Unwritten Laws of the sea.

[graham]

In my years of sailing for pleasure I have allways been delighted to offer a bit of assistance when I am able to and perhaps laboured under a false impression that most people are like minded.

This morning in a flat calm a mile or so outside the sealocks my engine bacfired and wouldnt restart.Tried to sail but breathless.It was about an hour before HW so not wanting to have to anchor over 6 hours of ebb or pray for a breeze I started sculling my way back in.

An hour later totally exhausted I nosed into the lock(It was hot out there).A few small boats passed close enough to see the sweat dripping off me not one offered a tow.

In the lock a "gentleman"with a large mobo condescendingly congratuled me on my efforts then stated he was in a hurry so couldnt tow me out of the lock(about 2 minutes would have done)Its difficult to scull through the current in the locks.

Finally a grumpy charter boat skipper towed me about 20 feet to clear the lock so he could get in quicker.I should have kept sculling and made him wait.

Finally 2 gentlemen in a blue ketch rigged motorsailor from CYC offered me a gratefully accepted pluck across to my mooring about 500 yards away.Thanks again chaps if you read this you restored my battered faith in human nature.(And possibly saved me from heat exhaustion) /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Hermit]

Lucky no one claimed salvage!

 

[graham]

A suggestion of Lloyds Open Form may have incurred Grahams closed fist at that stage. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Lakesailor]

I once had a real grumpy refusal of a tow in my 18ft yacht, becalmed and with a U/S motor, from a bloke in a rib with a 90hp motor.
He relented and gave us a tow. It only took about 3 minutes to reach a breeze and we were OK.
I thought he was very sniffy. I wouldn't have hesitated. There again, I am a bit simple.

 

[NealB]

Little incidents like that.....

can add so much to the adventure of a cruise. They're unplanned, usually involve at least a little test of seamanship and they reinforce the feeling of being part of the sea community.

I think you were just unlucky (at first)!

 

[graham]

Re: Little incidents like that.....

ill go along with all that Neal .It makes me feel better than brooding on the negative side.

 

[Shuggy]

Well at the risk of incurring the wrath of other forum users I heard something similar unfold a couple of weeks ago. Yacht with u/s engine stranded outside Dunstaffnage marina near Oban (not in line of sight of pontoons admittedly). Called cg for help & cg relayed help to 'anyone near Dunstaffnage marina'. I was listening on my mooring some 25 miles south on a beautiful busy evening. No-one offered any help (is it just me or do other people listen to the vhf on their moorings?) & in the event I can't remember exactly what happened but I **think** Oban lifeboat got involved. How unnecessary was that? I'll wager that loads of people having a sundowner in Dunstaffnage (or Oban round the corner) were listening. If I'd been witin 30 minutes I'd have been out to help like a shot. There but for the grace of... etc etc

 

[Gin]

Very sad isn't it? Perhaps though these are the sort of neighbours you wouldn't want to live next to, so at least you only meet these miserable self-centered gits once in a lifetime.

Feel really sorry for those who live next to them 24 hours a day.

The big worry is though, if you really, really needed help in extremis, would they still pass by looking the other way.?

 

[LadyInBed]

"A few small boats passed close enough to see the sweat dripping off me not one offered a tow"

Did you ask for one?

If you didn't, it is possible that they thought you had things under control.

 

[Tisme]

That thought crossed my mind. Sometimes it's difficult to know if somebody would appreciate a hand and you don't want to "intrude".
At the risk of sounding pompous if somebody asks for a hand then I will always assist if I can. Mind you, the lady who asked me for help on the pontoon on Saturday should have realised that I wanted to finish tying up my boat before helping her husband leave his berth. She went off in a huff when I said I needed a couple of minutes to finish tying my lines!

 

[graham]

i am very reluctant to start waving for help or worse still using the VHF. Next thing you know theres 5 lifeboats and a helicopter in attendance.

I did stategically leave the engine cover propped against the guard wire to give a bit of a hint. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Tisme]

How very English! We don't ask for help then complain when none is forthcoming.
The trouble is that those who could help were also English and didn't want to interfere!

I've seen it so many times!

Mayday Mayday Mayday. I'm terribly sorry CG but we seem to be having a small emergency here. If it's not too much trouble we would appreciate some help, but only if it's not going to inconvenience you. Terribly sorry. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[[2068]]

If you don't wave at me or call me on the vhf or something, anything, I won't know to help, it's as simple as that.

In the past I have offered help to small boats that were being swept out across the bar towards huge waves to be told "we're fishing". Yes, and shortly you might die, but hey, you're fishing in a tiny boat with a low freeboard heading towards 6 ft waves, relying on a single outboard to start, that's ok.

Or offering a tow to a sailing yacht that was actually going backwards against the outgoing tide in a Force 1: "we're fine".

So, if you need a hand, or a tow, or a break from the toil, please ask for it, and if I'm around, you'll get all the assistance you need, within reason...

dv.

 

[Moonshining]

I was sailing in the BVI last year and decided that a 200m or so swim from the boat to the shore would be a simple thing to do. With a 1.5k current about 45degrees across the bow of the boat, it turned out to be practically suicidal. I got to about 30m from the stern of the boat moored on the next buoy inshore when I realised that I wasn't going to make it going forwards, and also couldn't get back to my boat , so stood a good chance of becoming a statistic.

Despite the severity of the situation, being a good Englishman, the best I could do was to call out, "hello, excuse me, could you give me a hand?"

The Americans on the boat just looked quizzical. Fortunately, the next boat along had a bunch of Brits on board and recognised that "hello, excuse me...." actually meant, "HELP, I'M DROWNING!!!!!", and they had a dinghy out to rescue me from my stupidity in a couple of seconds.

Sometimes, being phlegmatic isn't the best idea in the world.

 

[jimi]

tough titties .. you should have held up the internationally recognised request for assistance ... a can of beer!


... unwritten law of the sea you know ..... now!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Unwritten laws of the sea.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6a.
6b.
7.

 

[bilbobaggins]

[ QUOTE ]
It was about an hour before HW

[/ QUOTE ]

Well done, re the scullling bit. I imagine you're rather glad it was 1 hour BEFORE High Water, instead of 1 hour AFTER - or you'd likely have ended up down at Lavernock, with present tides.

And those BIG locks at Cardiff Barrage seem to attract grumpy day-trip boat owners who are bereft of courtesy or seamanship. Just like a couple of the Barrage operators.

Still, CYC has been friendly and helpful to me, over several years' visits. You've got friends.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[cliff]

Rules of the sea.

RULES OF THE SEA
1. Leaving the dock is optional. Every return is mandatory.
2. If you turn the wheel towards shore, the houses get bigger.
If you turn the wheel away from shore, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep turning the wheel, then they get bigger again.
3. Sailing isn't dangerous. Sinking is what's dangerous.
4. It's always better to be on shore wishing you were out there, than out there wishing you were on shore.
5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.
6. The sail is just a big awning used to keep the captain cool. When it rips to shreds, you can actually watch the captain start sweating.
7. When in doubt, stay out to sea. No one has ever gone aground on a wave.
8. A 'good' return to your slip is one from which you can walk away.
A 'great' return is one after which they can use the boat again.
9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
10. You know you've hit the dock hard if it takes all your bilge pumps running at full power for you to step on to the dock.
11. The probability of a boats survival is inversely proportional to the speed of arrival. High speed arrivals, small probability of boat survival and vice versa.
12. Never let a boat take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.
13. Stay away from clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be a hail storm. Reliable sources also report that lighting has been known to hide out in clouds.
14. Always try to keep the number of departures you make from your slip equal to the number of returns you've made.
15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth return to your slip. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.
16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
17. Catamarans can't sail; they're just so ugly the earth repels them.
18. If all you can see out of the window is water that's going round and round and all you can hear is commotion coming from the cockpit, things are not at all as they should be.
19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of fiberglass going tens of miles per hour and the shore going zero miles per hour, the shore has yet to lose.
20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.
21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible.
22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.
23. Remember, buoyancy is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal.
24. Always step up, never step down into a life raft.
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[graham]

Re: Rules of the sea.

[ QUOTE ]
9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.


[/ QUOTE ]

I like that one but now youve listed them they cant be unwritten rules anymore /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Judders]

Re: Rules of the sea.

Hmm, I am in two minds about this one. I think you should have radiod to at least make the coastguard aware of your situation, afterall, if an hour later you start going astern on the turn of the tide, it might be better that they were already aware whislt those in the area who enjoy the opportunity to help (building up our karma al la 'My Name is Earl') may well have offered.

The refusal to ask for help, and then complain when none is forthcoming is a particular bugbear of mine with pregnant women on the tube. I am more than happy to offer up my seat, but I am not going to chase you around the tube. If you need to sit down, start making some eye contact and someone will offer, but we're not going to holler accross the carriage.