What are the things that other sailors do that make your day?

All of the above +

Rosslare the trawler that passed me a bucket full of dry ice for the ice box
Or, at the same place, when passing a tugboat with a jerrican and asking them where the nearest garage was, was told to pass it over to him. He said that they wouldn't miss 20l out of the 40 tonnes on board! That called for a bottle of Bushmills.

Many many invitations for apéritifs given and received.

Generally, people who sail on a parallel course and let me overtake them....
 
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What are the thing sailor do to make my day ?
Well a thread like this for a start , instead of moaning about others .
Helped and be helped , no matter how good we are or think we are , one day we all will need someone else help .
 
Recently passing through the canals of France, we had read and been told much about 'dodging' the holiday boats. Were we surprised when our first real encounter with one, after I moved our boat forward a metre or so to let a 'bumper' boat moor next to us, unnecessarily as it happened. The skipper parked perfectly, and before we knew what was happening, explained they were on their last day and would we like to have their excess food, wine and other 'goodies'! Since then fellow boaters and before-hand complete strangers, have given us lifts, offered to lend their cars, and one even loaned us an apartment!

That's what I love about boating really, the genuinely nice people that we seem to meet again and again. Must learn to stop moaning about the much rarer PITAs.
 
Serin said:
Puts me in mind of the man who admired the boat I was sailing in (not mine) when we were alongside in a French port. We invited him aboard for coffee and in return he invited the entire crew (9 of us) to dinner that evening. No problem about transport - he would send cars.

The cars were limousines, the house was a chateau and the dinner a sumptuous feast accompanied with some very fine wines indeed. A truly memorable evening. Surprising what a handsome old boat and a cup of instant coffee can achieve!
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That reminds me of a time where we had chartered an Espace 1000. A few people were on the quay looking at it. Remembering the number of times I would love to have been invited aboard to have a look inside a boat that I would never have the means to own, I asked them if they would like to come on board and have a look.

They came on board and complimented me on a nice boat.

On leaving, they asked if we would like a look at theirs. They had a 70' ketch with a saloon that was about 20'x15' sporting white leather furniture. One should never assume.
 
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There is no way I could have put Paean through a refit without the forums. So my answer is all the advice, tips and tricks I've received on here.
 
westhinder said:
Arriving in Alderney and finding all the moorings occupied ...
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Reminds me of the summer of 1999 and the solar eclipse. Like many others, I had deemed Alderney to be the perfect place to stay on the Monday night, as it was only some 12 miles South of the totality.

We arrived at around 1830 knowing it would be chock full, and every buoy had four yachts on it, except one. Well that was clearly our target and we approached and hailed the yacht saying that we would come alongside. We were met with such a tirade of abuse and ignorance (some other yachts had banged masts earlier as they had not offset themselves). Clearly he wasn't going to be a pleasant neighbour - and I informed him of my opinion as I motored at 6 knots only 6" from his transom. I also pointed out that if he wanted any help from he had better put Pan-Pan or Mayday in front of his request. We went of anchored and had a lovely evening in peace and quiet.

On the return, we were heading back up from Granville to Alderney, and as we made it to Cap La Hague just as the tide turned (perfect timing) and headed West to Alderney. There was an ominous looking squall line only 5 miles ahead. I told the crew to put on their oilies. And lo it did come to pass, a massive deluge and winds gusting F7. We couldn't see Alderney Lighthouse. Again all buoys in Braye were full and it wasn't going to be fun coming alongside, but just as we thought about going to anchor, a guy popped into the cockpit of a nearby yacht and said he'd be happy to take our lines. Which he did, and then let us use his dinghy so we could get a line onto the buoy. After tidying up the ropes, I went across to the other yacht to thank them with a bottle of wine in hand. To say these guys had worked up a fug in the saloon was an understatement. It turned out that they were 8 guys from Bremen Sailing Club who had escaped their wives for the eclipse and were making good use of their freedom, complete with a keg of Germany's finest pilsner on the saloon table. They thanked my for the wine and insisted I taste their beer. OK, it helps that I speak fluent German so we got on like a house on fire over several more beers. I said I needed to get back to my boat as I knew supper would be almost ready, But I was not allowed to leave until I took a 4 pack of beer with me - they said they would give my wine to their wives!

Two completely conflicting stories in one week - and the first is the only time I have ever seen such behaviour (thankfully).
 
After two years out of the water having a new engine and a refit we were going for the first shakedown sail yesterday when we were passed by a bigger Westerly crewed by a couple. "Nice boat, she's beautiful," they shouted across the water. Made my day!
 
In 2009 me and some dinghy sailing mates decided to do the ultimate "bucket list" dinghy event, the Mark Foy Trophy, held for the first time ever in the northern hemisphere, in Carnac, France. This is, in effect, the 18' Skiff World Championships. We got hold of an older boat, got it fairly sorted, practiced a bit at our puddle (700 acre lake but that a puddle in an 18) and decided we were as ready as we were ever going to be.

Now don't get me wrong, you need to be a fairly decent dinghyist to sail one of these, however this was going to be the big time...a dinghy park full of pro sailors, loads of Aussies, Americans and Kiwis as well as the European teams. The entry list read like the who's who of the sailing world, Olympians, VO helmsmen, JJ veterans, the lot. Our aim was to try and not come DFL (dead fecking last) and not hurt ourselves, total the boat, or worse, total someone else's.

When we pulled into the dinghy park at YC Carnac, the overriding thought was "turn around...we do not belong here". Lots of world class sailors and boats we'd only ever seen in pictures usually featuring the Golden Gate or Sydney Harbour bridges. Oh ****.

Our boat was still branded up as Helly Hansen. We were not sponsored however. Not even slightly. We'd just not peeled the stickers off. In fact, we'd actually contacted Helly Hansen and asked them to "reverse sponsor" us. Pay us some cash, or we leave the stickers on and they face the shame of a bunch of idiots sailing around in DFL place in a boat branded up as HH. They weren't impressed. And their wallet stayed closed.

Anyway, on the way out to the practice race, we had our "will some maelstrom please swallow us...now..." moment. We went for the kite hoist out to the start, and many of the American and Aussie boats looked over, keen to see who this unknown team in the HH branded skiff and the matching white rash vests were. But, despite having done loads of hours in the boat and rigged it many times, we'd got our brand new (to us) kite rigged sideways. Each of the other crews said nothing, just quietly turned away and we were quickly filed in the "irrelevant" section. Please just kill us. Now.

Red faced in the boatpark that evening, some of the top guys introduced themselves to us. "Hi, I'm Howie Hamlin". "Hi, I'm Rob Greenhalgh". Er...we know who you are. Sirs. Can we have an autograph please? And as the event progressed and they realised we were not a danger to anyone, just a bit slower than the good guys, all of these top, pro types took us under their wing, and within a few days had spent hours with us, giving us tips, tuning out boat, helping us set up for the day's racing.

I had the dubious honour of steering (arguably the easy job on an 18) and my mates were on sheet and bow. It's a massive team effort on an 18. One day, not sure how, but suddenly we had an "oh ****" moment. We were going to go round the windward mark in about 10th. Predictably, the pros soon rinsed us offwind, and we were scrapping at the back again. But that evening after racing, loads of the pros, many who we'd not yet met, came up and slapped us on the back and said "great first beat, boys". We were all totally choked, we'd done OK and it had been noticed.

We were staying on a pokey campsite and the pros all had massive rented houses. As we were always one of the last boats in, and it took us much longer to de-rig, so we were always about the last to get the cover on the boat for the night. About three times, we were invited back to these posh houses for a BBQ and beers. Each time it was a case of "guys, we can't...the shops have now shut and we can't get anything to bring and that seems a bit off" and were told "we know, you've been busy packing your boat up so that's why we've not asked you before now, grab your kit and let's go!" Eventually we got wise and threw a case of stubbies in the bike panniers before cycling down in the morning.

Anyway, I ramble on, but it wasn't a single act of kindness, but just being welcomed into a whole different world that will stick in my mind. Amazing boats, amazing people, amazing venue. And bloody amazing we didn't end up in pieces after this on the startline. We're in the silver boat somehow emerging unscathed at 2:15.

Oh, and we weren't DFL!

 
When you are heading in alongside and see someone put down their drink, get off their boat and prepare to take your lines..
When a head pops up from behind the sprayhood where they have been keeping invisible watch, gives a cheery wave then disappears..
The fact that for 90% of yotties nothing is too much trouble to lend a hand.
 
I enjoyed this morning, three power cruisers in convoy roaring up to the sealock, which already had a yacht in it, the biggest one aimed for the end of the waiting pontoon and bumped alongside, no sign yet of any lines or fenders, the skipper produced a line at the stern and looped it over the first cleat on the pontoon, ran out about 10 or 15 metres of it from his stern and swung off in a big circle. After about ten minutes of ahead and astern he got near the pontoon again where a lock keeper had gone to take his lines, he eventually put her in neutral and walked forward purposefully with his bow line in his hand and leapt ashore with it, at least two metres but he was coming off from a good height, he made it but both his Crocs fell in the water, he was now on the pontoon with the bow line in his hands but neither end was secured to the boat, his crew appeared in the wheelhouse looking perplexed. The lock keeper lay down on the pontoon and retrieved the floating shoes, the boat swung away again then back toward the pontoon, the lock keeper took his bow line from him and managed to flip it around a spring cleat and haul the boat alongside the pontoon. The skipper put on his Crocs, made the line off to the mid ships cleat where the lock keeper had first managed to throw it , pulled two fenders down from the deck and strode off to the ladder to go ashore, crew inside looking even more concerned but still avoiding participation. The lock keeper sent him back down to the pontoon and they moved his 'spring' line to a bow cleat, kept both his lines ashore and walked him into the lock. The lock keepers took it all in their stride, to them it was just routine.
I was late for my lunch but feeling a lot cheerier.
I was certainly laughing at the performance but not at his misfortune, he had not experienced any embarassment, it was clear from his demeanour that this was how he like to do it. Us boaters can provide massive entertainment for bystanders provided we avoid any of this seamanship nonsense.
 
Gently meandering up past Southampton docks we were trying to avoid an elderly yacht that was either trying to raise or lower his sails oblivious to me. After doing a couple of 360s and generally attempting to second guess his next move he suddenly spotted us and called across to apologise for his random manoeuvres. It turned out that his rudder was jammed and he was trying to sail back to his berth. We had a chat and took him back to his mooring under tow, had a lovely chat and a beer before pottering on up the river. Raggie/mobo coexistence at its best.
 
capnsensible said:
It is always a pleasure to watch some deft control with a bowthruster to manoeuvre a yacht into a berth.
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Skilled, confident boat handling is always a pleasure to watch, I think. I remember last summer sitting on a mooring at Burnham-on-Crouch, watching a fleet of boats from a one design keelboat class (can't recall exactly which) coming in to their moorings after a race. One after another they each made a perfect, short ferry glide through the densely packed buoys and picked up quietly and without fuss. Nice entertainment to go with an evening dram.
 
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