Should rafting be a thing of the past in Lymington?

A happier one from that era when I used Lymington Town Quay a lot. Probably will get some frowning and teeth sucking from a Tartanista or two though...

Another Sunday morning, I was sorting out my skipper of the moment to slip from mid raft. We noticed that two yachts in front of us were from a rival sailing school. The crew of the outboard one simply could not be roused. A heavy night....including the skipper. So the inboard boat slipped with the other still secured alongside. We followed them to the harbour entrance where they cleared traffic and ditched their companions. That got their crew on deck sharpish and found they had loadsa boats watching them. Good boat handling from the 'tug'. ?

No doubt these days there would be a trial by forum and everybody involved mentally beaten to within an inch of their lives....
 
Rafting is normally joyful; meet new people and share a glass. Unfortunately there are other types, we've all experienced it, which turns it in to a RRPITA. The ratio of good:bad experiences is not as good as it ought to be though - I reckon about 3:1. There are so many inconsiderate folk about I'm still amazed at some of the behaviour one experiences. It's not hard to be a great raftee - and raftees and rafters should have that as an objective.
 
I have always accepted that rafting up is a part of sailing, never had any really bad experiences, but haven't sailed in the Lymington area (or the South Coast) for over 30 years so things have probably changed and followed the rest of the 'me first and more important than you' society that seems to be prevalent now in the UK.
 
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.o_O
 
Resolution said:
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.o_O
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You don’t see anchor rafts at SC so much these days but we all raft up on the pontoon at Kellett after racing in the harbour.
 
Praxinoscope said:
I have always accepted that rafting up is a part of sailing, never had any really bad experiences, but haven't sailed in the Lymington area (or the South Coast) for over 30 years so things have probably changed and followed the rest of the 'me first and more important than you' society that seems to be prevalent now in the UK.
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Sounds very true. I always thought if it as a rather British Thing, but I'm guessing it's not so common now with lots of marina berths.
For a lot of non Brits ( it may surprise some people that others do sail ?) the raft is sometimes first encountered in Horta, Azores. This will be at the end of a two or three week crossing when a new skill needs to be quickly mastered, with plenty of advice given in multiple languages. Then there is the fun of victualling for another ten or fourteen days passing everything across three other boats. The Lymington Luvvies might go purple and explode...
 
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Robih,

so true - I have been in rafts of 6-7 at Poole Town Quay set adrift by inconsiderate berks.

But what really remains in my memory is when I had just bought my old boat back and I with novice crew went to the visitors moorings at Itchenor; the only bouy with one boat rather than several attached had a Vancouver 27 ( nb made locally ) on it.

At first they gave us the ' we're leaving at dawn ' treatment - " that's fine, we'll be made off to the buoy " then just stood and watched as my novice chum struggled to get a line on in a rising wind.

Then the owner- taking me to be a novice as I had a smaller boat - launched into a speech about how big his water tanks were ( 'well that should make her even slower ' ) in the meantime patronising the **** out of the harbour chap who came to collect dues.

In the morning I said " still here I see "

' I hope we didn't appear unfriendly '

" Of course you did, Black Duck " - I hope she is in better hands now, there are some people one wouldn't pee on if they were on fire. :)
 
Seajet said:
But what really remains in my memory is when I had just bought my old boat back and I with novice crew went to the visitors moorings at Itchenor; the only bouy with one boat rather than several attached had a Vancouver 27 ( nb made locally ) on it.

At first they gave us the ' we're leaving at dawn ' treatment - " that's fine, we'll be made off to the buoy " then just stood and watched as my novice chum struggled to get a line on in a rising wind.
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it is this attitude what makes many of us avoid the places where you are likely to raft. most of go sailing to avoid the selfish behaviour of others.

BTW I worked out what had happened in 1997 ... although didnt the accident happen early on the morning of the 31st ...
 
Praxinoscope said:
I have always accepted that rafting up is a part of sailing, never had any really bad experiences, but haven't sailed in the Lymington area (or the South Coast) for over 30 years so things have probably changed and followed the rest of the 'me first and more important than you' society that seems to be prevalent now in the UK.
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Its the HQ of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club (Southern Division), don't you know.:unsure::)
 
Sharky34 said:
Ah yes, buggered up all Sunday morning TV & Radio programmes.
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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!
 
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