Embarrassed

[byron]

Just had a call from a pal of mine that has moved his boat to the Solent, like me he is a dyed in the wool Stinkpotter. He tells me he is appalled at the antics of many of the power boats down there. He says that it is not uncommon to see power boats charging about without a thought about wash or anything else and says it it scary to see how these ignoramii carry on. I think therefore you Raggies ought to re-define us Stinkpotters into two categories, Stinkpotters and as he describes them... 'Cheque book boaters'
Just so's you know, we ain't all like that and from what I have been told these dudes are an embarrassment to the rest of us that try to be considerate of others.

ô¿ô

 

[Guest]

In all honesty there are decent motorboaters and decent sailors and poor motorboaters and poor sailors. We all know this to be true but what is to be done about the consistently poor mbs and sailors. We all make mistakes but if we have any sense then we try to learn from them. Ignorant fools learn nothing. You can see the attitude of these people on the motorway down to the boat. Big expensive car or small car- driven badly or driven well. At least in a car now and then you have the satisfaction of seeing poor drivers pulled over by the police. perhaps that is the answer, passing tests and more legislation. It will happen, the idiots will spoil it for everyone else. Its bound to happen and there is little the decent people, who care, can do.

 

[Bergman]

Very decent of you to say so Byron.

I think we all know there is only a minority of idiots. Trouble is when you see a bow wave coming your way at 30 knots and you can only do 5 or 6 there is no way of telling the difference until its too late. Don't know the answer to this one, havn't sailed on Solent for several years and in my part of the world we rarely see motor boats outside a marina.

Perhaps we should redefine the debate, rather than rag v stink we should have gentlemen v hooligans.

 

[Will]

Byron,
Thanks for owning up to owning a Princess!! It's interesting that a stinkpotter openly criticises the antics of others. Certainly the Solent does seem to attrct the worst, but by no means are all the hooligans only powered by diesel. In my request to have a go on a stinkpot, I am actually genuinely interested in seeing how much of a pain us raggies are when viewed from a flybridge.
Where are you based then, talking bout "them down there?"

 

[byron]

I was on the Solent back in the 60s & 70s but I am now Thames, Thames Estuary and the Channel. Funnily enough the worst person behind the wheel BCBB (before cheque book boaters) was a guy straight off the helm of a sailboat, they generally went power crazy initially. I s'pose in the 'old' days more of us Stinkpotters went out sailing too.

ô¿ô

 

[Guest]

How to turn a crisis into a create opportunity

Yes there are bad stinkpotters Byron but there are also bad stick'nstringer's ( we call them racing sailors by the way).

I think we have to put up a kind of ' psychic umbrella' up when these maniacs abound and take strength that you will get even with the buggers in the end. As there is no law around in sailoring , the best way, and the British way is to take the law into you're own hands.

Now, first of all write down the boat's name ( you will have no problem remembering it by the way as it will probably be something like ' Darren the Destroyer' or 'I go like crap'). Go to Woolworths and buy a 'Cockleshell Hero's' video and watch it regularly for inspiration. At the end of the day whilst enjoying a nice walk round the marina, cross reference your notebook with boats that you see and identify any targets.

At about 3am, black up and put your frogmen's gear on and arm yourself with a decent brace and bit plus a selection of drills. The rest I leave up to you.....

Later you will find yourself dropping off to sleep with a wonderful afterglow...

p.s. We are still looking for agents in the Severn and Plymouth areas.

 

[tcm]

Re: RNLI

They seem to be loaded. So, it wouldn't take much for them to have a decent rib or two , and do some weekend policing. After all, quite a bit of the stuff is indeed dangerous. They could have a nice radar gun, and anyway, report to whoever if the ooffenders got nasty.

I have sailed and motored a lot in the solent. Quite awful what some of the powerboats do. Not the world's most expert sailor, but poncing around trying to tie up sails and catch a mooring bouy, a powerboat came past on the plane very close, and having a powerboat too myself, knowing he was at a totally unneccessary daft speed, I felt perfectly at liberty to er graphically express from a distance that he should know better breaking the speed limit inside Cowes, and ripping so close past another boat of whatever type, so of course he wheeled round and shouted colregs at me, see, I had the engine on and etc etc and gave up being stand on vessel blah blah. Very poor show indeed. Only some policing will stop this, as he clearly "knew some rules".

 

[Viking]

Its seem its the same the world over.
Here in Norway the local TV station had a weekly boating spot. The intro opening was a shot of a small outboard motor boat speeding around a small harbour with boats tied up to a harbour quay.
When I point out to the TV station, was showing a speeding boat in a confined harbour where the wash was dangerous to anyone on the moored boats ie cooking, kids and people boarding etc. (You could see the boats rocking violently in the back ground). Added to the fact that the person in the small boat was not wearing a lifejacket. I asked was this the sort of imgine to present to younger viewers?
I'm pleased to say that the programme opening was dropped.

 

[mtb]

Re: only one answer

Catterpult a proper one with a bag of marbles and a little practice !!
Wells next sea has a shop with the best selection of amunition I have ever seen ,even ball bearings.
After the pult comes the Kick in the teeth <++>
^



http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug

 

[jimi]

Despite doing my best to keep out of everyone's way being all for a quiet life I've been frequently buzzed by large power boats. The worst example being between the Solent & Poole when having taken the scenic route out past the Needles FWB, and having 3 young children clearly visible in the cockpit. Two power boats made significant alterations of course when overtaking me to come close. one passed within 20 foot of me and the other nearly hit me when he lost a bit of control when he hit a lump. Missed me by 18 inches I would guess. Do you reckon that in future I should report these guys to the Coastguard? Potentially this behaviour is putting life at risk.

 

[billskip]

Re: only one answer

Cattipult yess..fishermen on the desborough cut fill theirs with maggots and let fly at any boat upsetting them ......offending boat is now infested with maggots..

Bill
www.aegeansailing.co.uk

 

[KevB]

Embarrassed - No, not realy

Makes me laugh out loud when these posts come up.
Lets face it motor boats go fast and make lots of wash - Sailing boats are slow and can't go in a straight line.
I am not knocking either but these are general facts.

I think it is only those new to motor boating who are selfish/ignorant of the needs/restrictions of other boaters. They soon learn the etiquette of boating or give it up.

I accept because of what it is, a sail boat is going to zig zag up the channel, some sailors don't give a toss where they zig or zag ( I think you call it Tac?) but most do.

The same applies towards the motor boat, you have to accept because of what it is it is going to create wash, again some motor boaters don't give a toss where their wash goes but most do.

Lets all accept the differences and get on with enjoying our chosen past times. After all they are both boating.

 

[BarryD]

Name & Shame

Report away - however it would be a your word against theirs situation. Far better to get their boats name and publish it on the bulletin board - if they are a user then they get the chance to counter the report or at least to apologise if not then someone in their marina will let them know.

How about it Kim "A name and shame forum?"

As for embarassed about the motor boats in the Solent - not enough sea time to make a valued contribution. But I do know that my boat makes wash at 8kts, I can reduce that a little by playing with the trim tabs but not a lot. I can go slower but then I'm in the way of the other boats coming out of the marina...

Barry D.

"No, No, no - come off the plane before entering the lock..."

 

[BarryH]

Re: only one answer

That happened to me. Would help if the twats did'nt hide behind bushes etc. Ok i saw him late but did slow down and move over to the wrong side of the channel. Its the last time that prick will do it , cos he's still tying to get the offending piece of tackle out of his rectum!!!!

 

[mtb]

Re: Been thinking about this

Who collects licence fees ,who should both dictate speed limits and impose them .
We all read the by laws regarding river use and so on .
The water authority be it the Environment agency or an other body has both a duty to maintain the said water course and govern over it to maintain the water course .

Why aren't they accepting statements from witnesses and other forms of evidence, to then prosecute the person or persons involved in creating a hazard to others ,and causing more bank erosion in the process.
Speeding on the water is extremely dangerous to other users as well as the culprits and as for the damage caused to other craft !!!!.
Lets face it most of us have and carry digital camera's with us on our boats ,so that would help re evidence.
Perhaps if questions were asked about the management or lack of management re theses authority's then things would change I'm quite sure.
If we as a group wrote letters the area managers would soon get the idea and do some thing about the problem .
How much is a fine for speeding ,I dont know strange that int it ,the actual bylaws are in place but not imposed.
WE are all paying for a service after all ,so should we expect to actually get that service.
Health and safety issues must surely cover these sort of public safety issues so maybe thats an avenue to persue.
I wont say any more but just this .

What will you do when some fool going by to fast causes a hot pan of food to fall over your child
Mick



http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug

 

[Guest]

Re: How to turn a crisis into a create opportunity

Last year while sailing out of St Malo I was "buzzed" by a plastic thing with a Jersy flag. I would like to take this opertunity to thank him! Two days later I took the opertunity to empty my chemical toilet in his cockpit. I also left my phone number but he never phoned! Direct action is the only way in my opinion.
ALLAN

 

[ccscott49]

Re: How to turn a crisis into a create opportunity

Oh! Naughty, but I do like your style!

 

[mtb]

Re: How to turn a crisis into a create opportunity

You were of course up wind at the time ,SNIGGER

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Well, think a bit harder

In all this pontificating about motor boat wash and the danger and discomfort it causes to small boats, nobody seems to have raised the subject of wash from commercial vessels. In the Solent, the wash from passing fast ferries, tugs, pilot boats and, yes, the Harbourmaster's own launch dwarf anything that the average motor boat can generate and yet I see no criticism of them.
IMHO, if you put to sea in a boat whose cockpit (ref the thread that started all this) is going to be swamped by motor boat wash, then whats going to happen when the jet ferry roars past? And if your child is injured by a spilt hot pan then the fool is not the one in the fast boat but the one who allowed the child to be there in the first place

 

[Viking]

Re: Embarrassed - No, not realy

Sorry but I met some of these 'new' money 'I am Jack-the-lad' in a boat. Not all, but some do have a total disregard for others.

The word your looking for is Tacking. This is the way a sail boat (maybe without an engine) sails to windward! (into the wind) and with a keel they have to keep to the channel. Its usually at a slow speed with little or no wash. Any 'competent' motorboat skippers can easily avoiding these slower boats.

Yes and some of my best friends have motorboats!