Why is it?????

[FullCircle]

...that when I park a car (even a monstrously expensive one) at 5 MPH, I feel no change in my body, but when I park a boat, even a cheap one, then we get a slight anxious feeling, dry mouth, and quite tense? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
After all its really no more difficult, unless you have one of those daft long keelers in a marina!
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif


J

 

[StugeronSteve]

4Kts+ is maybe just a little fast for parking a boat. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I think it's something to do with the way, in which, you are never quite sure what the wind is going to do to you, along with the fact that a boat behaves a little like a car on an oily road at the best of times, and the added complication of the "road" actually moving during a boat parking manoeuvre.

Know what you mean though.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Oh yes, I forgot to add that you rarely get an eager audience of disaster watchers and well meaning advisers when parking the motor.

 

[DeeGee]

[ QUOTE ]
...that when I park a car (even a monstrously expensive one) at 5 MPH, I feel no change in my body, but when I park a boat, even a cheap one, then we get a slight anxious feeling, dry mouth, and quite tense? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
After all its really no more difficult, unless you have one of those daft long keelers in a marina!
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif J

[/ QUOTE ]Hey, you ever tried parking your car with no brakes??

 

[StugeronSteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey, you ever tried parking your car with no brakes??

[/ QUOTE ] No, but I bet it would make a horrible noise when slammed into reverse.

 

[paulskent]

Our Berth IN Puerto Pollensa was just by the tourist bus stop, so that whenever we came back in the evening we usually had a vew busloads of cheering rowdies happy to give advice, insults, and general rowdiness as we came into the dock..

after that anything is easy..

On the current dock we have all our neighbours watching, still a bit of a challenge but have not buggered it yet... Bound to one day..

PK

 

[mirabriani]

Its funny, is it not, that just as you think or comment to the effect that one has finally "cracked" berthing it will be Sods Law that you make the most awful muck up?

Regards Briani

 

[Lakesailor]

Something to do with the goalposts moving.

 

[Sailfree]

I believe the best analogy is to park the car in a parking bay on sheet ice (the car slides slightly sideways is the same as the boat skiding in the 90deg turn into the marina berth). Too easy - Now pull the sheet of ice over the car park surface still trying to park in the same bay underneath (thats the effect of the current) . Too easy - now imagine the car park is on a slope so steepthe car would slide sideways on the ice if stationary (thats the effect of the wind). Too easy - now your car brakes dont work too well (going astern). Now combine the lot and you realise why berthing a boat make me so dry mouthed and I have seen enough c**k-ups just trying to park the car in a bay without all the added complications!!

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I know the what you mean. I often say that when I am 60 miles (or more) from land I don;t feel at all concerned, but when 6 feet from something solid its a different story.

 

[kingfisher]

It's a lot like skydiving: it's not the jumping from the plane that is difficult,it's the landing.

 

[Blueboatman]

If only it were like stopping an Avon Dinghy with its bumpers all round , I could use the standard London Urban Parking Method -Which one of the two occupants at either end of this parking space has forgotten to apply the handbrake Fully ?

 

[davidfox]

Its got a lot to do with practice, look at the way (generally) that the Dutch handle there boats, they have loads of practice in small tight marinas, locks, holding position for bridges to open, going astern into tight pile berths etc and this could all happen every time they go out, we on the other hand, leave the marina sail and come back.

 

[FullCircle]

Davidfox,
had loads of practise, over 40 years, but still get it!