tight berths

Powersalt

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Interested in what other forumites might do in the same circumstance!!!

We are visitors enough times to St Cast to be considered a bit regular and last weekend we found ourselves there again at the marina approach. The harbour inflatable was there and escorted us to the visitors berths and indicated a free berth ( both sides) but in a 10 metre berth space. So who am I to argue with the man and berthed in allocated finger. I now take up more than half the width.

Fist night was a small sailing boat full of youngsters, singing and music but very polite. Space between us about 200mm, they had no fenders but I raided my emergency supply and had 4 down the side so all was well.

Second night I got to notice that the berth ( next to us, now vacated) was the only one free at about 4pm in the afternoon. In due course the harbourmaster allocated it to a 40 foot bene sailing boat and British flag. He made his approach and then reversed off saying no enough room, so was giving a vacant user's berth. Next came a 36 foot French mobo, single engine. Again he was allocated the berth next to me. Now being French he could see no problem and stared reversing in ( his beam was more than the sailing boat before), luckily I was on the side deck or his stern quarter would have given my gel coat a nice scratch as it was about to strike between my fenders. He squared up, power on and reversed. He was in!!!! My fenders were about to pop squashed up on both sides, Luckily there was no wind at all so almost no movement, so you could say I was held well.

I fairness to the French man he did all he could to pull himself off my side and onto his pontoon, but there was just no room. The harbour master had been watching, I demonstrate the lake of room so he runs for cover. The Frenchman just clears off down below, and IM left there. So I decide that in fact the fenders are squashed yes , but there is so little movement it should be fine just for one night, but not really happy about the lack of room. And wondering about the etiquette of the situation

Next morning, we went before they did but luckily we had a few helpers from another sailing boat to help us walk our boat out without squashing fenders and avoiding the jetty. We did it all ok and the Frenchman gave me a harty wave.

So what would you have done
 
As a frequent sailor in France (a few months each year) I would have made sure my boat was as safe as possible and left it at that. You could have tried explaining that you thought there was not enough space, but as the other boat had managed to get in it may have been difficult to get your point across. A lot of people working in the ports in summer are seasonal and may not have seen it as a problem. If you visit some of the ports where the width between the pontoons is nice and wide (Fecamp for example) boats will put themselves in the gap if there are no available pontoons. A lot of ports in France are quite busy in July and August and people will moor up wherever they can.
 
yes, I accepted the problem with the marina being busy. But I think you have got it with the comment that the harbour man was most likely only seasonal and has no idea about boats. Still we did not rock that night
 
Sadly I spend most of my time backing into berths that are designed for yachts smaller than we are. Strategically placed fenders generally do what they have to with a a crew member roaming with one in hand.

I took last berth in Bonifacio a few weeks ago, my boss and all the guests had a wager I couldn't get the boat in..... Well with the use of two CAT C32's and bow and stern thrusters we managed it. Only when I was level with the other cockpits did the crews think to ease their springs..

They weren't pleased but neither was I and if I didn't put boat in the mooring the paymaster would not have been happy....

S in short one of those things that we have to get on with.
 
I think in the busy marinas it is a question of quite literally squeezing people in. Back in June that way I had a few experiences where the man in the dory somewhat over assumed my berthing abilities and in most cases got us somewhere else. In the end though , there is almost an element of..oh well, HE thinks I can fit so I had better do so... There was NO room in St Caast.. in fact some boats were switching berths just to help get larger boats in.
 
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