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

[Bertramdriver]

After a couple of unpleasant experience, including puke on my foredeck from a legless Russian, I am considering a general ban on making my mobo available for rafting. Possible exceptions would be middle aged couples, but only Brits and Germans. Is this reasonable and would it be advisable to hang a sign off the hand rail?

 

[boaterbaz]

NO,

 

[oceanfroggie]

Not really. It depends on the specific circumstances, but assuming the vessels are reasonably compatible in terms of size and free board, it is difficult to deny another vessel access to mooring when no alternate alongside or finger space is available. I seem to remember too that there is something in maritime law that supports this (eg right to port of refuge stuff, etc).

The odd time when we have arrived late at night at a full harbour after a long passage, and anchoring or mooring buoy not available, we raft against what ever is available be it a leisure boat or fishing vessel. On a few occaisions I have had to reposition tenders that had been deliberately left alongside to discourage rafting. Of course only when there was no other option. In most cases crews if they are on board are understanding and polite, if not secretly slightly disappointed they have another boat for company.

Good rafting manners helps (ie not constantly tramping across their boat, no generators late at night, no loud music, softly walking across their bows when getting ashore leaving them aft privacy, etc). Generally it can be quite a sociable and positive experience. On the rare occasion we had 'unsociable types' beside we move to the outside of the raft. Rafting in high season is sometimes to only way to visit some beautiful out of the way places if there is no suitable anchorage available. We have rafted 5 deep on a few occasions already this year, but it was worth it to visit the places we were in.

 

[Ianj68]

After a couple of unpleasant experience, including puke on my foredeck from a legless Russian, I am considering a general ban on making my mobo available for rafting. Possible exceptions would be middle aged couples, but only Brits and Germans. Is this reasonable and would it be advisable to hang a sign off the hand rail?

This is quite a timely post. I was wondering the same thing after a person slipped and injured themselves on my bows whilst paralytic early hours Sunday morning. Copious amounts of alcohol and stilettos whilst climbing over boats is not a good recipe.

I was tempted to refuse them permission to raft when they arrived as they had no lines long enough to tie up to the quay. In this particular place the raft can get six deep. With us tied up on the quay, if the next person to arrive, rafting up to them, didn't have shore lines and so on, before too long I would have a whole load of weight on my lines and cleats. I seem to remember that it's a condition of berthing at this place that you must have and use shore lines.

 

[l'escargot]

You will generally find if rafting is allowed there is a byelaw stating you must allow access across your decks and you have no right to deny it. Simple answer really, if you don't like rafting, go somewhere else.

 

[ricky_s]

After a couple of unpleasant experience, including puke on my foredeck from a legless Russian, I am considering a general ban on making my mobo available for rafting. Possible exceptions would be middle aged couples, but only Brits and Germans. Is this reasonable and would it be advisable to hang a sign off the hand rail?

Just go to places where rafting isn't allowed, I've never, ever rafted!

 

[[2068]]

Just go to places where rafting isn't allowed, I've never, ever rafted!

It's quite fun, if managed properly (e.g. bigger boats on the inside, shore lines where possible, people being sensible in general).
Have rafted many times at Yarmouth, Bembridge etc . without issues.

 

[Firefly625]

It's quite fun, if managed properly (e.g. bigger boats on the inside, shore lines where possible, people being sensible in general).
Have rafted many times at Yarmouth, Bembridge etc . without issues.

No, you can't not "allow rafting", by visiting a harbour that raft up boats as a matter of course in order to get the number of boats wanting to visit moorings you accept rafting. If you don't like it, don't go to those harbours... However I would add that I was chatting to my Dad who had been over to bembridge on a Royal Southern sailing club rally and was rafted 3 deep, the wind was quite fresh and pushing the raft onto the pontoon. The chap on the inside boat got extremely angry when a fourth rather large boat was instructed by the harbour master to raft up along side as he was concerned that his boat was going to get crush damage.... something I have never considered possible but chatting to my dad (who at 83 years young has a vast amount of experience of these things) it can and does happen and he has had crush damage on his boat by a very similar situation where he was on the inside of 6 large boats in France with a strong beam wind blowing the raft onto the quayside where they were moored and there are cracks in his grp toe rail which I had seen and never realised had been caused by rafting damage... and his boat is a very heavily constructed (19 tonnes!). The chap did get his concerns over to the harbour master at bembridge who agreed to raft the boat up elsewhere.

 

[RAI]

After a couple of unpleasant experience, including puke on my foredeck from a legless Russian, I am considering a general ban on making my mobo available for rafting. Possible exceptions would be middle aged couples, but only Brits and Germans. Is this reasonable and would it be advisable to hang a sign off the hand rail?

Not unless there is a very good reason in a rafting harbour. If a much larger boat wants to do it, offer to move onto his outside, If the boat sides are very incompatible in height. Generally Mobos with Mobos, monos with monos, cats with cats. Tris, ooops. It is required to have long lines ashore and lots of fenders. It is polite/required to only walk across the bows of rafted boats, not through the cockpits. If you stop people unnecessarily, they will complain to the harbour master, he will arbitrate. Above all, remain polite, we are yachties.

 

[DAKA]

After a couple of unpleasant experience, including puke on my foredeck from a legless Russian, I am considering a general ban on making my mobo available for rafting. Possible exceptions would be middle aged couples, but only Brits and Germans. Is this reasonable and would it be advisable to hang a sign off the hand rail?

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 )

 

[Barleycorn]

I'd have thought a few old car tyres as fenders would be a good deterrent, (nicely painted on your side, of course!)

 

[DAKA]

I'd have thought a few old car tyres as fenders would be a good deterrent, (nicely painted on your side, of course!)

A bit heavy, you would need something substantial to hold the weight.

substantial

 

[wipe_out]

..play Justin Bieber's greatest hits..

Not possible I'm afraid.. No such thing exists..

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

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

 

[Bertramdriver]

Part of the driver for this question was for med mobo's, where rafting can be nose to tail rather than side by side. The consequence is that the raftor's crew have to troop the full length of your boat, over your aft deck and then down your passerelle. With that comes serious impingement of the raftors privacy, security and safety. Our experiance with drunken Russians completely turned us against the practice after one crew decided to play basket ball with one our forward balloon fenders, and then finished up by throwing up over the foredeck. We now steer very clear of all things Russian.

 

[capsco]

With that sort of attitude with your dog, don't ever try and raft to me. QUOTE=Deleted User;4338731]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[/QUOTE]

 

[oceanfroggie]

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

LOL - We have the same badge of honor

The 'tender' alongside was the classic 'don't raft here' signal which we ignored if there was no other option. I just repositioned the offending tenders, usually with the help of the folks who had become mysteriously invisible on their boat until they realised we WERE rafting and mysteriously reappear with spare fenders. As I said though, with good manners and common sense rafting is generally a convivial experience. I accept there are exceptions which we too have experienced in our day.

 

[jfm]

Part of the driver for this question was for med mobo's, where rafting can be nose to tail rather than side by side. The consequence is that the raftor's crew have to troop the full length of your boat, over your aft deck and then down your passerelle. With that comes serious impingement of the raftors privacy, security and safety. Our experiance with drunken Russians completely turned us against the practice after one crew decided to play basket ball with one our forward balloon fenders, and then finished up by throwing up over the foredeck. We now steer very clear of all things Russian.

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.

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

 

[rubberduck]

We are happy to rafted to but not keen on rafting to another due to the Dog. I don't think that would be fair as even little Gizmo gets muddy paws.

 

[lpdsn]

Wow, I've never seen end to end rafting in the med.

Seen it (done it) a few times in the Baltic, where you moor bow in. Never seen anyone make a fuss about it, but have heard a few stories about it going wrong when the wind got up unexpectedly.