What is the one thing other boats do that bug you?

[jesterchallenger]

Two pet hates:
1. Boats that are berthed with pulpit/bow rollers/anchors protruding halfway across the marina walkway. Always at head banging height. Sometimes there are two facing each other that almost block the pontoon off completely. Owners always moan that the finger pontoons aren't long enough, but there's no excuse really.
2. Wavers. Sitting on my mooring on a Sunday afternoon, people seem unable to resist the urge to wave at me. Now I'm a polite man, but after about 20 or 30 waves it all gets a bit irritating. Maybe I'm popular, but there's a limit...so if I see a potential waver I try and avoid eye contact. Worst offenders are husbands and wives - they always wave separately, one after the other. Couldn't they have a conflab and have a joint wave, then I've only got one wave to return, not two. I expect now that I've now that I've aired that grievance on the forum it'll only get worse...

 

[stevebrassett]

They all go faster than me!

Bet I don't. I finally motor-sailed the other day when my speed got down to 1.5 knots.

 

[doris]

Do stanchions need to be built stronger as a lot of people seem very concerned about theirs? I think it is a completely logical place for people to try to fend off especially if they don't know the reasons why others are so concerned about it. The people fending off are trying to be helpful and prevent your topsides getting a ding so perhaps, instead of getting annoyed, a gentle explaination of where you would prefer them to fend off would help. You could say 'do you mind using the shrouds, pushpit or pulpit to fend off as my stanchions tend to lever the deck'. Most of these things that annoy people are things others do inadvertently or through lack of knowledge which is something we may be able to avoid by being friendly and helpful.

Sorry but would you seriously be happy for someone to apply a three foot lever to your toe rail. I sold one of my boats because of a toe rail leak caused by heaving on the stanchions!

 

[rptb1]

Sorry but would you seriously be happy for someone to apply a three foot lever to your toe rail. I sold one of my boats because of a toe rail leak caused by heaving on the stanchions!

Can someone enlighten me as to why we have three foot metal levers (that you mustn't use) attached to our toe rails? If they're only for holding up guard wires why aren't they made of something elastic, or at least on springs?

 

[doris]

Can someone enlighten me as to why we have three foot metal levers (that you mustn't use) attached to our toe rails? If they're only for holding up guard wires why aren't they made of something elastic, or at least on springs?

FFS they are there to keep up the guard wires that prevent crew from falling over the side.
If you want to fend off, push against the toe rail or the shrouds. If your stanchions/guard wires are made of elastic remind me not to sail on your boat cos the teapot is probably made of chocolate.

 

[JumbleDuck]

FFS they are there to keep up the guard wires that prevent crew from falling over the side.
If you want to fend off, push against the toe rail or the shrouds. If your stanchions/guard wires are made of elastic remind me not to sail on your boat cos the teapot is probably made of chocolate.

If the stanchions can't take a gentle shove or pull, just how much use will they be when 16st of crew member hits them at a wallop?

 

[jerrytug]

If the stanchions can't take a gentle shove or pull, just how much use will they be when 16st of crew member hits them at a wallop?

A good point well made!

 

[JumbleDuck]

A good point well made!

Ay thang yew. As a six foor four person I tend to think of the things running between the stanchions as trip wires ...

 

[rptb1]

FFS they are there to keep up the guard wires that prevent crew from falling over the side.
If you want to fend off, push against the toe rail or the shrouds. If your stanchions/guard wires are made of elastic remind me not to sail on your boat cos the teapot is probably made of chocolate.

I don't mean knicker elastic. I mean stanchions with elastic properties that can deform and return to position, but with inelastic steel guard wires. I can't see the point of rigid metal stanchions if the only thing the rigidity can bear on is damaging the deck and rail.

If the stanchions were made of something springy they'd still keep the guard wires up but be impossible to push on.

By the way my teapot is blue enamelled steel. And you'd be welcome aboard for a cuppa.

 

[jerrytug]

I have just refreshed my guard wires, and tested them by sitting on the wire, and bouncing up and down (100 kilos and counting), so should be ok to fend off, climb on board from a dinghy, etc.

In fact I would much rather people hauled or shoved on the wires than on the shrouds, because the wires are easy and cheap to repair or replace and do not affect the seaworthiness of the boat, but the rigging could easily be hurt by sideways loads, especially if the bronze rigging screws got bent.

 

[doris]

If the stanchions can't take a gentle shove or pull, just how much use will they be when 16st of crew member hits them at a wallop?

He stays on board and they have served their purpose.

Lever away at them 20, 30 40 times and your fixings will start costing you shedloads. Each to their own.
As for sitting on the wire may I point out the compression strength of a stanchion is substantial and may well cope with some lardarse with a double ender.
Should you all wish to lever away at your stanchions feel free but do it to mine and I shall be mighty vexed and will inform you thus robustly, with a winch handle should it be gratuitous.

 

[pmagowan]

Sorry but would you seriously be happy for someone to apply a three foot lever to your toe rail. I sold one of my boats because of a toe rail leak caused by heaving on the stanchions!

No, I wouldn't be happy but I also wouldn't get angry. Either I would preempt the situation and explain a better way or I would just accept that people make mistakes. It doesn't undo damage getting stressed about it and it tends to make you feel worse.

 

[jerrytug]

"some lardarse with a double ender"

A fine assessment sir (doffs cap)

 

[southseaian]

The type that I find most annoying are those part owners of old boats in the Ionion who when I berth next to them in a Sunsail chater boat feel the need to explain how I could have done things better.
Often a chat reveals they have the experience of a couple of flotillas and then bought into a boat share.
Unfortunately their advice is usually way off the mark too.

 

[KAM]

Motoring when there is a perfect wind for sailing.

 

[lpdsn]

In fact I would much rather people hauled or shoved on the wires than on the shrouds, because the wires are easy and cheap to repair or replace and do not affect the seaworthiness of the boat, but the rigging could easily be hurt by sideways loads, especially if the bronze rigging screws got bent.

AYFS? What sort of set up do you have if you seriously reckon even a bodybuilder could bend the fittings used to hold up your rig? If your wire is so slack Mr Atlas can move the shroud far enough to put a significant bending load on your rigging screws, it ain't doing much to hold up the mast.

Stanchions are a completely different matter. They have to be weak enough to avoid damaging the hull/deck join if you have a bit of a prang, so a hefty crew member shoving sideways on them can easily damage them, especially if repeated over time.

 

[lpdsn]

Boats who moor in the centre of a pontoon when it could easily take 2 or even 3 boats. I always try and make sure that I moor up so that others can moor behind/in front.

Bringing a mate's boat back from the hoist, I parked it in a very tight gap between another boat and a cat - about 18" spare for and aft. Of course I looked around for the applause from the watching crowds and there was no one.

Ten minutes later the crew on the cat got ready and left. The other boat followed five minutes later. Bloke from the marina, who I knew pretty well, came down and said "what did you park in the middle of the pontoon for? You should've berthed at the end to leave more room"

 

[Tony Cross]

Bringing a mate's boat back from the hoist, I parked it in a very tight gap between another boat and a cat - about 18" spare for and aft. Of course I looked around for the applause from the watching crowds and there was no one.

Ten minutes later the crew on the cat got ready and left. The other boat followed five minutes later. Bloke from the marina, who I knew pretty well, came down and said "what did you park in the middle of the pontoon for? You should've berthed at the end to leave more room"

That would have made a good Chaplin (or Benny Hill) sketch!

 

[ProDave]

"What is the one thing other boats do that bug you?"

Go out sailing when the weather is perfect. Whenever I get time to try and sail the weather is carp..

 

[ctva]

...I wave to every boat that passes and I say good morning etc to everyone that isn't avoiding eye contact on a pontoon. Most people seem to respond in kind and I have only come across a few difficult people.

I have more fun with the ones that try to just blank you as if you don't exist. A good morning or afternoon spoken as they pass always gets a startled with a smile from me. Slightly related, I cycle the Forth & Clyde Canal most mornings to work and have gradually 'educated' a couple of blankers to now get a hello from as we pass.

Returning to the original question, I'm surprised that no one including me earlier in the thread, mentioned Eberspachers or the likes. Whether it's in the marina or in a remote anchorage, the constant drone on a warm summer evening is a pain. We have one but it is only used in the winter as we're rufty tufty Scots.