Which nation give sailing a bad name?

[Seagreen]

Not sure if this qualifies, but a several years ago, having just spent half an hour and 4 tries at setting a big CQR in the kelp of Canna harbour, a Finnish flagged single-hander of a 26' yacht potters in and casually drops a small-ish grapnel tied to blue polyproplene and walks away below before the anchor has hit the bottom.

I must have stared aghast at this for a few minutes. Annoyingly, it was a quiet night and no problems. Still, shocking to watch.

 

[trapezeartist]

I do have my pet hate, not innate but it developed and sadly consolidated with time

1. On two different occasions, as I came singlehanded in a new port where most boats where already rafted and there was but one spot with a single row boat, I was refused the permission to raft. (Oh and there was no alternative, boats same size, impossible to anchor, next port at several dozen miles, etc etc)
2. Once I had just "booked" by vhf the only free visitor place in a marina, while I was preparing fenders ropes etc exactly in front of the place (it takes no more than a couple of minutes), another boat comes at very high speed (for a sailing yacht, that is) and moors there. They had the vhf speaker on, possibly they had listened to my earlier communication with the marina. To no avail the marina staff asked them to leave the place.
3. Most ironic, once two boats where moored next to each other and kept talking very sarcastically at least for one hour about how the rest of the world were miserable sailors, using terms that one hardly hears even from hooligans. They were not unwealthy nor uneducated persons.
Plus several other casual minor occurrences

They were all the same nationality, but I won't tell which one
(Not British though)
I confess that when I now see a boat with that flag, unfortunately I am not in the most objective mood.

Come on! Do tell.

 

[snowleopard]

There are anecdotes that do the rounds e.g. impecunious young French sailors who have reached the Caribbean and turn to thieving to maintain themselves. I never met any so I imagine it's just a story.

The only hassle I had while cruising was a French boat that anchored too close, took a lump out of my topsides as we swung, blamed me for the collision and refused to move. Again anecdotal evidence says they tend to do that because they are used to overcrowded anchorages in the Med.

 

[Nostrodamus]

What I heard was that most peoples equip their boats to sail the world where as the French sail the world to equip their boats!

I have had no troubles with them at all and found them very friendly, helpful and sociable.

 

[jordanbasset]

With the exception of one miserable git in Sivota, but every nation has atleast one!, I do find the Dutch to be among the most friendly people we meet on our travels. Always been helpful and outgoing.
Mind you had many good times with Italians, Greeks and Spanish as well. The Italians were especially keen to foist a bottle of wine on us in return for the most trivial of help we gave

 

[Litotes]

A traveller was crossing the mountains and espied a village in the distance. An old friar was resting nearby, under a tree, so the traveller asked him "what are the people like in yonder village"?

The friar replied "what were they like in the last village you stopped in?"

"Oh", said the traveller, "they were terrible. Mean spirited, miserable wretches"

"Well" said the old friar, "I think you will find the inhabitants of yonder village much the same".

So the traveller thanked the old friar and went on his way. Not long after, another traveller approached the old friar with the same question.

"what were the people like in the last village you stopped at?" asked the old friar.

"Oh, they were good to me" replied the traveller, "kind, honest, hospitable people"

"Well" said the old friar, "I think you will find the inhabitants of yonder village much the same...."

 

[rickym]

A traveller was crossing the mountains and espied a village in the distance. An old friar was resting nearby, under a tree, so the traveller asked him "what are the people like in yonder village"?

The friar replied "what were they like in the last village you stopped in?"

"Oh", said the traveller, "they were terrible. Mean spirited, miserable wretches"

"Well" said the old friar, "I think you will find the inhabitants of yonder village much the same".

So the traveller thanked the old friar and went on his way. Not long after, another traveller approached the old friar with the same question.

"what were the people like in the last village you stopped at?" asked the old friar.

"Oh, they were good to me" replied the traveller, "kind, honest, hospitable people"

"Well" said the old friar, "I think you will find the inhabitants of yonder village much the same...."

Very true!