Don't open that locker!

[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!

[ryon]

Hee hee! And when you do allow them on board, do they loudly shout "Arr matey!" at anyone who will hear, and try to get their catatonic 6 year-old to ring the bell?

The bell that has the "Please do not ring the bell" sign on it?

[El Pinguino]

Hmmm... a look at the bilge and the bedrooms?

Tap on the hull a few years back... 'can we bring our dog on board... we are training it'...'OK'...

The bloke that disappeared into the focsle while the dog was down the back didn't look like he was in need of any training.

Anyways... after they had I left I said to my mate, a local, 'If they found anything could I say it didn't count cos it was just a training exercise?'

Sez he 'Don't think so ... they were 'training a dog' when they found that big cocaine stash on the spanish fishing boat a year ago'.....

[Three Sisters]

There's the Looky Loos

and now we got Nosey Rosey and the Siamese Turtles

[Hudson Force]

Maybe I have the solution! I never have uninvited guests stepping aboard, looking in my portlights, asking for a tour or wishing to open a locker.

Maybe it's because I have nothing to showcase. No varnished teak or mahogany,- no wood to notice; nothing pretty to speak of; pretty much a big "chlorox bottle" design.



..... or, could it be that we just don't look friendly or approachable?

.... 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!

[Emmalina]

In a marina in Malaysia had to tell tourists a few times that my boat was not a photo opportunity for their kids while I was below doing stuff !! After the third time i get a bit abrupt ! One reason we don't stay in Marina's much

[Mike OReilly]

I feel your pain SC. We tend to attract interest and attention from dock walkers as well, but so far I haven't found it much of a burden. Maybe it's b/c we haven't spent that much time tied to a dock, or maybe I just look too scary .

If they are kind, interesting and interested people, and I'm not otherwise busy, I am usually happy to let them on board. I've never had someone come on board uninvited, nor go through my personal drawers. In general people have been respectful -- at least the ones we allow on board.

[sailorboy1]

I don't understand the point of this thread. After all when you go to someone's house isn't one of the first things you ask is "Can you show where you hide your safe?".

Boaters find boats interesting, even the boats they don't even like.

[gunkylump]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I feel your pain SC. We tend to attract interest and attention from dock walkers as well, but so far I haven't found it much of a burden. Maybe it's b/c we haven't spent that much time tied to a dock, or maybe I just look too scary .

If they are kind, interesting and interested people, and I'm not otherwise busy, I am usually happy to let them on board. I've never had someone come on board uninvited, nor go through my personal drawers. In general people have been respectful -- at least the ones we allow on board.

Hey Mike!

Where you at? How's the journey going? We are currently in the DR awaiting a weather window to jump across the Mona to Puerto Rico. It's been a bit of a slog....if you come this far south, Van Sant's book "Gentleman's Guide to the Thornless Passage...is a must read!

Hope all is well and you're having fun, fun, fun!!

gunk

[engine1218]

SC, please post pictures of your interior.

Especially the lockers, bed, bilge, oven interior, and underwear drawer.

Thank you... JK

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by engine1218

SC, please post pictures of your interior.

Especially the lockers, bed, bilge, oven interior, and underwear drawer.

Thank you... JK

HA HA!

[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)

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by gunkylump

Hey Mike!

Where you at? How's the journey going? We are currently in the DR awaiting a weather window to jump across the Mona to Puerto Rico. It's been a bit of a slog....if you come this far south, Van Sant's book "Gentleman's Guide to the Thornless Passage...is a must read!

Hope all is well and you're having fun, fun, fun!!

gunk

Hi Gunk, don't want to divert this thread much, but quickly; we just got back from our winter motorcycle ride around the continent. We launch end of April with plans to head for NFLD. We'll eventually turn south, but not for a couple years. Yes, fun, fun, fun. Glad to hear you're enjoying life.

And newhaul, I'd be happy to show you, or just about any other CFer, around our teak-encrusted little boat. You can even check out my underwear drawer

[hamburking]

I had some "friends of friends" aboard to watch fireworks at the docks. One guy just goes below and gives himself the royal tour, alone. After, he tells me my boat is "ok".

When selling my boat, a tire kicker comes to view. I show him around, then I ask if he's interested. He's not. He tells me its overpriced, too old, hes not actually going to buy a boat, etc. BUT, he'd like me to start the engine. I refuse. "Why not...I want to hear it running" he tells me. He is very persistent. I send him away.

Another potential buyer comes to view my boat on a sunny Saturday morning..."oh, I'm not really buying a boat, I just like to look". Then he asks if his son can pee in the head. I direct him to the shore heads.

My son has some friends aboard, to hang out. One sees the dinghy outboard on the stern rail..."is that the motor?" I tell him its "a" motor.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Hi Gunk, don't want to divert this thread much, but quickly; we just got back from our winter motorcycle ride around the continent. We launch end of April with plans to head for NFLD. We'll eventually turn south, but not for a couple years. Yes, fun, fun, fun. Glad to hear you're enjoying life.

And newhaul, I'd be happy to show you, or just about any other CFer, around our teak-encrusted little boat. You can even check out my underwear drawer

Thanks for the offer but I will not look in your skivvies drawyer .
Do a search on here for spencer possible liveaboards there are several pictures of our boat ( dads selling her.) We got to much mahogany and teak ourselves.