mattonthesea
Well-Known Member
When sitting moored up to an old town quay on an island in Croatia in a charter yacht, deciding on which place to have a breakfast coffee, the wind arrived in an instant. We were on the outside of a raft which started to rear and buckle quite lively. The bar owner came running up shouting to us all to get out quick. I told my crew to hold fast, be calm and assess. We put the engine on in reverse to hold the raft from hitting the one in front. It was a balancing act as the wind was pushing us forwards but the swell was trying to knock us backwards into the rocks not that far behind. Our friends on the inside yacht were happy, having put out a few extra fenders. Another yacht in our private flotilla, on the raft in front, let slip, moved forwards, tried to turn and the wind caught the beam and he went sideways into another boat. Whilst watching this, someone on the shore, apparently deciding that we had the engine on in order to go, or because the bar owner was shouting, took it upon himself to let slip our bow line. We were still attached at the rear to the inside yacht. So I couldn't reverse without swing worryingly near to the rocks or go forward without driving towards the other raft!
(in my crew briefing I tell the crew that if I shout it's because I need to be heard; it's not at them. If I swear it's because I've reached the limit of my communications skills! Sometimes I will need something doing now, I may not be polite, and you will know I mean it by the tone in my voice.)
"I wonder what he is doing" would be a polite translation.
"OK get us untied then pronto" is a fairly accurate account which then turned into "Please do it now" and then "Just cut the ****** thing" when it was obvious that it wasn't going to be an easy line to untie.
We reverse ferry glided out and then out to sea. We had a lively sail for the day and reached the next port in a good mood. Our inside friends waited until the fuss was over and made their way out calmly.
In the evening I knew they didn't hold my swearing against me as, when coming alongside and giving commands, they turned to each other saying "Do you think that was his tone of voice? and other mickey takes. The crashed-boat skipper tried to make excuses. He was a junior army officer and had never sailed with civvies before. He could not cope with his crew being questioning or openly critical. When he got the mickey taken he got quite huffy which only served to increase it. He never sailed with us again.
Me? I got my comeuppance when I fell off the gangplank going ashore. I was hanging by my elbows, the concrete quay on one and the rough wooden plank on the other. And, after only one beer, I became known as the lightweight skipper.
(in my crew briefing I tell the crew that if I shout it's because I need to be heard; it's not at them. If I swear it's because I've reached the limit of my communications skills! Sometimes I will need something doing now, I may not be polite, and you will know I mean it by the tone in my voice.)
"I wonder what he is doing" would be a polite translation.
"OK get us untied then pronto" is a fairly accurate account which then turned into "Please do it now" and then "Just cut the ****** thing" when it was obvious that it wasn't going to be an easy line to untie.
We reverse ferry glided out and then out to sea. We had a lively sail for the day and reached the next port in a good mood. Our inside friends waited until the fuss was over and made their way out calmly.
In the evening I knew they didn't hold my swearing against me as, when coming alongside and giving commands, they turned to each other saying "Do you think that was his tone of voice? and other mickey takes. The crashed-boat skipper tried to make excuses. He was a junior army officer and had never sailed with civvies before. He could not cope with his crew being questioning or openly critical. When he got the mickey taken he got quite huffy which only served to increase it. He never sailed with us again.
Me? I got my comeuppance when I fell off the gangplank going ashore. I was hanging by my elbows, the concrete quay on one and the rough wooden plank on the other. And, after only one beer, I became known as the lightweight skipper.
