When is it acceptable to refuse a request to raft up?

[Bertramdriver]

Thanks for the info tho. You can learn something new everyday on here. Got any pictures?[/QUOTE]

Hi I've been caught in Angina and Epidavros (five chains and three anchors lifted in one hit) took us 11/2 hours to get out.
No photos though. I've usually been too peed off to make the effort.

 

[l'escargot]

A No Rafting sign was like a red rag to a bull for me when I boated in the UK, except when it was accompanied by the words 'by order of the harbourmaster'. I used to love visiting Weymouth and making a bee line for the nearest boat with a No Rafting sign on it, especially if it was a posh raggie with a blue ensign. The best bit though was taking the dog for a swim in the sea and having him pad across their foredeck with his big sandy paws. Priceless

I'm sure we'd get on well - I'm a raggie and even though I don't have a blue ensign, I still have a warrant to fly a defaced red - and I sail with 3 dogs...

 

[nimbusgb]

There are of course things you can do to minimise the risk of being 'boarded' too often , here's a few but others may add their ideas too........


Sealine owners / skull & crossbones burgee or similar flying from the VHF mast

leave unionjack boxers drying in full view

play Justin Bieber's greatest hits full volume from the Flybridge speakers (assuming you are inside )

The last one means that you will have to spend the night ashore in an hotel yourself anyway! No matter how loud it's played.

 

[JerseyDiver]

Hang the small child/baby sized clothes to dry......guaranteed no rafting!!!!

 

[l'escargot]

Hang the small child/baby sized clothes to dry......guaranteed no rafting!!!!

Unless other people turn up with a screaming child, dirty nappies and children's clothes that need washing on board - they will see you as a kindred spirit and want to tie up alongside and share experiences...

 

[prv]

Wow, I've never seen end to end rafting in the med. I was going to ask you whether you are you sure this happens but clearly you have experienced it for real. Where? I would pretty much never allow someone to do that to my boat, for pretty obvious reasons as to the damage they would cause (eg raftor's anchor slips and their passerelle clunks raftee's bow, plus raftor's props would be so close to raftee's ground lines that they could cut them . If the port had a rule saying i had to allow it, I wouldn't park there. Just seems absurd (for technical boat bashing reasons) to me.

I dunno how the mobos do it, but I've been part of an end-to-end sailing-boat raft in Greece. Those on the quay were stern-to, and later arrivals laid stern anchors and inserted their bows into the spaces left between the existing bows. They'd cross over from their foredeck onto ours then, yes, walk through our cockpit and down our gang plank.

Pete

 

[Greg2]

I dunno how the mobos do it, but I've been part of an end-to-end sailing-boat raft in Greece. Those on the quay were stern-to, and later arrivals laid stern anchors and inserted their bows into the spaces left between the existing bows. They'd cross over from their foredeck onto ours then, yes, walk through our cockpit and down our gang plank.

Pete

Yep, done it once in Hydra on a Greek sailing holiday. All boats stern in between the bows of the boats behind though and by the end of the day the raft must have been fifteen boats deep. Nightmare when we left in the morning.....the Brits had the queue mentality and patiently awaited their turn too leave but others tried charging ahead when they saw the slightest gap start to open up. Given that everyone had their anchors down it was a recipe for disaster.....

 

[blueglass]

as far as Im concerened if you are moored alongside a quay, your boat then becomes the quay. I expect to avail myself if no other places are available.
The only place I have been refused was on the Seine near Paris where it is extremely difficult to find a place for the night. the only pontoon was occupied by Dutch and French boasts who PHYSICALLY repelled me from rafting. I was furious, but only a punch up would have got me in - not worth it. Pretty poor show of baotmanship though.

 

[oceanfroggie]

The only place I have been refused was on the Seine near Paris where it is extremely difficult to find a place for the night. the only pontoon was occupied by Dutch and French boasts who PHYSICALLY repelled me from rafting. I was furious, but only a punch up would have got me in - not worth it. Pretty poor show of baotmanship though.

Yes, typical - the great 1940 capitulators "run away, run away".

 

[blueglass]

Yes, typical - the great 1940 capitulators "run away, run away".

I wasn't going to mention the w*r!

 

[Bandit]

I find rafting with suitable sized boats alongside me and not too many of them fine, and it can be quite sociable on occasions.

If I am intending to leave that day I always leave a note up to tell people who may raft on my outside and if there are boats there I tell them also.

I expect to be in attendance to move or re moor my boat if the one on the inside leaves and I expect people outside of me to do the same.

I find dinghy's tied alongside for no apparent reason very bad form and If I needed to moor and that was the only place I would request they move it or I would have no hesitation in moving it myself and mooring alongside.

However some large motor boats are just too high to get from the foredeck to the pontoon and some swim platforms are blocked by inflatables passarelles etc. Why don't these boats have a suitable ladder that can be rigged from the foredeck to the pontoon or a lower boat?