Smoking on board

johnalison said:
Smoking on my boat is forbidden by edict, but like others I don't have any close friends who smoke. A problem can occur when you moor comfortably in a finger or box and half an hour later someone arrives next door and starts to smoke in the cockpit, rendering your boat uninhabitable. This always seems to happen on hot days when you want to be out there yourself. The Danes, Dutch and Germans seem to be the worst offenders. If I arrived first I usually complain, but if not it is more complicated and a long walk may be necessary.
Click to expand...

Makes me want to take up smoking again and move to Essex - get a grip 'uninhabitable', hah!
 
It puzzles me as to why expressing a wish to breath fresh air should be regarded as antisocial. I seem to have found myself in Erewhon.
 
It strikes me as strange just how 'anti' people are about smoking. Passive smoking poses a very very slight increase in risk. I wonder how many of the 'anti' camp drink? A risky thing to do by all accounts. CO, NO, CO2 and other nasties we all breath in on a regular basis from our cars or the lorries that bring our stuff is even worse.

I have a feeling that the 'anti' posters in this thread are responding more to socially constructed norms then they are to a real evaluation of risk. A very few years ago smoking was cool, now it isn't. A few years ago drinking your wages on a Friday evening and giving the missus a back hander if she complained was, if not normal, then socially acceptable. Now, thankfully, it isn't. A few years ago people of a different skin hue were regarded as slightly sub-human, again, thankfully, that is no longer the case.

The vitriol poured onto smokers, I would suggest owes more to social engineering then it does to a real understanding or judgement of risk involved.

Just a thought

I'll shut up now and do some varnishing!
 
Sophie19 said:
It strikes me as strange just how 'anti' people are about smoking. Passive smoking poses a very very slight increase in risk. I wonder how many of the 'anti' camp drink? A risky thing to do by all accounts. CO, NO, CO2 and other nasties we all breath in on a regular basis from our cars or the lorries that bring our stuff is even worse.

I have a feeling that the 'anti' posters in this thread are responding more to socially constructed norms then they are to a real evaluation of risk. A very few years ago smoking was cool, now it isn't. A few years ago drinking your wages on a Friday evening and giving the missus a back hander if she complained was, if not normal, then socially acceptable. Now, thankfully, it isn't. A few years ago people of a different skin hue were regarded as slightly sub-human, again, thankfully, that is no longer the case.

The vitriol poured onto smokers, I would suggest owes more to social engineering then it does to a real understanding or judgement of risk involved.

Just a thought

I'll shut up now and do some varnishing!
Click to expand...

How dare you release that Pandora's box of solvents to ruin my enjoyment of our pristine, fresh air - varnish, pah, whatever next, a Diesel engine spewing forth particulates and other organic air borne poisons? I talk to my children about accepting differences in others whilst sticking to their principals - they get it, and they're under 13! We all need to remember that there is something we do that winds others up IMO - old people annoyed at my speed on roads ruin my day by doing 30, regardless of the limit - people using txt spk in e-mails drive me to distraction whilst my long sentences probably give them a migraine.

Just 'rub along' - there is someone, somewhere deeply irritated by something you do. Smoking will not kill you, maybe the smoker, but not you.
 
Sophie19 said:
I have a feeling that the 'anti' posters in this thread are responding more to socially constructed norms then they are to a real evaluation of risk. A very few years ago smoking was cool, now it isn't. A few years ago drinking your wages on a Friday evening and giving the missus a back hander if she complained was, if not normal, then socially acceptable. Now, thankfully, it isn't. A few years ago people of a different skin hue were regarded as slightly sub-human, again, thankfully, that is no longer the case.
Click to expand...

In a sense you are right (though I would say very few decades rather than years, if you have been keeping up). But I note that you do not say smoking is now unacceptable. But is that not exactly why it is banned by law in so many circumstances? (As is hitting children etc etc).

BTW Though I'm 70 I never thought smoking was "cool", whatever that means. And also thought that old advert which showed young women supposedly chasing a bloke because he was smoking (IIRC) St Bruno (dog turds?) pipe tobacco was ridiculous.

But I've got sensible things to do too, even at my age...

Mike.
 
Sophie19 said:
It strikes me as strange just how 'anti' people are about smoking. Passive smoking poses a very very slight increase in risk. I wonder how many of the 'anti' camp drink? A risky thing to do by all accounts. CO, NO, CO2 and other nasties we all breath in on a regular basis from our cars or the lorries that bring our stuff is even worse.
Click to expand...

Indeed - ever blown your nose onto a white hanky after travelling around London on the Tube for a day?

Pete
 
Sophie19 said:
It strikes me as strange just how 'anti' people are about smoking. Passive smoking poses a very very slight increase in risk. I wonder how many of the 'anti' camp drink? A risky thing to do by all accounts. CO, NO, CO2 and other nasties we all breath in on a regular basis from our cars or the lorries that bring our stuff is even worse.

I have a feeling that the 'anti' posters in this thread are responding more to socially constructed norms then they are to a real evaluation of risk. A very few years ago smoking was cool, now it isn't. A few years ago drinking your wages on a Friday evening and giving the missus a back hander if she complained was, if not normal, then socially acceptable. Now, thankfully, it isn't. A few years ago people of a different skin hue were regarded as slightly sub-human, again, thankfully, that is no longer the case.

The vitriol poured onto smokers, I would suggest owes more to social engineering then it does to a real understanding or judgement of risk involved.

Just a thought

I'll shut up now and do some varnishing!
Click to expand...

Spot on.

But mind that varnishing - it might kill you!
 
Sophie19 said:
It strikes me as strange just how 'anti' people are about smoking. Passive smoking poses a very very slight increase in risk. I wonder how many of the 'anti' camp drink? A risky thing to do by all accounts. CO, NO, CO2 and other nasties we all breath in on a regular basis from our cars or the lorries that bring our stuff is even worse.

I have a feeling that the 'anti' posters in this thread are responding more to socially constructed norms then they are to a real evaluation of risk. A very few years ago smoking was cool, now it isn't. A few years ago drinking your wages on a Friday evening and giving the missus a back hander if she complained was, if not normal, then socially acceptable. Now, thankfully, it isn't. A few years ago people of a different skin hue were regarded as slightly sub-human, again, thankfully, that is no longer the case.

The vitriol poured onto smokers, I would suggest owes more to social engineering then it does to a real understanding or judgement of risk involved.

Just a thought

I'll shut up now and do some varnishing!
Click to expand...

I find it incredibly strange people can't see how smoking could be an issue, second hand smoke is harmful according to the government, whilst some may distrust the source I'm more inclined to believe an organisation (the NHS) that has multiple billions pumped into it to research and treat the effects of smoking (as well as obviously other ailments) over a few smokers on a forum trying to defend their habit by saying its absolutely fine!!!

As for your drinking comparison, you raise a fair point, but I'd say the same logic applies, if people on the next boat are drinking and not causing an issue, no problem, if its 3 in the morning and they are having a loud party then presumably people start to take offence. This to me is a fair comparable to smokers sitting upwind or downwind, one is an issue, one isn't so much.

As for your socially constructed norms theory, there is probably a lot of truth in that, but again unless someone proves second hand smoke is harmless (and also makes it smell of roses!!) I'm going to believe the government on this one over smokers!!
 
I really don't care if people smoke. It's their life, and I've seen many in my family live short painful ones because of it. Personally, I just can't stand the smell of it. Just standing next to a smoker makes me heave. I thought more about this since my last post, and it seems that we have socially engineered our friends group to exclude smokers.

Some of this may come from a time when I worked in construction, and for a few days I had to share a dorm with what must have been the Irish national smoking team. I never saw one of them without a fag on the go - unless they were asleep. It was my idea of hell. Even being back outdoors for for hours I could smell it on me, and everything I owned stank. I resigned.
 
The 'passive smoking near my boat harms me and I can't stand the smell!' line trotted out by a few posters is a bit rich given that they swan around in biocide coated tubs, most of them plastic and otherwise constructed from non biodegradable materials, pump **** directly into the sea and let's face it - half the time spew particulates into the air from the donk..

All this for their selfish pleasure

I don't smoke btw
 
Slow_boat said:
I don't like the smell of aftershave and some perfumes make me heave, but wouldn't ban anyone from wearing it on my boat. If you're invited onto my boat, or into my house, you are a friend or a guest and my part is to make you feel at home.

Common courtesy, I think.

Or maybe I'm just to tolerant.
Click to expand...
So smelly socks and bad personal hygiene is ok too? :ambivalence:
 
Stemar said:
I'm not suggesting it'll set them ablaze, but I've seen the hot end of a cigarette come off and blow in the general direction of my sails. It wouldn't take too much bad luck for it to lodge in a reef and melt a hole.

If that's hysteria or intolerance, then guilty as charged - and unrepentant.
Click to expand...

I agree. When it is windy I have seen the sparks from a cigarette blow onto the sails.

Also I was on a friends boat when one of the crew was smoking in the cockpit while underway. Allegedly a spark blew into the guys eye and the cruise had to be curtailed to get the guy ashore and to a doctor. Note this is first and only time I have heard of this but thought I should mention it.
 
Stemar said:
I'm not suggesting it'll set them ablaze, but I've seen the hot end of a cigarette come off and blow in the general direction of my sails. It wouldn't take too much bad luck for it to lodge in a reef and melt a hole.

If that's hysteria or intolerance, then guilty as charged - and unrepentant.
Click to expand...
I've seen a spinnaker peppered with holes just from a bit of ash blowing off a cigarette.
Luckily it was the owner wot done it.

Personally I would be less likely to invite a smoker aboard, but if someone wants to smoke well to leeward of me and away from sails etc, it is no big deal.

Smokers on other boats that are close enough to be annoying me with their smoke are probably going to be annoying me anyway.

Generators and engines run to charge batteries can be annoying, but people farting about lighting barbeques with stinky chemicals is my pet hate for this year.
 
How times have changed. hen I bought my first house people would just light up and say where is the ashtray, I had three and I am an asthmatic non-smoker! Not anymore thank God, this is no longer acceptable, so for once times have changed for the better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

S
Sailing to the USA. Do I need a special visa?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
Roberto
Roberto
S
Marine Ply for Bulkhead Glasgow
Replies
13
Views
563
sundanceoflorn
S

Share this page

Top