly all the words to all their songs.

(With apologies for the thread drift...)
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I always liked Abba. The French getting upset about a song.
2 Swedish girls in tight pants.
What's more could you ask for.

You got to admit much better to look at on stage than Lemmy :)
 
To be honest it has been going on for many years, every now and then they update the rules to try and curtail some of the worst excesses, back when I was a happy member of the Great Unwashed I used to enjoy a lunchtime pint in the Dolphin Wardroom bar watching the more foolish entering and leaving the harbour
 
I wish people would understand and use the Ballast pile and the pile just outside the entrance: pass ballast close to port entering and leaving gets you lined up in the SBC. If leaving, pass the outer pile to port takes you to the inner swash, if not enough water for your draft then you wouldn`t take the inner swash anyway and pass to port entering keeps you away from those leaving. Don't dawdle but keep up a decent speed so others behind you don`t bunch up then they don`t have to overtake. Sometimes when entering, boats leaving don`t keep close to the Blockhouse side forcing the entering boats further out than ideal if you are aiming to pass port to port. If you understand the system it is logical.
 
And look our for that cross tide when leaving against a strong flood. As soon as the bow pokes out South of the Blockhouse wall it gets pushed hard to port and the boat is rapidly swept out into the main channel. It amazes me how many people don't seem to understand what is happening. On a big spring flood we have to use lots of right rudder and almost full power to get the boat to turn into the inner swashway.
 
chubby said:
I wish people would understand and use the Ballast pile and the pile just outside the entrance: pass ballast close to port entering and leaving gets you lined up in the SBC. If leaving, pass the outer pile to port takes you to the inner swash, if not enough water for your draft then you wouldn`t take the inner swash anyway and pass to port entering keeps you away from those leaving. Don't dawdle but keep up a decent speed so others behind you don`t bunch up then they don`t have to overtake. Sometimes when entering, boats leaving don`t keep close to the Blockhouse side forcing the entering boats further out than ideal if you are aiming to pass port to port. If you understand the system it is logical.
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I used to think I was quite good at understanding English....
 
I think the piles even have instructions on them referring to right and left.

However, best occasion I ever overheard on 11 was a ferry talking to QHM and sayin that a yacht had just crossed from Ballst to Gunwharf in front of him and without contacting QHM for permission.

QHM replied wearily that there was a Sunsail rally at Gunwharf and that 70 yachts had crossed and not one of them had called for permission and he had just given up.
 
Daedelus said:
I think the piles even have instructions on them referring to right and left.
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Also arrows for yet greater clarity

ports1.jpg
 
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One of the problems of the SBC is that it is very difficult to use coming in on the ebb, which is very strong. I've only got a little 5hp outboard on the back and the only way I can come in is to hug the Dolphin shore and cheat the tide ie. port side. This is far from ideal, but when there is no other choice you have to do it.

PS. Last time I raised this it caused some uproar. However when people understood that with a drying mooring in the harbour you are always exiting on the flood and entering on the ebb, they became much more tolerant.
 
Daedelus said:
However, best occasion I ever overheard on 11 was a ferry talking to QHM and sayin that a yacht had just crossed from Ballst to Gunwharf in front of him and without contacting QHM for permission.
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Another one of those difficult Portsmouth rules, because not everyone has a VHF. I certainly don't.
 
rb_stretch said:
Another one of those difficult Portsmouth rules, because not everyone has a VHF. I certainly don't.
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Good God Man! NO VHF???? You are dicing with death on a daily basis.

I think we should start up a fund.. We could call it "Help Stretch for a VHF!"
 
rb_stretch said:
One of the problems of the SBC is that it is very difficult to use coming in on the ebb, which is very strong. I've only got a little 5hp outboard on the back and the only way I can come in is to hug the Dolphin shore and cheat the tide ie. port side. This is far from ideal, but when there is no other choice you have to do it.

PS. Last time I raised this it caused some uproar. However when people understood that with a drying mooring in the harbour you are always exiting on the flood and entering on the ebb, they became much more tolerant.
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so your boat is unsuitable for where you moor, not the other way around..............
 
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