Should rafting be a thing of the past in Lymington?

[Seajet]

Would it be worth buying some rubber car mats and laying them on deck in places where rafting is likely ?

You might be able to get some of the footprints and arrows as used in shops and say it's a covid precaution.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Okay, but surely the response to that is:

"Okay but I'm a little concerned that I might stub my toes, would it be okay if I kept my shoes on but I'll be sure to thoroughly check for any stones and muck before coming aboard"?

Absolutely. The request to remove shoes is still just silly, though.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Would it be worth buying some rubber car mats and laying them on deck in places where rafting is likely ?

You might be able to get some of the footprints and arrows as used in shops and say it's a covid precaution.

I suggested carpet squares, but that's too hard, for some reason. Perhaps they would hide the second-hand teak magnificence too much.

 

[Zagato]

I won't have this problem with only 2' freeboard unless somebody brings a step ladder or better... traverse my whole boat with a gang plank! I can see waste water outlets being a major risk!

 

[RivalRedwing]

I won't have this problem with only 2' freeboard unless somebody brings a step ladder or better... traverse my whole boat with a gang plank! I can see waste water outlets being a major risk!

I'd be more worried that your deck is used as a trampoline...

 

[Stemar]

I won't have this problem with only 2' freeboard unless somebody brings a step ladder or better... traverse my whole boat with a gang plank! I can see waste water outlets being a major risk!

I'd be more worried that your deck is used as a trampoline...

If some big sod wants to raft up outside me, I think I'd offer to get out of his way and come back in when he's parked up. Saves all the worry of squashed fenders and squashed boats and squashed nerves

 

[RJJ]

I suggested carpet squares, but that's too hard, for some reason. Perhaps they would hide the second-hand teak magnificence too much.

Who said carpet squares were hard? Not me.

 

[Mudisox]

In my early days of racing up at Shelter Cove in Hong Kong we always used to raft up after the race, to have a beer and a bite. The custom was for the winning yacht to drop its anchor and then for successive finishers to raft up on either side. Just occasionally a second anchor would be deployed. Wonderfully sociable, climbing over to chat with your competitors.

The raft always dragged anchor(s). The trick was to gauge the rate of drag correctly and know when the call to cast off the raft would be called, so as to get back onto your own boat. Those who misjudged sometimes had to swim for their own boat.

And we needed incoming boats to top up the beer supplies in the early 70s.
We tried to do a complete circle one time, better achieved in Scotland when it was actually organised. Failed to generate enough folk though when we tried it in Portland with little or no tidal stream.
Ah .......memories of St Peter Port.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Who said carpet squares were hard? Not me.

Linoleum squares are harder than carpet squares.

 

[38mess]

I read somewhere that a boat owner used to hang toddlers clothing and nappies from the guard rail to deter rafters.
Apologies if this is untrue or has been posted earlier.

 

[Rustyknight]

Linoleum squares are harder than carpet squares.

But probably very slippery when wet...... not that it ever rains in the great British summer. Carpet tiles wouls be ok in the rain, but not many people would want to put a soggy bit of shagpile into a cockpit locker when they leave harbour. It wouldn't take long for it to smell like a dead fish.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

I was in Ceuta, the Spanish Enclave in Moroco for that one. Was up the yacht club paying mooring fees when someone put on the telly with the news. Was interesting going into Morocco at Marina Smir later that day.

In other significant events whilst yachting, we were in Guernsey pit stopped on passage to Gib when Man Utd beat Bayern in the Champions League final. ??

We watched the CL in the Albert having sailed to the IOM from Conwy. The other that springs to mind was getting a paper after a couple of days at sea and seeing that Concorde had crashed.

 

[Greenheart]

Has anybody ever tried 4ft guardrails? With that netting-stuff, obviously.

 

[[3889]]

Yup. Before people spent all their lives peering at small hand held screens. Didn't know why when we put the radio on, all we got was dirge music. Was summer so lots of boats rafted. Everyone a bit perplexed and wondering what was going on. Amazing what a world wide reaction that crash provoked. There were always some though that feigned disinterest as though they are somehow above all that kind of thing.
Was a great pit stop in the winter though. Lot more peaceful but dodgy when the brow was icy. Can't remember the name of the pub on the dock but I recall nightcaps in the Chinese restaurant opposite the dock. Oh and the customs guy in the workboat pre eu waiting at the harbour entrance. Thems were the days!

To be fair, there were some of us who didn't feign disinterest (or even uninterest, for pedants). We were camping at the foot of Tryfan in Snowdonia and I remember feeling dismayed that the papers would be full of this $h1t for a week. A week seems a glorious prospect with hindsight.

 

[TSB240]

Its the HQ of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club (Southern Division), don't you know.

A bit 'grand' for me, they probably wouldn't even allow me through the door.

Fake news Mr Sharky.

They allowed me through the hallowed doors of the RWYC at Porth Y Aur, so I am sure you would be made very welcome in the oldest yacht club building in the world!

They even made my admirable hon secretary. ?

The southern squadron no longer have any connection with Lymington and are now based at the Royal Cornwall in Falmouth. A most congenial group.

One member of the group even lives just up the coast from you at Aberdovey!

 

[Sharky34]

Fake news Mr Sharky.

They allowed me through the hallowed doors of the RWYC at Porth Y Aur, so I am sure you would be made very welcome in the oldest yacht club building in the world!

They even made my admirable hon secretary. ?

The southern squadron no longer have any connection with Lymington and are now based at the Royal Cornwall in Falmouth. A most congenial group.

One member of the group even lives just up the coast from you at Aberdovey!

I don't live anywhere near Aberdovey, certainly can't hear the bells, regardless of tide state.

 

[TSB240]

I don't live anywhere near Aberdovey, certainly can't hear the bells, regardless of tide state.

Ah the bells yes the historic launching site for GP14s. My commiserations if you are Lake Solent based ? I know Mr Praxinoscope is a mid walian! I assure you also a very warm welcome now we have a roof and heating in our "Covi" castle turret.

 

[Bobc]

I read somewhere that a boat owner used to hang toddlers clothing and nappies from the guard rail to deter rafters.
Apologies if this is untrue or has been posted earlier.

That was Libby Purves. She wrote it saying that's how she stopped people rafting to them. That was many years ago.