"Move over & start your engine"

[KristiferColumbus]

Now I have a picture in my head of a yacht pirouetting whilst drifting into the harbour with an outboard precariously perched on a wonky bracket, in front of the RNs finest attempting to leave Portsmouth in the defence of Queen and Country.

Sounds to me like you have probably got a flagpole stuffed in that area where the sun don't shine because when there is any danger I am the first to start my engine.As previously stated.What I object to is being bullied into that small boat channel when there is no danger.
I have seen dangerous situations develop because many small boats have been bottled up for no apparent reason.Over & out.....

 

[fireball]

Over & out.....

No VHF operators licence?

 

[Iota]

kristifercolumnbus the harbour falls under the remit of QHM you either follow QHM rules or don't go into the waters controlled by QHM.

I say again if you don't like the rules don't go there, nobody forces you to.

 

[KristiferColumbus]

No VHF operators licence?

Me I never go to sea unless I have a member of the health & safety personally holding my hand

 

[fireball]

and obviously don't understand the meaning of the "out" either ...

 

[Seafort]

Ouch

Me I never go to sea unless I have a member of the health & safety personally holding my hand

Trust me on this, NEBOSH makes yachtmaster ocean theory look a doddle, let alone a diploma. At least yachtmaster is logical.

Anyway, a totally different set of reg's at sea, MCA I think. Signs like "Do not place hot drinks on this shelf during heavy weather" allegedly.

Dave.

 

[Cloona]

first would like to thank QHM volunteers for pulling me off Hamilton bank - without rubbing my nose in it too much -

- speaking up for the small boat sailors - the main hazard at Portsmouth Harbour entrance is impatient high powered leisure craft (sail and motor) playing dodgems and formula 1 and churning up the water -

- having an outboard engine means you are obliged to use it which can lead to a couple of hazards
a/ getting a motor started and engaged in a seaway
b/the motor failing (getting swamped by someones wash perhaps) in the harbour entrance

for these reasons I keep the main up, the jib hanked on, a paddle handy -

and if conditions were such that I was not prepared to spend time leaning over the transom fiddling with japanese technology I would sail in and sort out the arguments afterwards -

I think too many "sailors" take auxilary power for granted and assume they have horsepower at the flick of a switch - when the default thinking should always be how do I make it under sail -

 

[lw395]

I think too many "sailors" take auxilary power for granted and assume they have horsepower at the flick of a switch - when the default thinking should always be how do I make it under sail -

A fine ideal, but in the old days of no motors, passage planning used to include planning an arrival time when it was possible to sail in, i.e. favourable tide and not too much traffic. I did quite a lot of miles with no engine with The RYA 20 odd years ago, but would not choose to do that on the central South Coast nowadays. Like most people I don't have the flexibility of time to select when and where I go on the basis of never using an engine.

I suppose you could say I'm lucky to have afforded boats with inboards, but I would not really be happy going to sea with an engine that is significantly likely to get swamped in Portsmouth entrance. It does get a bit lively but no worse than a boat should be coping with if you're going to sea.

The real hazard here is that everbody goes out and comes in at much the same time. Also there is more commercial pressure such as IOW ferries crossing in the entrance, more and faster pilot launches etc. Plus the entrance is 20ft narrower than it used to be due to the sea defence work. When you get boats making half a knot against the tide, they clutter the entrance for a long time. If that's the best speed you can do, better to be at the entrance before the tide starts running so hard!

Nobody notices the patrol when they are polite and helpful, but the one or two awkward characters make a real impact.

 

[snooks]

I think too many "sailors" take auxilary power for granted and assume they have horsepower at the flick of a switch - when the default thinking should always be how do I make it under sail -

This isn't about whether you are able to sail in and sail out of a harbour, up to a mooring, or into a quiet river. It's about following the rules of the harbour. Whether you agree with them or not is neither here nor there, the fact is the rules are there, and should be obeyed.

I can happily sail into the harbour, up to a mooring, or onto a pontoon. And I would like to sail as far as possible with the engine off...but I switch my engine on as we approach Portsmouth, not only is it the prudent thing to do, it's also what I have to do.

The same way that if I'm sailing up a narrow channel I will stick the engine on (out of gear) just in case I get headed when I don't want to, or touch the either river bank, or want to make it past a moored yacht with room to spare....Sheets can jam, accidents can happen, it's good seamanship to have it running.

Just because your engine is an "auxiliary" it doesn't mean you have to sail every cable every day

People who don't obey the byelaws can be nuisance. If they were teenagers wearing hoodies disobeying laws would the opinion here still be the same?

 

[Evadne]

Well our inboard is quite capable of pushing us along at a breathtaking 3-4 knots, which means that if we have given up trying to sail anywhere that day, and ducked into Portsmouth harbour for the night we spend about 30-40 minutes motoring in through the entrance. That's if the Yanmar can keep going for that long.
I would take talk of "get yourself a reliable engine" from all those megayot and benytoe owners with a pinch of salt, I have a sailing boat and using the engine is for the last resort, when sailing there is impossible and drifting or anchoring is undesirable. Certainly it is not to be relied upon, any more than a chart plotter, a radar or a rocna anchor. [/trollmode]

As has been said, the wind usually makes trying to sail in agin the tide a fools errand. On the odd occaision it is set fair, I have sailed in as this is much quicker than motoring. Motorsailing is not something I do out of preference in any wind, as heeling can lift the engine intake out of the water on starboard tack. With a fair tide, having the motor on makes little difference to speed or control.
I've never been ticked off by the QHM ribs, nor helped because I was struggling, even when it took me well over an hour to make it past the RN nobs' house on the left bank on one occaision. Maybe they only pick on the locals? (And Ken, apparently.)

 

[Twister_Ken]

Oh, I wouldn't say they picked on me. I was about the only yottie (late afternoon, midweek) around, and I think they may have been trying to justify their existence.

 

[Cloona]

This isn't about whether you are able to sail in and sail out of a harbour, up to a mooring, or into a quiet river. It's about following the rules of the harbour. Whether you agree with them or not is neither here nor there, the fact is the rules are there, and should be obeyed.

i do obey the rules, when possible - altho to be fair i do also have a hoody -

my point was that the biggest danger to my small plywood yacht was the impatience of those
behind the wheel (and computa screen) of masisvely over-engined yachts - power and sail - who want to get wherever they are going at max speed ...

funny how there is often such an argumentative tone on here -

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I was so put in danger by the 'volunteers' packing us in to such a confined area on a spring ebb last year, that I wrote to the Harbour Master to make my concerns known. No reply!
On the day, I did however give the well meaning chaps an ear bashing without too many harsh expletives and thay skulked off and seemingly left more space for those following.
As mentioned above, Portsmouth generally has nothing on Poole on a hot bank Holiday weekend. Bedlam!