bvickers
Member
This weekend, for various reasons we were unable to go out so pottered and fettled the boat. The berth next to us is vacant and used to accommodate visitors. Saturday afternoon, fairly breezy with wind blowing any visitor mooring up on aforementioned berth onto us.
Into the fairway comes charter sailing boat - no bow thruster and crew who are on some sort of sailing course (I.e inexperienced) - on the side facing the pontoon they have three fenders, on the other (the side against my boat) they have one (small). After a bit of a struggle and a few hairy moments, they moor up, not before nearly burying their anchor into my topsides- never mind.
Thing is, this seems to be a regular thing and it seems to apply primarily to sailing boats - having no more than a single fender on the side facing ( in this case) me. This year we've had three near misses with mooring 'mishaps' and every time the boat in question has been a sail boat and they have had a single fender on my side. That's not to mention the ones that have happened when I've not been there....
Now, hands up - I am the owner of a motorboat but don't have thing against sailing boats at all - life is just too short - also, we all make cock ups when mooring up ; that's a given.
The point is this: when I come into a berth, I make sure I've got a decent number of fenders down on both sides - I think it's a courtesy to do this and shows good 'seamanship' i suppose. If I do cock things up, I want to make sure that I cause the least damage to my or my neighbours boat. Is it too much to ask that you sailing folk follow suit?
Why am I posting this on this forum? Before I get slammed for being 'anti-yottie' (as mentioned before I am not and I fully accept that there are inconsiderate, etc mobo's out there), it's just that the single fender thing seems to affect sail boats and mostly charter sail boats, therefore I say to charter skippers out there that whilst you may not give a toss about the boat you're in, I do about mine; please show some consideration; fenders on both sides, please!
Ta.
Into the fairway comes charter sailing boat - no bow thruster and crew who are on some sort of sailing course (I.e inexperienced) - on the side facing the pontoon they have three fenders, on the other (the side against my boat) they have one (small). After a bit of a struggle and a few hairy moments, they moor up, not before nearly burying their anchor into my topsides- never mind.
Thing is, this seems to be a regular thing and it seems to apply primarily to sailing boats - having no more than a single fender on the side facing ( in this case) me. This year we've had three near misses with mooring 'mishaps' and every time the boat in question has been a sail boat and they have had a single fender on my side. That's not to mention the ones that have happened when I've not been there....
Now, hands up - I am the owner of a motorboat but don't have thing against sailing boats at all - life is just too short - also, we all make cock ups when mooring up ; that's a given.
The point is this: when I come into a berth, I make sure I've got a decent number of fenders down on both sides - I think it's a courtesy to do this and shows good 'seamanship' i suppose. If I do cock things up, I want to make sure that I cause the least damage to my or my neighbours boat. Is it too much to ask that you sailing folk follow suit?
Why am I posting this on this forum? Before I get slammed for being 'anti-yottie' (as mentioned before I am not and I fully accept that there are inconsiderate, etc mobo's out there), it's just that the single fender thing seems to affect sail boats and mostly charter sail boats, therefore I say to charter skippers out there that whilst you may not give a toss about the boat you're in, I do about mine; please show some consideration; fenders on both sides, please!
Ta.