Evadne
Active member
The time-honoured custom of posting your depature time on the outboard rail or cabin window can work wonders. Have a good trip.
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Rafting etiquette II
- Thread starter Sanderling_
- Start date
StugeronSteve
New member
Got the dry writer ready!
Cheers.
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
Cheers.
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
nicho
Well-known member
Some people hate being rafted to - a German skipper in Yarmouth was once ordered out of the harbour because he persisted in refusing to take someone alongside, in spite of the HM's instructions - he left to resounding cheers.
There are always anxious moments when someone asks to raft alongside (I would never refuse, and always put "welcoming" fenders out), with uneasy glances at the crew - are they young, loud and boorish, or is the deck covered in screaming kids??. However we have met some fantastic people whilst rafted, and secured some long term friendships. To date, we have never been alonside anyone causing us anguish, though perhaps we are lucky.
One couple (he was a helicopter pilot, she a landscape gardner), were highly amusing, and everytime he helped her out of the dinghy, he would holler, "nice beaver"at the top of his voice, much to her embarrassment!! Another time we met an old guy who was an inventor - a fabulous bloke, well in his 70's who dreams up new ideas for the medical equipment industry, with his daughter, and son in law, an prospective MP candidate for the Conservatives. No, rafting can be an absolute pleasure, and those who refuse are missing a trick in my view.
The nearest we had to "disaster", was again in Yarmouth, when we had the motor cruiser (SealineS37, with very high topsides). The harbour was VERY full, and whilst the staff always try to keep raggie alongside raggie etc, we returned in the dinghy to find a yacht rafted alongside. On boarding I nodded a greeting to the skipper, to be met with the comment "I don't know WHAT my friends will say when I have to tell them I was rafted against a stinkpot"
"Don't worry mate" I replied "you too are about as welcome as a genital rash!!"
He roarded with laughter, and we shared a few bottles of wine in our cockpit, discussing the merits of sail v power.
Rafting? We love it!!
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There are always anxious moments when someone asks to raft alongside (I would never refuse, and always put "welcoming" fenders out), with uneasy glances at the crew - are they young, loud and boorish, or is the deck covered in screaming kids??. However we have met some fantastic people whilst rafted, and secured some long term friendships. To date, we have never been alonside anyone causing us anguish, though perhaps we are lucky.
One couple (he was a helicopter pilot, she a landscape gardner), were highly amusing, and everytime he helped her out of the dinghy, he would holler, "nice beaver"at the top of his voice, much to her embarrassment!! Another time we met an old guy who was an inventor - a fabulous bloke, well in his 70's who dreams up new ideas for the medical equipment industry, with his daughter, and son in law, an prospective MP candidate for the Conservatives. No, rafting can be an absolute pleasure, and those who refuse are missing a trick in my view.
The nearest we had to "disaster", was again in Yarmouth, when we had the motor cruiser (SealineS37, with very high topsides). The harbour was VERY full, and whilst the staff always try to keep raggie alongside raggie etc, we returned in the dinghy to find a yacht rafted alongside. On boarding I nodded a greeting to the skipper, to be met with the comment "I don't know WHAT my friends will say when I have to tell them I was rafted against a stinkpot"
"Don't worry mate" I replied "you too are about as welcome as a genital rash!!"
He roarded with laughter, and we shared a few bottles of wine in our cockpit, discussing the merits of sail v power.
Rafting? We love it!!
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StugeronSteve
New member
Oh the joys of Yarmouth. Couple of years ago I was just stretching out in the saloon for a few zzzzs when I noticed a pulpit appearing through the guard rails. I springs in to action, as one does in these circumstances, just in time to prevent the anchor of a Contessa entering my topsides. Twas a single handed septagenarian Frenchman, whose coming alongside technique seemed to consist of harpooning the unlucky host and sorting himself out later.
I made sure I was up at 0500 the next morning to cast him off for France!
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
I made sure I was up at 0500 the next morning to cast him off for France!
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
Evadne
Active member
My most memorable neighbour was also in Yarmouth, my girlfriend (now wife) and I we just "settling down" in the main cabin when the call came through the main hatch: "Yoo-Hoo, would you mind taking our lines? " It was a 24' motor boat, and the good lady (of uncertain vintage) was obviously afraid she'd chip her nail varnish if she did any ropey things like tying up. We made ourselves decent and did so. Her husband was the strong silent type, who'd obviously taken to heart the advice that you should let people think you a fool rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt; at least he was, judging by his boat handling abilites.
At a recent Owner's rally some friends of the organiser remarked on how much more sociable boaty people were, even more so than caravanners. "That's because you don't crawl across each others roofs on your way back from the pub" was the reply. I find I never need to ask permission to raft, every time I've approached a boat it has been expected that I'm coming alongside, fenders out, lines taken if appropriate etc., and I treat all others the same. Mind you I always pick a boat that has fenders out already, if I can. Hopefully I'll never meet some of the sour faced old buggers the rest of you seem to come across at regular intervals. Personally I blame the proliferation of marinas. In the old days having a berth to yourself was unheard of, so you had to be sociable (ramble, ramble, moan, moan, ....)
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At a recent Owner's rally some friends of the organiser remarked on how much more sociable boaty people were, even more so than caravanners. "That's because you don't crawl across each others roofs on your way back from the pub" was the reply. I find I never need to ask permission to raft, every time I've approached a boat it has been expected that I'm coming alongside, fenders out, lines taken if appropriate etc., and I treat all others the same. Mind you I always pick a boat that has fenders out already, if I can. Hopefully I'll never meet some of the sour faced old buggers the rest of you seem to come across at regular intervals. Personally I blame the proliferation of marinas. In the old days having a berth to yourself was unheard of, so you had to be sociable (ramble, ramble, moan, moan, ....)
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StugeronSteve
New member
We always put welcome alongside fenders out and hope that it also conveys the message that we care about our boat. Unfortunately the message is sometimes received as "no need for fenders lads, it's all taken care of".
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
extravert
New member
I've recounted this incident here before, but it's worth a smile, so I'll wheel it out again.
Arriving at the full boatyard pontoons on Kerrera Island near Oban, the berthing master advised us to raft alongside a large Swedish boat. The Swedish owner could not do much to stop us as we had been told to berth there, but showed his objections by not allowing us to cross his boat to get to the shore. We used our dinghy to row to the pontoon 10 feet away, much to everyone's amusement.
<hr width=100% size=1>Summer is what you expect - rain is what you get.
Arriving at the full boatyard pontoons on Kerrera Island near Oban, the berthing master advised us to raft alongside a large Swedish boat. The Swedish owner could not do much to stop us as we had been told to berth there, but showed his objections by not allowing us to cross his boat to get to the shore. We used our dinghy to row to the pontoon 10 feet away, much to everyone's amusement.
<hr width=100% size=1>Summer is what you expect - rain is what you get.
dralex
New member
SHoot me down in flames if I'm being xenophobic, but I have noticed the (some) French are not great at mooring up, be it rafting or marina. It usually involves lots of momentum, aiming at gaps that are too small, and relying on solid objects to stop their boats. I'm not sure why, but they just don't give a toss about other boats or even their own. On the other hand, perhaps they're just not as anal as us British and just enjoy their boats rather than worshipping them! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif
<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Evadne
Active member
Ah yes. Fortunately our topsides are lower than most other boats so if they get it wrong, it's our genoa block or rubbing strake that puts a scratch in their topsides. I don't think I've ever seen a boat come alongside with no fenders at all, though a lot don't realise how much more effective the big ones are if rigged horizontally.
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StugeronSteve
New member
They don't tend to give a s**t about going out in a blow either, no matter how small their boats. A Contessa's topsides are a sight lower than ours and the b****r would have had a job extracting his anchor from our saloon, the nav light bracket managed to strip the pvc off our gaurd wire though. His boat was, as you have observed elsewhere, well used, to say the very least.
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
Sans Bateau
Well-known member
All this reminds me of an incident, I cannot remember where; when we as number two in a raft had about another 4 or 5 boats hanging on us. When I say hanging, the outer boats had no shore lines, so when the tide started to ebb in ernest our forward fenders were ready to burst, the aft brest rope was like a rod of steel!
I asked the outer boat to get some shore lines on, my request was ignored. I attached a new brest warp, this time taking the load on the winch, then once the original warp was released I gradualy slacked off the new warp, so letting the raft swing with the tide. Once the crew saw that they were getting closer and closer to the next raft, they soon started running around to find some shore lines! At all times I had the raft under the control of the winch, but there was no need to let them know that!
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I asked the outer boat to get some shore lines on, my request was ignored. I attached a new brest warp, this time taking the load on the winch, then once the original warp was released I gradualy slacked off the new warp, so letting the raft swing with the tide. Once the crew saw that they were getting closer and closer to the next raft, they soon started running around to find some shore lines! At all times I had the raft under the control of the winch, but there was no need to let them know that!
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Windfall
Member
We were once the inside boat on a 6 boat raft on the Yealm - this in itself wasn't so bad, 'cept we were a 23' Elizabethan (low & skinny) & our neighbours went up in length until the outside boat was a 36'. Not much wind, not too much tide, but the sheer weight of the raft popped our fenders. If we'd been on board when they all came alongside we would have happily kept moving to the outside of the raft...as it was when we returned to see our poor little boat acting as fender to all the big guys alongside the outside boat (by far the biggest) looked completely askance when we asked to swap places.
But worse than that was our experience in Yarmouth at the start of Summer half term. The alongside boat left at full chuff but forgot to release his forward spring....we spent the rest of our holiday with a bent staunchion and wrecked lifelines.
Ho hum, the joys of boating /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
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But worse than that was our experience in Yarmouth at the start of Summer half term. The alongside boat left at full chuff but forgot to release his forward spring....we spent the rest of our holiday with a bent staunchion and wrecked lifelines.
Ho hum, the joys of boating /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
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flaming
Well-known member
Yep, also noticed the average mooring habits of the French! Bear in mind that the ones who make it across the channel are normally the more experienced ones! Last year in a france, exactly where escapes me (could be Benodet), with a very strong tide running a series of French boats came charging in down tide to an already full pontoon. Most just bounced down the line of boats (fairly) harmlessly but one did some pretty serious damage to a smaller boat. These weren't isolated incidents, at least 10 boats did this. The thought process seemed to be that all the other boats were facing down river so that's the way you should face. Of course the tide had just turned........
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flaming
Well-known member
My point really was that if you pull shore lines tight from the outside end of a big raft you'll actually just put more weight on the boats inside. I wouldn't sugest going without them in a strong tide or breezy conditions but in the normal run of things in a harbour basin such as Weymouth or St Peter port I can't see much benefit in shore lines that are pretty much straight at the pontoon.
And the point about leaving. You'll have to rig a line round the boat leaving and remove the shore line at one end. I would tend to use a line to the boat inside rather than the pontoon to pull myself alongside (assuming that there would still be a boat inside me after the boat has left). This would help to keep you closer and in better fore and aft control.
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And the point about leaving. You'll have to rig a line round the boat leaving and remove the shore line at one end. I would tend to use a line to the boat inside rather than the pontoon to pull myself alongside (assuming that there would still be a boat inside me after the boat has left). This would help to keep you closer and in better fore and aft control.
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DogStar
New member
I have never had to raft before, but it just occured to me that the best way of securing one would be to have 2 lines running, one from the bow one from the stern, from the outside boat, and looped (not tied off) around the sampson post of every boat inside , and then secure to the pontoon. This way, the only boat that is actually tied to the pontoon is the outside boat. The others are just using the line to stop any fore-aft movement.
The pontoon cleat will take all the brunt but any pull away from the pontoon by the outside bolt will place a little stress on fairleads but not on the cleats, the line should simply tighten around the sampson post, with no lateral force being exerted.
It seems like it should work.
<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!
The pontoon cleat will take all the brunt but any pull away from the pontoon by the outside bolt will place a little stress on fairleads but not on the cleats, the line should simply tighten around the sampson post, with no lateral force being exerted.
It seems like it should work.
<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!
flaming
Well-known member
Not entirely sure how that would work. Surely each boat would be able to pivot and could clash at either end with the boat inside or outside? And wouldn't the raft wobble fore and aft a lot? This method would also rely on each boat having a sapson post, definately wouldn't work on cleats, and I can't think of very many modern boats with sampson posts.
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DogStar
New member
There should be very little movement, if the lines are fairly taut. I think. In my mental simulation, the raft as a whole acts preeeeety much the same as if each boat were tied, but because there is a loop, instead of a knot, any slackness or tension in the line will be transferred equally along the length. Pivotting wouldn't necessarily be a problem, because it would only happen slowly due to the inherent friction as the rope passes over itself at each loop.
Yes, it is kind of reliant on having sampson posts, I suppose, unless you could just loop around the whole cleat, as with a spring on a pontoon cleat when mooring alongside.
If I was likely to be rafting up a lot, I might be inclined to cut a length of 2x4 into 6 foot long bits, bang a nail in either end and try and raft them together in the paddling pool.
<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!
Yes, it is kind of reliant on having sampson posts, I suppose, unless you could just loop around the whole cleat, as with a spring on a pontoon cleat when mooring alongside.
If I was likely to be rafting up a lot, I might be inclined to cut a length of 2x4 into 6 foot long bits, bang a nail in either end and try and raft them together in the paddling pool.
<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!