Does anybody bother with white flappy things anymore?

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dunedin

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Out yesterday and after a flat calm start a nice 10-12 knot breeze filled in. Had a great sail fully powered up doing 6 - 7 knots most of the time as was reach both ways.

Saw quite a few other boats going the similar or reciprocal direction. Yet apart from one solitary boat, all were motoring with sail covers firmly on.

Does anybody bother with the white flappy things ? Had to remind myself this season that overtaking boat keeps clear, even when sail overtaking power ;-)
 
The only Yacht

dunedin said:
Out yesterday and after a flat calm start a nice 10-12 knot breeze filled in. Had a great sail fully powered up doing 6 - 7 knots most of the time as was reach both ways.

Saw quite a few other boats going the similar or reciprocal direction. Yet apart from one solitary boat, all were motoring with sail covers firmly on.

Does anybody bother with the white flappy things ? Had to remind myself this season that overtaking boat keeps clear, even when sail overtaking power ;-)
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I saw a Yacht go out of the marina Had Storm Tri-Sail & Storm Jib both in Bright Orange :eek::eek::eek:
Were they Foolish :confused:
 
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dunedin said:
Does anybody bother with the white flappy things ?
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I have a theory that the owners of many modern plastic boats buy them without sails at all. For the day or two a year they leave the marina it's hardly worthwhile having them and the savings help pay the marina bills, buy diesel, stock up on G&T and so on.
 
jpcarter30 said:
I have a theory that the owners of many modern plastic boats buy them without sails at all. For the day or two a year they leave the marina it's hardly worthwhile having them and the savings help pay the marina bills, buy diesel, stock up on G&T and so on.
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You could be right. I have seen people on their boats but never out of the marina on their boats. The cockpit bristles with food and newspapers but no sailing. The wives look suitably sun-tanned lotioned as she accepts another chilled drink but no sign of the water.
Strange places marinas.
 
On a recent club cruise only two boats tried sailing. The rest motored/motor-sailed. I'm not surprised many boats do not sail at this time of year - they are quite likely to be involved in deliveries where speed and certainty, not pleasure, are the key factor.
 
Cerddinen said:
I'm not surprised many boats do not sail at this time of year - they are quite likely to be involved in deliveries where speed and certainty, not pleasure, are the key factor.
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Why ? Had another great sail yesterday, just for fun. Had to put oilskin on later on as sun lowered, but till then was plenty warm enough even with a northerly breeze
 
Couldn't see anyone this afternoon, sails or not in Portsmouth Harbour. Well actually there was one yacht working its way along Haslar wall at 1630 hrs in torential rain, I thankfully was safely tucked up in my warm little car.

Pete

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jpcarter30 said:
You could be right. I have seen people on their boats but never out of the marina on their boats. The cockpit bristles with food and newspapers but no sailing. The wives look suitably sun-tanned lotioned as she accepts another chilled drink but no sign of the water.
Strange places marinas.
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Yes, but these are not sailors and sailorettes, jp.

They are posers, you see.

They never leave harbour, they take up useful moorings, they don't achieve anything except showing off, they are...the..."do come aboard and have a gin" crowd....:D

You could never rely on them to help you make fast or fend off, let alone crew, god forbid..:eek:

They are just there because through their perception..."yotting"...is an etitist activity...and the "boat" is a prop...to be used to be seen aboard on sunny days ...you know....:D

There is terrestial anthropology and there is marine anthropology...this is the expression of self percieved superiority excercised through....er...you know....just having it and....being there.....and....er....being seen...:D

Every marina has got a clique like this.

As economies make such acxtivities possible for more and more people the frequency of this phenomenon will become more widespread...

The further south you go...of course...with commensurate improvement in climate....the greater the frequency with which you will have to opportunity to.....er..... encounter such distinctive creatures...:D
 
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We were out yesterday, sarted with two reefs in the main flappy white thing and half a furling flappy white thing, but by early afternoon the wind went quite light and we had to put on all plain sail to get anywhere agin' the tide.

Today was a different story! With the wind and hail up our chuff and a lovely choppy Solent swell , we motored. Saw one racing yacht with a destroyed genny flapping in bits up the forestay and other (more modern than us) yachts under genoas broach

Batteries nicely charged though.
 
I was sat in a warm car on the banks of the Tyne yesterday watching a dozen or so 1720's battling the elements and each other. Almost knocked flat by a squall at one point, they seemed to be enjoying themselves!
 
I think that one can generally safely assume that the cost of buying / maintaining a boat (either power or sail) and keeping it in a marina is less than the cost of buying / maintaining a holiday home by the sea - hence why not buy a boat rather than a home?

And the boat has the advantage that if you do want to go somewhere else for a change of scenery you can.
I noticed this especially with motor boats in the USA - most of them appeared to be holiday homes, and very few went anywhere, even thought the cost of fuel is considerably less than in Britain.

Although I am a bit baffled as to why many folk with sailing boats, usually equipped with roller furling headsails, still often go on motorabout when a wee bit of effort would have the genoa unfurled and they be sailing.
I noticed this especially in the BVIs last year amongst the bareboat charter mob.
 
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