Unsafe Speed in Marina

[bilbobaggins]

Had the opportunity to watch the comings and goings at Victoria Marina, Guernsey, for some days recently, and noted that most MoBo drivers were controlled, considerate, and clearly no hazard to others around them. The same could not be said for many of the sailboat drivers, who barged into other vessels - in ahead and astern - could not turn effectively, and frequently moved at excessive speed in the tight lanes between pontoons. They were all blokes - most shouting orders to their crew.

By far the worst example was a traditional wooden Bmu sloop of around 30' which, arriving at full speed, barged in between previously-moored boats. When leaving at about 7 knots, the driver - looking astern and not where he was going - came within inches of mowing down a couple of kids rowing an inflatable. Only the shouts of half-a-dozen others alerted him. He sheered off violently, nearly T-boning a French yacht close by, bounced off their fenders, then charged off, still at full speed, pulling a big wake.

I understand the States Harbourmaster has banned him from entering the inner harbour, should he return.

So thank you, 'Godolphin of Falmouth' for your display of discourtesy and hazardous disregard for others.....

 

[Talbot]

Doesnt matter if they are mobos, raggies or even PWC drivers, some people are total tosspots and dont know how to act with courtesy.

Name and shame - good

start mobo against raggie thread - bad (polarisation of one section of boatie people versus another is detrimental to the future of our way of life.)

 

[Lakesailor]

Apt Name

[ QUOTE ]

'Godolphin of Falmouth'

[/ QUOTE ] a Godolphin helmsman.

 

[rwoofer]

Some traditional boats are actually impossible to steer going backwards. They were designed for pre-Marina days. I saw one in the same marina last year who literally had to bump off every boat to reverse out. He did it at a gentle speed so no-one objected.

 

[Evadne]

Long keelers only really do "forwards" and "sideways". On the other hand, an older boat is usually so underpowered that you can't get up enough speed to do any damage. We, or more specifically my wife, usually does the fending off with a deck broom, rather than a boathook, as it is less likely to scratch topsides or impale innocent bystanders.

 

[Swagman]

[ QUOTE ]
We, or more specifically my wife, usually does the fending off with a deck broom, rather than a boathook, as it is less likely to scratch topsides or impale innocent bystanders.

[/ QUOTE ]

Er......have you ever thought about fendering off with fenders?

I for one would not be too happy to have someone use a boathook (or even a broom) to try and push themselves away from our yacht ..........

JOHN

 

[Joe_Cole]

Nothing wrong with using a broom or a boathook, (so long as the boathook is used properly). Sometimes it may be better than a fender. Surely good seamanship is about using the right thing for the situation you are in.

 

[spottydog]

Last weekend my beloved Albin Vega suffered severe damage to the pushpit and transom by a yacht exiting the marina at excessive speed and little regard for where it was going. It managed to reach a speed to reduce my pushpit to a mangled bit of pipework in a distance of about 20 metres from a standing start! Following the hundred of hours working on the boat the feeling I had after being informed by the marina office of the ''accident'' was of murderous intent!
It will be covered by his insurance I hope but the inconvenience and disruption to long standing plans makes it hard too remain cool and level headed. Unfortunately there is little to be done to avoid it happening again!

 

[Joe_Cole]

Frustrating, but it's one of the joys of owning a boat. If you've got his insurance details and he's being co-operative then you are a lot better off than many who have experienced this kind of thing. Sad, but true.

Good luck with getting the repairs done.

 

[Evadne]

Fenders are very good at protecting my boat, but most modern, high volume hulls stick out of the water so far that at least a foot of their shiny white topsides is above our toerail height. More danger of impact from the pushpit or stanchion than the fender, usually. Unless they have fenders out as well. Many Mobos' toerails are level with our guardrails.

That said, it is years since I hit anyone. Well, apart from that Mobo in Bucklers Hard, but that was at less than 0.5kt, sideways, so it doesn't count really. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The best way of fendering, apart from not hitting another boat in the first place, is to do it as slowly as possible. Which I think was the point of the original post.

 

[CliveG]

You can go to slow!

We had to help winch a French drop keel yacht off some yachts he had been pushed on to in Darthaven marina last week.
There was a big spring tide running across the marina and he didn't have enough speed on to keep clear of the down tide pontoons having left his up-tide mooring.

 

[powerskipper]

I was teaching some sailors the other day, and they thought that a mobo, doing lots of gear changing or in and out of gear was not in control of there boat, they have now changed there mind, and realised the problem mobs, face in a marina.
nice peeps too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif