snowleopard
Well-Known Member
After many 'helpers' making off the line I wanted to rig as a slip, I still offer to help but always ask how they want it done if they haven't said. "Do you want it made off?" is enough.
Do you offer to take lines?
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After many 'helpers' making off the line I wanted to rig as a slip, I still offer to help but always ask how they want it done if they haven't said. "Do you want it made off?" is enough.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Seajet
...
I always offer to take lines.
When people take mine they usually tie them with about 5 figure of 8's and leave a pile of semi-coiled line on the pontoon / boat !
However it's simple to discreetly go along and sort it out afterwards, and one can meet some lovely people.
I was taught to belay lines and leave the coiled end on my boat out of everyones' way and not to double up lines there and back unless planning an iminent getaway, to avoid chafing the middle of the lines.
When people take mine they usually tie them with about 5 figure of 8's and leave a pile of semi-coiled line on the pontoon / boat !
However it's simple to discreetly go along and sort it out afterwards, and one can meet some lovely people.
I was taught to belay lines and leave the coiled end on my boat out of everyones' way and not to double up lines there and back unless planning an iminent getaway, to avoid chafing the middle of the lines.
Tony Cross
Well-Known Member
Regarding making off lines thrown, I generally take a turn around a cleat or bollard to control the boat and wait until the skipper tells me what he wants me to do with it.
tudorsailor
Well-Known Member
Interesting. It seems that all forumintes offer to help, since we are all so nice.
Preceding posts all seem to relate to UK experiences
Recently in a small marina in Croatia, when no staff were around, I helped a Romanian charterer with his lines. He admitted afterwards that he was quite new to sailing and his lady companion was a novice. He was delightfully grateful. I was in turn pleasantly surprised when he appeared with a bottle of wine a couple of hours later.
One problem is being abroad and not being fluent in the local lingo. We were coming stern to onto the public quay in Otranto with a nasty cross wind. There must have been 20+ onlookers who enjoyed the entertainment of watching me and SWMBO get sorted. Not a single person offered to help. It was pointless trying international sign language let alone pigeon Italian. Difficult lassoing the bollard and then collecting the bow line. Thank goodness there were bollards and not just rings. In the end, we felt quite please with ourselves not to have made a complete hash of it in front of so many people.
TudorSailor
Preceding posts all seem to relate to UK experiences
Recently in a small marina in Croatia, when no staff were around, I helped a Romanian charterer with his lines. He admitted afterwards that he was quite new to sailing and his lady companion was a novice. He was delightfully grateful. I was in turn pleasantly surprised when he appeared with a bottle of wine a couple of hours later.
One problem is being abroad and not being fluent in the local lingo. We were coming stern to onto the public quay in Otranto with a nasty cross wind. There must have been 20+ onlookers who enjoyed the entertainment of watching me and SWMBO get sorted. Not a single person offered to help. It was pointless trying international sign language let alone pigeon Italian. Difficult lassoing the bollard and then collecting the bow line. Thank goodness there were bollards and not just rings. In the end, we felt quite please with ourselves not to have made a complete hash of it in front of so many people.
TudorSailor
Vara
Well-Known Member
I both offer help and am usually glad to receive it.
Mad Pad
Well-Known Member
We are spoilt,in our Marina we radio ahead and they send uniformed marina staff(27/7)to take your lines and pass you the lazy lines...and they know what they are doing!Also to untie you but to be honest I can't see the point but many people use this service as well.
Barnacle Bill
Well-Known Member
I was working on the yacht in Sutton Harbour, and noticed a very small motor boat make repeated unsuccessful attempts to get into quite an easy berth opposite mine in very calm conditions.
Eventually I called over that I would come and help, and walked round to take his lines. His wife was sitting on the fore deck housing holding the bow line, with a very resigned and embarrassed look on her face - so I called out a couple of helpful suggestions ("Slow down a bit ... no, no, slower ... you're doing fine ... just let me get the line" etc. ) I eventually got hold of the bow line and manhandled the small boat into the berth, whereupon the skipper got onto the pontoon and proceeded to fall off it, into the water on the far side from the boat! I was left to make the bow and stern lines fast, and then haul your man back onto the pontoon. (Wife was still sitting on the fore deck.)
Eventually I called over that I would come and help, and walked round to take his lines. His wife was sitting on the fore deck housing holding the bow line, with a very resigned and embarrassed look on her face - so I called out a couple of helpful suggestions ("Slow down a bit ... no, no, slower ... you're doing fine ... just let me get the line" etc. ) I eventually got hold of the bow line and manhandled the small boat into the berth, whereupon the skipper got onto the pontoon and proceeded to fall off it, into the water on the far side from the boat! I was left to make the bow and stern lines fast, and then haul your man back onto the pontoon. (Wife was still sitting on the fore deck.)
bigwow
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
I think I must have sailed with him, about a dozen years ago. Very sensible of him to have switched to power since, but really he should probably stay ashore
My guy came to join the boat, moored stern to a Baltic jetty. He fell down the gap, fortunately only up to his middle as he grabbed the swim platform. Hauling himself out, he tripped into the cockpit, then accepted his bag passed over from the shore. Leaving the bag in the cockpit, he went to go below, but fell down the companionway. He picked himself up and went to stow his kit in the forepeak, but clouted his head heavily on the door lintel. During the subsequent week, he managed to lose overboard his towel, his shoes, most of his T-shirts, and his oilskins (the latter we were fortunately able to rescue, as they were borrowed). Calamity from start to finish
Pete
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
I DON'T offer to help!
I just go and hold their bow so they can tie up how they wish.
I just go and hold their bow so they can tie up how they wish.
BelleSerene
Well-Known Member
I usually offer - or at least take a look at the skipper/ crew to see if they'll want help.
But I rarely accept: more people than not tend to grab and snub lines, presumably used to treating a boat like a big dinghy and not expecting me to put her where I want her under power and tide alone.
My line is 'thanks; that's kind of you; we're actually fine (/ we need the practice), but thank you'. Still, it can be hard getting crew to resist the outstretched arms of a well-meaning person standing on the pontoon, waiting to be chucked a bundle of warp and eagerly snub it off.
In particular, the line, clearly spoken and repeated, 'thanks very much; could you please just put this loop (/ these two loops) over that cleat' often gets ignored, with the result that the kind person on the pontoon ignores my bowline in the end I've passed him or her, ties off the middle of the warp on a cleat and then enthusiastically hauls the free end off the boat, leaving me with nothing or conducting a farcical tug-of-war with them over the pulpit.
I always thank, anyway: people are only trying to help.
But I rarely accept: more people than not tend to grab and snub lines, presumably used to treating a boat like a big dinghy and not expecting me to put her where I want her under power and tide alone.
My line is 'thanks; that's kind of you; we're actually fine (/ we need the practice), but thank you'. Still, it can be hard getting crew to resist the outstretched arms of a well-meaning person standing on the pontoon, waiting to be chucked a bundle of warp and eagerly snub it off.
In particular, the line, clearly spoken and repeated, 'thanks very much; could you please just put this loop (/ these two loops) over that cleat' often gets ignored, with the result that the kind person on the pontoon ignores my bowline in the end I've passed him or her, ties off the middle of the warp on a cleat and then enthusiastically hauls the free end off the boat, leaving me with nothing or conducting a farcical tug-of-war with them over the pulpit.
I always thank, anyway: people are only trying to help.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
We usually offer to help, but it also depends on sizing up the situation. We've just spent several days stuck in Cambeltown because of the gales and a few boats arrived looking the worse for their experiences. Some are strongly crewed and they have fenders out with lines and crew fore and aft and although you can offer, you know you are just being polite and you are probably going to be superfluous. Husband and wife crews can be at any end of the spectrum from competent to downright dangerous. The single handed sailors nearly always appreciate a hand.
We sail a moderately large boat two up and our first line ashore is nearly always a mid ships line which is rigged as a spring and we motor against it to hold us alongside while we sort the lines fore and aft out. The real problem is that the average 'line taker' doesn't have a clue about this technique. They invariably want to take the line forward and you have to gently and then sometimes firmly tell them which cleat to put it on PLEASE. It's often much easier to ask them to hold the bow while we sort things out...
PS if you put a bowline in the end and drop it in a cleat its not much use to us as we haven't got spare crew on board to take in the slack. We usually like to get the boat stationary alongside and then fine tune the morning lines. Just make it off on the cleat is fine by me and then let me sort it out...
We sail a moderately large boat two up and our first line ashore is nearly always a mid ships line which is rigged as a spring and we motor against it to hold us alongside while we sort the lines fore and aft out. The real problem is that the average 'line taker' doesn't have a clue about this technique. They invariably want to take the line forward and you have to gently and then sometimes firmly tell them which cleat to put it on PLEASE. It's often much easier to ask them to hold the bow while we sort things out...
PS if you put a bowline in the end and drop it in a cleat its not much use to us as we haven't got spare crew on board to take in the slack. We usually like to get the boat stationary alongside and then fine tune the morning lines. Just make it off on the cleat is fine by me and then let me sort it out...
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Oh how true.
flaming
Well-Known Member
I offer to take lines if appropriate. So if it's windy, or the skipper/crew look nervous, or shorthanded. Or if they're coming alongside us. Then I'd far rather take a line if I'm on board than have them clamber on board. This is especially true of race crews at regattas, who can be a tad over eager at times!
There is however a good way of accepting help but retaining control. Simply don't attach the line to the boat, but pass the helper a bowline, ask them just to drop it over a cleat, then you / your crew can control tension etc.
There is however a good way of accepting help but retaining control. Simply don't attach the line to the boat, but pass the helper a bowline, ask them just to drop it over a cleat, then you / your crew can control tension etc.
SeamanStaines
Well-Known Member
All of this goes to show that everyone has there own way of berthing and it is desperately hard, if you are trying to assist, to do the 'right' thing. My personal pet hate (and it is usually marina staff that do this) is, after I have carefully positioned the boat, they accept the thrown line and then try to pass it back, rather than making it off (even if it has a bowline in it), even if I ask them to make it off.
Having said that, when doing a med moor into a tight spot on a windy day nothing is more welcome than someone to take a line!
I find the best thing when offering to help is to be armed with a very big fender!
Having said that, when doing a med moor into a tight spot on a windy day nothing is more welcome than someone to take a line!
I find the best thing when offering to help is to be armed with a very big fender!
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
This struck a chord with me, too! I am a bit fussy about knots - some people would probably call me obsessive! My main complaint is people who make knots over-elaborate, mainly because they aren't using the right knot for the job.
I will offer to take lines if I see someone coming in near me; I am perfectly at ease if they say no. I am happy for someone to offer, and usually people behave sensibly. The only place I'd be cautious is on the Crinan Canal where the person offering may not be a boaty person. Most people on pontoons in a marina know what they're doing.
I would very much hope that if I was coming alongside another yacht, or they were coming alongside me, that they would help me with the lines and vice-versa. They know where the cleats and so on are on their boat; I know where they are on mine.
Ripster
Well-Known Member
I will be on hand ready to offer, particularly in a breeze or if its mid tide and strong currents are flowing. I try to see myself as one of their crew and ask the incumbents what they want.
As has been described, there is nothing worse than someone grabbing at the nearest line and tying it tight to the wrong cleat. I have been the recipient of poor help before from a passing enthuiast, who grabbed the bow line from Swmbo, pulled it in way too tight and left me to fight the stern from drifting out and having to fend off against next door.
As has been described, there is nothing worse than someone grabbing at the nearest line and tying it tight to the wrong cleat. I have been the recipient of poor help before from a passing enthuiast, who grabbed the bow line from Swmbo, pulled it in way too tight and left me to fight the stern from drifting out and having to fend off against next door.
timmygobang
Well-Known Member
+1
I'm never in a hurry. Let the skipper do what he/she needs to do and then let them tell you what they want
Elessar
Well-Known Member
That is not my experience. Instead of tying the boat up for me once i've stopped it they invariably have a burning desire to do it the other way around. Not just yotties used to the vaguaries of folding props either.
I can't see the cleats from the helm, so the boat just does something I'm not expecting when a line goes tight. And without knowing where the line is it's hard to know how to react to put it right.
If there is a shore helper, my crew know not to throw the line until I have stopped the boat. Unless of course there is an exceptional circumstance.
