I'm a raggie - tow me offer here!

[Solitaire]

I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

With such a clement day I decided to pop over to Cowes for a pint and a sandwich - also has a meeting but that by the by! On the way back it was heading for low tide and the Bramble bank was expeosed. And low and behold stuck on it is a raggie. I motored over and asked if he needed a hand. Yep he replied so out comes a bridle and the longest rope in the locker - advise Solent Coastguard and away we go. After nearly running up the bank myself as the guy on the yacht tries to take the line round his mast, we evntually pull him off. OK says he I've got an engine - the outboard takes some time to start - and with just a grudging thanks he b******rs of towards Southampton Water. Well thinks I, was he to ashamed to admit that he'd been helped by a power boat? My mate looks at me and says is that normal? Says I he's a rag and stick man, doesn't look good to be seen to be helped by a power boat. I let SCG say all is well and off I poodle thinking "At least he'll be home in time for tea/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[jimi]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

Aha ... thats where TwisterKen's been all afternoon then /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[sailbadthesinner]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

no way
ken would have waited for the tide
or global warming to raise the sea /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=red>I can't walk on water, but I do run on Guinness</font color=red>

 

[hlb]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

You should have done like my mate did. A long time ago on the Broads. Backs the 10 ton hire boat up to yacht stuck in mud and we through a line. All the raggies were stood on top of the cabin. So my mate gave it full bore with about 50ft of slack rope. You have never seen a yacht jump so high out of the water!!

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Haydn

 

[Solitaire]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

But he had'nt not said thanks at that time - mind you I was more worried about buggering the props than trying to toss the bloke in the air. Emm, interesting choice of words/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Twister_Ken]

Double whammy

Just take a leak over the side. Lightens ship and raises sea level

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Blue_Blazes]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

I won't have a bad word said about raggies. Many years ago when we had our first motor boat, a scabby 16ft scorpio with an ancient merdecruiser outdrive (previous owner = Noah, sold to us by a robbing s**t who saw us coming miles away). We suffered a failure of the top end of the leg whilst returning from Sheerness to Gillingham. The silly little anchor we had wouldn't hold and we were being dragged along by the ebb. With the use of a couple of paddles we managed to get close enough to the bank to grab hold of Cockleshell jetty, the last of the old Isle ofGrain refinery piers before you get dragged out into the Thames estuary. It was getting quite late in the evening and traffic was not heavy. The options were: scale the barbed wire fence and walk 4-5 miles to get help, or wave down a passing boat. No prizes for guessing which we chose. Not having much gear on board to signal with, I started waving a life-jacket at any thing that went past. Now, if you saw a small boat tied to a pier it's not supposed to be tied to, and a bloke waving an orange life-jacket like he's trying to fly, you'd probably think something was up, wouldn't you? Not the first six boats that went past. Three motor boats and a raggie passed by and completely ignored us and then one raggie waved cheerily back! Luckily a little sailboat skipper saw us and came close enough to ask what was up. He then took us in tow alongside and spent the next 2 1/2 hours battling the tide with his little outboard to get us back to Gillingham Pier. His SWMBO meanwhile conjured up some soup and brandy from somewhere. I never got chance to thank them properly but I know they were members of Benfleet yacht club. So if anyone knows who they are, thank them for me.

Bill.

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[ccscott49]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

Ungrateful B.....d, why do they have to behave that way, I'm a ragpot, but had both types of boat it just goes right over my head all this crap. No wonder there is this anomosity with dickheads like that about.

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[BarryH]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

Bit of balance needed me thinks. I've no doubt that it has nothing to do with the type of boat that a particular person uses. Its all down to the person themselves. You only have to look at society in general to see that people are becoming more insular and less likely to "get involved" Some people are helpful some are not.

I've towed powerboats of of mud banks and have recieved no thanks for it. I've towed raggies and they have been more than grateful. All depends on the person your helping. I find in general people are quick to call for help, but can be slow in offering it. I offer, because I'd like to think that if I ever needed help, some one would be kind enough to help me.

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[Solitaire]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

Exactly my view. Last year, I had a "major" problem, the exhaust gaiter on one side of the engine had a hole burnt in it due to a blocked exhaust riser. It actually looked and sounded worse than it was, but on opening the engine hatch steam, smoke and exhaust gasses just billowed out, it was just like an Indian smoke signal. One of my crew said we are on fire (not a good thing on a petrol/LPG boat, we weren't but I have an ignition light in the engine bay and it was glowing in the smoke - anyway, I don't know where all the boats came from but we could have stepped off onto several boats, raggies included. Simple moto - do unto others what you would have them do unto you - /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

In general, I think we are all pretty thoughtful and do respond to others needs and know the dangers of being caught out on the sea.

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[tcm]

Re: I\'m a raggie - tow me offer here!

I agree. I've not been helped like this (luckily) but I have helped. "Thanks" varies. A monster waah waah powerboat whom we merely helped in to a berth came round with rather excessive presents. But a rental boat whom we towed in more than a mile after he'd run out of fuel seemed to think we were part of the harbour service, didn't even wave. Somehow, once freed, it seems a reasonable thing to call the towing boat over and hand them a bottle as a thankyou.

Oops , no I remeber now I have been towed in busted dinghies, and i did respond appropriately. Two kids on a PWC so they wanted pepsi.

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