Rafting etiquette

[sgr143]

Slight shift of topic - one thing that's puzzling me is the notices I've seen at the Folly and elsewhere saying that rafting should be nose-to-tail rather than the usual all-the-same-way practice. I would have thought that from the Covid point of view it was actually worse that way round rather than the usual. Especially so for strangers rafting up, as we'd be getting rather close to each other's social areas when moving between boats, but even for friends rafting together I can't see that the usual practice is much of a problem. If you're going to stay on your own boat, you'll still be a reasonable social distance apart from the cockpit of the adjacent boat unless you make a point of leaning over and hugging each other , and if you're going to visit other boats, it doesn't matter which way round the boats are.

 

[PaulRainbow]

That's fine. You're obviously like me and what goes on my boat is not the same as that which I expect other skippers to be happy with.

I wonder how many of the posters who express a negative response to the OP would be happy with high heels across their decks.

Richard

I might accidentally wet her with the hose as i'm washing my decks, just as she crosses

 

[HissyFit]

The clue is in the word 'etiquette'. A randomly selected definition is:
the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group

Note the word 'polite'. There are those who believe that there is no place for this in a public space and unfortunately this also includes some boat users. My teak decks have survived twenty years of often mistreatment by rafters, in fact, the parts which have been most trodden are in the best condition, but my beauty sleep has too often been sacrificed to the shenanigans of inconsiderate people through late night noise and failure to tie up properly that I tend to view rafters as guilty until proved innocent.

I blame the invention of 8' high concrete post fences. Everyone seems to have them and you can't talk to your neighbours any more. We all seem to have become a bit insular since their arrival. Plus the hedgehogs have a hard time of it.

 

[JumbleDuck]

...and get heads installed with heated seats and spray function.

I haven't managed the heated seats, but I discovered last year that if you are not careful the first pump stroke on my RM69 can propel a delicate jet of bowl contents to around 3' above seat level. Unfortunately my face was 2' above seat level when I made this discovery. Luckily I only got a face full of urine, but it still wasn't one of the trip highlights.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The clue is in the word 'etiquette'. A randomly selected definition is:
the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group

I disagree. You have defined manners, which is basic poiliteness. Etiquette is normally adherence to an arbitrary set of rules designed to separate people into "in" and "out" groups.

So, for example, keeping your mouth closed when chewing and not belching are both manners at the dinner table, but starting with the outside cutlery and working in and using the "right" class are both etiquette, because there is no particular reason to do either of these things and no harm or distress is caused to anyone if you don't.

Crossing a raft in front of the mast whenever possible is manners, as is allowing other people to do so. Flying (or is it wearing) burgees in order of club seniority is etiquette, because it's a game whose only point is to establish a social hierarchy. Which is fine for those who want to play the game, but those who don't are free to giggle.

Asking people to take their shoes off to cross your deck is neither. It's just rude.

 

[sgr143]

I haven't managed the heated seats, but I discovered last year that if you are not careful the first pump stroke.... Luckily I only got a face full of urine.

The latest Japanese ablutionary oddness is transparent toilets: Loo with a view: transparent public toilets installed in Tokyo parks. Maybe you could fit one to your boat, so that those rafted up to you {note - thread drift averted} would have some entertainment to brighten their otherwise dull afternoon?

 

[TernVI]

Teak decks, particularly on plastic boats are pretty obscene.
If you choose to have such an ecological abomination, you should avoid going anywhere where you might get rafted against.
People are not going to take their shoes off on the dog-fouled quaysides of the UK.
It's never been the norm in my 40 years of yotting.

Having said that, I've always found the behaviour of yachtsmen in places where rafting is common to be of a pretty variable standard.
I've long preferred places where moorings and dinghies are the norm.

 

[MarkCX]

Yes I would expect my guardrails to take my weight but not necessarily without my stanchions bending.

Despite reasonably strong backing plates, my stanchions will not take a huge amount of lateral force without pulling through the deck. I know this from when a fully kitted, burly lifeboatman, pulled himself up from the inshore lifeboat when we had a medical emergency.

The guard wires would nevertheless still do their job if I fell against them. From what I can see (particularly on smaller boats), the stanchions principally support and separate the guard wires between, the much stronger) pushpit and pulpit in much the same way as the posts supporting cables on the central reservation.

 

[TernVI]

Despite reasonably strong backing plates, my stanchions will not take a huge amount of lateral force without pulling through the deck. I know this from when a fully kitted, burly lifeboatman, pulled himself up from the inshore lifeboat when we had a medical emergency.

The guard wires would nevertheless still do their job if I fell against them. From what I can see (particularly on smaller boats), the stanchions principally support and separate the guard wires between, the much stronger) pushpit and pulpit in much the same way as the posts supporting cables on the central reservation.

Indeed.
The idea of stanchions is partly that they are not overly strong.
In the event of a collision, it's much better that a couple of stanchions are lost with removing big chuncks of hull and deck in the process.

 

[stranded]

Teak decks, particularly on plastic boats are pretty obscene.
If you choose to have such an ecological abomination...

I don’t think anyone in a plastic boat, especially with an internal combustion engine, purely for their own indulgence, is in a position to throw ecological stones.

 

[greeny]

When we are alongside and go out for the evening, my wife often puts her heels on. If she was walking across someone else's boat it would be in heels.

Richard

You can't resist can you?

 

[greeny]

If I were rafted to you I’d need you to provide a stool and shoehorns on both sides of your boat if you wanted me to remove shoes.
Have you thought of getting a supply of disposable blue over socks in a bag hanging off your guard-rails on each side - surely no one could object to that

I would - they make my feet sweat.

 

[RichardS]

You can't resist can you?

It's a totally factual statement, as mine always are.

I have a particular skill for reducing all discussions down to the single, defining issue. Surely, that's a good thing?

Richard

 

[Wansworth]

Back in the1970sI was on my little four tonner on thr Friday before the RTI race,hanging on my aft mooring cleat must have been six yachts all tied to my boat as the ebb roared out but the yachtsmen seemed so I grossed with their beers that they paid no attention to my call to put more lines out till I eased the mooring line on the next boat and it brought them to their senses,luckily having just had a major rebuild the new decks and cleat could hold the strain,if it had been the old deck it would have ripped out

 

[Skellum]

The few times I’ve rafted up in the Med, it’s been flotilla boats on the outside. Good luck with getting them to behave with anything resembling what you might regard as decorum. I remember with mixed emotions of amusement and rage the teenaged lovers spat we listened to early one morning. It went on for some time and I was on the point of getting up and telling them to take their tiff elsewhere when someone else beat me to it.....
That said, the flotilla leaders work in getting the mooring lines sorted is always excellent, they’re unfailingly polite and helpful. I’m amazed at how well they cope with their customers lack of experience.

Having done it I can assure you that there are far worse ways of spending the summer ?

 

[LadyInBed]

Might I respectfully suggest you’re wrong. I think one should always ask permission to cross someone else’s boat but know that it’s a rhetorical question. The inside boat is obliged to say yes (and indicate any preferences as to how and where you cross). It’s just part of the etiquette of rafting and being polite.

But would I be thanked when waking them to ask permission at 3 in the morning when I need to go to the toilet?

 

[davidej]

On the subject of rafting etiquette, what about the boats that go out of their way to prevent you rafting on them, eg by tieing the rubby dubby alongside.

Being part of the awkward squad, i will pick them to raft on and ask them to move it . They usually will with bad grace. And when they claim they are leaving at 5am i offer to give them a wake up call an hour earlier. I have yet to meet a skipper who wanted that!

 

[TernVI]

On the subject of rafting etiquette, what about the boats that go out of their way to prevent you rafting on them, eg by tieing the rubby dubby alongside.

Being part of the awkward squad, i will pick them to raft on and ask them to move it . They usually will with bad grace. And when they claim they are leaving at 5am i offer to give them a wake up call an hour earlier. I have yet to meet a skipper who wanted that!

Indeed.
Any reasonable skipper can be out of their pit and underway in 15 minutes max.

 

[ashtead]

On the subject of rafting etiquette, what about the boats that go out of their way to prevent you rafting on them, eg by tieing the rubby dubby alongside.

Being part of the awkward squad, i will pick them to raft on and ask them to move it . They usually will with bad grace. And when they claim they are leaving at 5am i offer to give them a wake up call an hour earlier. I have yet to meet a skipper who wanted that!

Almost as bad as the muppets from flexisail who leave their blown up dinghy lying on the finger pontoon and are surprised when you flick it out of the way when mooring on the other side of the finger.

 

[[159032]]

But would I be thanked when waking them to ask permission at 3 in the morning when I need to go to the toilet?

You want to use their toilet as well? I am flabbergasted.