What would you do? Part 2

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ianwright

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He's a nice chap, keen on sailing and so forth but not born and bred to it so to speak,,,,,,,,,,
His boat was third in a raft of three, mine was second. He clambered over the bow of boat no1, caught his breath, paused for a chat with me,,,,,,,,, then continued over my boat to his VIA MY COCKPIT! It's to late for 'what I should have said', but what's the friendly way of informing him that it's 'not done' before he does it again?

IanW.

Vertue 203, Patience
 
Easy, just mention to him next time you see him, "would you mind, in future, please pass over my boat by the bow?" That should cover it!
 
Re: ...easy....

This happens to us more and more....

Just say immediately it happens, 'please would you pass over the front'.

There can only be one of two reactions. He will either accept it or he will be pissed off.

If he accepts it, then you can continue the conversation and explain that out of courtesy one always crosses over the foredeck to allow the other boat its privacy.

If it annoys him, then you can be a little more forceful in explaining the basic courtesies of boating....he wasn't going to become a mate anyway.

Had it happen to me at the end of last season. I was sitting in my centre cockpit when the first of 3 guys on the outside boat walked through it! I just asked where he thought he was going, stopped him and redirected him around the foredeck. I also explained that this was standard procedure to hopefully prevent it happening to someone else.

Fat chance!
 
About ten years ago we were in a big raft, perhaps 8 - 10 boats, in Penzance. A very famous solo yachtsman, on board Jester, rafted outside us all. Over the next couple of days we watched him come ashore on several occasions. He unfailingly walked through every cockpit on the way, whether occupied or not!

I would think the chap would welcome the information that his route was "not done" if presented in a non-confrontational way.
 
Reminds me of a friend who carried on board, some strips of carpet, which he would roll out from the stays, around the bow of his boat and back down the other side.
I dont think he had a problem. His said it was to keep the 'foot' noise down.


"man can only discover oceans, if first he as the courage to loose sight of the shore"
 
Re: ...easy....

I notice this happens more since I had a centre cockpit and they cross the afterdeck. They seem to think that they aren't going "through" the cockpit, so it's OK! Even experienced aquaintances have done it and that's difficult to broach.
 
Stem to stern?

Er.. what do you do when the raft is all stem to stern - zig zag up and down the side decks?

Go left, YOUR OTHER left for pete's sake
(IMHO, BTW, FWIW and NWGOI)
 
Re: Stem to stern?

Stem to stern? haven't seen that, once maybe with one or two boats, but a bunch?
 
Re: Stem to stern?

I'm probably wrong but i thought it was courtesy to berth this way as your not sat next to your neighbour in their cockpit and you reduce the chance of cross trees clashing ?
This presumes wind/tide permit.
 
Re: Stem to stern?

Sorry, makes sense, but just never seen it, if you think about rafting up between piles as in Yarmouth IOW or on a fore and aft mooring as in Salcombe or Dartmouth or Beaulie or most harbours in Holland or a multitude of other places, think also about stern to mooring in the med. I've just never seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen of course.
 
Re: Stem to stern? - Thanks

Mental note - try not to raft for fear of being pitched in the water... zig zag or zag zig.

Go left, YOUR OTHER left for pete's sake
(IMHO, BTW, FWIW and NWGOI)
 
Re: Stem to stern?

In reality it almost never happens. Firstly, the real world has tides. Are you going to approach the berth with your stern uptide for the sake of courtesy? Secondly, the real world has strong winds and rain. Do you want your companionway open into the weather? Third, at least in northern Europe, we like to sit in the sun when it comes out.
 
Does it matter?

Why not just let him tramp through, if that's what he likes doing?

Alternatively, you could say (lie) to him that he's very welcome to tramp through your cockpit, and that you have no problem with it, but that he ought to be aware for future's sake to know that that's not the done thing. That would almost certainly stop him doing it immediately.
 
Seen on an elderly Westerly Centaur who's owner must have suffered the same problem regularly ... a sign hanging on the shrouds on each side ...

<---- Invited Guests
Passers by --->

(inverse on the other side)
 
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