Yacht "NO BERTHING" Kirkcudbright

[laika]

Or how about Islamic State Flags on the spray dodgers

Probably quite a good way of encouraging rafting by a rib full of black-balaclava-clad weapon-toting members of Her Maj's forces...

 

[bigwow]

I thought this thread would be 10 pages by now:encouragement:

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Best one I heard of was a sail cover with ' Come alongside and talk about Jesus ' in large print down each side.

I have no cleats on my outer hulls, they are all on the central hull. People only look on the nearest hull, can't see anything to tie up to, and go somewhere more understandable instead. In 15 years no boat has ever tried to come alongside although I have never done anything to discourage it.

 

[prv]

I have no cleats on my outer hulls, they are all on the central hull. People only look on the nearest hull, can't see anything to tie up to, and go somewhere more understandable instead.

When you tie alongside, do the warps cross the outer hull to reach the cleats, or is there something else on the outer hull which you tie them to? No particular reason for asking, just curious.

Personally I might avoid a small trimaran out of concern that the floats aren't strong enough for me to berth against. Logically if they're strong enough to keep you upright at sea then they should cope with another boat in a sheltered harbour, but still. To us lead-mine sailors, folding tris look spindly and fragile

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

To me that sign doesn't look like an official sign. So I would be sceptical if I saw that sign on a boat. The permanent berth holders should really get the sign amended to suggest otherwise.

The signs are very clear and professionally made. Kirkcudbright is an extremely welcoming place, but I think it is reasonable to expect visitors to stick to the rules. Resident boats on the outside of the pontoons do suffer regular damage from visitors, and I was very glad when a place on the inside came up for my last boat. It's a fair bit shallower on that side though, so some people are stuck on the outside.

Best one I heard of was a sail cover with ' Come alongside and talk about Jesus ' in large print down each side.

I once sat at a table on a London - Glasgow train with a bible I had just bought in a second hand bookshop carelessly laid on the table in front of me. Although the train was rammed, with people standing in the aisles and vestibules, I had that table to myself for the entire journey.

 

[Tranona]

I thought this thread would be 10 pages by now:encouragement:

Why? Nothing more to say - both parties have explained their position. Only other peoples' war stories to come.

 

[NormanS]

It all sounds a bit scary and Scottish.

What an unpleasant, and gratuitously insulting post.

 

[Davegriff]

I know a man of this parish (occasionally) who when berthed, hangs a sign on his boat inviting others to raft to him. (No religious or other messages either)

 

[prv]

The signs are very clear and professionally made.

If I made a sign it would look (and possibly be) professionally made. That doesn't make it official.

As for "clear" - it's clear in the visual sense in that it's easy to read. But it's not at all clear that it's an official sign, expressing a harbour rule that visitors may not berth here because the boat is a resident.

Of course visitors should stick to the rules, but they can only do so if they know them - which, being visitors, they may not. (No comment on the case in this thread, it sounds like there may be something else going on.)

If the harbour staff had thought about it a bit, as at Lymington and on the Medina above Cowes, they'd have added a line in smaller letters below making the situation clear.

A simple "by order of the harbourmaster" would show that it's not just an antisocial bugger trying it on, but something like "Harbour rule 17b - visitors may not raft against resident boats" would explain the whole situation and keep everybody happy.

At present they appear to be relying on telepathy.

Pete

 

[DownWest]

I once sat at a table on a London - Glasgow train with a bible I had just bought in a second hand bookshop carelessly laid on the table in front of me. Although the train was rammed, with people standing in the aisles and vestibules, I had that table to myself for the entire journey.

I was invited round to friend's house to help entertain some unknown US visiters. As I walked in the door I noticed a Mormon bible on the table. Uh Oh... It turned out that one of the visiters had sat next to a mormon on the flight over and she had insisted on giving her a bible. The visiter and I celebrate our 24th anniversary next week....

 

[bigwow]

Why? Nothing more to say - both parties have explained their position. Only other peoples' war stories to come.

Exactly everyone has a rafting story.

 

[Trop Cher]

As a matter of interest, as it's a place I intend to visit, is there always space for visiting boats at Kirkcudbright, and if not what would plan B be?

 

[snowleopard]

I know a man of this parish (occasionally) who when berthed, hangs a sign on his boat inviting others to raft to him. (No religious or other messages either)

My narrow-boating friends have a sign they hang out when moored saying 'Welcome to moor alongside'. We also welcome others alongside which is easy as our hulls form a pretty much straight surface like a quay side. We have enjoyed many a social evening. Provided the hull shapes aren't incompatible and weather conditions OK I see no reason not to raft.

As for the 'We're leaving at 4am' contingent, we say 'no problem' and make sure they don't oversleep.

 

[bigwow]

My narrow-boating friends have a sign they hang out when moored saying 'Welcome to moor alongside'. We also welcome others alongside which is easy as our hulls form a pretty much straight surface like a quay side. We have enjoyed many a social evening. Provided the hull shapes aren't incompatible and weather conditions OK I see no reason not to raft.

As for the 'We're leaving at 4am' contingent, we say 'no problem' and make sure they don't oversleep.

I think we are seen by many as a floating pontoon

 

[earlybird]

As a matter of interest, as it's a place I intend to visit, is there always space for visiting boats at Kirkcudbright, and if not what would plan B be?

Have been there frequently in the past. There was usually pontoon space but if not, rafting on the outside of the pontoon was the norm, but not too deep, and with shore lines. LW depth varies along it's length, deeper at upstream end IIRC.
Be aware that the ebb runs very quickly past the pontoon as soon as the tide turns. Can make leaving exciting. Flood seems much more gentle.

 

[JumbleDuck]

As for "clear" - it's clear in the visual sense in that it's easy to read. But it's not at all clear that it's an official sign, expressing a harbour rule that visitors may not berth here because the boat is a resident.

They are used for other reasons - keeping berths free for residents, for example. I agree that "Harbourmaster" under the instructions would be useful, and I think I have seen that on signs there. In any case, I don;t see any point in getting all shouty and grumpy when a visitor's berth was free.

 

[prv]

In any case, I don;t see any point in getting all shouty and grumpy when a visitor's berth was free.

Agree with that. And it sounds like the OP is a regular visitor who may have known the score anyway.

Just wanted to say that the "clear" sign isn't really, when you look at it from the perspective of the intended audience rather than the person who wrote it or hung it.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

I thought this thread would be 10 pages by now:encouragement:

It probably would have been if it had been a classic "evil sods wouldn't let us raft up" thread but as it was a simple misunderstanding about the system and signage at Kirkcudbright, there isn't much scope for that.

As a matter of interest, as it's a place I intend to visit, is there always space for visiting boats at Kirkcudbright, and if not what would plan B be?

Once you're at Kirkcudbright there is no Plan B which doesn't involve drying out. However, I think they always manage to fit people in; I certainly haven't heard of people being turned away. The sensible thing is to ring Peter the harbourmaster when you are thinking of setting off and let him know your plans. That lets him juggle berths, with particular regard to the depth.

I went in there as a visitor - an odd experience to be visiting somewhere fifteen miles from the house but a hundred and fifty miles from my mooring - last summer and it was all very smooth and easy. If you're visiting, don't try to get up the river before half flood. It can be very shallow in places and the channel often moves faster than Peter can keep up with the buoyage. There are good anchorages in Ross Roads and around the south end of Ross Bay which are handy for waiting. Finally, be prepared for strong tides through the marina, and remember that after heavy rain, or when Tongland power station is going full whack, slack water at Kirkcudbright occurs well before high tide. Or, to put it another way, at high tide you can already have 2kt past the pontoons.

 

[Tranona]

Exactly everyone has a rafting story.

Except that most of them are nothing like the situation described here which is very specific , not a general rafting rant.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Just wanted to say that the "clear" sign isn't really, when you look at it from the perspective of the intended audience rather than the person who wrote it or hung it.

It would be a good idea to have a "visitors berth here" sign which could be placed at the right spot on the pontoon or on early arrivals.