Grumpy old men complaints.

johnalison said:
Boat owners who don’t thank me when I take their lines, especially when I have saved their boat from disaster by actually knowing what to do with the line.
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The problem is that it isn't possible to identify the knowledgeable from the clueless when passing a line to a would-be helper on the pontoon. So we gracefully decline offers of assistance unless there is good reason for accepting. Passing a line when mooring isn't much different to giving braking control of your car to a stranger when parking in a Waitrose car park.....a dangerous business.
 
johnalison said:
Very likely, and if not, I wish I had been.
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He went on to give ‘advice’ to a boat load of Germans....almost led to them losing control...first time I ever felt sorry for Germans.
I know it wasn’t you because his wife was a battle axe...whereas I am sure that your good lady is delightful
 
GEM43 said:
The problem is that it isn't possible to identify the knowledgeable from the clueless when passing a line to a would-be helper on the pontoon. So we gracefully decline offers of assistance unless there is good reason for accepting. Passing a line when mooring isn't much different to giving braking control of your car to a stranger when parking in a Waitrose car park.....a dangerous business.
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Unfortunately, as my crew age they (very careful with my pronouns here) sometimes now miss lassoing on their first attempt....so a passing stranger is always appreciated. Plus my crew always assists others with their lines when we are tied up....the captain is usually resting
 
I will rarely take a line, otherwise you are self identifying as the best person to blame if it all goes wrong.

In a marina I have found the best option is to station yourself at the bow, fend it off and look affable.

.
 
doug748 said:
I will rarely take a line, otherwise you are self identifying as the best person to blame if it all goes wrong.

In a marina I have found the best option is to station yourself at the bow, fend it off and look affable.

.
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I guess I'm just too civilised. In the Baltic where boxes are the norm it is quite usual for owners to pop out to take the bow lines of in incoming boat and this is often very helpful especially if the wind is not. All that is needed is for the recipient to take a turn round the appropriate cleat and leave the line slack until it is appropriate to rake it in, but unfortunately this is beyond the brainpower of non-sailors and a good few sailors too.
 
If people are kind enough to help it seems churlish to refuse their help.

If they don't know what to do, is it really that difficult to give them simple clear instructions in non-nautical language? "Please drop this loop over that cleat [pointing at a cleat] and I'll do the rest. Thanks."

I can't understand people who go through life fearful that they might be blamed for something, or sued.
 
johnalison said:
I guess I'm just too civilised. In the Baltic where boxes are the norm it is quite usual for owners to pop out to take the bow lines of in incoming boat and this is often very helpful especially if the wind is not. All that is needed is for the recipient to take a turn round the appropriate cleat and leave the line slack until it is appropriate to rake it in, but unfortunately this is beyond the brainpower of non-sailors and a good few sailors too.
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Yes.....my crew is well trained in quickly securing one line and then getting the slime line with the boat hook....because I have to leave the helm to pick up the slime line and walk it to the bow cleat.....if the beam wind is powerful, I have to muscle the slime line to keep the boat nose facing the right way....until the crew can get to the helm to assist...in light winds the crew secures the second stern line to the pontoon cleat while I pull the slime line
 
Poignard said:
If people are kind enough to help it seems churlish to refuse their help.

If they don't know what to do, is it really that difficult to give them simple clear instructions in non-nautical language? "Please drop this loop over that cleat [pointing at a cleat] and I'll do the rest. Thanks."

I can't understand people who go through life fearful that they might be blamed for something, or sued.
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There’s also a language barrier....a boat pontoon is like the United Nations
 
Poignard said:
If they don't know what to do, is it really that difficult to give them simple clear instructions in non-nautical language? "Please drop this loop over that cleat [pointing at a cleat] and I'll do the rest. Thanks."
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We try this, but often we're ignored, the result of which is the tug of war as aforementioned. We always have loops shoreside, but recipients so often want to pull and cleat off, regardless of any instructions given.
 
I love having no help, it helps a lot.

A much missed sailing chum of mine was asked how long it took him to prepare the boat for sea, his reply was

" Twenty minutes if I am singlehanded, half an hour if I have help...."

.
 
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There’s only two instructions....do you want the line secured or returned....we prefer returned but are happy enough if a kind soul secures them.
But as I said earlier...on our boat the lines are completely ready on our side....that one minute out at sea, that the captain will find easy....will save loads of faffing from an untrained crew at the stern.
But there should never be an untrained crew...you either drill them...or tell them they are passengers and to leave everything alone
 
GEM43 said:
We try this, but often we're ignored, the result of which is the tug of war as aforementioned. We always have loops shoreside, but recipients so often want to pull and cleat off, regardless of any instructions given.
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Exactly the problem. I remember approaching a low pier with about 30kts blowing us off. Probably only 1m depth so we had our Southerly's keel fully up. Most sensible approach was to get the bows tied up first and winch the stern round later. Unfortunately, my wife handed the line to a guy on the pier and asked him to loop it around a bollard. He ignored that several times and pulled the bows around towards a timber with protruding bolts. Motoring enough to balance the wind wasn't an option. We had to cast off the line to stop him and a mate being dragged into the water. No amount of verbal instruction would persuade them to simply tie the 2-3m line to something solid. Helpers often get locked into one course of action.
 
I had a slightly embarrassing episode once going alongside at town quay in Cowes. Approaching the pontoon when a lady kindly offered to take my line for which I thanked her but declined (not too smugly I hope). A little touch astern will bring the boat in parallel to the pontoon and the crew will be able to step ashore safely. That touch astern did nothing. The lady, now wandering off, luckily responded to my mildly agitated and very sheepish "Excuse me". The touch astern had pulled the shaft out of the coupling.
 
We took part in a French classic boat rally known as Vilaine en Fête a few years ago. One of the overnight stops was at Redon. Only large vessels were allowed in the basin and smaller craft had to drive their bows into the muddy banks of the river and run a line ashore to a tree.

When we arrived, a little late, the only people on the river bank were some old ladies from a coach party having a stroll.

I hurled our head rope ashore and shouted to the old ladies, asking them to tie the line to a tree.

It took some time to make them understand what was required but after a lot of laughing and good-natured banter in Franglais one of them understoood what was required and did as I asked.
 
Poignard said:
We took part in a French classic boat rally known as Vilaine en Fête a few years ago. One of the overnight stops was at Redon. Only large vessels were allowed in the basin and smaller craft had to drive their bows into the muddy banks of the river and run a line ashore to a tree.

When we arrived, a little late, the only people on the river bank were some old ladies from a coach party having a stroll.

I hurled our head rope ashore and shouted to the old ladies, asking them to tie the line to a tree.

It took some time to make them understand what was required but after a lot of laughing and good-natured banter in Franglais one of them understoood what was required and did as I asked.
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If you had asked me...I would have enquired as to why are you trying to steal a French tree ?
 
One time we arrived in Cherbourg on a breezy day, rather tired, and my wife positioned herself at the shrouds with a line ready to take ashore smartly as the catway was to windward, when I saw a man on a nearby British yacht leap out of his cockpit and march purposefully towards us.

"No need to get off yet" I said to her "this kind man is coming to take our lines."

He marched straight past us without a glance, and we drifted across to the boat on our lee side.

😧
 
Poignard said:
One time we arrived in Cherbourg on a breezy day, rather tired, and my wife positioned herself at the shrouds with a line ready to take ashore smartly as the catway was to windward, when I saw a man on a nearby British yacht leap out of his cockpit and march purposefully towards us.

"No need to get off yet" I said to her "this kind man is coming to take our lines."

He marched straight past us without a glance, and we drifted across to the boat on our lee side.

😧
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Can’t rely on a yachtie.....learnt that years ago
 
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