Fellow boat owners

puddock

puddock

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 Oct 2008
Messages
2,156
Location
Me: Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Boat: Lossiemouth
Visit site
I had an email this week, shortly after arriving in Azerbaijan, telling me that one of my stern lines had almost rubbed through on my boat in Peterhead marina.
Thankfully, the line was changed out for me, with one of the spares I keep under the companionway step, by a fellow berth holder.
There was no drama. There was no questioning of liability. Only common courtesy and sense (in much the same spirit as me rigging a few fenders on a boat near me which had burst all his during the recent storms).
Thanks Chris & 'Rowana'.

It always amazes me when we get discussions on here about "what to do" and "will I be liable..."
Is this a symptom of our claim obsessed wee World?
 
It's symptom of Maggie Thatcher & the Conservatives "monetarism" where they said we only do things when set targets & not altruistically puddock so I hope you rewarded your benefactors generously.(being a Scot I won't hold my breath on that one) ;)
We are no longer human being's only economic units......
 
Last edited:
There but for the grace of, do as you would be done by etc,
thankfully most people do (still)..

I always pick up ten pound notes lying in the street, saves someone else the bother..
 
It saddens me when what I regard as normal behaviour to our fellow man is viewed as unusual enough to merit a reward. I certainly didn't expect one when I tied my spare fenders on a boat with burst yins at Port Edgar but I did get a bit pissed off with the guy who didn't even say thank you and tried to sail off with them despite my boat's name clearly marked.
 
puddock said:
I had an email this week, shortly after arriving in Azerbaijan, telling me that one of my stern lines had almost rubbed through on my boat in Peterhead marina.
Thankfully, the line was changed out for me, with one of the spares I keep under the companionway step, by a fellow berth holder.
There was no drama. There was no questioning of liability. Only common courtesy and sense (in much the same spirit as me rigging a few fenders on a boat near me which had burst all his during the recent storms).
Thanks Chris & 'Rowana'.

It always amazes me when we get discussions on here about "what to do" and "will I be liable..."
Is this a symptom of our claim obsessed wee World?
Click to expand...

Yes I think (sadly) it is. In the marina here (Crete) if we feel we need to go aboard another boat to help make it (or the boats nearby) safe we make sure one of the marina marineros goes aboard with us, or at least stands on the pontoon and watches what we do. That way the marina is responsible for any consequential damage/loss because we are merely assisting the marinero. It seems to work quite well here at least, the boaties in the marina are no longer afraid to offer assistance to a boat in (potential) trouble and the marina avoid (potential) claims for negligence if the marinero on duty fails to spot the problem.
 
Gladly, there are still people in this World who will do things because it is the right and decent thing to do.
Sadly, it doesn't just seem to be in the sailing World that the "not my responsibility" attitude is creeping in. I (and my kids) seem to be the only people in the street that will go to the bother of clearing the paths of our elderly neighbours of snow etc. I remember as a kid, my mother would always send me out with the shovel after some snow to our older neighbours.

And YES, I do usually leave a bottle or two of vino - not as a reward but just to say thanks.
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
It's symptom of Maggie Thatcher & the Conservatives "monetarism" where they said we only do things when set targets & not altruistically puddock so I hope you rewarded your benefactors generously.(being a Scot I won't hold my breath on that one) ;)
We are no longer human being's only economic units......
Click to expand...

Have you noticed that whenever people talk about the ill effects on society wrought by politicians (left or right) they usually imply that they, themselves, have been unaffected by this evil influence?

Still, I thought it was disgusting when Maggie said that we shouldn't sort out other people's boats when we saw a problem. Not that I was affected, of course.
 
puddock said:
And YES, I do usually leave a bottle or two of vino - not as a reward but just to say thanks.
Click to expand...

On the odd occasion when someone has given me tangible and usually quaffable tokens of their appreciation I tend to feel embarrassment. Simple thanks or a pint if the occasion arises seems quite sufficient - probably means that the world regards me as a stingy old bugger.
 
Barnacle Bill said:
Have you noticed that whenever people talk about the ill effects on society wrought by politicians (left or right) they usually imply that they, themselves, have been unaffected by this evil influence?

Still, I thought it was disgusting when Maggie said that we shouldn't sort out other people's boats when we saw a problem. Not that I was affected, of course.
Click to expand...

My memory may be failing, but I cannot remember Maggie ever making any comment about boats, sailing, or liability for good deeds.
 
awol said:
On the odd occasion when someone has given me tangible and usually quaffable tokens of their appreciation I tend to feel embarrassment. Simple thanks or a pint if the occasion arises seems quite sufficient - probably means that the world regards me as a stingy old bugger.
Click to expand...

If I'm helping out a fellow sailor then the only reward I'd want is a simple "thank you" and the knowledge that they'd do the same for me if my vessel was in predicament...
Beyond that - I'm happy to share in a bottle ... :D
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
My memory may be failing, but I cannot remember Maggie ever making any comment about boats, sailing, or liability for good deeds.
Click to expand...

What the dreadful Maggie said was, "There is no such thing as society". (or words to that effect).
It's becoming a sad world when a small act of kindness to another, becomes a notable event.
 
M Thatcher was( may still be, with assisted care) living in a house provided by the late James Goldsmith. A thank you, quid pro quo, one of society's many little one on one bonds..?
Goldsmith, now there's an interesting bloke in some ways.. Remember Black Friday stock market crash1987. Just before it happened I read that he had liquidated an awful lot of 'stuff' and put it into forests and suchlike. And in my young join-the-dots-up way wondering why would a smart man like that do something like that... ?
Wonder what both of them would articulate today, about today's society and sod u jack values eh?
 
Last edited:
puddock said:
Gladly, there are still people in this World who will do things because it is the right and decent thing to do.
Sadly, it doesn't just seem to be in the sailing World that the "not my responsibility" attitude is creeping in. I (and my kids) seem to be the only people in the street that will go to the bother of clearing the paths of our elderly neighbours of snow etc. I remember as a kid, my mother would always send me out with the shovel after some snow to our older neighbours.

And YES, I do usually leave a bottle or two of vino - not as a reward but just to say thanks.
Click to expand...

And very nice vino it was too! I feel all embarrased now! All I did was look out for a fellow sailor's yacht when I know he's often away in far-flung places earning a crust, and in no shape or form looking for any reward, liquid or otherwise.

It is a bit of a sad world when the same attitudes seem to be disappearing from the non-sailing world. I blame 'Elf and safety and no-win, no-fee lawyers for a lot of the ills of today's society.

When are you back, Ron?
 
Rowana said:
And very nice vino it was too! I feel all embarrased now! All I did was look out for a fellow sailor's yacht when I know he's often away in far-flung places earning a crust, and in no shape or form looking for any reward, liquid or otherwise.

It is a bit of a sad world when the same attitudes seem to be disappearing from the non-sailing world. I blame 'Elf and safety and no-win, no-fee lawyers for a lot of the ills of today's society.

When are you back, Ron?
Click to expand...

Should be back @ 15th April - hopefully to some decent weather !
Any plans for the Summer? (and I use that term loosely...)
 
NormanS said:
What the dreadful Maggie said was, "There is no such thing as society". (or words to that effect).
It's becoming a sad world when a small act of kindness to another, becomes a notable event.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you should google the full quote. "And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour."

Nothing there about not fixing the lines and fenders on our neighbour's yacht: perhaps just a suggestion that we ought to fix our own first, and shouldn't expect the government to do it.
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
It's symptom of Maggie Thatcher & the Conservatives "monetarism" where they said we only do things when set targets & not altruistically puddock so I hope you rewarded your benefactors generously.(being a Scot I won't hold my breath on that one) ;)
We are no longer human being's only economic units......
Click to expand...

You guys really have a one track mind.

Get over it!!!
 
Blueboatman said:
M Thatcher was( may still be, with assisted care) living in a house provided by the late James Goldsmith. A thank you, quid pro quo, one of society's many little one on one bonds..?
Goldsmith, now there's an interesting bloke in some ways.. Remember Black Friday stock market crash1987. Just before it happened I read that he had liquidated an awful lot of 'stuff' and put it into forests and suchlike. And in my young join-the-dots-up way wondering why would a smart man like that do something like that... ?
Wonder what both of them would articulate today, about today's society and sod u jack values eh?
Click to expand...

They'd probably try & tell us that we are all in this together.......& some of us would believe them!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top