Rude Raggie

[barryjl]

Looking at the recent thread on Rafting Up reminds me of an incident this season just past 'The Folly'. We had been out with some friends who were staying on the IOW for their holiday. Picked them up from 'The Folly' in the morning and took them out for the day. When we took them back tea time, it was like the M25 in rush hour - boats everywhere, everyone rafting up 5 or 6 deep - you know the score. So, we started to go alongside a raggie tied up on Private moorings just South of the Folly, the idea being to put them off there, then call the taxi to take them in. What made it easier was that the raggie had a FOR SALE BOARD on his boat, so must have been trying to encourage 'viewers'. We came alongside him very slowly/carefully but, before we got within 10 feet of him, he was out of the cabin and giving us abuse at a level never experienced before, causing distress to SWMBO and winding up our visitor to the extent that I had to stop him climbing over our bow rail to wack the guy. I tried to explain what we were doing, but the aforementioned raggie was having none of it, and continued dishing out the abuse, not giving me a chance to speak. As it happens, the taxi saw what was happening, and lifted our gusets off mid-stream - but what would the raggie have said if we were genuine buyers wanting a look at his boat? Not only that, but I can't imagine any circumstances where I would have acted in that way if anyone (Raggie or Mobo) wanted to raft alongside me.

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[britemp]

Up until recently most of my boating was done on the Norfolk Broads in both motor and raggie boats and without a doubt the raggies were ruder and more arrogant and God help you if you were in a rental boat, as that means you are several food groups below them.

BTW, bit cheeky of the taxi bod to lift your 'guset' in public!


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[Dave_Snelson]

Most of the yachtsmen in our neck of the woods (in fact all the "core" chaps) are OK. That said, I witnessed two incidents that were perpetrated by raggies that were rude and ignorant in the extreme.

Shame really, as one of them was a raggie being rude to a raggie, after being rude to me!


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[Joe_Cole]

I object!

We raggies are never rude.......but sometimes we may be having a bad day, in which case we need care and understanding.

Now, keep out of the way whilst I tack.

Joe



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[kindredspirit]

A little list.

Order of politeness:

1) Fishing boats (certainly at top of list.)

2) MoBos

3) Saily boats

4) Tour boats. (certainly at the bottom of the list.)

Ferry boats not listed as they have priority obviously.

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[maxxi]

I wonder how much more receptive he may have been if only, you had had the courtesy to ask, rather than just assuming that his boat was there exclusively for your convenience.

As pointed out elsewhere, correct etiquette (politeness) works wonders.

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[barryjl]

OF COURSE I would have asked if only he'd given me the opportunity. There was no evidence of anyone on his boat at all - cabin door shut etc etc - then when we got within ten feet of him, the door burst open and a barrage of unrelenting abuse followed! We weren't given the chance to say anything. We pride ourselves on being polite and professional when rafting up and ALWAYS follow the correct etiquette!

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[Bejasus]

I think in the original posting, that the point was, that before they even had the chance to ask, 1) may we have permission to drop someone for the taxi, 2) may we view, as you are selling, they were met with abuse. Abuse like this is unforgivable, when a polite refusal explaining the reason, i.e. sorry this is private property and I am therefore exercising my right of refusal etc, would surely meet with reason. IMHO

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[Robin]

Am I missing the point here?

Of all places, the Folly has hundreds of clearly marked VISITORS moorings where rafting up is expected, surely any one of these could have been selected, after a polite request, as a place to stop temporarily to drop off passengers. Why on earth would it be necessary to go alongside a boat (Raggie OR Mobo) that is on a PRIVATE mooring?

Last year someone left their car in our driveway for 6hrs whilst visiting friends in the next street. When I eventually caught him and asked him to move it (I did want to park my own car on my own drive), he said 'well there wasn't anywhere else he could park and he didn't think I would mind'. Like in the case above, there was a designated parking area just 100yds away, but of course fee paying.

Oh by the way unlike the raggie I didn't have a FOR SALE sign up outside the house which of course would have made it OK.



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[Talbot]

While there can be no excuse for the raggie's behaviour, an approach to them beforehand asking them for permission to offload (i.e. no obvious attempt to go alongside) would probably have avoided this problem. The private moorings folk around the folly probably get fed up with people thinking that they are OK for rafting.

As a raggie myself, I always raft up with fenders on both sides and am more than happy to meet new aquantances.

Part of the raggie reluctance to accept mobo alongside is the problem of hull shape incompatability. I have seen a number of cases where the hull of the mobo was actually touching the stanchions, and as you are well aware as someone steps onboard a raggie it tends to rock. Thus putting enormous loads on the stanchions. Theefore when you see a mobo bearing down on you with titchy fenders you tend to get flustered. This is not a problem when you have a big cat, and I have wide diameter fenders as well - hence the welcoming smile if someone wishes to secure alongside. BUT I do insist on people on the raft spreading the load by putting out head and stern lines to the jetty. I also get p*ssed off at the racing sailers trick of securing bows in to the next boat to make it easier to step across, thus on a large raft, the outside boat can be more than 30 degrees from the line of the jetty. Thus I try to avoid marinas populated by this type of "sailor"

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[hlb]

This idea is a load of bollocks. A mobo is staight sided, jusl like a pontoon or harbour wall. If there fendered right there should be no problem. It's a bloody social thing. Nothing to do with type of boat.

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[barryjl]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

Yes..I think you are missing the point. There were all sorts of problems at that time, using the visitors berths (which normally I always use), I was only planning to be 2 or 3 mins, but more to the point, the irate raggie never gave me the remotest chance to ask for permission, or be polite, moreover, there was no evidence at all of anyone being on board as I approached. There is in my view, absolutely no excuse for rudeness from anyone.

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

I was once the innocent subject of a similar volley of abuse from a raggie who thought I was planning to raft up against him. Resisting the temptation to plant my anchor through one of his saloon windows, I reversed my stern upto his cockpit on the pretext of manouevering to find another berth and held position for a few minutes whilst 2 of Volvo's smokiest finest filled his cockpit with fumes and unsilenced exhaust noise. The look of fear as my davit hung RIB reared over him was worth the effort alone but total victory was mine once he was forced to retire below coughing and spluttering

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[MainlySteam]

<<< racing sailers trick of securing bows in to the next boat to make it easier to step across>>>

You might find that for some of us that don't sail tennis courts that if one wants the mooring load spread across more than 2 fenders, one has to lie bow in. We have fine lines foreward and carry the maximum beam quite far aft and even when alone moored against a dock do so best bow in. On the very odd occasion we have had others rafted to us (not very necessary out here) even if they are less fine forward and beam further forward they still lie best bow in on us.

I agree with Hadyn - MoBos are best (straight up and down and fore and aft), and add superyachts next (as long as you don't scratch anything and they want to entertain you), other yachts worst.

John

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[barryjl]

Nice one, but shame that his rude behaviour forced you to take such action - why do they do it??

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[Robin]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

There is no excuse for rudeness I agree absolutely. However I do not see that uninvited rafting up to a boat (whether to a raggie or stinkie is irrelevant) on a private mooring is justified either. IMHO of course.

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[barryjl]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

The fact that the raggie had his For Sale board up must invite people to raft up to have a look - the fact that I wasn't intertested in buying is irrelevant because he didn't know that at the time - he never gave me a chance to speak!! Anyway, good manners costs nothing!

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[BrendanS]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

I have some sympathy with him. In high season when the place is heaving, you can sit there for an hour and watch probably 10+ boats try to raft onto the private moorings. They must get pretty pissed off, and after months of it, I'd be on a short fuse too.

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[barryjl]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

Sorry mate but nothing justifies the abuse this guy dealt out and if he didn't want people to come and look, why put the For sale board up.

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[markc]

Re: Am I missing the point here?

I tend to agree with the view that the raggie must get pretty fed up with folk trying to come alongside.

I also doubt if you had a For Sale sign on your house, you would deem it an open invitation for people to park in your drive, have picnics in your front garden and peer through your windows, without first making an appointment.

M

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