Rafting up….

[petem]

Wondering what people's attitudes are to 'rafting up'.

I've spoken to boaters that say they don't like rafting up. I've never hesitated, as often it's easier to moor up alongside a nice big boat instead of squeeze into a smaller space. You can also meet some lovely people when clambering over their boats.

However, I did once come unstuck. If anyone knows Bembridge's visitor's pontoon they’ll know that on a busy weekend you can be rafted up six deep. Well, last summer I had some friends on board. I dazzled them with my pilotage skills by finding my way through the rocks to Bembridge harbour. Got to the visitors pontoon and, being a cocky git, pronounced that the folk who owned the outer boat did not own the bit of ocean that I was about to park my boat on. We moor up. Secure boat, lock up, etc. Looking forward to nice cool pint down the pub. Then we (4 adults, 2 kids, 1 baby) clamber over all other boats in raft making our way towards the pontoon. Finally get to the pontoon and realise it's not connected to the f***ing land!

One hint though, if you're mooring at somewhere like the Folly Inn, put a big note on your boat saying when you're coming back or leave a mobile number. This will avoid other people having to extract their boat from inside yours and possibly damaging your boat.

 

[jfm]

Re: Rafting up…Protocols?

Some good points Petem. Actually I feel very inexperienced re rafting. I've only done it when the other people are on their boats so we can all agree what's happening and departure times etc. But what are the protocols? In partic:

1. If you leave your boat alongside pontoon or quay, go for beer, then come back and find 4 boats rafted onto it and you want to go home, is it polite/impolite to tell em to clear off cuz you want to get out? Is it my fault for not leaving a note like you say?

2. If you want to raft onto someone else, and they're not there, do you just go ahead? And is it ok for a straight sided power boat to raft onto a curve sided yacht, if there are no other straight sided boats available?

3. How many boats deep do you go? What if you're say the 4th would-be boat, and all looks ok in your HO, but the inside boat tries to stop you cuz he thinks 3 is quite enuf?

4. Do all the answers depend where in the world you are?

All seems to difficult....

JFM

 

[petem]

Re: Rafting up…Protocols?

1) Past experience suggests that if they're there the'll usually oblige and let you out. It's more exciting when they're not there because you then have to muster support from nearby boaters and perform amazing boat extraction tricks using ropes. If they won't let you out then it rather depends on how big you are and how big they are.
2) Go ahead. Even my RYA instructor says they don't own the water. Try and avoid curvy yotties. Not only does it make the mooring more difficult but it means you may get your timberlands dirty when walking over their scruffy old boat.
3) Depends on wind, tide and how big the other bloke is.
4) Don't know about the rest of the world. Never got out the solent!

 

[Guest]

Re: Rafting up…Protocols?

It also depends on common sense. You do not raft a 15 ton motor cruiser against a 20ft yacht - effectively you make it a fender and just about as squashable. Generally as the raft goes out, the boats should be smaller.

When going ashore, it is polite to walk round to the bow, eyes averted, rather than through the cockpit, no matter how good looking the owner's wife/daughter is.

Always run your own lines ashore as well as those attaching you to the raft. You can rely on your own ropes but you have no idea how dodgy others' might be, especially when taking the strain on maybe a combined 60/70 tons.

Watch the impact of your genny exhaust. In some circumstances it can be good to raft up facing in opposite directions which puts your genny at the other guy's bow. Depends on the shape of the boats whether this is practical.

Run shorepower leads across the other guys bow, not through his cockpit

Pour him a drink and he will generally reciprocate.

Nick

 

[Guest]

Re: Rafting up…Protocols?

Agreed.

There's no need to ask permission to raft, just "may I" and continue. If the get snotty, byelaws permit rafting, so could get snotty, and then raft, or (best) raft elsewhere. Ignore homemade "No rafting" signs.

Obviously, needs sensible match of boats, shdn't raft against smaller boat. If you are raftee, then any damage by rafter all just like a smashup, no special allowances

As for getting out, ensure own lines ashore, cos no permission whatesoever needed for insiders to leave when the like, and if you have no lines ashore, tough. Insiers should leave downstream, so raft naturally re-forms.

 

[hlb]

Re: Rafting up…Protocols?

All agread
I was once in Dunmore East in Ireland and while looking for a mooring found the only place already had four boats rafted.
Reluctantly I joined the raft and went for tea.
On returning I found that there were 16 boats now in the raft. Everything from 20 to 40 footers and all mixed up.
Anyway that was fine apart from the thousands of feet clumping about from one end to the other.
In the middle of the night somebody had a big row with th-wife and left from the middle of the raft leaving thoughs awake to sort all the mess out.
I slept through the lot of it.

Haydn

 

[Guest]

On this subject,I boat from the Solent and visit Weymouth, if you dont like rafting then dont go, on saying that I dont mind, this summer I went out for the day to return and find a 45 footer alongside, I am 38 feet so was a bit put out, when the owner returned we exchanged smalltalk, I thought where have I seen him before?laid in bed allnight trying to think where, next day spoke to him again, told him what I did for a living, then he replied, I work for television, still could not work out who he was, left Weymouth none the wiser untill we got home, watched an old Inspector Morse, and the penny dropped! by the way it wasnt old morse himself but some other player

 

[gus]

I would suggest that we all take a copy of the following and pass it to anyone who doesn't know what to do.

Rules for berthing outside of another boat.


1. Berthing alongside another boat/yacht is not a right and it is common courtesy to request permission to do so.
2. Suitable and sufficient fendering must be used by the incoming vessel to avoid any contact and subsequent damage.
3. The use of boat hooks, especially the metal type, is not allowed on painted structural parts and fittings as damage can be easily sustained.
4. Make sure that masts are not in line with each other to avoid clashing.
5. Mooring ropes to be of adequate size for the vessel – no string allowed.
6. Mooring ropes to have a loop on the receiving end, which is placed onto a suitable bollard or cleat of the host and led back out through the fairleads. The rope is then adjusted on the incoming vessel, which retains the excess rope.
7. Bow and stern ropes, fore and aft springs, and shore lines to be adjusted correctly so that there is some free riding movement between the boats and the incomer is not hanging onto the host. The final adjustment to be to the satisfaction of the host.
8. Power cables to be led over the bow.
9. When crossing over, standing on any varnished woodwork is not allowed.
10. Footwear shall be appropriate deck shoes – NOT Catboots, hard soled leather shoes, heavy footwear, or black soles.
11. Every caution taken to minimise noise and disturbance to the host boat on crossing.
12. Care taken to use appropriate handholds and not cause damage to less robust fittings on deck.
13. Crossing to be around the bow and only around the stern under exceptional circumstances and with permission. Crossing over the coach roof is not allowed.
14. The frequency of journeys across the host boat to be kept to a minimum to avoid undue disturbance.


There is probably scope to add a few more items but it forms a basis.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

IMHO, rafting up is part of the sociability of boating and there's nothing better than spending a convivial afternoon in your cockpit getting gently sloshed with your new neighbours. People who just go from one souless marina to another are missing out on a lot of delightful places such as Yarmouth, Bembridge (as you mentioned) or Weymouth.
You've got to adopt a relaxed attitude, though. You're going to get people tramping across your deck, you probably wont get shore power, somebody's going to be partying all night and you probably wont leave exactly when you want to but so what.
There are a few conventions to observe. You could follow Gus' somewhat anal-retentive set of rules but basically dont damage your neighbour's boat with your boat or with your footwear, stick some shorelines out and be nice to your neighbours
This yachts not mooring against motorboats and vica versa business is stupid though. Yes, OK, its probably better for each type to raft up against the same but its more important not to have vast rafts of boats swinging around. I've been in Weymouth moored against the pontoon on my own and watched 9 yachts raft up against each other rather than lie alongside a motorboat! Personally, I dont have a problem rafting against a yacht - I have a couple of large ball fenders which help to equalize the loading

 

[hlb]

ReWell Said

Thought it was just me who hated marinas.
Much more fun to have a few boats hooked on the side.
And even had jokes with yachies that. If there not back in time, they can find there boat in Falmouth!!
Well it seemed to go down alright at the time.

Haydn

 

[Scubadoo]

You reminded me of a boater sometime ago asking permission to raft along side me, the only problem I was 25ft and he was 40+ft. He got pretty annoyed when I said no, I dread to think of the damage he could have done with his tonnage.

I generally don't like rafting but will if I have to, I am usually just the right size to squeeze in between two large boats.

RM.