Anchorage Etiquette

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by witchcraft

We also had a chap anchor too close, move marginally further away, we calculated our turning circle and determined that it would be ok despite him being closer than was ideal. So in the morning this guy starts throwing things at our boat, yelling, blowing air horns. He woke up about thirty other vessels at 5:30 am. We had been taking turns standing anchor watch since it was windy and lumpy, but had not moved...............This guy threatened to bring a knife over and cut our line. Of course there was not an anchor line since we had all chain out.................At some point my husband yelled at him, hey where are your manners? That calmed the guy down.

Some people are just assholes But that the same ashore or afloat. Kinda like folks who claim ownership and an ability to make "the law" over an anchorage

[Boomp]

Good tips here! Been cruising for a few years and never knew about dropping the hook close to someones stern. That makes so much sense!

I still prefer using an anchor marker though. Been in many tight spots where people would definetely cross my rode if the little red ball were'nt there. Rocna rules!

[Zednotzee]

Originally Posted by witchcraft

So in the morning this guy starts throwing things at our boat, yelling, blowing air horns.

Don't yell - if you have to raise your voice they are probably in fact not too close. If someone asks you to move, do so immediately with a smile and a wave, even if you think they are wrong and an idiot.

...& I should mention that I've quoted that from Beth & Evans
Of course, your "neighbor" probably hasn't seen that site.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Zednotzee

Don't yell - if you have to raise your voice they are probably in fact not too close. If someone asks you to move, do so immediately with a smile and a wave, even if you think they are wrong and an idiot.

Interesting. I was in Paradise Cay just last Saturday when a spanking-new Grand Banks 60ish attempted to drop its hook on top of the anchor of a Catalina 30something. The Catalina had a loudhailer installed high up the mast, immediately below the radome. The Catalina skipper broadcast an enormously persuasive message throughout the anchorage that with all the room available, why the eff was the GB skipper attempting to [expletive deleted] him?

Once I stopped laughing, and once the GB moved on, it made me wish I had a loudhailer up my mast.

[dkall]

Originally Posted by Boomp

I still prefer using an anchor marker though. Been in many tight spots where people would definetely cross my rode if the little red ball were'nt there. Rocna rules!

A good reason why when you're motoring through an anchorage you motor across the sterns of boats not the bow.

Go Slow
Sail Far
Stay Long

[Eric50]

"French this, french that...", what a load of b.llsh.t.

Firstly, I noted that all the "bad examples" at mooring listed in the subject are NOT from french sailors, which tends to proove that not only the french are the only ones to have bad practices, although they, of course, have some, as any other sailors in the world.

In particular in summer, when they are more hollyday tourists than real sailors, or in the carribean where this kind of "rookie" profile is the majority of the (french) bare boat users...but not only french.

I personnaly try to NOT sail at summer time in the channel because of that fact, and to avoid too crowdy moorings and badly educated people, whatever their origin is.

I sail all the year long in the channel in a place where tidal stream can reach 10 knots and the tide is frequently more than 40 feet high, on a 53 feet boat and being 2 aboard.

I never called for help but 50% (at least) of the other boats I helped (towed to a safe haven) in this tricky area where NOT french

I guess this is mainly due to my (indeed) bad practices at sea.

I have as many examples of bad practices from both sides of the channel and, most of the time, because of newcommers in the sailing practice...not because of the colors of their ensign.

Bad practices are widely shared on both side of the channel, as racism is too, and I guess this is true all over the world.

Working all over the world all year long I have more anglo-saxons friends than french ones, one of them told me once:

We (Uk and France) are both and equally arrogant countries, the difference is that we, bristih, know it.

He was f...ing right.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Eric50

Working all over the world all year long I have more anglo-saxons friends than french ones, one of them told me once:

We (Uk and France) are both and equally arrogant countries, the difference is that we, British, know it. He was f...ing right.

However, we do like taking the odd shot at the French

Pete

[Eric50]

Yes Pete, with smart people and for the fun, it is always a pleasure.

You are always welcome.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Eric50

"French this, french that...", what a load of b.llsh.t.

(...)

Well, since the best of world sailors are French (examples: Desjoyeau, Riux, Moitessier) I would not be very surprised if some of the worst were French too.

Alas, I will always prefer sharing anchorage with a bad and friendly sailor, than with a good and grumpy one.

barnie

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well, since the best of world sailors are French (examples: Desjoyeau, Riux, Moitessier) I would not be very surprised if some of the worst were French too.

Alas, I will always prefer sharing anchorage with a bad and friendly sailor, than with a good and grumpy one.

barnie

Ahhh well.. Thats me out then.... I'm Bad and Grumpy....
But I am a 'good seaman'.... any points...??

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Ahhh well.. Thats me out then.... I'm Bad and Grumpy....

But I am a 'good seaman'.... any points...??

You are a good seaman and I am a 16 y.o. teen hot blondie with big boobs.

You score points for good sense of humour then ;-)

Cheers,
b.

[Blue Crab]

I think this belongs in an etiquette thread: a "friend" was anchored all by myself, er... himself in a fine little spot... the world was his personal oyster...when along comes one of those spaceship-looking powerboats with this elderly couple aboard (the man was actually wearing an admiral's hat with scrambled eggs) and anchored much too close to him in spite of having the entire rest of the ocean available. My friend dropped his shorts and headed up to the bow to take a long soapy scrub and rinse. Within 30 sec the powerboat had fired up and was moving way the hell and gone away where he should have been in the first place. arrrrrrrrrghh!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Eric50

"French this, french that...", what a load of b.llsh.t.

Firstly, I noted that all the "bad examples" at mooring listed in the subject are NOT from french sailors, which tends to proove that not only the french are the only ones to have bad practices, although they, of course, have some, as any other sailors in the world.

. . .

I sail all the year long in the channel in a place where tidal stream can reach 10 knots and the tide is frequently more than 40 feet high, on a 53 feet boat and being 2 aboard.

. . .

I had the great pleasure of being introduced to the joys of sailing the waters of Normandy and Brittany last year. I did a total of six Channel crossings in 2010. Certainly the most challenging waters I have ever sailed, and Eric is not exaggerating. In fact, the tidal range at springs at St. Malo is even more than he says, about 50 feet. The races can eat you and your boat in one gulp if you don't time your passages right or handle your boat with real skill and judgement.

I am somewhat neutral being neither French nor English, and I can say that the standards of seamanship on both sides of La Manche are extremely high, as they ought to be in those most challenging waters. There are about 10x (if not 25x) as many boats on the English side, so it is statistically natural that you will have relatively more casual and therefore unskilled sailors on the English side (where my boat is based). My experience with the sailors on the French side has been wonderful -- I've seen nothing but excellent seamanship and have experienced nothing but the warmest welcome over there. Notwithstanding any joking, and so that no one gets the wrong impression, my experience has been that there exists great mutual respect and camraderie among yachtsmen on both sides of the Channel. Indeed, to be a Channel yachtsman, with whatever flag, the master of 50 foot tides and 10 knots currents and sudden, violent gales, and the busiest shipping lanes in the world -- that's a very special thing. If you can sail La Manche, you can sail anywhere.

I was amazed last summer to see a fleet of about 20 fifteen or sixteen foot dinghies proudly flying oversized French flags, with full sloop rigs including spinnakers, sailing out of Poole harbour under full sail. A crowd of English people -- I guess their hosts, probably some yacht club -- were standing on the quay cheering them. I pulled alongside and chatted with one of the French skippers and was amazed to hear that they had sailed all the way from St. Malo over I guess two nights (it's about 140 miles), had lunch in Poole, and turned right back around to sail home across the Channel -- an incredible feat of seamanship and endurance.

I liked it so much in France that I am planning to spend my summer cruise there. A long passage crossing the Bay of Biscay to Coruna, Spain, from Torquay, about 460 miles. Then a long, pleasant cruise around Biscay and South Brittany.

So you boys be nice to each other, please.