Fenders both side's please!!!!

[AndrewB]

Why is everyone so anal about this??

There was a time when boats were mostly wood, and apart from the few gin palaces we thought little to knocking them about a bit. A touch of paint sorted the problem, and a pint or two was sufficient in compensation.

Now we all worship the great god Resale Value. Never mind if the boat is sturdy and seaworthy, is the finish immaculate? A scratch in GRP will cost £1,000 to rub out, the yard manager is chuckling with glee, and the insurance companies add another 50% to the premium. So in place of the paint and the pint, now everyone is screaming abuse at one another, and no-one admits to anything.

Sorry guys, but yachts are about sailing. Boats should take dings. Get your priorities straight.

 

[AlexL]

Re: Fenders both side\'s please!!!!

Even if the berth next to me is empty I always rig fenders both sides. That way if you cock up the approach - you can always make it look if you meant to go in the other berth!

Seriously, It never even occurs to me to only rig fenders on one side. I guess I am forced to rig both sides in my home marina as we enter via a lock and you're never quite sure which side of the lock you're going to end up, so fenders are required both sides anyway. I also have a large spare fender, which I have to hand in the lock as a kind of roving emergency cock up fender - a useful thing to have I have found!

One of my neighbours managed to clout my boat and remove a horseshoe bouy, however he left a note and bought me a new one. Dings and dents are inevitable, esp in a crouded marina, it is not owning up which is the naughty bit.

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[maxi]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

With good reason.
Not so long ago my moored 32 footer was 'mounted' by a Morecombe Bay Prawner which then went on to hit at least four more moored boats before he attempted to 'do a runner', luckily being intercepted some 3 miles away. He declined to deal with the matter in any way whatsoever until he had completed his cruise, some 3 weeks later & sod the inconvenience that he had caused everyone else. By the way, he contributes to the yachting mags under the name of East Coast Sage and mainly extols his own (perceived) expertise.

Not long afterwards the same moored boat had a Trapper right though the cabin windows, owned by a frightfully nice old boy from Guildford who also did a determined runner.
With the help of a witness the guy was found, to his great consternation, and proceeded to lie through his teeth about his (non existent) insurance. Recorse to legal cover eventually sorted that out.

So, potentially some £4500 out of pocket and losing no end of sailing days, yes I will be anal about it, and yes I have got my priorities right - people who do damage MUST pay for it otherwise the future is no future at all.

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[AndrewB]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

There's a lot of difference between a collision causing structural damage that takes the boat out of action and a scratch resulting from an ill-judged berthing.

I quite agree with you about the former. But the response of some people to a scratch is so out of proportion l that I wonder what they would do if they suffered real damage!

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[starboard]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

Thanks for your response's guys...though a few of them leave me speechles!!! All I am trying to point out is good seamanship...please fender for the worse scenario....and if it goes wrong dont be affraid to admit the damage you have done.!! It seem's some of your attitude to damage beggars belief.....hope you never venture up here to Troon.

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[tcm]

speechless?

I am fairly amazed that you left your boat totally unfendered and have then proceeed to go quite so bonkers when it gets scratched. You then headed your post giving OTHERS directions about how to use their fenders! I would imagine that some (like praps your insurance people) might say that leaving a boat without fenders might mean that far from looking after your boat you were purposely hoping for a scratch, and nice new gelcoat/paint job at the expense of others. I would not be so uncharitable, but i wd say that the condition of your boat now truly reflects the (lack of ) care that you have paid to it viz no fenders, hence a few dings. Lighten up, eh? Or of course, put out some fenders.

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[qsiv]

Re: speechless?

Well! Thats told 'im! I have to say I DONT put fenders where they aren't needed, as I dont like the scuffing that results from the continual movement - and my next door neighbour drives his Nelson very gently, and is far more 'topside proud' than I could ever be!

OTOH, I do usually have fenders rigged on the empty side when I return to my berth - just in case. The normal pontoon side has the fenders fitted to the pontoon - much easier - and they dont roll out as you come onto the berth.

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[zefender]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

If I was getting ready to berth next to a boat without fenders, whether rafting or in a marina, my first reaction would be "rude sod" and, if push came to shove, given limited fenders, between the pontoon and me vs you and me, in a F7, I'm afraid I'd pick you! I appreciate you say you hadn't time to fender up, but anyone coming next door wouldn't know that would they? This doesn't mean I support b*ggering off without leaving my details. But I would feel a bit peeved that you had failed to take any precautions against sharing the fender load and avoiding the possibility of damage from a prang.

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[starboard]

Re: speechless?

Thanks for your concern TCM. Firstly my boat is well fendered with 4 large fenders pontoon side and 2 very large ones outside berth to hopefully protect damage from my neighbour. Unfortuenately as my boat had only been launched by the yard this week the offside fenders had not been put in place. However as soon as the boat was moved I would have fendered both side's. The fact that my neighbour susequently attempted to come alongside his berth with a F7 wind blowing him off towards my boat with no thought of the consequences and therefore no fenders show's a gross lack of seamanship.The condition of my boat after 25 years of use certainlly reflects my care and attention, if you are ever at Troon come and look. I am proud of the way it looks and also proud of the care I take when close to other people's property, for both my sake and theirs...I guess from your remarks you pay little respect to your fellow mariners property.

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[Rich_F]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

I completely disagree. If I'm berthing, I feel completely responsible for ensuring that I don't contact anything without being fendered. I don't expect the pontoon to be fendered, or the harbour wall, or other boats that might be unlucky enough to be in my vicinity.

If you can't safely berth without crashing into things, then you should be looking to berth somewhere safer.

And if you do cause damage, you should definitely apologize and offer to put it right.

Why can't people take responsibility for their own boat/actions?

Rich

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[Guest]

Re: If your car and you know the car that hit it ....

response was general really - but I was confused by your ........ <disagree>

Cheers

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[Guest]

There are some idiots out there

Having berthed to a 'p--t' in Bembridge who refused to fender on outside ready for any rafting .... in fact he tried to tell me to stay away !! I had to raft on him - other boats freeborad were too high for my stanchions etc.

I always try to look after both sides - but must admit that the permanent berth I have is reasonably quiet and most don't outboard fender .....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[Benbow]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

What a relief to read this. I have been utterly baffled by much of this thread. It seems I sail in much less crowded places than most and I very rarely use marinas. But I had no idea it was marina etiquette to fender your outside. I fender myself against whatever I am alongside. If I need to go alongside another boat I wouldn't dream of expecting them to provide fendering. If someone comes alongside me (granted a rare event) I would expect them to provide fenders, certainly I would stand around and look helpful as they arrived, take lines, and if there was a problem shuffle fenders. I always thought that I was being friendly and helpful !

Of course, I agree totally with the main point of the OP that to damage another boat, however slightly, without owning-up is outrageous behaviour.

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[whisper]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

Here here, I agree entirely. It is the new arrival's responsibility to try to prevent contact and if this is not possible then he should ensure that he is adequately fendered. If I'm mooring Med Style - stern to - then normally would have fenders both sides in case I made a mistake but that is different to the Marina scenario described.

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[whisper]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

I think the point is that if someone scratches another boat and does a runner then he would be even more likely to do so if he had caused major damage. Either case is "NOT ON" !

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[milltech]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

Isn't that slightly ott? I mean I agree mostly, but a plea to put fenders both side of your boat when coming alongside is surely just good sense. It's not an exact science.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[duncan]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

well put.....

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[AndrewB]

OTT??

Course its OTT. This thread's an invitation to a food fight, isn't it?

But I still think some owners are a bit over-precious. If fashion demands you do away with rubbing strakes, of course hulls are going to get scratched, no point in complaining about it.

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[boatless]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

I'm sorry Andrew, but I don't agree. I have thumped one boat in all my sailing life. I went to the marina office and 'phoned the owner - all was sorted to everybody's eventual satisfaction. I park boats carefully and well.

So why should I have to tolerate the 'minor bump', which more often than not involves a slightly bent toerail, gel repair and a new stanchion.

I can:-

a) repair it at my expense

b) just pass it on to my insurer

c) just forget about the damage and pretend I'm not absolutely livid

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[Jeremy_W]

Re: Why is everyone so anal about this??

If you damage another vessel you leave your phone number at the Marina office - that's so obvious it shouldn't need stating. Making mistakes is part of this sport - if you never make mistakes you're probably not learning an awful lot. I shunted a Sigma 33 into an MFV once.

It wasn't one of my better seasons. As a racing crew we demolished 2 Genesis mains, 1 genoa, 1 spinnaker and a Harken traveller that year! All those were racing hazards - if you don't like it or you can't afford you don't play - and the owner picked up the tab. But hitting the MFV was my fault. I spent the next week in dread at the possible cost of the repair. Then the MFV owner shrugged his shoulders and said "these things happen" and I could breathe again!

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