sworn at by rowers

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Mar 2005
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12,954
Location
Buckingham
www.keepturningleft.co.uk
On Sunday morning I was sailing on the Ouse above York - it was a lovely morning with just enough breeze to make progress against the current

then a coxless four came along and one of the blokes told me to get out of the way

and that I was on the wrong side of the river.....

he even told me to stop smiling

he was a young man, his testosterone was running high and I am sure that he does not get that many sailing boats on his river



D
 
My niece was at newcastle uni and joined the rowing club........apparently a bunch of ill adjusted upperclass nasty to those they percive as not being in their class......you probably met the York uni branch!
 
Heyho. No damage then. Swearing-wise, what goes around comes around, so if you take a powerboat out on the Solent you'll have the same enjoyable experience from some quarters. It rarely seems to happen outside the UK, though, or indeed outside England. Perhaps not much space or just that the English are generally grumpier people, maybe? Hence the request to stop smiling?
 
I sail my Wayfarer on Strathclyde Loch, a man made pond that has been set out for rowing amongst other things. They hold some serious events at it. There is masses or room and the last time I sailed near rowers, female, with cox, I was told to keep to the bottom of the loch in an angry, surly manner. I put it down to boredom, cramps, wetness and the frigid condition. It cant be fun sitting there, so along comes a dinghy sailor all smiles - easy target. More to be pitied than scorned, probably.
 
" a coxless four came along and one of the blokes told me to get out of the way

and that I was on the wrong side of the river.....

he even told me to stop smiling"





You sure you were not "temporarily unsure of your position" and had somehow ended up on the Thames somewhere around Henley. ?
 
dylanwinter said:
On Sunday morning I was sailing on the Ouse above York - it was a lovely morning with just enough breeze to make progress against the current

then a coxless four came along and one of the blokes told me to get out of the way

and that I was on the wrong side of the river.....

he even told me to stop smiling

he was a young man, his testosterone was running high and I am sure that he does not get that many sailing boats on his river



D
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When you meet with agressive behaviour and you are doing nothing wrong it offends one's sense of justice.
thats how beleagured mobo skippers feel after one of your rants Dylan.
As mentioned above - what goes around, comes around.
 
Always was great fun on the Thames when the rowers shout at you for wash, then their coach boat goes past at 20 knots with a HUGE wash...... best advice ever was from Teddington lock keeper who said put two black balls up (not under command) and just drift into them - the look they give is priceless...... would just love to try it!
 
davidej said:
We had a thread recently on whether, under Colregs, a yacht or rowing boat was stand on vessel. I think the consensus was that a rowboat was a powered vessel.
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On the other hand, a rowing boat is not a powered vessel is the consensus among those who have actually read the ColRegs and asked for ocnfirmation by the RYA. The Committee that wrote the ColRegs also thought likewise, which is why they required different lights for vessels under oars than powered vessels.:rolleyes:

I've no idea what the rules are on the river in York - local regs, perhaps? Not that there's any clear relationship between people's insistence on them being in the right and knowledge of the relevant rules, as a quick spin on the M25 will soon demonstrate!
 
Wing mirors?

Keen_Ed said:
And a rudder about half the size of a credit card. On a 65' foot boat (for a eight).
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And no wing mirrors.

If you want to really rile a rower, ask them why not.

They can be fitted to rowing boats: a couple of guys who rowed the entire Thames some time back had a pair each of snazzy cowled ones, like a 1960s sports car, on the outriggers.

A rower once asked me if I would drive the way I sail on the Thames (slowly, sometimes crabwise: it's a very slow dinghy). I asked him if he would drive a car facing backwards.

C
 
The Bye-Laws for the Ouse make for entertaining reading.

1) It is forbidden to throw animals into the river.
2) You're allowed to be in charge of a vessel while under the influence of drugs, so long as you are not so intoxicated as to be unable to exercise proper control of your vessel.
3) A vessel meeting, overtaking or being overtaken by another should give way to it if it has deeper draught. (Looks like Dylan had right of way over the rowers!)
4) I couldn't find any regulation forbidding smiling!

P.S. What's a 'shallop' (type of vessel)?
 
dylanwinter said:
On Sunday morning I was sailing on the Ouse above York - it was a lovely morning with just enough breeze to make progress against the current

then a coxless four came along and one of the blokes told me to get out of the way

and that I was on the wrong side of the river.....

he even told me to stop smiling

he was a young man, his testosterone was running high and I am sure that he does not get that many sailing boats on his river



D
Click to expand...

tee hee were you irritated?

imagine you are going along in your mobo, and some berk in a sailing boat disregards you just because you're not in a sailing boat :)

anyway, far too many rowers are far too rude. Don't know why but it's true.

I sank one once.

Going down the Thames on a sunny day, heading for France. 8 knot limit, I came up to a single scull. I sat behind him at about 5 knots. Rude to pass him, far too much wash. It slowed me, but we have to share the river. C'est la vie. The sun was out, and the kids were playing on the foredeck.

After 5 mins or so - he's looking at the kids remember - he swore at them for making a noise. They were just playing. So I opened the throttle to full and passed.

If he'd sworn at me that's one thing. He swore at the kids for no reason.

No I am not ashamed.
 
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