Powerboat in Chi harbour

[Sans Bateau]

No, not the rant you might be looking for under this heading.

We spent the weekend with some friends who own a 46 mobo. I was not well sat morning so missed the run out of the harbour, but SWMBO went for the jolly, she was a little unimpressed bu the pounding, fair to say though sat am it was a bit bumpy.

Sat evening the vast sumptuous lounge of the mobo came into its own. As we ate supper together and shared wine we talked of some of the sailing/power boating differences. Our hosts are very experienced, they are the mobo that slows down or goes round the back of the dinghies, takes it easy till well out of the harbour, generally observes the coll regs and good manners.

On sunday it was our turn to be the host boat, be sailed down the harbour from Emsworth with 12 knts of wind behind us, this was the very first time that our friends had been on a sail boat, we had been trying for several years to get a mutual date in the diary! They were suprised how much work was needed to get the sails up and set.

As we turned towards towards Portsmouth the wind that had by now got up to the promised F5, came on the beam, we creamed along at 8.5 knts. Our friends loved it.

On the way back as we harded up to close hauled we were sailing between West pole and the bar beacon, a power boat coming toward us, changed course to give us room, I waved in appreciation, he responded, likewise. Later as we resorted to motoring the last bit up toward Emsworth I made a detour around the back of a dinghy, "thanks" he called out. Isnt this just perfect I thought, everyone getting on so well, on we went.

Then as we passed another pack of dinghies, one passed in front, I had turned a little to starboard to give him room, then JUST in front of me on my port side he BLOODY tacked!!!! Straight into my path, it was unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I was concentrating on avoiding him I had little thinking time to tell him what I thought.

So if you were out in Emsworth channel yesterday in a dinghy and a white and red ETAP nearly hit you through your own stupidity then, firstly you are a complete TOSSER, and what is more you are not safe to out on the water!!!

Thats better /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Lol....

So the abuse is non discriminatory.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Over the August bank holiday weekend, we were sailing back up the Orwell, to find that one of the dinghy clubs had set is finish line right across the channel..... as we approached the area, there were about 15 or so dinghies approaching the finish... along with another dozen or so yachts/mobo'ers trying to get back up the river..... we did our best to stay out of their way, changing course several times to try our best to avoid spoiling any of their races...but inevitably, with that many boats in a small space, it was an impossible challenge....

Question.. which plonker thought it would be a good idea to have a finish line across the narrowest section of a busy channel at 15h00 on a hot Monday bank holiday afternoon...?.... idiocy is not the reserve of any defined group!

 

[twisterkai]

Try working to windward up Falmouth harbour on a spring tide. The Twister, with its deep keel, can only stay within the fairly narrow confines of the main channel for a couple of hours either side of lw. However, every sunday the dinghies are out hunting in packs, bless 'em. They seem to set the majority of their courses up/down & across the deep water channels.

Of course, one does one's best to avoid racing fleets but sometimes that's just not possible. Occasionally the verbal abuse, even when we're on starboard, is incredibly offensive. They have very good working knowledge of the racing rules but little or none of COLREGS.

Admittedly, if they've really p***ed me off, I'll go out of my way to charge across the fleet on stbd, not a very gentlemanly action, but they've got to learn!

So you're not alone. The consensus is usually that mobos cause the greatest problems to raggies. In my experience that's simply not the case, it's the vast quantities of dinghies directed by seemingly incompetent and/or ignorant race officers.

 

[iangrant]

why worry - a scratch on the etap won't sink her ??

anyway get the sail no of the dinghy, probably one of esc's and stomp around there to complain... that'll make you feel better.

cheers

ian

 

[Sans Bateau]

Ian

Not this weekend, but on several occassions it has looked like they are running a race course past fishersman SC out past the port can into Northney, then right across Emsworth channel, they have only been there milling around pre race, never actually seen them racing but looks suspicious, good place to set a course eh?

 

[Admiral]

Race officers are usually current or retired dinghy sailors, so just think that cruisers are just things that get in the way, bit like boy racers and ordinary motorists really. The idiot fraternity isnt just confined to dinghies and mobos though.
Last Sunday afterneen while sailing back ti Chi from Yarmouth we were overtaken by a dark blue hulled Legend with a large rib on a long tow, this idiot passed so close that it would have been easily possible to step from our yacht to his. His knowledge of the overtaking rule is obviously non existant.!!!

 

[Guest]

Legend towing the Rib ....

Blimey - I'd forgotten all about that one !

Yep .... a Legend 356 I think it was ... but dark blue hulled .... had a RIB, a LARGE RIB ... probably 15ft or more on a long tow of probably about 30 - 40ft line ....

He came up astern of us on port 1/4 and tried to cut across our bow at a shallow angle ... only when I shouted at him - did he note his rib was due to hit about midships if he carried on ....

He turned a few degrees to port to straighten out the overtaking line ... but RIB was still on its path and he had to turn more ....

I did have the boats name but cannot remember it now .... I should have written it down and posted it here ....

It was significant to note that the "Elderly gent" on the wheel was observed to literally ignore the situation he was creating .... but the younger couple in the cockpit were observed to point out to him what he was doing ....

As Admiral said ... we could have stepped across .... the RIB got that close .... I have a big Bowie knife in sheaf stapled to the engine box - for quick acess etc. I was close to grabbing it and slicing the tow line .... it would been interesting to see him try and retrieve it then .....

Dickhead .... is the word that comes to mind ....

 

[Sans Bateau]

Re: Legend towing the Rib ....

I think if there is any particular point to my original thread, it is that MOST people out there on the water are OK, most on this forum will be good and responsible water users.

But the 80/20 rule applies:

20 percent of the water users create 80 percent of the mayhem!

 

[Boots]

We had a similar experience with dinghies a few week-ends ago.

Had just left Chi marina, motoring out down the channel being followed by a French yachtsman. We were just approaching Itchenor, and noticed two dinghies ahead, on our port side, who, as expected, entered the main channel. My 15 year son was on the helm, and had already observed the two dinghies.

Carefully judging the relevant speeds/distances of each party, fine no problems, both will pass safely. Then the two dinghies decided to tack, right infront of us, and not with a lot of speed either. My son acted very quickly to the situation, and to his credit, it was through his quick reactions, and cool head that avoided a "situation". Likewise with the Frenchman.

I called out to the two helms as they passed, but they were totally oblivious to what they had just done, and to what could have happened! It wasn't as though they knew that their manoeuvre was a bit irresponsible.

So what's the answer?

I must admit, that when I learnt to sail dinghies all those years ago, I wasn't given instruction on Collision Regs. Perhaps this is something that should be done, particularly in waters where dinghies can expect to meet a variety of vessels, or is someone going to tell me that they do this these days.

Still, one good thing came out of it. It has taught my son to be prepared for the unexpected, and given me a reminder!

 

[Magic]

Reminds me of an old joke, goes something like...

An elderly gentleman was talking wife shopping in his much beloved Volvo. He pulled into the car park and spotted a parking space. As he approached the parking space a young man appeared from nowhere in a rather sporty looking car and promptly roared into the space.

The elderly gentleman got out and said to the young man;

"Excuse me but I was here first!"

The young man replied;

"What can I say granddad, guess I am just faster than you!"

With that the elderly gentlemen got back in his Volvo and shunted the sports car out of the way.

"What do think your doing?"

The old man got out shrugged and said;

"I guess I just have better insurance than you!"

 

[ShipsWoofy]

In summer if I am ashore on the marina side of the harbour I will walk down past the main building to the benches facing the marina to watch life go by.

This one day there were a group of around 30 kids sat around a couple of instructors, so I walked very slowly (not to hard for me) to eavesdrop as you do. They were being instructed in col regs and very well too. The kids all seemed to be grasping the instruction and also seemed very mature about their responsibilities.

I have been tearing hair out when around dinghy races in many places, but never around Pwllheli, even though they race near the entrance (seaward side). I wonder if it is due to the instructors. I think, they are part of plas menai.

The tw<span style="color:black">ats</span> in Aberdovey are a whole new life form.