Rafting up - Shoes On or Off when crossing other boats - Vote time

[Leighb]

I can't offhand think of any places I have been rafted on the East Coast, except possibly Heybridge Basin. Many Baltic harbours have a number of box berths, with a rafting pontoon for late arrivals, who are almost always charter boats. This is probably about as good a way of using the available space as it could be. My teak deck is moderately pristine and i would prefer that it stayed that way.

Southwold, RHYC Marina, visitor moorings in Aldeburgh, to name but three. Might be the only three though.?
Add Brightlingsea on the visitor pontoon when they are busy.

 

[MarkCX]

Wells-next-the-Sea if you venture a little further up the coast.

 

[RJJ]

For better or worse, there is now a cohort of boat owners who treat their boats like their cars and and are indignant at the prospect of someone touching their property and, on occasion, will deploy dinghies or signs

May I be clear that I am not in that camp? The benefits of rafting are huge, to all of us. It increases harbour capacity without chucking up fixed costs via finger pontoons, and it's all part of the fun. If it's done right.

 

[Mikedefieslife]

".........Rafting is at the discretion of the harbour master, not any boat owner...."


Indeed it is. Anyone who has not been rafted in a marina has probably not travelled very far.

.

It must be a UK thing I've not sailed there really. It is a curious concept. Say I'm in a marina paying £400 a month or whatever it is, and other boats are allowed to just come and tie up to me. I run my heating, and exhaust gasses go onto their boat. They cross my deck and slip (who is responsible). Normally in a marina I have a lot of things on deck, how would people even cross? Add to that, my boat has a low freeboard. If a Lagoon 410 or 380 rafts up, how will they get on and off considering their decks are 1m higher?

If the marina is full, it just makes sense to move on to the next one. Normally you don't have people walking over the car or through your tent if in a campsite, or your home. They move on to somewhere there is space.

Hmm not travelled far. I certainly haven't travelled as far as some but I'm sitting in Spanish Water in Curacao where I single handed from Europe after sailing across the Med a few times.

Closed I've been to rafting would have been Sicily where I was wedged in between two commercial boats. That was only really due to bad weather. Possibly rafting is dangerous in adverse weather as the boats move independently.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It must be a UK thing. I don't understand it though. Say I'm in a marina paying £400 a month or whatever it is, and other boats are allowed to just come and tie up to me. I run my heating, and exhaust gasses go onto their boat. They cross my deck and slip (who is responsible). Normally in a marina I have a lot of things on deck, how would people even cross? Add to that, my boat has a low freeboard. If a Lagoon 410 or 380 rafts up, how will they get on and off considering their decks are 1m higher?

Rafting is almost invariably for visiting boats; residents stay in solitary splendour.

 

[prv]

Rafting is almost invariably for visiting boats; residents stay in solitary splendour.

In marina-y type places, yes. I think in traditional harbours it can be different - I’ve been directed to raft outside fishing boats a couple of times. One was clearly semi-laid-up and unoccupied, the other had crew who were just leaving.

That sort of situation is actually a bonus rather than a chore, because it means you don’t need to worry about tending lines

Pete

 

[[3889]]

Normally you don't have people walking over the car or through your tent if in a campsite, or your home. They move on to somewhere there is space.

QED. Boating culture is not the same as car culture, or at least it didn't used to be. Certainly not restricted to UK: have rafted in half a dozen European countries.
The Carribean may be different where appeasing Yanks' extraordinary demands for service, and exploiting their deep pockets to be emptied during their 7 days of annual holiday, seems the norm.

 

[SiteSurfer]

Rafting is a way of life in the South Coast (UK) - although admittedly since COVID struck, many harbours are restricting the practice - which in itself seems to be somewhat random in its nature - but if you want to stop somewhere, often times its the only option.

I am concerned about the comments for overshoes and carpet tiles, in the current litigious state that we find ourselves in - it strikes me that those boat owners who insist on non fixed down, slippy overshoes (that the providence of the previous wearer can not be determined) are simply inadvertently looking for a case of negligence against them which would far outweigh the somewhat dubious nature of "using our deck' when little Johhny trips and falls in the water whilst banging his head on a deck fitting because the owner insisted he wears overshoes (or non fixed down carpet tiles).

Don't laugh and say it will never happen, you've already pissed off the person walking (quite reasonably) across your deck - because that's what they were told to do by the harbourmaster - and now you've also injured them. They won't see your point about protecting their decks as trumping the injury caused by having to wear overshoes (or be denied access to shore/their boat).

 

[Robin]

Another simpler option frequently used by us with and without a pooch has been to use the rubber flubber to bypass the raft entirely, easier and kinder for all, but we have been as much as 13th out in places like Weymouth and Poole Quay in the good 'ole days. It unfortunately does not prevent outsiders after us from clumping across us like the bunch of drunken squaddies in boots from a services boat once in Vannes at 1a.m. (and yes their skipper got a bollocking loud and clear from me next morning). They were in to change crews so the new arrivals were suitably instructed in etiquette also. The new crew thankfully were Navy and much better educated

 

[Bobc]

I actually find rafting quite a sociable thing to do. You chat to the people rafted to you, and often end up on one another's boat for drinks. I have rarely found people who aren't respectful.

 

[duncan99210]

Those who don’t like the idea of rafting had best stay away from Hydra or Aegina in the Saronic. First arrivals do the usual stern to Med moor, thereafter boats pile in theoretically bow to for the next row, stern to and so on. Can get up to five or six deep on Fridays and Saturdays when the Athens based boats join in.... You’ve got people traipsing the entire length of the boat to get ashore: most boat also have 6 or 8 folks on board so you might wind up with 30 or 40 people outside your boat. And good luck with any requests to “take your shoes off”.
Then as the outer layers depart the following day, you can guarantee a fun time with the dinghy and outboard taking the anchor back out to reset it after the earlier departures have hoicked yours out of the sea bed.
I suppose it’s why we tend to avoid that sort of place if we can. Better by far to anchor off somewhere quieter.

 

[JumbleDuck]

In marina-y type places, yes. I think in traditional harbours it can be different - I’ve been directed to raft outside fishing boats a couple of times. One was clearly semi-laid-up and unoccupied, the other had crew who were just leaving.

That sort of situation is actually a bonus rather than a chore, because it means you don’t need to worry about tending lines

Yes, good point. I've never ben asked to raft outside a resident anywhere, but that may just reflect my lack of experience.

 

[[163233]]

I actually find rafting quite a sociable thing to do. You chat to the people rafted to you, and often end up on one another's boat for drinks. I have rarely found people who aren't respectful.

We are after all doing the same stuff.

I find this anti-rafting thing bizarre, I just assumed it was normal. How would they like to be turned away from a perfectly functional mooring?

 

[Praxinoscope]

Don't know where this anti-rafting nonsense is coming from, after 50 years of sailing, I have lost count of the number of times have been rafted up, in the early days bombing around the Solent and South Coast in our Leisure 17 we often got invited on board the 'bigger' boats for a drink. No-one ever seemed to 'precious' about their boats being crossed, but having said that everyone was either wearing 'yellow wellies' , deck shoes or even plimsoles, no-one seemed to consider crossing over your boat in Doc Martins or Stilhettos.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Don't know where this anti-rafting nonsense is coming from, after 50 years of sailing, I have lost count of the number of times have been rafted up, in the early days bombing around the Solent and South Coast in our Leisure 17 we often got invited on board the 'bigger' boats for a drink. No-one ever seemed to 'precious' about their boats being crossed, but having said that everyone was either wearing 'yellow wellies' , deck shoes or even plimsoles, no-one seemed to consider crossing over your boat in Doc Martins or Stilhettos.

In my "Student with a 21' Westerly Jouster" days I regularly used to ask boats on HIDB moorings if I could tie alongside and share the mooring. I never had any other than friendly assent and some very pleasant evenings as a result. I'm not sure if I would have the nerve to do that now, but I would happily have a smaller boat alongside me if anyone asked.

 

[dunkelly]

i have always thought it unsafe to not wear shoes , not all owners tape up all split pins etc .seen some horrible cut feet over the years , so shoes on please and whichever end the skipper asks .

 

[RJJ]

in the current litigious state that we find ourselves in - it strikes me that those boat owners who insist on non fixed down, slippy overshoes (that the providence of the previous wearer can not be determined) are simply inadvertently looking for a case of negligence against them which would far outweigh the somewhat dubious nature of "using our deck' when little Johhny trips and falls in the water whilst banging his head on a deck fitting because the owner insisted he wears overshoes (or non fixed down carpet tiles).

Don't laugh and say it will never happen, you've already pissed off the person walking (quite reasonably) across your deck - because that's what they were told to do by the harbourmaster - and now you've also injured them. They won't see your point about protecting their decks as trumping the injury caused by having to wear overshoes (or be denied access to shore/their boat).

I'm no lawyer, but I don't agree with this. There's no basis for a court to assign liability to the inside skipper, because (as I pointed out on the other thread) there are no actual rules here, only etiquette and tradition. If there were rules, someone would definitely have raised them by now!

The outside crew choose to walk across the inside deck. They haven't paid to be there nor is there any law giving them right of way. If they slip, it's sad but their fault, whether it's because the deck is slippy, or uneven, or because there are awkward deck fittings, or they can't take their ale...or because they kindly agreed to wear the overshoes at the request of their temporary host.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The outside crew choose to walk across the inside deck. They haven't paid to be there nor is there any law giving them right of way. If they slip, it's sad but their fault, whether it's because the deck is slippy, or uneven, or because there are awkward deck fittings, or they can't take their ale...or because they kindly agreed to wear the overshoes at the request of their temporary host.

I think you may just haven't weakened the case of the hypothetical slipper-clad slipper, who is now there not by right but by invitation of the inside boat's skipper, who supplied the slippers and insisted they be worn.

 

[RichardS]

It was you who first suggested taking your well heeled wifey across others boats !!!

Exactly. My Wife would not do that on any boat other than our own, but other women might not be so considerate. That crystallises the entire discussion such that the "laissez faire" exponents suddenly start to get cold feet, albeit not quite so high.

Richard

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I think you may just haven't weakened the case of the hypothetical slipper-clad slipper skipper, who is now there not by right but by invitation of the inside boat's skipper, who supplied the slippers and insisted they be worn.