In sympathy with Yachties....

Piers,

You may have already seen them but the joint articles in YM and MBY concerning a motor boater and raggie swapping places for a day made for interesting reading.

Would suggest looking at MBY's article for a more positive, impartial view or YM's for a...err need to think diplomacy here....traditional view.

C
 
So when I drive past the local school as the kids come out, in my DB7 doing 165mph just because I have a fast car then you won't complain?
.... and anyway my Grand Banks can do 22kts even if I do plod around at 12kts.
 
I very much doubt you would get 165 mph out of your car in Guernsey let alone near any school. Be my guest and try.

What you say is actually my point, I dont live in the Solent or cruise there so the actions are very different.

We have plenty of room to pass here so we all give each other room to manouvre except when a whole load of raggies are racing up and down from St Martins pont to Refee then we just power through weaving in and out otherwise they are a mobile flotilla and if you tried to go through at 6-10 knots you would have hem shouting get out of the way. I have a very good freind who is a raggie and she gave me pointers years ago on what the racers prefer and the pleasure boaters also. Have never had a raggie complain I was too close before.

I am sick of people moaning about wash on the forum, it aint never gonna stop its a fact of life. Moan about people chopping your bows or cutting you up or getting too close but wash you will get if they pass nearby whatever.

Look at the Little Russel on a flat calm day it can look like a storm is passing through it just because the amount of wash caused by boats. Nothing you can do about it but cross it or dont go out!

Dom

I am boating again ;-)
 
As I said before, boat moves thru water, waters gotta move out of the way. Poole entrance always gets quiet congested and bloody choppy. On most occasions theres ony 15 to 20 yards between boats. What really annoys me is there is a big sign saying use engines. The amount of raggies that sail through is unbelievable. Then of course you have the chain ferry, and on occasion, The Barflur or one of the seacats!! Complain to them about their wash, Dare ya!!

OK, to hell with it. Unbolt it and we'll use it as an anchor!
 
In another part of this thread, I have already said I was on a Sailing School boat last week for 6 days in and around the Solent (as a power man for many years, I'm now crossing to the otherside - discovered sailing is very good by the way). I will repeat again, even in the relatively light wind conditions, with many power boats passing by, all at speed, only once did wash really affect us, and that was with a 34 footer passing too close (about 100 metres), and even that was no real problem - the rest of the time , it was no big deal whatsoever. In general I found the raggies a good bunch, but I really believe they hate power boats and will whinge about everything to do with them. Couldn't find out the real reason for the hate though - maybe they don't know themselves!!
 
We don't hate all power boaters just the inconsiderate ones...same dislike applies ton racing boats of a similar ilk. Wash is only ever a problem if a power boat either comes too close or they are going at speed through an anchorage or going at speed in very congested waters. Other than that it is part of life. Several times in recent years a power boat has targeted us by comming close at speed and taking great delight in our discomfort but is very unusual.

Pete
 
Re: I was there too...

Kim, I do take your point and I believe we all have to be a bit more careful otherwise some nosy legislator will make a problem out of it. However, I do still have to say that gilling about off Cowes on a Bank Holiday weekend is like stopping on the hard shoulder of the M25 for a picnic and with respect, you were not helming those boats that passed close to you so you were'nt to know what other boats they were trying to avoid.
Sorry to be facetious but as regards passing dangerously close, we're all happy to load our families into our cars and drive down an A -road at 60mph or more and pass within feet of a 38t artic coming the other way at a closing speed of, say, 120mph so you could say that passing another boat at a distance of say 80ft (2 boat lengths) at a closing speed of say 60mph doesnt seem that dangerous in comparison. Just a thought
 
Re: I was there too...

I have sailed most of my life and have seen all sorts of stupid behavior on the water. One thing we all have in common is the enjoyment of the water, so why can we not just do our own thing and be considerate to others. Remember why we are out there FUN!!! And by the way I have recently bought a very fast sports cruiser but still sail with friends it is possible to enjoy both
 
You will never ever solve this argument, why try? I for one do not understand the hatred shown by many sailing yachtsmen for power boaters, it's for the most part illogical and uneccessary, the wash doesn't bother me too much, unless they are very close, whre they shouldn't be! but otherwise, I wave to all and sundry, we are all out on the water, enjoying ourselves, live and let live amnd stop all this utter bullshit, can we also stop this "raggie" " stinkie" crap aswell? Please, it's becoming a little tiresome, thankyou.
 
I think the RYA are reading the forums. I've just got the autmn mag through the door today. They've started their Sea Sense scheme. All about raggies, stinkies,pwc all getting along together.

OK, to hell with it. Unbolt it and we'll use it as an anchor!
 
Give Tutt's stick instead!! or arsehole boaters in general! But no more "raggie" "stinkie" horseshit. it really is becoming a pain in the bum. Afterall, motorboats have normally bigger fridges with beer in them and below in the saloon of a sailboat is really a cozy place to drink them and TALK to each other!
 
The problem is well overstated. The majority of power and sail co-exist quite happily, you get idiots in both forms, I was badly cut up by a yacht motor sailing who hurled abuse at me as we tacked at the last minute to avoid him, I was on stbd at the time, far worse than wash. Most power boats either give a widish berth or slow down but when you get a testerone filled idiot the wash can be bad, enjoy the sailing, most sail boaters end up going to power when they physically can no longer handle sails.

Pete
 
Now you've totally dumbfounded me Peter. I thought I was going to end up being a raggie when I'd retired and had neither the wit to work out where I was at over 20 knots, or the money to buy the diesel that lets me cruise at that speed.

I'd always assumed that sailing was for those who had weeks to get there and 20hp to crawl to a port if the wind died completely.

Now what am I going to do, buy a little displacement boat at 60, I only graduated to power when I began earning enough money to buy large amounts of diesel?

Chris

www.impact-computers.net/boat/cruiser.htm
 
I don't sail that part of the coast but you should remember just because they've got the sails up doesn't mean they're not motoring. It's a lot easier sometimes to put the sails up somewhere sheltered and then motor out with them raised. I had just this conversation with the port controller of Dover on the vhf once, when he accused me of 'making sail' in Dover harbour (which you must enter and leave under power). I'm not, sez I, I'm head to wind. I am going to use my sails once I've left the harbour. He didn't reply.
 
Don't be put off - I'm 59 and switching from power to sail. Also retired and can no longer afford the cost of owning/running an S37. Sailing much cheaper all round, and very peaceful. I'm buying new with furling headsail and mainsail, to allow easier sail deployment/reefing when the years finally catch up with me!!
 
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