Think I upset a yachtie is this a crime??

jac said:
Hang on though - if your boat can't be safely handled at less than 5 knots then either the boat is really badly designed or you need to take some tuition. The thought of someone having to weave around the fairway in a marina at 5 knots in order to be able to steer is frightening.
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Yes, I do appreciate your point BUT.....
Have you ever driven a big mobo?
We don't have the same control that yachties have.
We are not blessed with a big keel underneath to stop any drift.
Essentially, our mobos have flat bottoms so slip very easily sideways.
At low speeds we even used this in a controlled way to manoeuvre the boat.
Speed helps - the rudders can then be used but speed causes danger so we resort to slipping sideways through the water.
Handling a yacht with a keel is completely different - much more intuitive - far less side slipping (in most cases none) so you end up driving into and out of a berth
I don't know if I'm speaking for others but thats the way I see it.
Believe me, I come from the sailing world - you need to try and steer a mobo before making statements like that.

Sorry, I'm not picking on you.
But, if you get the chance, you should have a go and you will then have a completely different respect for mobos - IMO
 
prv said:
As a lifelong raggie I'm sorry to say this isn't entirely true - a minority of my colleagues (usually older ones, it seems) have an irrational dislike of motorboats and will complain about their speed (whether to the mobo skipper directly or just to others around themselves) just on general principles regardless of whether any harm is actually being done. Sad but true.

Pete
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That is very true. I have been shouted at by rowers (more than once) for going too fast/creating too much wash when I have actually been stopped dead in the water!
 
jac said:
Hang on though - if your boat can't be safely handled at less than 5 knots then either the boat is really badly designed or you need to take some tuition. The thought of someone having to weave around the fairway in a marina at 5 knots in order to be able to steer is frightening.
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Most twin engined motor boats cannot go any slower than 5 knots on both engines , on one engine at that speed the boat will steer badly unless an amount of rudder is applied.
 
Hurricane said:
Yes, I do appreciate your point BUT.....
Have you ever driven a big mobo?
We don't have the same control that yachties have.
We are not blessed with a big keel underneath to stop any drift.
Essentially, our mobos have flat bottoms so slip very easily sideways.
At low speeds we even used this in a controlled way to manoeuvre the boat.
Speed helps - the rudders can then be used but speed causes danger so we resort to slipping sideways through the water.
Handling a yacht with a keel is completely different - much more intuitive - far less side slipping (in most cases none) so you end up driving into and out of a berth
I don't know if I'm speaking for others but thats the way I see it.
Believe me, I come from the sailing world - you need to try and steer a mobo before making statements like that.

Sorry, I'm not picking on you.
But, if you get the chance, you should have a go and you will then have a completely different respect for mobos - IMO
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Well put .
 
volvopaul said:
Most twin engined motor boats cannot go any slower than 5 knots on both engines , on one engine at that speed the boat will steer badly unless an amount of rudder is applied.
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Thanks Paul - this may help others get a better understanding.
I have a single duo prop and at low speed against the elements can be tricky in close quarters manoeuvring.

This is an interesting thread with good comments from both perspectives.

I was expecting just a couple of replies like don't worry all raggies/yatchies moan.

Jon
 
I'm on a pontoon in the river. A wake can be very unpleasant slamming the hull against the pontoon and causing the mooring ropes to snatch. What frustrates me is the marina mobo's are the worst offenders but chat to them and ask them what they'd think about someone raising a 2 foot wake in the marina and they get mad and yet the penny still doesn't drop. I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of mobo owners are actually selfish self absorbed cretins and have some sympathy towards a few sail boat gripes. But they are by no means absolved of having an over abundance of sanctimonious blowhards either.
 
BruceK said:
I'm on a pontoon in the river. A wake can be very unpleasant slamming the hull against the pontoon and causing the mooring ropes to snatch. What frustrates me is the marina mobo's are the worst offenders but chat to them and ask them what they'd think about someone raising a 2 foot wake in the marina and they get mad and yet the penny still doesn't drop. I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of mobo owners are actually selfish self absorbed cretins and have some sympathy towards a few sail boat gripes. But they are by no means absolved of having an over abundance of sanctimonious blowhards either.
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I think that is a bit harsh but am appalled by the OPs idea that as long as he's within the speed limit it's fine. I imagine he drives at 19.9 mph past schools and weaves between parents crossing the road as he has chosen to buy a car that won't steer at anything less, except when parking of course when steering magically works.
 
Have had similar issues to what you guys/gals are reporting in our mobo before we moved out of Bristol Harbour...

These things can come tearing past your bow as you're trying to disembark from your berth...

16645822425_d5f8673f86_m.jpg


... and whilst you can keep an eye out for them... there can be 20 scooting around from all directions, including corners that you you simply can't see around... then they'll shoot past your bow at wayyy above 15knots, barely a few feet in front as you're pulling out... and I suspect with their sails in some positions, that they can't even see to one side.

I never did figure out how to avoid them (never collided)... it was more a case of crossed fingers, and do what we can, at the slowest speed we can go without risking massive drift (as a poster above commented, in wind, a mobo can easily be pushed sideways if not moving forwards at a fast-walking pace). I think the big risk to us was them potentially ploughing blind into our side. I think in retrospect, maybe a long honk followed by tapping the horn constantly whilst pulling out would be the way to go. Though I doubt with the wind in their face/hair/ears it would even be heard. Maybe we shoulda deployed the fog-horn!

Thankfully, we've now moved to a harbour where there doesn't appear to be any small/fast sailboats like those :).
 
jon and michie said:
Thanks Paul - this may help others get a better understanding.
I have a single duo prop and at low speed against the elements can be tricky in close quarters manoeuvring.

This is an interesting thread with good comments from both perspectives.

I was expecting just a couple of replies like don't worry all raggies/yatchies moan.

Jon
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Ah so your single duo prop , even more difficult to handle without speed through the water as you don't have a rudder .
Perhaps others on here will understand your situation with a little more compassion and less opinion.
 
BruceK said:
I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of mobo owners are actually selfish self absorbed cretins and have some sympathy towards a few sail boat gripes
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That's what you think of me, and most of the people that post on the forum? Just wow. :confused:
 
volvopaul said:
10 knots in Portsmouth harbour, try working at Gosport or Haslar when the Ferries are coming in and out, I've had a table on top of me once due to the excessive wash when working inside a boat, never hear anyone complaining though.
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The main culprits for wash in Haslar are the pilot boats doing "handbrake" turns onto their berths at Blockhouse. The Isle of Wight ferrys aren't a major problem and the major issue with the cross channel ferries and container ships is the pressure wave they set up through the moorings.
Don't try to berth when one is inbound between the harbour entrance and Ballast Pile. Or when outbound until they are passed 4 Bar.

j
 
Bouba said:
I suspect that Bruce accidentally left a 'not' out of his sentence, at least I choose to believe that
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How Iread it also, 2nd time anyway.

My first mobo was the one we lived on for a year, a 'fast trawler' Ie semi-displacement. On our very first trip just 80 miles down the ICW, we came across two slower moving sailboats. As is the rules I duly hailed them on the VHF and asked if ewe might overtake and which side. They helpfully sloewed down so we did not need to speed up more than the 7-8kts we were doing and we passed easily without incident. They even thanked us on the VHF for being so considerate. 20 minutes later, however, we met a sailboat going the opposite way, motorsailing as most do in the ditch. We were still doing the same speed as when we passed the previous two boats that had thanked us, but the sailyboat man was incandescent, shouting and screaming abuse at us, my first time experiencing the other side of the coin. So spare a thought all for the other guy, he may not be as 'orrible as you think.:encouragement:
 
BruceK said:
I'm on a pontoon in the river. A wake can be very unpleasant slamming the hull against the pontoon and causing the mooring ropes to snatch. What frustrates me is the marina mobo's are the worst offenders but chat to them and ask them what they'd think about someone raising a 2 foot wake in the marina and they get mad and yet the penny still doesn't drop. I've come to the conclusion that the vast majority of mobo owners are actually selfish self absorbed cretins and have some sympathy towards a few sail boat gripes. But they are by no means absolved of having an over abundance of sanctimonious blowhards either.
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What sort of boat have you got again
 
For those that were wondering, yes, if you came past a row of pontoon berthed boats dragging a 2 foot wake then I am not inclined to believe any excuse you make about planing boats because I can assure you regardless of the state of the river and currents you can make passage without being a nuisance and contravening the bylaws. I've heard every excuse under the sun but they are just that. Excuses. Mostly people drag a wake through an anchorage, channel or mooring because they are one or more of the following
impatient
ignorant
self absorbed
showing off
reckless

In case any of you are wondering why I take such a hard stance, you put your boat where I berth mine and I'll come past and put it on top of the pontoon for you, yes it happened and I was lucky the pontoon bollard didn't hole me, See if you change your tune after that.
 
BruceK said:
For those that were wondering, yes, if you came past a row of pontoon berthed boats dragging a 2 foot wake then I am not inclined to believe any excuse you make about planing boats because I can assure you regardless of the state of the river and currents you can make passage without being a nuisance and contravening the bylaws. I've heard every excuse under the sun but they are just that. Excuses. Mostly people drag a wake through an anchorage, channel or mooring because they are one or more of the following
impatient
ignorant
self absorbed
showing off
reckless

In case any of you are wondering why I take such a hard stance, you put your boat where I berth mine and I'll come past and put it on top of the pontoon for you, yes it happened and I was lucky the pontoon bollard didn't hole me, See if you change your tune after that.
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It sounds like you have a good reason to be miffed at people who drag a huge wake through moorings, but you made the inexcusable comment that most of the people on this motorboat forum are "selfish, self-absorbed cretins".
 
BruceK said:
For those that were wondering, yes, if you came past a row of pontoon berthed boats dragging a 2 foot wake then I am not inclined to believe any excuse you make about planing boats because I can assure you regardless of the state of the river and currents you can make passage without being a nuisance and contravening the bylaws. I've heard every excuse under the sun but they are just that. Excuses. Mostly people drag a wake through an anchorage, channel or mooring because they are one or more of the following
impatient
ignorant
self absorbed
showing off
reckless

In case any of you are wondering why I take such a hard stance, you put your boat where I berth mine and I'll come past and put it on top of the pontoon for you, yes it happened and I was lucky the pontoon bollard didn't hole me, See if you change your tune after that.
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Perhaps its time to change your mooring if it is that bad
 
No I did not. I said most mobo owners were. And to clarify that further anything between 23 and 35 foot are the worst offenders for this. It's like they have a chip on their shoulder and have to show off in small man syndrome. If you drag a wake through my moorings trust me I will not be shy to tell you exactly what type of cretin you are, but will bend over backwards to help you any way I can if you show equal consideration. If that hurts your feelings dont drag a wake in congested areas. It's not big.
 
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