To raft or not to raft, protocol?

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Victoria Sponge

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We were moored at a busy river pontoon at the weekend. We put fenders out, just in case anyone wanted to raft against us.

The two yachts in front of us both had their dinghies tied alongside, making it impossible for anyone to raft.

What's the protocol?
 
Lady Sailor said:
We were moored at a busy river pontoon at the weekend. We put fenders out, just in case anyone wanted to raft against us.

The two yachts in front of us both had their dinghies tied alongside, making it impossible for anyone to raft.

What's the protocol?
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The two yachts in front of you were skippered by prats. I would have insisted on berthing on one of them (preferably on the one with the most pompous-looking skipper)
 
Our canal boat friends have a sign they hang up when moored - 'Welcome to moor alongside'.

As far as fenders are concerned, the protocol is that the arriving boat supplies the fenders so if you put yours out they can tangle while coming alongside. OTOH you should keep an eye out for the occasional idiots who charge straight in without fenders.

If you use your fenders on the inside there is less chance they will 'accidentally' end up attached to the wrong boat when the outer one leaves.

You might be interested in this poll. The anti-social types seem to be in a small minority.
 
Personally, I will always welcome someone alongside so long as they are not too big.

In my view it isn't acceptable to tie a dinghy alongside to keep others away. Sometimes though a dinghy may be trailing off the stern, the tide turns and then the dinghy is preventing others from getting in. It's not deliberate, just careless/thoughtless/unnoticed.

I'm never sure about putting fenders out. On the one hand they act as gentle invitation to come alongside, which is fine. On the other hand they can really get in the way when I am coming alongside*! On balance, I prefer to put them out as a "Welcome" sign rather than for any real practical reason.


* which is the point Snowleopard made one minute before me!
 
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Yes, we put two out just to say welcome! TBH I've had some of the very best times when someone has rafted against us, or we have rafted. We've spent a really pleasant time getting to know our new neighbours, and sharing a few drinks and nibbles in the cockpit.
 
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Rigger Mortice said:
I'm never sure about putting fenders out. On the one hand they act as gentle invitation to come alongside, which is fine. On the other hand they can really get in the way when I am coming alongside! On balance, I prefer to put them out as a "Welcome" sign rather than for any real practical reason.
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leaving one off the bow and one off the quarter would probably be the ideal thing.
 
We've had some really pleasant evenings with people who have rafted on us. Not to mention quite a few damp and chilly people on very basic boats who appreciate a hot cuppa and warm cabin, e.g. the couple who were sleeping in a tent on their 20 ft Wharram in Mevagissey last year.

I have to say though that I can understand the proud owner of a 35 ft AWB being nervous when I approach with my 23 ft beam.
 
kesh said:
leaving one off the bow and one off the quarter would probably be the ideal thing.
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That's probably a good idea.
I'm only concerned that my new neighbours may look at the unusual placing of the fenders and think "what on earth is the chap doing?"

They may well have a point, but I just don't want to encourage it!

The sign idea is good too
 
In busy places where rafting is guaranteed I prefer to actively encourage someone to raft alongside whilst I'm there to give them a hand, rather than have someone come alongside when I'm not there.

I have, on more than one occasion, been told to "F-off" on asking to raft in well known Solent harbours. I put this down to the graphics of the well known sailing firm on the side of the boat at the time. On one occasion, in the pouring rain, I could see the chap on our intended raftee really regretted his decision when the rain cleared and my crew peeled off their oilskins to reveal that they were all Female and under 30.

Very different reaction when I'm not sailing a branded boat though.
 
I never mind boats rafting alongside but if there is a space astern I normally tie the dinghy alongside so as not to block the pontoon. So if a boat berths in that space, have I suddenly broken the protocol and become pompous?
 
While we're on the subject of considerate behaviour in harbour, let's also mention a couple of my pet peeves -

Berthing in the middle of a large space leaving two slots too small to use and tying up a dinghy with a short painter or worst of all tying it alongside with two ropes.
 
Next question - if the crew rafting on you don't know the etiquette, do you spell it out to them or frown and mutter as they clamber through your cockpit and stare down the hatches?
 
Having a larger than average boat we usually become the target for rafting and as a result we've had some lovely evenings getting to know some very nice people.

Unfortunately the reverse cannot be said to be always the case...we are frequently made to feel very unwelcome when we've tried to find a suitable boat to raft against. However we have had some amusing moments caused by other peoples sheer stupidity, desire for privacy or perceived convenience... in St Helier a few weeks ago in the pouring rain and howling wind we joined the only available space for arriving yachts rafting alongside a slightly smaller boat with a lovely Dutch family onboard. (The rest of the space was taken up by HMs patrol boats and a short length of pontoon moored loosely alongside.) Inside of the Dutch boat was a 33ft charter boat whose skipper was very annoyed because he wouldn't be able to leave easily at 6pm when his paying passengers arrived due to our rafting alongside. He'd moored in the arrivals area not the departures cos it was less of a distance for his crew to walk in the rain!

He got little sympathy from either boat for his attitude and our skippers took great satisfaction that long before his appointed departure time at least two more boats joined the raft, shorelines ensuring he was basically a big fender. Shortly after 6pm all of us peeled away, he got out without difficulty with his charterers aboard only to have to return sometime later due to the poor weather by which time we'd sorted ourselves out to form an orderly queue based on ability to pass over the sill when the time came and ability to fit in the smallish space actually alongside. As we were all moving inside later that night I think they spent a precarious night alongside the oddment of pontoon. :-)
 
I apologise in advance if this seems a rather silly question.

If you "invite" rafting and another boat damages yours whilst coming alongside who's at fault?

Is rafting(accepted) covered by insurance?
 
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I hadnt thought about it before because there are usually plenty of pontoons where I go, but what is the best etiquette for me if a yacht wants to raft alongside (which I have no objection to). I have a 10.4m F33 flybridge mobo. There is no easy way on or off other than at the swim platform. If we are alongside, rather than stern-on, the platform can be a bit awkward because of the positioning of the shore lines. I would also imagine that a trek around the for'ard end would be a pain for yachties and I wouldnt really want people tramping over the area just in from of the windscreen.
Should I just make myself available and take advice from the incoming boat? Or must I remain a social outcast unable to 'relate' to other boats :)
 
taz said:
I apologise in advance if this seems a rather silly question.

If you "invite" rafting and another boat damages yours whilst coming alongside who's at fault?

Is rafting(accepted) covered by insurance?
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The first answer is in your question - you are tied up and another boat which is making way hits you, it can't be your fault.

I've never seen any restriction against rafting in my policies over the years but, remember the catch-all "owner to show due diligence/care". If you allow rafting in heavy swell and stancheons get damaged, I would suggest it could be expected.
 
GrahamM376 said:
The first answer is in your question - you are tied up and another boat which is making way hits you, it can't be your fault.

I've never seen any restriction against rafting in my policies over the years but, remember the catch-all "owner to show due diligence/care". If you allow rafting in heavy swell and stancheons get damaged, I would suggest it could be expected.
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Thanks.

The first question related slightly to the second, whether it(rafting) was an acceptable practice within the insurance industry, and if it wasn't then maybe the person inviting would not have any claim against another boat, if damaged.
 
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