Berthed too close in Marina pen

[Cadence]

As you said, " This part of the world. " who is going to regulate that world wide?
I believe you are at the mercy of the Dock Master and the almighty $.

[Cheechako]

sounds like plenty to me. I might start worrying under 3 ft or so...

[CaptTom]

One slip we backed into with my last boat:

[leftbrainstuff]

No two boats have the same manoueverability envelopes.

If you are in too tight a slip work with the marina staff to relocate. Having the other persons boat relocated might be more difficult.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[GILow]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

One slip we backed into with my last boat:

More room than our last pen.

Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

If you are in too tight a slip work with the marina staff to relocate. Having the other persons boat relocated might be more difficult.

Might also depend on the marina's ownership rate. At our club most of the pens are privately owned, so asking other people to move is, as you suggest, pretty difficult. As a humble renting tenant, I have to go where they put me.

Matt

[rwidman]

I'm assuming a "pen" is what we in the USA would call a "slip".

Why would anyone think or suggest that a government should step in and pass laws on how much space should be required in a slip? You go to a marina and they assign you a slip based on what they have available and your boat's size. If you don't like it, you ask for (and possibly pay for) a larger slip or you move on to another marina.

[Mirage Gecko]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I'm assuming a "pen" is what we in the USA would call a "slip".

Why would anyone think or suggest that a government should step in and pass laws on how much space should be required in a slip? You go to a marina and they assign you a slip based on what they have available and your boat's size. If you don't like it, you ask for (and possibly pay for) a larger slip or you move on to another marina.

Did I say something to offend you?
Pen or slip describes a u shape with one or two boats between two fingers
Why would anyone think or suggest that a government should step in and pass laws on how much space should be required in a slip? Maybe you need to think a bit more if you actually mean what you stated.
I also am not a fan of over regulation (but guidelines are good) but some other examples that are effective , useful, benificial that come to mind are lane widths on roads and highways,length width and heights of commercial vehicles,footpaths,gaps between housing and guidelines for the size of shopping centre parking areas.
Why are these in place well simply to help users .

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I'm assuming a "pen" is what we in the USA would call a "slip".

Why would anyone think or suggest that a government should step in and pass laws on how much space should be required in a slip? You go to a marina and they assign you a slip based on what they have available and your boat's size. If you don't like it, you ask for (and possibly pay for) a larger slip or you move on to another marina.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I'm assuming a "pen" is what we in the USA would call a "slip".

Check your Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. You'll find:

--
pen

5 a: a berthing area for small ships or boats, formed by enclosing piers or jetties

b: a dock or slip for reconditioning submarines that is protected against aerial bombs by a superstructure of thick concrete.

--
Usage of 5b in US English dates to at least 1932 (perhaps earlier). Usage of the sense of 5b in UK English may date even earlier.

Usage of 5a in US English is not well documented by Merriam-Webster, but M-W moved to include it (and M-W has a record of doing so only because of usage in the US).

The OED ignores the usage of 5a (that's not unusual; OED has a record of paying little attention to sailing terms).

Google Books shows published use of 5a in UK English dating back to 1924 and recent use of 'yacht pens' and the like in UK English since the 1970s.

In conclusion:

Merriam-Webster's inclusion of usage 5a suggests that using 'pen' for a 'wet berth' is not unknown in US English. Usage 5b, 'submarine pen', is recorded in both US and UK English.

Google Books suggests that 'pen' for a small boat is more common in UK English than US English.

You are free to choose your words! No regulations or laws.

Apart from 'berth' you can:

* use a pastoral term (penning your boat in the same way you'd pen sheep or goats; 'pen' can be traced to Old English in 957, but identifying its ancestry beyond that is likely difficult); or

* use a docking term ('slip' dates from late Middle English of 1467, meaning a stone ramp built to provide a landing place for passengers and goods; the etymology of 'slip' is clear, with ancestors in proto-Germanic and ultimately proto-Indo-European).

Al

[Barra]

After reading this Im going to have to make a mental note to adjust my thinking when i bring my boat back to QLD from the med or Im going to upset a few neighbours with the habits ive developed now -

Not too tight until you have not just squeezed your neighbours fenders but also those of the boat another 3 or so boats away

Is it really this anal in sunny queensland?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Barra

After reading this Im going to have to make a mental note to adjust my thinking when i bring my boat back to QLD from the med or Im going to upset a few neighbours with the habits ive developed now -

Not too tight until you have not just squeezed your neighbours fenders but also those of the boat another 3 or so boats away

Is it really this anal in sunny queensland?

I fear you may find, apon your return to Oz, that people will be shocked by what you considered normal from other places. I must admit, I sometimes think we could all afford to lighten up a bit down here. Still, good place to live and all... but like I said earlier, the boat pen feels kinda lonely. If you are passing through SA, you're welcome to squeeze in next to us for a bit, our old Swannie would enjoy the company.


Matt

Edit: Oh crap, the Phisa 42 is a multihull, sorry, not THAT much room next to us. The Swannie is a bit broad around the middle.

[Barra]

Originally Posted by GILow

I fear you may find, apon your return to Oz, that people will be shocked by what you considered normal from other places. I must admit, I sometimes think we could all afford to lighten up a bit down here. Still, good place to live and all... but like I said earlier, the boat pen feels kinda lonely. If you are passing through SA, you're welcome to squeeze in next to us for a bit, our old Swannie would enjoy the company.


Matt

Edit: Oh crap, the Phisa 42 is a multihull, sorry, not THAT much room next to us. The Swannie is a bit broad around the middle.

Lol. We are only 6.75m wide - yes you need to know the last 5cm in some parts of the med

We will probably go across the top to WA anyway but thanks for the (retracted) offer. Funny but Aussie skippers are generally considered a bit high strung when it comes to their boats and anchoring/ berthing space by the europeans. Takes a few years to knock it out of you and then you wonder what all the fuss was about. Cant beat em join em.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Barra

Funny but Aussie skippers are generally considered a bit high strung when it comes to their boats and anchoring/ berthing space by the europeans. Takes a few years to knock it out of you and then you wonder what all the fuss was about. Cant beat em join em.

I took the philospophy that I didn't want to worry about what we scooched up to, so I strapped two 12m lengths of sodding great big semi-trailer docking rubber down either side of the boat. Sure, we'll leave big black skid marks on anything we touch but they rub off ok on most surfaces, and I sure as heck don't flinch when boats come close to us. Even the ubiquitous water police are welcome along side if they think their boat is "man-enough". So far they have politely declined to come along side and have simply called their enquiries across the water before leaving in search of more interesting prey.

Matt

[goboatingnow]

IN my current marina, I have 7 feet between me and my neighbour , I can actually bring my RIB in between the boats, I love it.

In the med, enough space is that sufficient to tear your fenders off.