Don't open that locker!

[lsearite]

I had an old boat professionally done so it looked showroom new. Ten minutes till 7 one morning someone knocking on the hull. I hurry up and to the railing to see a couple standing in the dock and he says "what year is this?" I didn't even respond simply turned and went back to bed. Dumb & nervey.

[Ms J-37]

Thank you ALL!
This is such an interesting post and many of the replies, too, are just priceless. What a great way to start my day!
Much appreciated!
Cande

[Garrettw]

I once went to the Annapolis show when Discovery was displaying their one and only completed 50' catamaran (it was a brand new model at the time). Thinking that it was still a factory boat I opened a locker in, what I think I recall, was the galley to get a sense of the storage available. I was then gently told by someone, who was probably the owner, not to look in the lockers. I was absolutely mortified at that point and realized that it was a privately owned boat on display for Discovery. I've been embarrassed about that ever since.

[MaxWebXperienZ]

No security at these docking places? I had nothing to do and all day to do it in Santa Barbara last week so I went to the marina to check out boats. I had to walk in behind somebody that had a gate pass thingy to unlock the gate. So I walk all around, not bothering anybody, looking at interesting boats... when I left I had people surreptitiously photoing me, photoing my car as I drove away, damn, I felt like a hit was taken out on me... I would have liked to ask them if they were hired by the marina or just some cartel guys with boats... but I thought better of it!

[Cadence]

I can see the point that vessel is in effect someone's home. On the other hand some people are proud of their boat and will ask you if you would like the nickel tour.

Asking for the tour, I don't think so.

[seasick]

I was all good with this thread until you mentioned the bilges. Call me rude but as a wooden boat afficianado, it is the one place I most want to see. I don't give a care about all the things that may have fallen through the cracks, I just want to check out her scantlings, her floor timbers, keel bolts, ballast etc.

If I am checking out a boat to buy for myself or another, the bilges are where I go to first. If I've been invited aboard to "check her out" I will be anxious to ask if I can lift a floor board or two if you don't lift one for me.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by newhaul

And I bet most of you would be happy to give me a tour of your vessels. Being a shipwright I just love seeing the personal touches people put on their vessels to make things easier for them. Helps give me ideas of what to suggest to customers as a small mod that will make life easier when on a port tack . ( my galley is to starboard)

Unlike the weird folks this thread was penned about, some people are so very.,,genuine, that we voluntarily show them stuff because we can tell that they're really interested, nonjudgmental, and they may also be able to restore a classic in the same way.

Our galley is to starboard 😚 too.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[barnakiel]

Have I ever mentioned our handheld VHF antenna chewed off by our friends' toddler?

;-)

Bueno. Excellent observations by OP!

b.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by seasick

I was all good with this thread until you mentioned the bilges. Call me rude but as a wooden boat afficianado, it is the one place I most want to see. I don't give a care about all the things that may have fallen through the cracks, I just want to check out her scantlings, her floor timbers, keel bolts, ballast etc.



If I am checking out a boat to buy for myself or another, the bilges are where I go to first. If I've been invited aboard to "check her out" I will be anxious to ask if I can lift a floor board or two if you don't lift one for me.

Agree that for a wooden boat that's certainly the place to look and discuss-especially if you've been invited to look at the boat. In our case the 'bilge guy' was a fg boat owner who knew nothing about wood boats and who -sharing an anchorage-had been invited aboard to share a meal with us. This was before we learned to just entertain the 'unknowns' in the cockpit instead of belowdecks.




Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Ms J-37

Thank you ALL!
This is such an interesting post and many of the replies, too, are just priceless. What a great way to start my day!
Much appreciated!
Cande

Welcome to CF Cande !

[Juho]

Maybe they have been at a boat show, and these boats appear to be part II of the show. Why else would you line the boats up for them at the pier? It is obvious that all boat owners have done their best to make their boat appear better and more tempting than the neighbouring boats.

P.S. I may invite some kids or even adults in if they seem like they would be very interested, and if they start talking about weather or about boats when I'm on the deck. I haven't had any problems with too pushy visitor candidates yet. Some people have asked outright if the boat is for sale, and that's quite ok.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

.... or, more likely, I don't remember docking at many public places where tourist are walking the quays. That's it! 'a mediocre appearing boat at docks that are not open to the public or anchored out with an old curmudgeon on board.

Nobody's asking to have a place on my dance card!

We have been at anchor most the time and that really helps a lot. This happens in private marinas and yacht clubs too. And even at anchor. There the dance is a little different. A person rows up and says "what a pretty boat" or "what year was she built" or "how big is your boat". And then there can be a really fast transition they make to "oh let's get together while you're anchored here (hubby and I are thinking drinks at the local pub or in the cockpit) ..."so I can get a tour of your boat ". ... At that point, unless there's a reason WE want to show them something, we usually change the subject to something completely different "did you see the awesome sunrise this morning?"......


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Have I ever mentioned our handheld VHF antenna chewed off by our friends' toddler?

b.

OMG that is nuts. 😳



Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[TKDSailor]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

I was just reading this thread about looky-Lous and it reminded me of all the crazy things people want to look at on our boat. Ours is an old fashioned boat, pre-WWII built in 1931 and yes it has a few interesting things aboard. We live aboard and cruise with the boat. We do not keep it in boat show condition inside nor will we ever do so. We do frequently chat with passers by on the dock and sometimes walk people around the deck showing them how the rigging is run, the gaff, the interesting worm gear in the steering housing (since you don't stand behind the wheel but next to it) and similar things all visible from the dock or outside the boat.

These are the questions from complete strangers on the public dock that I just DO NOT get though:

"Can I show my (6 year old) son your boat interior? Answer to this and all the public dock ones below "no, I'm sorry that's not possible."
"I would never own a boat like this, you must be crazy or rich because it's too much work. I'd love to see the inside--may I?" ditto,
"Can I have a tour of your boat?" ditto,
"Can I see your bedrooms?" ditto,
"Can I see how your boat is built inside?" ditto,
"Who is crazy enough to have a boat with that much varnish to do? Can I come aboard?" ditto,
"You did a good job covering up all the rot on this old boat--can I see how you've hidden it so well?" Seriously? are they nuts? HIDE rot? humm....

Once people are aboard the boat--friend of friend, person in the same marina, someone that has a reason to be aboard, I've been surprised by guests I hardly know asking or doing the following things:

From stranger who we were entertaining in the boat because we were sharing an anchorage with them. They did an uninvited self-tour of the boat and then said "Can I open up the bilge and take a look?" Answer was "no, it's dirty down there." Ran into the same fellow about a month later. His question was "Can I open up the bilge and take a look?" We visited his boat and never dreamed of asking for a tour, didn't get one, and would never have asked to open the bilge and look below.

From a fellow sitting in our cockpit for drinks (he was staying in the same marina but essentially a stranger with no particular knowledge of engines or reason to look at ours):
"Can I take a look at your engine?" Answer "no, there's nothing special about it." Got that question from him about 3 times over the course of seeing him in different places over the years. He's never offered a look at any aspect of his boat.

"Can I tour your boat?" this, right after a 700 nm passage when we were exhausted and just sitting in the cockpit thanking God for our safety.

Then there's the things some of them do without asking permission:

1. Open the oven door to take a look inside. Why? who knows...
2. Open lockers or drawers to look inside. Seriously, would you do that in someone's home?
3. Start a self-tour of the boat. So many do this that we've taken to entertaining in the cockpit and don't even let people inside the companionway door.

Why do they do this stuff? And--have any of you had similar experiences? What do you say/do?

My husband doesn't care much but I'm very private so I just don't even want people we know only casually inside the boat because these questions just pop out and it's uncomfortable to say "no, you can't look in my underwear drawer..." We actually only have a "partial" interior with some of it refitted and some of it a series of cargo nets and shelving. It's nothing beautiful. When we first relaunched the boat it was even emptier and we'd let people aboard who'd just begged to "see below" because they're sure it's going to be so nice and we say "it's not, really." and finally after they badgered us we'd show them below decks and they'd say "oh, it's not finished..." or "oh, it's not as nice as the outside..." duuuuh....we TOLD you that!

We also have a boat that everyone wants to see inside. I just say,"sure, no problem. But as we are getting to be such good friends, let's take a ride to your house first, so that I can take a tour of where you live first. Would that be ok with you?" No takers yet...

[tikirawker]

very amusing anecdotes. this is why every one that works with the general public should get modified hazard pay...
I am however curious to what your boat looks like that warrants so many bizarre requests.