Double Parked Mooring Etiquette

[Vitesse]

Just wondering...

Having moored our 18' whaler at a pub quay we returned to find a similar sized boat attached to our cleats. Maybe a regular thing for many, but a first for me.

No problem, I thought, we'll slacken all lines, walk our boat back and pull the other in and secure it

About 3/4 of the way through the evolution the owner arrives and mutters 'I'll take that', relieves swmbo of a line and we carry on walking the boat quietly back, shove off and motor away at tickover. I called a 'good evening' to the other chap and that was that.

Should I have searched the pub for the chap? Seems to me if you moor alongside and leave your boat you might expect it to be moved. Any thoughts?

 

[henryf]

Absolutely, if you raft up to someone it is you who needs to be on best behaviour. The other person was there first and doing you a favour.

There are lots of tips re: rafting up. Always put fenders on your offside to accommodate the rafting vessel. Consider having some sort of white board and pen so you can write when you intend departing to alert anyone rafting onto you. Don't be afraid to ask the rafter to attach shore lines rather than rely solely on your ropes and cleats. People will generally walk around your bow to get ashore, we much prefer people to walk through the cockpit, again don't be afraid to direct people as you see fit.

Rafting is a way of life in many places.

I wouldn't worry too much.

Henry

 

[longjohnsilver]

I'd have done exactly the same as you. It's not up to you to go searching for the other owner. Tying up to you gives you the right to leave when you please, and thus the right to move his boat. All IMHO of course.

 

[rbcoomer]

I'd echo Henry's comments and only add that in some harbours, the Harbour Master may move your boat in your absence and either raft it elsewhere or raft someone else to it! I've seen this a couple of time here in Torquay - usually when a dozen sailing boats turn up as happened recently. Nobody gets turned away and I guess you have to have some faith that the person attaching you knows their stuff! :encouragement:

 

[Vitesse]

Thanks for the replies.

I got the impression the other fellow wasn't over keen on our efforts. His was a tidy classic style clinker built open fishing boat and probably three times ours' value.

Anyway, another great evening out. Tomorrow I have to mix several tonnes of concrete. I'll be glad when that's done.

 

[superheat6k]

Just wondering...

... About 3/4 of the way through the evolution the owner arrives and mutters 'I'll take that', relieves swmbo of a line and we carry on walking the boat quietly back, ...

I trust he smiled and said 'please' and 'thank you' where appropriate - it is you doing him the favour and not vice versa. If not he is an ignoramus.

 

[Davegriff]

You did absolutely the right thing without doubt. The ignorant slob who berthed directly to your boat without putting out his own shore lines needs to learn some manners. Dont worry about it, there's a few like him about, but most boaters are nice human beings.

 

[Vitesse]

The "please' and 'thank you' were absent, I'm afraid. As were smiles.

I dont like feeling in the wrong in a situation that someone else put me in. It happens to be my birthday today and I can do as I like, don't you know.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

The "please' and 'thank you' were absent, I'm afraid. As were smiles.

I dont like feeling in the wrong in a situation that someone else put me in. It happens to be my birthday today and I can do as I like, don't you know.

It's your birthday _and_ you get to play with concrete? Sounds like the perfect day to me! Happy birthday!

 

[longjohnsilver]

The "please' and 'thank you' were absent, I'm afraid. As were smiles.

I dont like feeling in the wrong in a situation that someone else put me in. It happens to be my birthday today and I can do as I like, don't you know.

Happy birthday, and which pub were you visiting? Was it good?

 

[Vitesse]

Thanks for the that chaps.

LJS -We went to the Crabshell in Kingsbridge and it was pretty good. The place is very popular and parking & mooring is limited. Even last night was busy like proper summer.

I may put up some concrete porn later for discerning forumites.

 

[beejay190]

A slight thread drift if I may.

A friend recently told me his request to raft alongside another boat had been declined . ie NO.

My friend did the sensible thing and went elsewhere, no point in forcing the issue.

Any thoughts on this situation please.

 

[l'escargot]

A slight thread drift if I may.

A friend recently told me his request to raft alongside another boat had been declined . ie NO.

My friend did the sensible thing and went elsewhere, no point in forcing the issue.

Any thoughts on this situation please.

Depends entirely where it was. Some marinas or private berths don't allow rafting, some make allowing someone to raft to you a condition of berthing.

If it was rafting on a buoy sometimes rafting isn't permitted, sometimes it is up to the first person on the buoy and sometimes it is compulsory.

 

[Davegriff]

A slight thread drift if I may.

A friend recently told me his request to raft alongside another boat had been declined . ie NO.

My friend did the sensible thing and went elsewhere, no point in forcing the issue.

Any thoughts on this situation please.

There could be a sound reason not to allow someone to double moor. Years ago I had a little 20' plywood motor 'cruiser'. Whilst enjoying a beer or two with the boat tied up alongside the pub pontoon, the local marina manager came in and straight up to me at the bar. " I just rescued your boat" says he. "How?" says I. He had apparently just stopped some plonker in a 40' odd, god-knows-how-heavy yacht leaving his boat tied only to my little cleats while he and crew went for a meal. This was in a 3-4k tideway to boot!

 

[Firefly625]

Depends entirely where it was. Some marinas or private berths don't allow rafting, some make allowing someone to raft to you a condition of berthing.

If it was rafting on a buoy sometimes rafting isn't permitted, sometimes it is up to the first person on the buoy and sometimes it is compulsory.

my parents boat was damaged some years ago at a club rally where being the biggest boat were put on the folly pontoons and had another 5 boats all circa 40ft rafted alongside overnight, wind was blowing the raft of boats onto them all night long, they had a couple of large fenders burst and some crazing appeared on the tow rail both sides, basically their boat (which is pretty substantially built) was being squashed. Now they absolutely refuse more than 3 boats alongside wherever they go, makes for some interesting situations sometimes...

 

[Poignard]

I notice the French don't seem to go in for running individual lines ashore. I was in Crouesty not long ago on a bank holiday. The place was jam-packed, with many boats rafted out up to 5 deep. Apart from the inside boats (obviously) none of the others ran lines ashore and no-one seemed to care. Maybe they would have done if the weather forecast had been bad and the marina exposed but it wasn't, so nobody bothered.

I was 5th boat out and I certainly wasn't going to invite ridicule by clambering over 4 boats to run lines ashore. (Not sure I had long enough lines anyway )

Maybe we English worry too much about non-existent risks.

 

[rbcoomer]

my parents boat was damaged some years ago at a club rally where being the biggest boat were put on the folly pontoons and had another 5 boats all circa 40ft rafted alongside overnight, wind was blowing the raft of boats onto them all night long, they had a couple of large fenders burst and some crazing appeared on the tow rail both sides, basically their boat (which is pretty substantially built) was being squashed. Now they absolutely refuse more than 3 boats alongside wherever they go, makes for some interesting situations sometimes...

I don't think that's unreasonable - more than 3 and even minimal wash/current can have a serious impact. Sometimes even one rafted alongside can be ill advised - especially close to a busy channel or ski lane and I can think of 2 such locations within a few miles of me!

 

[superheat6k]

If a boat rafted outside of me is shorter than me then I will suggest he foregoes shore lines. Even larger boats running shore lines at above 75 degrees to the fore and aft line will be of no value whatsoever as far as resisting fore and aft motion is concerned. A drooping line 30' long is doing virtually nothing anyway, if you wind the tension up you are simply squeezing the boats insifde you, and each boat adds to the load on the innermost boat, plus you have to fight to find cleat space. If the whole raft drifts it is generally because the inner boats have led their lines, particularly the springs, too slack.

I do agree that more than 3 or 4 substantial boats becomes a hazard if the wind or tide gets up too strong.

Ever tried 18 deep at Cowes week - takes nearly 10 minutes just to get ashore and imagine the poor sods trying to sleep in the forecabins of the inner few boats, especially when the outboard crew return in high spirits.

 

[l'escargot]

I don't think that's unreasonable - more than 3 and even minimal wash/current can have a serious impact. Sometimes even one rafted alongside can be ill advised - especially close to a busy channel or ski lane and I can think of 2 such locations within a few miles of me!

Folly pontoon is sheltered in a river, 4 and 5 deep isn't unusual, same as Lymington. Poole town quay and Weymouth used to go about 8 deep if I remember correctly. It isn't compulsory to raft, you can always go somewhere else but people have been doing it for years in all those places with few mishaps.

 

[Searush]

I've been 7 deep in Rothesay when the racing fleet arrived, all much bigger than me, but there were several of us insisting on shorelines from each boat. It worked well enough as there was no banana effect on the trot with sensible shore lines. Great fun in the morning as we untied the trot & all the forward shore lines so we could slip out. It certainly banana'd then, but once out we retied them all safely & went on our way.


BW, the correct etiquette for returning to find your boat being moved by someone to whose boat you have tied without their permission is "I'm sorry, I couldn't find you. Here, let me help you with that, where are you off to? Have a good trip & please let me finish sorting this out."