laughing stock

sch3nk3r

sch3nk3r

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This weekend I took my 310 statesman out on the river for only the second time. Fantastic. Came back to the marina, club balcony packed, everyone sitting on their boat having a lovely time. Made a right pigs ear of mooring. As the laughter from the balcony increased so did the panic. As everyone around shot up to protect their boat the embarressment got worse. I thought this boating lark was supposed to be fun. I have never been so embarressed in my life. I am going back down in the week for some practise when marina not so packed. Only going very slow so no damage done. Any symphathy would be appreciated!
 
i had a small problem geting back on the berth yesterday due to strong cross winds....well thats my story /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

after third failed attempt i gave two very short blasts


when i got to the berth it was full of spectators....all waiting to catch a line. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
new swmbo has learnt a lot but still a bit worried about stepping off with the lines.

i keep the camera handy just in case.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
LIkley to be sympathetic laughter, as we have all learned by experience and dinging pontoons and walls ! Don't worry !

Why not get a day tuition from one of our Forum teachers ? Well worth the money IMHO ! Also helps if you are going for any formal certificates.
 
I'm going through the same anguish as well. It seems to be a case of two steps forward and one step back, but as long as you didn't damage anything what's the problem?

You'll probably find it's nervous laughter as they remember having exactly the same problems as you in years gone by.

Everyone I've met has been very helpful and sympathetic, I just wish they'd invent a boat with brakes and no momentum. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

All the best.

John
 
Hapens to the best (and worst) of us.

I came back in to my very easy alongside mooring yesterday and took three attempts, the two abortive attempts involved turning round and going out (again) past packed boats.

One shouted some assistance, which I said I would accept if they saw me a third time (which they fortunately didn't /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)
 
I wouldnt worry mate.
I moved marina and on arrival my engine failed and i had to be recovered.
1st time out and came back in and the same thing happened and had to be recovered again.

2nd time out at new marina and i had to be towed in by a fishing boat...
Not been out 3rd time yet..
Believe me, after that lot you grow a thick skin to these things.
And as the others say, anyone who insists they moor perfectly every time is fibbing rather alot!!
 
Well now you know how quickly it all falls apart, I agree with everything said.... we all "cock up"

I always ask if others want a line taking from ashore, surprising how many come and offer their help afterwards.

Don't worry about it, your turn to stand and laugh will come...... as long as nobody is injured and there is no damage thats fine.

When I started to sail one of the older more experienced hands told me....

there are only to difficult things about sailing....

1. Letting go of the land.
2. Getting hold of it again

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Tom
 
Try not to worry about it and don't let it make you nervous.

I never mind when someone hits my boat as long as it is not under power.
You were blown by the wind/current , didn't panic and didn't cause damage.
I get annoyed when idiots get it wrong and then put the power on which causes the damage.

Also train the crew to stay calm, no matter how wrong you get it and no matter how much fibre glass is floating away the crew must say clearly and calmly

" oh its alright , the fender has got it "

This will have two effects, spectators will loose interest and
you will feel better and ready for the second attempt. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Dave, there aint one of us on ere who aint done it/doing it.
And if One says He aint He,s lieing!
My boat is dead easy to berth/park/moor or whatever You want t call it.
Every time I go in/out it seems something has changed!
Although I,ve had Her for 4 Years and I have been boating for 25 Years.
I quite often practice in the Marina,nudging into other peeps berths(sneaky like, when they aint lookin!) going into different fingers, turning her round when there is a bit of a wind blowing.
Sounds daft--- but I put Her along side pontoons and places that are hard to get too, with the wind in the wrong place,
Then try and work how to get from there!
I know it must be Sadism.
But when you are doing it when you don,t have to.
It all makes sense when You Do.
Plus it aint such a rush or panic whilst you are practicing.
Yeh! I,ve had some odd looks too, whilst piddling about in the Marina!
Boats like the Sealine aint the easiest type to get a grip with.
Lots of fenders slowly does it You,ll be OK.
After the 800th go you,l be OK.
Think I,m on the 654 th just getting the hang of it.
Good fun innit. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I don't know whether this is being sympathetic or not but you could'nt have picked a more difficult boat to manouvre at slow speed in windy conditions. I had a Sealine 305 many years ago and it was a pig to handle in a marina. Flybridge boats with their high superstructure just have too much windage for outdrive power IMHO as there is little or no control over the bow. Maybe fit a bowthruster?
 
sometimes it just happens - throttle sticks at a vital moment, gear shift adopts a 'quantum' approach of am I or am I not in gear, etc

sympathy........

I elected to actually jump off mine 4 years ago to hold it off a couple of submerged rocks when I realised I had drifted too shallow to use the leg to get clear - engine off, leg up and me over the side in 3ft.......comical maybe but it was warm and no damage to anything but pride!

new guy on the pontoon behind me last weekend spent 2 hours on his own going in and out of his berth through the tide change - good on him 'cos far to few do it. In his case SWMBO concerns had prompted his actions but in the end he worked out which rope to tie where first etc and his confidence and (apparant) capability jumped significantly.
 
[ QUOTE ]
i had a small problem geting back on the berth yesterday due to strong cross winds....well thats my story /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I do my very best not to make the winds cross... they can get into a right stop otherwise /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I recall making a bit of a botch of a mooring on one occasion when we had a new neighbour on the pontoon next to us.

I got off and said "I can normally do better than that" with an embarrassed grin.

"Listen" he said "The definition of a successful mooring is - no damage to any boats and no human casualties, so yours was perfectly ok".

I think thats fair comment really. You cant get it right all the time - and we all have the t-shirt as someone said earlier.
 
I agree, I always contend that if no one dies or is seriously injured, then I can count it as a successfully landfall.

Thought I had it all sorted last week, then I totally miss timed the turn and then had to do lots of revving and and gear shifts to get it back into a position to try again.

Usually find that the audience will avert their gaze if you look 'em in the eye. They have all been there and all will visit that uncomfortable cormer of boating again.
 
Well, thank God, we thought we were the only ones making fools of ourselves this weekend.

It was our first time out of the marina, (Sealine 365, no bowthruster,) and thanks to a mixture of inexperience and a gusty wind it took three attempts to get out, in the process of which we tore our canopy, bounced gently off the end of two boats and scared the life out of a third and finally re-entered the lock sideways in front of an admiring crowd. I'm told it gets easier with practice, so just 799 more to go...

Thaks to lots and lots of fenders no harm was done to other boats, and thoughout, everyone involved or just watching was patient, calm and helpful. We could get to like this boating lark.
 
I had a cross wind one time doing an anchor-out and stern-tie in Conover Cove on Wallace island, B.C. The north side of the cove has steel rings ashore for the stern line, but they were all full. I had to anchor on the south side of the cove and stern-tie to a tree. The cross wind was pushing me toward the dock. I had to set the anchor three times to get the boat in a proper position to clear the dock as well as an appropriate distance from shore. My wife stood on the stern paying out the stern-tie line. It took a full hour, all of which provided good entertainment for those fortunate enough to be on the dock. But that's what boaters do when they are not either cruising or sailing. They watch the other boats arriving.

That particular experience was before I had installed a reel on the stern rail for the stern-tie line. Next year I had a reel installed for my 600-feet of stern tie line and did the anchoring and stern-tie in 15-minutes singlehandedly
.
 
don't sweat it i manged to get my boat length ways between two finger pontoons... interesting /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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