Pontoon rage.......... seen or done it?

[nathanlee]

Anyone got any more gripping recollections or admissions?

A bloke went absolutely loopy at me in Stonehaven because I didn't tie shore lines while I was next to his boat. There were two reasons for this. His was 30 odd feet and I didn't have lines long enough to reach the quayside at the angle required, and we were in the inner, inner harbour, so totally protected from the weather and swell. In short, there was no danger to his boat whatsoever.

I do, however, appreciate that some people can be a bit particular about their boats (although his was a wreck so I don't know why in this case) but a touch of politeness would have not gone amiss.

As I was walking back from breakfast, dazed, confused and slightly hungover, I heard an angry "Here's the bugger!!".

Before I got a word in, literally, the man was inches from my face shouting at the top of his voice and seriously angry. Now, I am a firm believer in respecting one's elders, but there nevertheless comes a point when a 70 odd year old bloke is entirely unwise to expect he can behave like this to a fit 26 year old. I politely and at a normal volume asked him to consult the HM about his problem because I wasn't prepared to talk to him any longer. Thankfully he did because while I am awfully placid, there's only so much one can hold one's temper, and mine was right on the limit.

HM came over and apologised for the chaps behaviour, and then another guy offered to lend me some longer warps.

The stupid thing is, if the bloke had just said "excuse me, I really would prefer it if you got some shore lines on there", I would have been more than happy to oblige.

 

[nathanlee]

I'm sure this incident can be verified by some of the participants of our Clyde Scuttlebutt cruise last year.

Arrived in Tarbert loch Fyne, completed a perfect manouvre into a vacant pontoon watched by quite a few of our cruise company, stepped onto pontoon with warps and tied up, at which stage someone handed me a much needed beer.
One gulp later Eva (not real name, to comply with Data Protection Act 1998, but a Braun old dear) arrived demanding I move to the inside of the shore pontoon, which after much heated debate regarding depth in there I had no choice but to do.

If Eva hadent looked so sexy in that white shirt with lapells on shoulders and iron creases that could have been mistaken for rope cutters she would have been, "Well" let's say, wetter!
C_W

See, the booze rule can come in useful. Sorry, longer than 7m and I've just had a strong drink. You are asking me to break the law by moving. Smug grin.

 

[ChattingLil]

Does it count is the rage is directed at one's own crew?

More than 15 years ago - me as newbie comp crew - my (much older) mate the skipper.

Chatered a mahoosive boat from Port Solent (far too big for us and our inexperienced crew). Skipper and me as only crew with any level of experience and THREE novices. The passage plan was only to nip over to Cowes for a night out and a stop in the haven. One of the novices turned up with a suitcase full of glad rags, including a hairdryer and high heels. Weather dreadful. Poured with rain for the first day and too windy for us - so we were marina bound and cabin fever set in. Bimbo spent 24 hours severely irritating the skipper. Finally a break in the weather allowed us to nip over. On arriving at Cowes we found the yacht haven to be full, but the HM said we could raft up.

So up we turned - with our rag bag crew in cheap oilies or, worse still, hired oilies. Skipper frantically trying to steer this huge boat into a v small gap and wind has picked up. Me jumping around all over the place still not sure what side we're coming in. Novice crew on roaming fenders. Skipper really struggling - and shouting instructions to the crew. We loose two fenders and both boat hooks over the side. Skipper really shouting rather a lot now and Bimbo decides enough is enough and shouts back that he shouldn't be talking to her like that. Skipper looses his rag somewhat substantially. Unaware of the gathering audience who have all been on their decks ready to fend us idiots off - he completely flips his lid. We finally moor up and he drags her off the boat and throws all her possessions onto the pontoon and screams that even if he has to charter a helicopter to get her back to the mainland he will rather than have her aboard another moment.

She got the ferry back. Skipper took to his bunk and didn't surface til the next day. Remaining crew slunk off to the pub. Sailed back the next day in beautiful weather, but in silence and we never sailed again together again.

 

[EdWingfield]

Thanks for that Lil, you've made my morning.

 

[BigJoe]

We had arrived in a fantastic marina in Mallorca.
Where he had stocked up with provisions’ and decide to take a walk.

I walked down the marina, admiring some of the boats eventually coming to the waiting quay.

A large ketch was coming in and watched as the skipper surrender the helm to his frauline wife and came forward with the bow line.

I stopped to see if I could pick up any tips from this abciouselt ocean going master mariner.
The marina marineros had not yet arrived, but it was 8pm and not a whiff of a breeze was to be felt.

He threw the bob line which landed close to my position.
“ attach that line now to that cleat “ do it fast I said, you idiot NO the other cleat you )*()*&^)*&.

I had by this time picked up his line and but thought I was hearing things.
I threw him back the rope, with slightly more force than what he had thrown it to me.
Telling him in the broadest of Scottish to go forth and multiply with any other members of the Germanic tribes he could find.
The frauline promptly engaged the boat astern and backed out into open water.
I gave him a unceremoniously wave and bit him another fairwell.

And retired back to our boat to tell my tail.

 

[davidfox]

About 5 years ago, bank holiday weekend, we were heading out for a sail from Swansea Marina, we were on the port side of the lock, first boat against the risers. There was a yacht infront of us but nobody behind. A very large Moody came into the lock, he was told to berth on the starboard side of the lock (nobody on that side), so he came into the lock and instead of turning the wheel slightly to get close enough to the riser for his wife to cleat off he use the bow thruster at full instead so his bow was now facing the wooden risers and the wind was pushing his stern towards us, as the boat turned with the wind his anchor got stuck between the wooden planks on the risers. His wife stood there screaming and the guy didnt have a clue what to do. He was now right across the lock and his stern was facing right at the side of us. Without looking he slammed the engine fully into reverse, the anchor ripped the planks off the riser and he hit the side of us with quite a bang, so bad that it popped all of our fenders that were against the riser platform.

He completely froze and didnt have a clue what to do. Both myself and the guy off the boat infront jumped off our boat onto his boat (he had a scoop stern), we used the bow thruster to bring the bow around, we then tied the boat to the rafters and he didnt even apologise, I dont know how I didnt thump him one but I think if my son (was then 6) hadnt been on deck watching I would probably have. The guy was so drunk I dont think he knew what was happening.

This was our previous boat (Mirage 28), and the hull was completely fine, not even a mark!!

What really got me was that there was no apology off him!!

Typical Moody owners (they have been negatively mentioned twice in this thread!) completely useless and often drunk!
As a Moody owner - I resemble these remarks!

 

[dmmbruce]

Thanks for these everyone. Fascinating reading. As one who uses a swinging mooring and otherwise anchors well away from others in my rather unmanoeuvreable (sp?) cat, marinas are not a realistic option, it is a wonderful insight into another world!

Mike

 

[SeamanStaines]

Not really rage from me (I was excited though) but the Sunsail flotilla leader was pretty upset! (apologies for having posted this before but it might give someone a laugh)

I once tried to swing on to a town quay using a mooring technique I had read about and seemed like a really good idea at the time. It was in Kioni on Ithaki when I was a lot younger and full of misplaced confidence! Took out a complete Sunsail Flotilla with about four lifted anchors, a tangle of ropes and an inflatable lilo with a bemused, scantily clad young lady on it. I then had the flotilla leader belting around in the tender trying to prioritise shouting at me and relaying anchors! This was not helped by the fact he had not fixed the outboard to the dinghy properly and half way through the proceedings it spun off like a whirling dervish and, narrowly missing a few heads, disappeared into the water still running.

I retreated to Vathi leaving the carnage behind me! Even more embarrassing, I had left a crew member on one of the Sunsail yachts who had been helping to fend off. I did not notice that he was missing until I got an irate phone call from him half way to Vathi. Ended up costing me a fortune as I had to reimburse him for vast amounts of cold beer to the Sunsail flotilla and a taxi back to Vathi (there was no way I was going back to pick him up!)

Remarkably, he still speaks to me..

Not my finest hour

 

[Jamesuk]

We made an offical complaint to the Hinckley yard in Rhode Island with regards to the incompetence shown of the port Harbour master.