Shouting skippers ?

[Jobs a good un]

Afternoon all

A friend of mine sails with a shouting skipper ( not me ) and was wondering what the panels opinions/advice would be on such a subject ??

 

[Salty John]

Sail with someone else!
Shouting skippers are usually nervous skippers, in my experience, rather than naturally aggressive people. Maintaining a confident attitude can help diffuse those situations in which the skipper yells.

 

[dt4134]

It depends upon the circumstances and frequency.

If it is frequent and unjustified, find another boat. Often shouting shows a lack of confidence in the skipper's own competence and experience. The biggest problem is that such a skipper is unlikely to get any better in a real crisis and that could increase the risk of injury to the crew and the vessel.

 

[Searush]

Have a group feedback session, ask him "how do you think I feel when you shout at me like that?" Video him in action & play it back to him in the pub later.

No, seriously, either help him learn to sail his boat by quietly solving his problems before he sees them or sail with someone else.

Get your own boat & take him out so you can shout at him?

If it's always the same things he shouts about, write him a check list to stop those things going wrong.

 

[photodog]

.

 

[Leighb]

OK if he/she is shouting/swearing at themselves for doing something really stupid. (going aground on a falling tide comes to mind )

If shouting at crew definitely not on in my opinion.

Only 2 reasons for raised voice (not shouting) in my view.
a) Crew is too far away to hear normal voice level.
b) A real emergency which the crew may be unaware of.

Classic situation seen quite often, large shouting bloke on helm with little lass on the foredeck failing to pick up mooring. 90% of failed pickups are due to poor approach, 10% due to arms too short or perhaps not strong enough.

Both could be fixed by putting lassie on the helm and big strong bloke on foredeck. Mind you he would probably still get it wrong and shout at her anyway.

 

[awol]

If the shouting occurs in a non-racing situation then the skipper has to have a lot of other redeeming qualities to make it worth while. If it's during stressful moments of racing when all is not slick and smooth with the crew then training is the answer - of both skipper and crew. Some people get upset being shouted at, others take it in their stride; some shout and forget it immediately, others harbour resentment - some mixes work and others don't.

With me, shouting is indicative of a high race workload and an inability to clearly articulate what the crew should have done by now. With a crew who are pro-actively involved and know what they are doing or with time to go through each step then I would claim that, other than to make sure the foredeck hears me, I don't raise my voice ........ the crews' opinions may vary!

 

[snowleopard]

Shouting is done for 3 reasons:

1. Very noisy conditions where you need to shout to make yourself heard.

2. To warn people of serious and immediate danger (boom coming over, standing in a loop of anchor chain etc).

3. Because the skipper hadn't thought out what to do next and is trying to make up for his failings by blaming the crew.

A good skipper will recognise when he is doing the last of these and try to avoid getting into the same situation next time.

Depending on the people involved and the circumstances one should either try to educate a type 3 skipper or sail with someone else.

 

[capnsensible]

The best put down I heard to a shouty skipper was in my early racing days. After a particularly rude and loud rant, the recipient merely said 'best you do it yourself then', wandered below and read a book.

A lesson I have never forgotten.....

 

[Seajet]

I have always thought the hallmark of a well trained, experienced skipper and crew is just a look to the skipper acknowleged by a slight nod.

On the other extreme, I will never forget a small, noisy Seagull engine powered Sailing cruiser coming alongside the pontoon opposite the Folly, upriver from Cowes; husband on helm yelling above the engine sound to wife on foredeck, " For Christ's sake LOOK NATURAL ! "...

 

[Koeketiene]

I sail with wife and offspring.

Lesson learned: I shout (when not required - emergency or noise) - I don't get fed and I sleep alone.

 

[prv]

I think if I shouted when stressed I'd upset myself as much as my crew

Pete

 

[Flapjack]

A friend of mine went racing on a boat on the east coast earlier this year and the skipper spent the entire day shouting and swearing at his wife and the rest of the crew, then spent the evening complaining that he couldn’t get a regular crew, can’t think why not, lol. My friend hasn’t taken up the offer to go back

 

[Leighb]

A chap crewed with me one time, and in general chat I remarked that he had now crewed on most of the class including that of his brother-in-law.

"Just the once" was the terse reply. On further enquiry he said that he did not go sailing to be yelled and screamed at all day.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I confess. I did shout a bit once this season. Anchoring under sail. Foredeck crew apparently unable to discriminate betwen instructions to DROP the Jib and BACK the Jib. It all worked out in the end.

There's no automatic correlation in my experience between shoutiness and competence or lack thereof. My good comrade 'awol', see above, has frankly a bit of a reputation as a shouty sort of skipper but also as a very experienced and very competent boat driver (cue blushes from shouty bloke).

I have sailed with very competent skippers both shouty and quiet and also the reverse in both senses.

I am a bit pissed. Goodnight.

 

[Tintin]

A friend of mine went racing on a boat on the east coast earlier this year and the skipper spent the entire day shouting and swearing at his wife and the rest of the crew, then spent the evening complaining that he couldn’t get a regular crew, can’t think why not, lol. My friend hasn’t taken up the offer to go back

I feel sorry for the wife

 

[dylanwinter]

walk away or buy a small boat

The only things I ever shouted were

starboard and water

life is too short to live with a shouty person - its a sign of incompetence

Dylan

 

[Wansworth]

When I worked on coasters the norm was a mumbled instruction as to the proposed manuver,ie what side to etc then silence..even after a complete cock up nothing was said as It was obvious who and what had gone wrong!I must admit after some heroic action it would have been nice if the skipper had praised the crew but the usual terse remark was ....put the bloody kettle on!

 

[Grehan]

Shouting, sarcasm, rudeness . . all signs of little men who want to be big men.
But aren't.

 

[snowleopard]

I know one dinghy skipper who wore ear defenders while racing as his wife used to shout all the time.

One one occasion we were approaching them when she started screeching 'Starboard'. I called back 'so are we but you're windward boat'.