Less than welcoming boat clubs

[Bristolfashion]

Had a read of a visitors policy at a south coast club recently, basically visitors welcome but going on to define a visitor as a yacht that was based elsewhere and that hadn't already been there during the last week. Kind of like a free parking space on the high street for maximum 1 hour and no return within 3 hours. I find it sad that such a definition was necessary, and guess it was necessary only due to wide boys taking liberties in the past. Face it, it's not the sport of kings anymore, for every real cruising visitor, there is some cheap bastard looking for a free place to dump their boat, maybe for ever.

I wouldn't judge or name and shame a club based on one interaction, every club in the country is struggling with the same sorts of problems, their volunteers need all the support we can give them, home or away. We'll miss them when they're gone.

Join your local yacht / sailing club, and give them all the support and assistance you can, we owe it to future generations, or we'll pass on a future of MDL / Yacht Havens hell, instead of the friendly welcoming bunch we all started with.

Wise words, I won't name.

As we are on a circumnavigation, every single location is new to us - so we're the opposite of the local taking the mickey. We'll be there a day or two, then gone. We also may need a little more help & guidance than more local sailors. We have, however, gone to some lengths in a few locations to locate a mooring owner and make appropriate payment - we walked a few miles down a Scottish loch to the post office where an ancient mooring receipt book was eventually located. We had to phone around on Skye to get to the right person and, of course, have had a few beers where the canny publican holds the mooring book (The Blue Peter, Polperro & The Old Forge @ Knoydart come to mind)

Where there's a community association or small club providing moorings (for a fee) we try and use those rather than anchoring.

Where there are facilities (or even an anchorage) we make a real effort to support the local economy - buy stuff in the local shop rather than stock up in the supermarket, have a meal in the cafe or pub and so on. I think that there's a special hell reserved for the "arrive late, leave early & skip paying" crew.

 

[LittleSister]

It's unfortunate that you had such an encounter, but I don't think you can damn the whole club on the basis of a single interaction with a single member on one occasion.

Every club has a few, er, 'characters'. He might have got out of bed the wrong side, had a contretemps with some other visitor shortly before, perhaps even was planning to out his own boat on the wall and didn't want to lose the space to you and have you on the moorings and seeing that was his reason for deterring you. Who knows.

A small club's email and phone calls will likely go to one person - club secretary or whatever - who may be away (perhaps cruising?) for a period.

Another day, or a different person, it could have been very different, and you might even be writing on here what a warm welcome you received and the jolly time you had there.

I hope the rest of your cruise makes up for it.

 

[Daydream believer]

And, finally, should I name the club?

Just out of interest- are you a member of a club yourself?

 

[Bristolfashion]

It's unfortunate that you had such an encounter, but I don't think you can damn the whole club on the basis of a single interaction with a single member on one occasion.

Every club has a few, er, 'characters'. He might have got out of bed the wrong side, had a contretemps with some other visitor shortly before, perhaps even was planning to out his own boat on the wall and didn't want to lose the space to you and have you on the moorings and seeing that was his reason for deterring you. Who knows.

A small club's email and phone calls will likely go to one person - club secretary or whatever - who may be away (perhaps cruising?) for a period.

Another day, or a different person, it could have been very different, and you might even be writing on here what a warm welcome you received and the jolly time you had there.

I hope the rest of your cruise makes up for it.

Quite right - and pretty much everywhere else has been very positive.

Just shows how easy it is to make a positive or negative impression.

It was just a bit of a shame because of the special reason for wanting to go there.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Given that you are in the West Country, would you be up the Tamar?

 

[Sandy]

In my opinion, it's a difference between @Bristolfashion, the club and possibly the club and the 'member'

What's it got to do with us?

Perhaps the club need to be made aware that somebody, member or not, is pissing somebody off and there has been reputational damage. If the OP publishes the club's name here there will be a lot more reputational damage.

We called it the "Daily Wail Test" when I worked full time.

 

[ylop]

Well, we weren't doing the "something that wasn't ok", we were simply stationary in the river near to, but not endangering, the club moorings. I'm not sure any club has that kind of jurisdiction over navigation. It's hardly a high security military facility, it's a slightly run down looking, but rather historic boat club up a river, so I can't see how taking a few snaps & videos of the view is a) any of his concern or b) problematic.

Maybe his (or your) resting face is the scowl!

No I think you’ve misunderstood. See if from his perspective - you arrive, you ask if you can tie to the wall (I don’t think you actually clarified who opened that conversation) and he says No. next thing he knows these people have a camera out recording stuff and taking pictures. I’m not suggesting you did anything wrong but if that the scenario (and that’s what you’ve told us) then I think you can see why it would look odd to him. Presumably at least some of that footage contained him. If you asked me if it was ok to park your car in the spaces opposite my house and I said no (I don’t own them and the woman who does is mental) and then started taking pictures of me/my house I’d think you a little odd. My house is in an area with industrial archaeology so it wouldn’t be totally out of the question that people take pictures but if they did so after what might seem a confrontational answer it would seem off.

 

[jwilson]

Over a lot of years (50-ish) of cruising when trying to borrow a mooring or pontoon space for a while I've had maybe three or four unpleasant encounters with club members/staff and many many more super-helpful ones. One so helpful (in Dun Laoghaire) that it involved many pints of Guinness whilst their bosun organised some diesel for us.

 

[Aja]

Perhaps the club need to be made aware that somebody, member or not, is pissing somebody off and there has been reputational damage. If the OP publishes the club's name here there will be a lot more reputational damage.

We called it the "Daily Wail Test" when I worked full time.

Perhaps. Perhaps the club is already aware of the situation. It really is a small local dispute. Of what interest is this particular spat of general interest?

I'm sure the OP would have liked a different outcome, but if it really is a small club, there may just not be the resources to deal with all requests.

I don't think much of the Daily Mail (or wail, if you will.)

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I wouldn't be in a club that would have me as a member.

As Groucho Marx said! And yes, I'm late to the party!

 

[johnalison]

As Groucho Marx said!

That confirms it then. I should have believed #18.

 

[B27]

Eh? The club website offers visitors moorings for which there is a charge (which of course I was very willing to pay). The pilot guide refers to the moorings and that the quay wall may be available. The sign on the quay wall by the landing pontoon indicates that the quay wall is usable & available and gives some advice about ladders. Apart from a one spot, the quay wall was occupied by boats, so it must be in reasonable condition. I didn't expect - they'd offered.

Bearing in mind that I'm cruising and cannot visit by land to scope out the location, apart from consulting the chart, the current almanacs (we carry both Reeds & the CA) & pilot guide, the club website, any other information on forums, the CA Captains Mate and attempting to both phone and email the club, there's not that much more you can do. At some point, you just have to pop up there & check it out.

Although , wouldn't you say that one of the positive things about small boat yacht cruising is "borrowing other people's stuff"? If I have a mooring or berth, I'd love to lend it to a cruiser, if I'm on a pontoon and someone comes in without a spot, I'm very happy to help them raft up on me, I'll happily share the best anchoring spots I know and any other local knowledge - not to mention showers, laundry, a meal or a trip to the shops or chandlery. I've both lent & borrowed tools. I've both given & received all of these things over the years. One, very kind, cruiser lent me an excellent pilot guide for the area we were entering & he was leaving with a cheery "send it back to me when you've finished". It would be a bit sad if we didn't both lend & borrow stuff?

Trouble is, in the West Country, lots of grockles turn up to borrow stuff and it's a one-way street.

However much you're theoretically happy to return a favour, it's unlikely to be of benefit to the small boat owner up the Dart or Exe.

There's a constant stream of tightwads from 'Up Country' 'borrowing' moorings to evade the HM's mooring fees etc, people's generosity and patience is quickly used up. There's also too many low-end 'liveaboard' types who can be hard to get rid of once admitted.

 

[Sandy]

Perhaps. Perhaps the club is already aware of the situation. It really is a small local dispute. Of what interest is this particular spat of general interest?

I'm sure the OP would have liked a different outcome, but if it really is a small club, there may just not be the resources to deal with all requests.

I don't think much of the Daily Mail (or wail, if you will.)

As I am currently west country based, the Tamar to be exact, I'm quite interested on what club it is. I can make a decision to visit or not.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Trouble is, in the West Country, lots of grockles turn up to borrow stuff and it's a one-way street.

However much you're theoretically happy to return a favour, it's unlikely to be of benefit to the small boat owner up the Dart or Exe.

There's a constant stream of tightwads from 'Up Country' 'borrowing' moorings to evade the HM's mooring fees etc, people's generosity and patience is quickly used up. There's also too many low-end 'liveaboard' types who can be hard to get rid of once admitted.

Isn't it a sort of communal system - I'm never likely to get any benefit from 99.9% of the people I've helped - or (probably) visit most of their clubs or home ports, but I help them, they help someone else and so on. Even a boat owner in the Fowey might welcome a friendly greeting in the Fal.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Trouble is, in the West Country, lots of grockles turn up to borrow stuff and it's a one-way street.

However much you're theoretically happy to return a favour, it's unlikely to be of benefit to the small boat owner up the Dart or Exe.

There's a constant stream of tightwads from 'Up Country' 'borrowing' moorings to evade the HM's mooring fees etc, people's generosity and patience is quickly used up. There's also too many low-end 'liveaboard' types who can be hard to get rid of once admitted.

Isn't it a sort of communal system - I'm never likely to get any benefit from 99.9% of the people I've helped - or (probably) visit most of their clubs or home ports, but I help them, they help someone else and so on. Even a boat owner in the Fowey might welcome a friendly greeting in the Fal.

Perhaps. Perhaps the club is already aware of the situation. It really is a small local dispute. Of what interest is this particular spat of general interest?

I'm sure the OP would have liked a different outcome, but if it really is a small club, there may just not be the resources to deal with all requests.

I don't think much of the Daily Mail (or wail, if you will.)

I agree entirely. If the website said politely,"unfortunately we are unable to welcome visitors by yacht, but visiting yachtsmen may anckor at ????? and visit by tender", maybe adding, "visiting yachtsmen are welcome to visit our bar & CV club house on club nights" if they wish, then fine - but it specifically welcomed visiting yachts, indicated moorings could be made available and provided contact details.

 

[Daydream believer]

In #23 I asked Bristolfashion if he was a member of a club. He has - so far- chosen not to reply.
I asked because I have little sympathy for freeloaders who turn up at clubs expecting to use their facilities. True they say that they sometimes say that they offered to pay. Many do not. But they have not actually contributed to the "Pot", by not leaving a home club somewhere to offer the same facilities, that they think that they might be entitled to ask for.
They are effectively getting a cheap ride. Leaving a mouldy unmaintained mooring up a river somewhere, then saying some visitor can borrow it whilst they are away, using another club's facilities, is not the same thing.
So when they whinge that they do not get the reception they expected, I have little sympathy. Pay your full dues cheap skates.

 

[DanTribe]

I've come across this attitude occasionally. I think that some individuals assume some responsibility and believe that a club exists to keep other people out.
It's fortunately fairly rare.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Of course, I was actually taking photos for my "Yacht Club Hall of Shame" website and for the Boat Club member wooden spoon trophy

Bearing in mind that he knew that we had a special reason to visit (my FIL was evacuated there and had very fond memories), we'd tried to make contact, it's a pretty waterscape with both historic & industrial heritage interest and it's a lovely morning to take a snap, you'd have to be pretty paranoid to suspect foul play. The quay area isn't even private & they must have tourists photographing things continually.

Even were I of a kleptomaniac persuasion, I'm not sure that the mostly shabby collection of old boats would hold much attraction.

 

[Neeves]

I wouldn't be in a club that would have me as a member.

It might be an old quote - but we need a bit of levity - and it was so apt. He did not insult anyone, he seems to be literate - we need members like that.

The media tell us times are tough - SMILE.

Jonathan

 

[Bristolfashion]

In #23 I asked Bristolfashion if he was a member of a club. He has - so far- chosen not to reply.
I asked because I have little sympathy for freeloaders who turn up at clubs expecting to use their facilities. True they say that they sometimes say that they offered to pay. Many do not. But they have not actually contributed to the "Pot", by not leaving a home club somewhere to offer the same facilities, that they think that they might be entitled to ask for.
They are effectively getting a cheap ride. Leaving a mouldy unmaintained mooring up a river somewhere, then saying some visitor can borrow it whilst they are away, using another club's facilities, is not the same thing.
So when they whinge that they do not get the reception they expected, I have little sympathy. Pay your full dues cheap skates.

Your implication is rather insulting.

I have NEVER failed to pay for any boating facility whatsoever, sometimes going to some lengths to ensure I pay, as I've mentioned previously. We always attempt to make contact in advance where this is requested or indicated.

In Fowey we came in after the harbour master launch was off duty and headed way upstream to a mooring that a local that we met elsewhere had offered - and, on walking into Fowey the next day, I went into the harbour master's office, registered & paid the dues.

Indeed, if the option is between paid visitors moorings & free anchoring, we tend to the mooring to support the facility. Even if the facility is provided by, say, a harbour authority, we'll try & visit any local boat club & buy a beer and/or meal.

In the same way, we always try to buy stuff from the local chandler wherever possible.

If a facility is offered for free (like local authority visitor's buoys in parts of ROI), I make every effort to put something back by supporting businesses, community events or charities in that location.

I'm a member of the cruising association which makes a lot of its information available generally - just look in YM and at the Almanac. I support that, both philosophically and with my fee.

I'm also a member of a local club which I joined specifically because they were so friendly when I visited casually (by boat) after having just bought the current boat. Despite having been away from my home ground on a four year project, I continue to pay my dues 'cos they're a good club. Rather than "mouldy unmaintained moorings", we have very well maintained moorings, a rather good pontoon, a scrubbing grid and a splendid club house - all available to visitors. And, rather than "up a river" somewhere, we are in a major, popular boating location.

In the same way, I have my monthly donation to the RNLI - I hope to never use them, but I'm happy to make a small contribution so that they can help others.