I hope the owner of the big Moody

[Mirelle]

who shouldered his or her way through the narrow entrance to Walton channel, at high speed, under power, (despite a fair wind!) yesterday afternoon, forcing two much smaller boats, which he or she was overtaking , out of the channel, reads this...

....and feels ashamed of himself or herself.

The same might be said of a big dark blue hulled boat which left Titchmarsh's and charged down the channel with mainsail up but motoring at excessive speed, creating excessive wash, through the moorings soon after midday.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Mirelle on 14/07/2003 10:35 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Jacket]

Moody 54 with maroon cove stripe? I had a run in with him while short tacking out of Harwich yesterday, and I saw him try the same on several other boats. He seemed to think that cause he was big it was OK to try and force small boats onto the mud.

He's been moored at Titchmarsh several times that I've seen recently. Hope he's not moved in permanently.

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[whiskerstay]

I trust you weren't one of the smaller boats - if I remember rightly, Mirelle has something resembling an infant telegraph pole for a bowsprit. That would give a yacht of any size something to think about when considering something inconsiderate...

...and all you need is a gigantic pencil sharpener to double it's effect.

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[Mirelle]

Incognito

I was crewing for a friend, aboard his GRP Bermuda sloop. We were going the other way, and saw what happened.

You are quite right, though. Mirelle, though much smaller than the culprit in this case, seems to be treated with more circumspection, it may be because of the way that her deceased builder finished off her bowsprit, with a sort of sharpened end like a pencil, or it may be her owner's general air of ineptitude!

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[Mudhook]

We\'d gone by then but...

Sorry to have missed you Mirelle (and others). We were in Walton Channel overnight from 1900 Saturday until 0800 Sunday and missed the excitement. But - a new one on me - while motorsailing out of the Orwell into Harwich harbour Saturday afternoon, in very congested circumtances, a chap in a small cruiser tacked onto starboard at about 70 metres range, right across my bow from my port side. I had overtakers two points abaft on starboard, someone coming down on me on my starboard bow and was far too close to this fellow to stop and alter hard to port. A very sharp and undignified 360 to starboard saved the day but may have gven one or two of the near boats a turn.

This is the first time, in my limited experience, that someone has ever created dangerous situation by deliberately taking up the starboard tack and claiming stand-on status. I'm new to these waters; is this normal? Could I have done anything else? Miscreant was later tied up at Harwich Halfpenny pontoon; I declined the opportunity to indulge in post-incident boat rage with extreme difficulty.

Regards, Mudhook.

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[dickh]

Re: We\'d gone by then but...

This is not normal behaviour on the East Coast - we are a fairly forgiving lot. But I have to admit that lots of sailing boats don't look where they are going when on Port tack and once in harwich Harbour a few weeks ago I did bawl out an AWB when I was on Starboard. He had no idea I was there even though we had been on a converging course for a little while. Perhaps I was feeling stroppy at the time.

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I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Neil_M]

Re: We\'d gone by then but...

Glad I avoided the Backwaters & Orwell this weekend then! Decided to take a trip up the Stour instead & enjoyed a very peaceful evening anchored in a 2M pool just off Holbrook Creek - no-one else within a mile or two - highly recommended

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[spurnclass]

Talking of East Coast incidents

Completed a wonderful weekend of sailing on the Deben yesterday. But once again absolutely amazed by the kamikaze approach taken by a number of dingy sailors at Waldringfield. (Do these people have no fear?!). What I can't understand is why they insist on sailing continuously close to the channel used by yachts and motorboats passing through, there is plenty of space at that part of the river for them not to.

And secondly, I hope the 4 or so 'boaters' who were enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning sitting afloat directly between the last 2 approach buoys to the tidemill yacht harbor had fun watching yacht after yacht both leaving, and approaching the tidemill having to maneuver out of their way. Why were they sitting there??!! I just cant understand it- I think/hope that they were in some kind of trance!

On a more positive note, I would like to praise the level of service received from all harbor masters along the Deben. John at Felixstowe ferry is an extremely helpful chap, and Mike at the tidemill is a legend, nothing is ever too much trouble.


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[surekandoo]

Why don't you "name & shame" him so the rest of us can avoid him. I sail this area but have to confess I try & avoid these crowded areas not just for the sake of peace & quiet but to try and eliminate the chance of meeting boat owners of this calibre.

I'm pleased to say that in my limited experience most boat owners, both power & sail do obey the rules and show consideration but there'll always be the arrogant types with more money than sense in every walk of life. It's always best to avoid them even if it means being inconvenienced.

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[Mirelle]

Jacket is right.

That was, indeed, the boat in question. Did not see the name on the stern, as we were heading outwards. The blue boat had a name beginning with P....but cannot be sure what the name was and I don't want to blame some quite innocent boat.

Walton used to be one of those un-crowded areas!

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[Mirelle]

Mike Ellis

aka "Mike the Pipe", ex harbourmaster at Woolverstone.

Earlier this year we were on our mooring overnight and during breakfast I happened to look out of a porthole and see the boat next to us in the wrong place - so I shot out of the hatch and found she had broken her mooring and was drifting gently ashore, at HW. Tried to recover her with our tender but with no sucess so rang Tide Mill on mobile as I knew they knew the owner and could tell him his boat was on the saltings for the next two weeks!

Mike promptly charges two miles downriver in the workboat and recovers her!


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[Jeremy_W]

I know you dislike calling up the coastguard, but would it be appropriate to report this vessel, which has apparently lost both the ability to manoeuvre and to regulate its speed to the coastguard as a hazard to shipping?

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[Gunfleet]

Re: We\'d gone by then but...

No. You've been unlucky enough to meet a rare example. Generally you will be well treated on the E coast.

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[Jacket]

Too busy trying to dodge him to notice his name!

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