What do you say to people offering to take your lines?

[snowleopard]

B*gger off?

Thank you?

One thing is certain, if you don't say what you want they will always do something you don't expect that will screw up your manoeuvre.

We never jump onto the pontoon - for a start our freeboard is too tall and there are no shrouds to hang on to. We lasso cleats with a bight of rope. Helpers usually try to make the line fast so we have to say 'please just put the loop over the horn of the cleat'. Occasionally the helper sees SWMBO on the bow and thinks he knows better than a woman so ignores the instruction.

What do you do?

 

[Joker]

Say 'Thank you'.

 

[Poignard]

Say 'Thank you'.

+ 1

 

[Mudisox]

Similar problem with us.
We leave plenty of line inboard after securing to the cleat and then I ask[often shout] them to secure the rope. Once attached I can manouvre with the two engines alongside and I then thank them. If it is too short/ long a line we can adjust from onboard. With a big loop in the end of the "special, only SWMBO's rope" they don't have an option to do anything other than put it over the cleat. SWMBO also has a long boat hook with which to either pass over the cleat herself or hand it the waiting "helper"

 

[Keen_Ed]

"Thanks very much, but we'll be fine."

 

[James_Calvert]

"could you just hold the bow of the boat please"

That gets them off the finger where I / crew are about to step onto with our mooring ropes, and also stops the bow swinging around. It also puts them in a good position to subsequently pass them the bow breast lines.

Re hooking of cleats rather than stepping off the boat, how do you deal with fingers with no cleats at the ends - eg just a closed metal hoop, like in some French marinas?

 

[ChrisE]

B*gger off?

Thank you?

One thing is certain, if you don't say what you want they will always do something you don't expect that will screw up your manoeuvre.

We never jump onto the pontoon - for a start our freeboard is too tall and there are no shrouds to hang on to. We lasso cleats with a bight of rope. Helpers usually try to make the line fast so we have to say 'please just put the loop over the horn of the cleat'. Occasionally the helper sees SWMBO on the bow and thinks he knows better than a woman so ignores the instruction.

What do you do?

+1
Whilst I'm sure that line offerers all have good intentions, they rarely have the wit to know what to do with the lines without screwing up the planned arrival.

 

[RAI]

A nice French boat came into a marina near me. The skipper stopped the boat neatly in the middle of a box and looked around the dock for someone to help. I suggested he throw me a line. He did, all of it. I tied one end down and threw the rest back to him. He seemed puzzled by this concept. Others arrived and held the boat by hand while the skipper chatted merrily. It took 15 minutes before he was persuaded to dig out some lines and fenders from a locker. Clearly he was trained in full service marinas.

 

[rosewood]

"cheers mate. nice day (or bleedin weather)"

 

[BelleSerene]

What do you do?

Usually: "Thanks a lot; we'll be fine"/ "That's really kind, but if you could just leave it this time, we need the practice"

Sometimes: "if you could just place this loop over that cleat" and then I take the line in aboard with zero fuss and knitting on the pontoon, no dangerous leaping and leaving any crew I'm with in control. But some dockside 'helpers' in possession of a rope go into a sort of zealous autopilot mode in which they heedlessly pull it until it's tight and then figure-of-eight it around a cleat. There have been times I've kept repeating to someone ashore and right next to me: "yes, just the LOOP. Just over that CLEAT please. Thanks; just OVER the cleat and I'll take the rest in here. Yes, if you could just PLACE the loop OVER..."

Re hooking of cleats rather than stepping off the boat, how do you deal with fingers with no cleats at the ends - eg just a closed metal hoop, like in some French marinas?

This one's my favourite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMsyxnryt-s and comes in 2m and 3m telescopic versions. Doesn't fall apart unlike the smaller plastic gate-headed ones, and leaves you with control of both ends of the rope so you don't risk leaving one end attached to the dock or buoy.

"could you just hold the bow of the boat please"

That gets them off the finger where I / crew are about to step onto with our mooring ropes, and also stops the bow swinging around. It also puts them in a good position to subsequently pass them the bow breast lines.

That's clever.

 

[ip485]

Thank you

and then - quickly

and from much experience

please make them off NOW because she weighs 23 odd tons and you have absolutely no chance of holding on to the line!

and if they still dont - a desperate plea in very simple English to wrap the line around that there cleat, bollard, whatever before the boat drifts into the sunset and they into the water.

Usually seems to work, but still never to be totally relied on!

 

[Wandering Star]

"Feck off you fecking arsewipe and take your feckin ugly cow of a wife with you, touch my lines and I'll fecking drop you, you bag of worthless doggy doo" - no, not really, I am profuse with my thanks as I'm normally in desperate need of help and appreciate peoples willingness even if they do screw up now and then.

 

[snowleopard]

Re hooking of cleats rather than stepping off the boat, how do you deal with fingers with no cleats at the ends - eg just a closed metal hoop, like in some French marinas?

With one of these:

Seemples

 

[Resolution]

With one of these:

Seemples

Not if it's the usual loosely mounted ring, in which case the prodder just skids around and refuses to click over. At least in my experience.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

B*gger off?

Thank you?

One thing is certain, if you don't say what you want they will always do something you don't expect that will screw up your manoeuvre.

We never jump onto the pontoon - for a start our freeboard is too tall and there are no shrouds to hang on to. We lasso cleats with a bight of rope. Helpers usually try to make the line fast so we have to say 'please just put the loop over the horn of the cleat'. Occasionally the helper sees SWMBO on the bow and thinks he knows better than a woman so ignores the instruction.

What do you do?

I always say yes, thank you - followed by clear instructions as to what I want them to do.

If offering to take other peoples lines I always ask (even if it seems obvious) exactly what they want me to do. The skipper should always maintain control of the vessel, and that includes control over the shorelines.

I had it once when a crew member passed a line ashore from the bow, but I intended to keep gliding along the pontoon a few more yards and was still moving at half a knot or so. The 'helpful' person on the pontoon made off the line despite me shouting not to! It was impossible for me to stop the bow coming suddenly into the pontoon. Fortunately it was slowly and we were well fendered - but it needn't of happened if the guy ashore had either listened to instructions or asked...

Pete

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Many forumites seem to be very unlucky with the offers of help they receive. I can't recall ever having serious problems caused by people trying to be of assistance.
Occasionally I decline an offer, mostly when we are practicing something, but mostly I am happy to accept a bit of help.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Many forumites seem to be very unlucky with the offers of help they receive.

I have a sneaky suspicion that many of those who complain about assistance depend on using ropes to arrest helterskelter approaches, rather than stopping in position and then tying up.

 

[mikeinkwazi]

I had it once when a crew member passed a line ashore from the bow, but I intended to keep gliding along the pontoon a few more yards and was still moving at half a knot or so. The 'helpful' person on the pontoon made off the line despite me shouting not to! It was impossible for me to stop the bow coming suddenly into the pontoon. Fortunately it was slowly and we were well fendered - but it needn't of happened if the guy ashore had either listened to instructions or asked...

Pete

Happened like that to me once. I thanked the guy. Funny he never spoke to me again!!!

 

[Poignard]

Many forumites seem to be very unlucky with the offers of help they receive.
.

They do don't they?

I find most people in marinas who offer to help know, more or less, what they ought to do (some even know what I ought to do ) and those that don't can't do much harm.

 

[ChrisE]

I have a sneaky suspicion that many of those who complain about assistance depend on using ropes to arrest helterskelter approaches, rather than stopping in position and then tying up.

Erm no, but try coming to a full stop when the wind is blowing you off and you'll end up the other side of the marina before you know it. There is a very small window when the wind is blowing when someone can get off the boat and tie the line before the wind will take over and ten tons of boat ends up where it is not needed. Add to this someone tying a line up short then your problems multiply very quickly.

Clearly on a calm day not much can go wrong. The problem is that it is rarely calm when I go sailing .....