What would you do?

[Victorious]

Beginning of June I made passage from chichester….some 180 navigable miles to an event on the east coast..
No wind and Fog combined to force me to use the iron topsail a lot so by the time I had got to the event, raced a bit and generally had fun for the weekend I needed diesel for the passage home.
(6 gall left in 25 Gall tank)
So on the Monday eve I put into a marina for fuel and some kip.. planning to leave at 4am on tues.
There was a fishing boat on the fuel pontoon, so I tied up to the “arrivals” pontoon and walked up to the office… at 16.50
“Fuel closed at 5 oclock” says the guy in the office.
“I need to get underway at 4 am” says I..”If I don’t get away then I will lose the tide and it will cost me a whole day! “
“Tough. Its gone 5 now…You will have to wait till 08.30… And as you cant go anywhere till you get diesel, You can sort the berthing fees when you pay for fuel in the morning”
He then locked up the office and went home.
What would you do?

 

[FullCircle]

I plead the 5th amendment. Any answer I may give may tend to incriminate me.


Just name the Jobsworth tossers instead.

 

[fluffc]

Get diesel locally, enough to get you to the next sensible port of call, and leave immediatly.

 

[MoodySabre]

I'd look at the forecast and see if I could manage without more fuel (at least until the next marina) and enquire about nearest garage where I could get some cans in. If I thought I could manage then I'd buzz off without paying - just what an arrogant and unhelpful git deserves. Then write to his boss and complain.

 

[Searush]

6 galls is about 10-12 hours motoring at 5-6 Kts, 50-70 miles. I'd check forecast, have a nice restfull sleep & leave first thing in the morning (perhaps just after 8.30 so they are in time to see me leaving)

If forecast poor (like no wind), maybe get a 5-gal can from local garage to pretty well double my range. It's quite unlikely that you'd need to motor all the way anyway!

 

[fireball]

Sounds about right ... if they are as unhelpful as that then that's exactly what I'd do ...

btw - I also carry a 25l can of fuel onboard - just in case ...

 

[Athene V30]

Mooring fee for night would have been £15 - £20 = 15 to 20 litres of fuel instead from local garage.

Get fuel and sail before pay berthing fee.

Name and shame marina. Us East Coasters can take it.

btw Ramsgate comes to mind!!

 

[BlackJacksGaff]

Definately get some fuel from a garage and leave without paying.

Enlighten us then Russell, what did you do ?

 

[JasB]

seconded, name and shame

 

[Birdseye]

[ QUOTE ]
Get diesel locally, enough to get you to the next sensible port of call, and leave immediatly.

[/ QUOTE ]

No - get the diesel but leave just before the miserable git comes back on duty in the morning, and without paying!

 

[dom]

No way would I pay. As others say gaet a few gallons of diesel then zip off first thing. Definitely name and shame!

 

[graham]

What a complete dickhead. I would have got diesel elsewhere if possible leave before the office opened and written to the manager complaining of the guys attitude.if I had a grovelling apology I would then pay for the berth.

 

[Transcur]

Didn't know Tolles-----y was like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dave_Snelson]

I just think thats blimmin miserable. I have twice been on the fuel jetty at Pwllheli where there has been a Q of boats late and they stayed open to serve everyone. Shame on them!

 

[Victorious]

No idea what Tolles......y is like... never been there... I am told the harbour Master is very nice.
Bradwell on the other hand... seems to be staffed by teenage "Aquatic Car-Park Attendants"

I left at 3.47am....Sailed to Dover (F4 beam reach through goodwin sands with 2k of fair tide was a BLAST (and consumed very little diesel)) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MoodySabre]

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Bradwell? I've never experienced any rudeness or unhelpfulness in the 4 years I've had a boat there. I hope you wrote to the boss. Fat chance of getting supplies elsewhere unfortunately but its remoteness is one of its attractions. Still /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[starboard]

Name the marina so we can all avoid it in the future as they are only interested in taking your money and not being very helpful.........would never happen here at Troon!!!

Paul.

 

[Sneds]

Never go back there and write to the local paper!

 

[Athene V30]

Second the surprise at Bradwell. Usually very helpful. Several from the East Coast Forum are there this weekend.

 

[pheonix]

My response would be to get 10l of the go juice from nearest petrol station then leave before he arrived to accept berthing dues but not without leaving a polite note pushed under office door to say that you managed to get deisel and that you came to office to pay but low and behold no one there to accept payment before leaving so tough tity if this was outside their office hours as was his response to your predicament
nb the cost of deisel plus the can would have been cheaper than red deisel and berthing charges.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif