Snobby plastic gaffers

[Rivers & creeks]

What is their problem? There are hundreds of them on the East Coast and jolly nice they are too, but they are plastic like 95% of us are, just that their mast comes in rwo bits and unlike the rest of us, they are pretending to be something else. So how come they are so rude? Our 2 year old waves gleefuly at everyone, and they all wave back, except the plastic gaffers. This week two of them on the same day shook their heads when the ship's biscuit (daughter) waved. Another one clearly tried to shove us out of the narrow channel to Snape (him motoring, us sailing). So what is their problem???

 

[Cornishman]

I guess their problem is that they don't sail in Cornish waters. We make plastic gaffers in Cornwall (Crabbers and Shrimpers to name a couple) and some might be pleased to hear that the company has recently been saved.

 

[monkfish24]

i believe it's jealousy of yourr windward capability....

 

[sailorman]

What is their problem? There are hundreds of them on the East Coast and jolly nice they are too, but they are plastic like 95% of us are, just that their mast comes in rwo bits and unlike the rest of us, they are pretending to be something else. So how come they are so rude? Our 2 year old waves gleefuly at everyone, and they all wave back, except the plastic gaffers. This week two of them on the same day shook their heads when the ship's biscuit (daughter) waved. Another one clearly tried to shove us out of the narrow channel to Snape (him motoring, us sailing). So what is their problem???

yourboatpix might change thier minds
photo n shame

 

[jonjo]

So what is their problem???

I cannot summarize it with the medical phraseology that a psychologist would use but you are experiencing the marine equivalent of urban housing estate residents thinking that owning a 4x4 makes them special.

That said, at the end of a weekend day sail all this happy-clappy waving can get tiresome.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

I think it was Princess Anne who said "there's nothing naffer than a plastic gaffer"

Right too.

 

[drawkins]

I have a plastic gaffer.
I always wave to everyone which might amount to 3 people in a busy afternoon.I even wave to motor boats which I dislike as they nearly always slow down for me and who knows one day I might need them

 

[shmoo]

Are you telling me they are plastic? Those clicker-built-looking boats? Really?

 

[snowleopard]

There are plenty of people in all sorts of boats who don't wave, maybe because they are grumpy or have got fed up of waving every few moments. There are plenty who are rude and there are plenty who will barge you out of the way through ignorance of the rules (and some who know the rules better than you). The fact that two on the same day happened to be in the same type of boat is not statistically significant. You may well find the ones who upset you tomorrow are another group altogether.

 

[Evadne]

My thoughts as well. We were lucky enough to be out yesterday, and got a very enthusiastic wave from a family in a large mobo, flying a blue ensign.

 

[Wansworth]

Spanish are not great wavers either and I would say none own a gaff rig plastic yacht,so a non waving yachtman could be Spanish,even if they are not in a gaffer....

 

[Twister_Ken]

So much string to pull, what with their jackyard topsail gollywobblers and their water sails and their flying staysails that they don't have enough hands left to wave with.

 

[Neil]

I switched from motor to sail and I have bought a plastic long keeled gaffer, as my first sailing boat. I use it as a fishing and sailing dinghy - it was a fishing boat in its time, after all. It ticked all the boxes, in terms of stability, towability and lack of maintenance. I wave or nod to others or not depending how I feel. My fishing buddies see all yachties as peaked capped, brass-buttoned blazer types, sipping G&T's, anyway.

 

[Beadle]

Very close Ken.

Its more the case that having hauled half a ton of gaff up the mast their arms are too knackered to wave.

 

[Seagreen]

Pity about that. I sail a real wooden gaffer, and me and my kids wave at everyone. I don't "not wave" at anyone who waves at me, unless my hands are full at that moment. Being a gaffer, there's usually quite a lot to handle.
Maybe these people are not too confident about there abilities to handle the boats? Now there's a cheeky thought.

 

[Resolution]

I believe that lots of sailors "wave" at PWCs, but mostly with only one or two digits.....