MOBO's V Raggies

[Major Catastrophe]

MOBO\'s V Raggies

Is it me, or are some people just rude because they are ignorant, ill educated or feel superior?

As I enter my second year of boat ownership, I thought I enjoyed a genial relationship with the raggies I pass on the Menai Straights. A wave here, a reduction of speed there and everyone is happy.

On Sunday, I was invited to crew on a 32 foot twin diesel fly bridge gin palace and I was surprised at the different reaction it got compared with my 22 footer.

Off Beaumaris pier the marked channel is a hundred feet wide between two buoys. As we approached we noticed there was a dinghy race in progress. Well, they weren't really dinghies, but retro looking four man racing skiffs all moving pretty fast.

We slowed down as we go closer to the fifteen, or so, racers but had to thread our way very carefully through the throng as they were actually using the green and red buoys as racing marks. All this was supervised by a couple of men in an open boat flying a burgee.

Man, you should have heard the language. One old boy, even waved his fist at us!

As they were racing in a very narrow channel and using the channel buoys to turn on, I am not sure they had any right to object to us slowly picking our way through the frenzied racers.

It was like approaching a zebra crossing in a car only to find a bicycle race taking place on the crossing.

What does the panel think and do you think we should have rammed a couple? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[powerskipper]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

I have seen this too, seems to be toward any big boat, I have seen it happen to big sail boats too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jerryat]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

And small sailboats like mine as well. Don't worry Crisser, all racing types seem to leave their common sense and good manners behind when racing. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

In the sort of situation you experienced, you can only do your best .......... then ignore the ignorant, self-centred fools who still protest.

 

[RupertW]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

As a raggie, I can just about cope with dinghy racing courses being set across main channels, though it does seem a bit silly. What I cannot understand is why they are then surprised and irritated that people use the channel. If they want to use big craft as moving slaloms then good luck to them but they should then take it in good spirit.

 

[mainshiptom]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

A few weeks back I was anchoring to watch a Barge race ! One of the barges skipper made a comment that "I was not showing an Anchor ball" !

Since then I have been showing an anchor ball every time ! This sunday we found ourselves in the midlle of of a dingy race , They did not say anything but the looks on thier faces could of told the story !


Tom

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Was it these guys

Nice to watch from the cockpit when at anchor, did not try ploughing through them!

 

[Gludy]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

Whilst waiting for a lock and holding my position alongside a moored boat a raggie managed to collide with my boat hitting my stern, shearing off the flagpole etc.

He was moving, I was stationary and in front - he simply reversed off and then passed into the lock looking the other way - i was in the next lock.

I found his name and telephone number and phoned him and was more than a little surprised to be told that I should not have been where I was because I was not in the next lock hence he had some sort of right to ram me. In fact he had more than 50 foot of clear room to my starboard and I was in position having been called to be the first boat in the next lock.

He also denied hitting me but when i pointed out that I had 9 witnesses and his paint was on my stern he backed down on that one and offered to pay half. in fact it was simply a new flagpole and a rub with T-Cut but I refused on the grounds that it was all his fault - he told me clearly that he had been sailing for years and simply does not go around hitting boats and refused to pay it all - I told him that i would pay if he would apologise but nope ..... even that was not acceptable so I got my money's worth by telling him what I thought of him in very clear terms.

I really do find the attitude of many raggies to be holier than thou - even extends to a wake boarder who whilst I was dropping my anchor in a bay tried to force me out of the way by exerting sail over power rights despite me being 60 foot and having no chance of getting out of his way whilst not making way.

I am often called into a lock first because of my size - if I am going into that lock anyway its sensible to give me a pontoon position rather than try to raft up to many tiny boats - me hitting another boat at 2 knots is different to little boats hitting at 2 knots. this first in procedure really upsets many boaters - I have had them disobey the lock master and cut across my bows to stop me despite the fact that they were number 2 in the list anyway and would be locked in and out the lock quicker.

So yes - as your boat gets bigger attitudes do change.... a shame but true.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Re: Was it these guys

Jobbies in the bottom pic, with the flared sterns. Don't know correct nautical term.

Add a good chop with a good stiff wind and these things were like a swarm of bees.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

Interesting Paul. I think that whilst I am pottering around in my 22 footer, I will observe all niceties but when I am next in a big job, or in two years time when I trade up to a Botnia Targa, the b*st*rds had better get out of my way.... /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Seriously though, I have read posts about this subject and thought you were all parnoid. But it seems that the bigger your boat, the more you are hated.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: Was it these guys

We had a lovely evening on the mooring below Beaumaris Pier watching the race / drift while getting pleasantly merry last year.

Beautiful looking boats all moored in the pool opposite Beaumaris, I do not know which class they are, but other than your complaints, they do look tremendous!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

[ QUOTE ]
I really do find the attitude of many raggies to be holier than thou - even extends to a wake boarder who whilst I was dropping my anchor in a bay tried to force me out of the way by exerting sail over power rights despite me being 60 foot and having no chance of getting out of his way whilst not making way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Leaving the anchoring aside, herein lies the problem.

People who drive 'bigger' boats, be they power or sail have some kind of belief that everything should give them a wide berth regardless of the rules. 60ft is not big, not in the wide picture. You are still the give way vessel to an 8ft sailing dinghy, regardless of how much more your vessel is worth etc.

This is why you get so much perceived hatred, because it is a two way street, you hate having to alter course for lesser mortals, they hate you apparently because you think you are better and the rules do not apply.

Simple really.

 

[Gludy]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

It has now become so bad that when i return to the Marina to lock in I wait for row over the radio.

I try to position myself so all can pass without restriction but so that I can make it to the lock without being blocked by small boats I cannot weave around.

Normally the lock master will look at his list and if he thinks I am getting in the lock anyway will call me in first .... then the radio complaints start pouring in ... happens every time. What does not dawn on these idiots is the fact that they will get out of the lock before me - I am normally last out anyway.

One row when the other boat blocked me off causing me to do a water churning reverse was when he was number one in the list and I was number 2. I was called in and to prevent this he crossed my bows. The lock master rebuked him ... he argued ..... he was told to get out the way ... then refused .... in the end iIradioed that he should go ahead anyway. he went ahead with the lock master bending his ear every step he took.

Basically few of the smaller boats around me realise that I cannot weave as tightly as them through a pack of boats - nor do they realise that the lock master has the larger boats pontooned inside the lock with the smaller boats rafted up the centre. some sort of blind jealousy gets in the way and lock positions become some sort of manhood statements.

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

I don't think there are any circumstances where you are totally safe from generating some rights of way "excitement" - in years gone by I've even nearly been rammed by a small sailing cruiser, on a reservoir, while (correctly position near the gybe mark) manning the safety boat for a dinghy race.....good job the engine started when required, got out of the way to shouts of "powwwwer gives waaay to saaaail" as they went by....

Nowt so strange as folk.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bergman]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

Yes

I've seen exactly the same thing, and never understood it.

I'd far rather the big stuff went in first and let us smaller boats raft on them - easier all round.

Also of course last in is usually first out so with luck and a bit of organisation you can be in the pub before the big stuff is properly parked.

I'd usually put it down to an inferiority complex but perhaps they ARE inferior.

 

[LittleShip]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

If he is in your marina notify the staff and they should give you his insurance details, let them fight it out.

I have to say that I came to Mobo after a back injury and still class myself as a "sailor" however, my bug bear (now apparent) with yachties is whilst in the marina lock they will insist on pushing off on my teak top rail and not the more substantial lower one.

If I was to push the stanchion on the yacht I would soon hear complaints from the skipper, so all beware, this ex yachty, now mobo owner voices his concern when anybody treats his boat without the respect that he gives to theirs? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
We all have a right to be on the water no matter what size or type and we should respect that right, God knows there is enough crap in normal day life without fighting amongst ourselves about who is the more righteous.

Now then, that’s my rant over


Tom

 

[oldgit]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

Guess as you climb up the boaty ladder one of the things have to be accepted is that while your attitude to others does not change the perceptions of those around you does. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[thomshap]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

You should try Chichester Harbour on a good day, you have to go though several races to get to the sea.
The only way to keep the dinghy racers happy is to stay put in the marina. If you slow down or even stop you get shouted at, as they were planning where you'd be when they got to you, if you carry on then you upset the rest who were expecting you to either stop or run aground.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Re: Was it these guys

Yes, I was admirimg them, whilst dodging them, until the swearing, shouting and gesticulating started.

We were only doing seven knots on the ebb.

 

[Whitelighter]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

Iwas (as many of you know) a raggie from my teens to my early twenties, both on my fathers cruisers and my own racing dingies.

Because of this, I have always been careful around the smaller sailing boats and made allowances even if they seem to be pushing the boundries somewhat.

Coming back in to Chichester harbour a couple of Sundays ago, there were a lot of Lasers and 49ers coming back in from the days racing. The 49ers need a trapieze man, especially as the wind was getting up. They were tacking across the channel to get back in, which is fine, when I noticed the boat directly infront of me was about to broach - and when your trapieze man looses his footing and gets wet there is no going back. The hadnt actually capsized, but anticipating it I throttle off and gave a stab or reverse to stop the boat. All to avoid running them over. They did indeed go over, but from the water had the courtesy to acknoledge my action with a wave and a shout of 'thank you'.

What took me completely by suprise was the simultanious torrent of abuse from behind me.

Apparantly another racer had been sailing far to close to me (and well over the speed limit, but that clearly only applies to MoBos not fast racing dingies!) and when I abruptly stopped to avoid his mate, had taken evasive action and found himself swimming!

In my view this is typical of most, not all, sailors from the Hayling Island Sailing Club who are on the whole the biggest bunch of pretetious [--word removed--] I have ever had the misfourtune to share the water with.

Regardless of Power and Sail, it is the overtaking boat that should give room for both boats. I might just run the little f!cker over next time he drops in front of me

 

[peteandthira]

Re: MOBO\'s V Raggies

As a yottie, I have a great deal of respect for MOBOs and certainly give a friendly wave. I have never seen one do anything else other than what was correct at the time. I do see a lot of surly yotties though, who don't wave back. The best fun of all is testing yourself on yer colregs by sailing through a race. I don't do that deliberately, is just sometimes happens! It seems the more wooden and traditional they are, and the closer to the water they are sitting, the more grumpy they are. Are they actually having any fun?

Pops