Mistroma
Well-Known Member
Yes and asked them to pull a bit harder as their stern bumping around a lot.
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What have i done to upset the French?
- Thread starter Leslie frank
- Start date
Yes and asked them to pull a bit harder as their stern bumping around a lot.
Mistroma
Well-Known Member
It can be pretty variable. I was anchored pretty close to shore once and a horde of young ladies started sunbathing beside a beach volleyball net opposite us. During lunch another group arrived, went topless and decided to play some volleyball. Unfortunately the latter group were dead ringers for a Russian lady shot putting squad. Horrible. I had to sit with my back to the shore.Yes I reckon there must be something between French and Brits, sailing in France for about 30y I was never boarded by any other boat. More disappointingly I have never seen boats full of naked ladies (which seems frequent with my Brit friends, maybe a hidden message?), actually quite the opposite the odd overweight naturist males showing their family jewels to the whole anchorage.
Or people peeing from their boat rafted next to you while you are taking breakfast in the morning, or vomiting liters of alcohol&dinner mixture over your boat at night, but I guess there is no nationality affiliation for those. Isnt boating funny
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Reminds me of a TV interview years ago of a lady athlete. She was asked if she wore a special bra and said yes, otherwise she would get black eyes!It can be pretty variable. I was anchored pretty close to shore once and a horde of young ladies started sunbathing beside a beach volleyball net opposite us. During lunch another group arrived, went topless and decided to play some volleyball. Unfortunately the latter group were dead ringers for a Russian lady shot putting squad. Horrible. I had to sit with my back to the shore.
Daedelus
Well-Known Member
I was in St Vaast when a Dutch boat tried to berth alongside us with a strong wind blowing him onto us.
I had a fair few fenders out, he had 2 or 3 but the real damage was caused by his brother in law who pulled hard on this bow line so their boat was at an angle rather than parallel and the cross head screws which stuck out from his rubbing strake gouged the blue stripe on my nearly new boat. Skipper said all blase, "just need a bit of paint" to sort that. He didn't take much notice when I said "It's not paint it's blue gel coat. It will be an insurance job." I had to fight like a tiger to get his insurance company to pay up for repairs.
I had a fair few fenders out, he had 2 or 3 but the real damage was caused by his brother in law who pulled hard on this bow line so their boat was at an angle rather than parallel and the cross head screws which stuck out from his rubbing strake gouged the blue stripe on my nearly new boat. Skipper said all blase, "just need a bit of paint" to sort that. He didn't take much notice when I said "It's not paint it's blue gel coat. It will be an insurance job." I had to fight like a tiger to get his insurance company to pay up for repairs.
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
French sailors are divided into two groups.
The first group learned to sail at Les Glenans and do everything perfectly.
The rest just make it up as they go along, and can be a danger to shipping.
The first group learned to sail at Les Glenans and do everything perfectly.
The rest just make it up as they go along, and can be a danger to shipping.
Goldie
Well-Known Member
A few years ago I’d have agreed with you but recent experiences have been the opposite. Anchoring WAY too close when there’s plenty of room, loud noise until the not so early hours and when rafted alongside, clambering through the cockpit at all hours, refusing to set up springs and most heinous of all, running their breast ropes across my varnished toe rail with a fairlead just inches away.
Standards aren’t what they were, but that doesn’t just seem to be confined to the Glanans Sailing School.
BTW, this from someone who likes the French!!!
johnalison
Well-Known Member
It can be hard when other people don’t think that your personal property matters. A brand new Dutch (again) boat just purchased in Germany was alongside in the little harbour at Brunsbuttel and left with more haste than was seemly and the aft end of his aluminium strake scratched my blue line. As it happened, we ended up in the same lock, though I had given him up as a bad job, and I walked over and asked what he was going to do to compensate me, and was met by a feigned lack of understanding. I told him that his incompetence was going to cost me money and that he was a disgrace to his nation - I wasn’t in a good mood by then. One of his crew then came to me and asked me how much I wanted. I had no idea and asked for a modest sum which he paid.
On another occasion at a fuel berth in the Netherlands a modest boat moored ahead of us and clouted my anchor on the way past. There was no reason for this on a fine day with plenty of room, but no damage was done, but I said something to the wife, who casually replied that it was just an accident. I told her that it was no accident, just incompetence, but I think that bounced off her. Now that I am about to give up my boat I can safely say that I have never damaged a third party on the water.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
You're tempting fate there!
I suppose, though, you don't have to worry about its effect on future premiums if you go out with a bang.
Lightwave395
Well-Known Member
I've kept my boat in Brittany for a few years now, there are certainly a number of French sailors that seem to use 'contact berthing' but I've long since carried a dozen or so fenders to minimize the danger. I've also had a couple of thankfully smallish but expensive Awlgrip paintwork repairs from out of control boats in Arzal lock...
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Benodet is a port noted for berthing calamities.
I have only been there twice and berthed safely inside the long pontoon from where the peace of the day was disturbed by shouts of alarm and the sound of crunching fibreglass emanating from boats berthing downtide on the other side.
I have only been there twice and berthed safely inside the long pontoon from where the peace of the day was disturbed by shouts of alarm and the sound of crunching fibreglass emanating from boats berthing downtide on the other side.
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
I remember berthing on the far end on the outside of the outer pontoon waiting for the tide to slow before going inside as there seemed to be only a few very tight downtide berths available and with a longish keel discretion was deemed to be the better part of valour. So we sat below decks drinking coffee wondering whether to try across the river or go and find an anchorage up river when there was a loud bang and the boat rocked somewhat. I dashed outside to see a Frenchman departing in a small speedboat, he had misjudged the tide and missed the turn. I had just settled down this time in the cockpit when he returned for a second attempt which was no better than the first and with the same consequences. I told him in no uncertain terms that third time would be unlucky for him and to bugger off and not darken my doorstep again. He obliged.
I generally didn't have much trouble with French yachtsman certainly no more than elsewhere and have never had any damage although I recall a narrow escape in Audierne which is not a place for the unwary to try their hand at berthing, when a small French yacht with the obligatory large dog and countless crew made several attempts to enter the tight downtide berth alongside of me the final one when a young girl appeared with a boathook nearly twice the length of their boat and a huge rusty fitting on the end more suited to a medieval battlefield than a yacht. As I had only just recovered from the cost of replacing the cap rails with some exorbitantly priced teak my response was a wagging finger ne touche pas ! which she seemed to be in the process of ignoring as she aimed her spear at my pristine cap rail. I fended off her attempt at vandalism and they buggered off no doubt cursing les Anglais. Memory fades but I do think they had the obligatory small fender dangling in the water.
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Poecheng
Well-Known Member
It's not just the French with their boats, they hit you with their bloody rocks as well !
Still, I am always disappointed by how much I like the French when I visit France.
Still, I am always disappointed by how much I like the French when I visit France.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
It’s OK. I have made friends with the Almighty, and I don’t think I’ve upset Fr Hackett lately either.You're tempting fate there!
I suppose, though, you don't have to worry about its effect on future premiums if you go out with a bang.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Had a swinging mooring on the other side (Sainte Marine - just north of the bridge) for 8 years.
Only ever went into Benodet at slack tide.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
We had a narrow escape there, a Frenchman missed our stbd ama by about 10mm, doing 3 or 4 knots.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Although I suspect that the French tend to be a bit casual about property, I imagine that their seamanship is no better or worse than most other places. There is a small group of the, that take pride in their skill, such as the small boat I once saw sailing into the marina in St Malo under spinnaker. On the other side, they can be a bit disorganised. A large French boat shared our dumbbell mooring in Brittany with a group of about six hefty men on board. This was no problem and 5ey were affable enough, but preparations for departure took about forty minutes of shouting at each other before it was finally achieved. What made it comical was that it was a group of sailing instructors under tuition.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
It’s not just foreigners ……I rammed a yacht in Cherbourg years ago when my engineless sloop decided to accelerate .It was a large charter yacht and at midnight thecharterer was justifiably cross.I assured him we would fix the hole in the morning which we did so he could continue with his holiday.I gave him my parents home address as I was off round the world
…..
Weeks later father sent my the bill for the repair….thirty quid from the charter company in Poole,which I paid.
…..Weeks later father sent my the bill for the repair….thirty quid from the charter company in Poole,which I paid.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the warning!
We'll be reading your posts about not yet having bought a boat in a new light. Let us know when the situation changes so we will know to be on our guard.
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
When I took my own boat along the French atlantic coast I was warned that most French boats I would meet would be charters. Doesnt make sense to live in Paris and have a boat a long distance away in a much bigger country than the UK. That accounts for why they have so few fenders, and in many cases so little skill.
It also explains the entended family of 10 appearing out of the hatch of a 30 footer. Many of whom would leap out of the boat and immediately start fishing under the dont fish signs.
As for the skill levels, when in Spain I watched an Arpege sail into Gijon harbour direct from la Rochelle and propelled there by a seious true gale which cause seas to pound over the harbour walls and kept us feeble Brits in port. The single handed Frenchman in the boat had only been sailing for 6 months! Formidable! If not Merde.
