Newcomers - Please tell us when you arrive!

[Anonymous]

Welcome to sailing and boating.

This is a note for newcomers to remind you that it is now the custom to announce your arrival in an anchorage, mooring or marina - particularly if you arrive during the night or early in the morning - by getting your crew to shout to each other for as long as possible during process.

There was a time when the custom was for new arrivals to take care not to disturb sleeping people nearby but the disadvantage was that nobody knew you'd been up all night, braving the elements while mere mortals were sleeping. Don't forget to do this when you are abroad so that other nationalities will know that real Brits have arrived and so they will be impressed by your seamanship (and your cool boat) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[[10753]]

And do a raindance on your foredeck and play a tune on your mooring ropes, and leave the engine running for as long as possible, then start the generator, then put the heating on, then wake the baby, then leave the kettle whistling while you blow up the dinghy and start the outboard and then crack a few beers to celebrate arrival with a little background music. And forget to tie up your halyards so they play that traditional harbour clanking tune. Then goto bed and snore and...

Then at daybreak say - Good Morning, I hope we didn't disturb you last night and by the way we'll be departing tomorrow morning at 2AM

 

[old_salt]

I once new a chap who would quite happily let them do all that then when they had finally settled down would just quietly cut their moorings and let them adrift. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
On one occasion he upped the anchor and draped it over the bow. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
A real Backstud of a chap.

 

[graham]

And dont forget that the whole harbour likes to know your safely back on board after a late night run ashore. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[tcm]

I think we also need to be woken up as well, don't we? I know I do. Best is around 7am (when speed limits don't really apply) by a whizzing dinghy tender off to find croissants giving it maximum welly as they are on their own.

 

[graham]

7 am,luxury,now when I was a lad....... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[eebygum]

Obviously as the arriving alpha male/female in the anchorage, new arrivals may on occassion stake out their territory with a loud mating session; prefrably with lots of moans and groans on a still night to demonstrate one's virality. Depending upon the length of the voyage and the stamina of the alpha male/female this may need to be repeated at regular intervals.

On rare occassions this form of staking out one's new territory may require public displays in the cockpit as the sun and gin goes down.

The latter I have only seen on one occassion and it required close monitoring with the binoculars to confirm this rare arrival mating session reached a successful conclusion.

The next morning as I edged around the new territory on the dinghy I congratuled the alpha male on his athletic display.... oddly enough this led to a rapid departure /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif