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rebel heart · 02-05-2010, 00:10

I've tied off to a ball's eyelet as well. Not one of my finer moments, but it worked.

David_Old_Jersey · 02-05-2010, 05:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart

One time I helped a guy get into his slip and he yelled at me like I was his servant to bring the dock steps over to him. There are some great people on the water and some real jackasses.

But did he tip well?

osirissail · 02-05-2010, 05:40

In Rebel Heart's post it is not uncommon for newbie's or powerboaters to assume anybody helping them on the docks is a marina employee. The concept of fellow boaters helping is not in their concept of reality. Therefore, he was miffed when the pseudo-dockworker did not bring the stairs and take the garbage. I have seen the same thing many times in established/large marinas where the actual dockmaster/dockhands do not show up to help as the boat owner is known to be a cheapskate. I have helped them while telling them first that I am a boater and not a marina employee. But sometimes even that doesn't get through to the arrogant boat owner.

MarkJ · 02-05-2010, 11:41

Golly, I have to tell you about the major cock-up we have just had tieing up in Assos harbour... obviously they haven’t made it easier for yachts for the last 3,000 years!!!

As you may know that the northern part of Turkey mainly gets northerly winds.. N,. NW and NE always between nothing and gales..

Anyway we came around a point to notice our Northerly decided to switch to a South Westerly.

Our safe port of call was our plan C as plan A and Plan B sucked!
Plan C 039 29.160 N 026 20.388 E
Notice a SW wind puts the outer mole as the tenable one. You sweep in through the narrow passage and hammer the donk in astern and slide the ass up to the wall, chuck your lines to some docile fisherman and then hand the bow out for the mooring ball that you notice on the photos attached to Google earth.

So me comes screaming in!

Guy on NORTHERN wall outside the restuarants says must tie up there, bow in, stern between 2 mooring balls wind on the port quarter, pick up the stern mooring first.

Windward stern mooring picked up and (after losing boat hook) is whacked around the winch. I thrust forward to bring bow up to wall of restaurant and line thrown misses or still too far way. By that time the stern is over the other mooring balls so donk asks to be in nutral.
Lots of yelling between me, Nic and man on shore. Nic helps by swearing at all and sundry (especially me). Guy on shore yells louder.

Me, remembering this thread, looks around and sees 2 fishermen on their small fishing boat coming in (prolly laughing at idiots on white yacht) and so I yell at them "Oi Mate, rocket over and take my bow line to the twat on shore".
Fisherman yells in Turkish "No way can I get inside you to take a line ashore! Especially to the dope from the restaurant!" I yell back in English "Come on pig face I don't care if you go aground just get my frigging line ashore or I'll be hanging out here all night."

Then it took 2 goes to do it.

Talk about yelling and screaming! PUCK ME IT WAS LOUD!!!!!!!!!

So I am trying to say thanks to the fishing boat and the bow guy gives me a look of utter distain, and I mean utterrrrrrrutteerrrtttrteerrtttreeerr utter distain!

Later I gaver them some cigarettes that we didn't have to pay as bribes in Egypt. (Now those fishermen can get addicted and die). I spoke fishermen talk and they accepted that I screwed up totally and they rescued us.

So the moral of the story is the guy in the original post may have been a nice guy (like me!) but just screwed up monumentally

I, by the way, didn't screw up at all. It was the wind, the guy on the wharfe, the ropes , the fishermen, the bad light, ... everything!!!!! But it wern't me!

Mark

**boatman61** · 02-05-2010, 16:14

We're a pretty friendly crowd over here in the "Old Countries"....
See a boat coming in.. keep an eye open see they're ok.. if not mooch over n give a hand... same in the marina's... even if it means hiking over to the next pontoon.

rebel heart · 02-05-2010, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by osirissail

In Rebel Heart's post it is not uncommon for newbie's or powerboaters to assume anybody helping them on the docks is a marina employee. The concept of fellow boaters helping is not in their concept of reality. Therefore, he was miffed when the pseudo-dockworker did not bring the stairs and take the garbage. I have seen the same thing many times in established/large marinas where the actual dockmaster/dockhands do not show up to help as the boat owner is known to be a cheapskate. I have helped them while telling them first that I am a boater and not a marina employee. But sometimes even that doesn't get through to the arrogant boat owner.

I held the door open for someone once and they said "thanks boy".

**s/v Beth** · 02-05-2010, 18:14

Rebel, its just me but I would have lowered my head in submission, gone over and got the steps. After bringing them to his boat I would have stood there for a minute, caught his eye, then dropped them in the water. Then I would have turned around and kept walking....
I'm a sucker for setups...

rebel heart · 02-05-2010, 18:24

Good idea. I should go over there and collect his slip payment; cash only.

**hummingway** · 02-05-2010, 19:11

Oh, and by the by, we just raised the rates LoL!

Gator81 · 04-05-2010, 08:05

As a younger man, I made a point of looking to help folks when I could. Seemed the right thing to do, maybe even paid forward a bit on my karma account, if you believe such things. But time wounds all heels, as they say, and I've learnt better. Been called every awful name in the book for offending the ego of the nut behind the wheel, no matter how gently the offer's been put. I'll offer no help to anyone who doesn't ask for it directly, with exception made for those who would seem to ask for it if they could. The general lesson, I believe, is this: A person who'll graciously ask for a bit of assistance in a tight spot will likely be as gracious with his/her appreciation afterwards. And then there's everybody else.

**boatman61** · 04-05-2010, 09:11

OK.. another long one.. sorry guys n gals..
In 2001 I was involved in my only collision at sea to date. I was T-boned by a french sailboat with a crew of 4 motor sailing at 6kts with all below. Good visibility, light winds, 5.45pmBST, 5 miles Sth of Start Point.
I was heading East towards Poole under sail and they were heading Nth for Salcombe, tide a Westerly ebb. I had no engine and my only electrics was a jury set up solar panel+battery+tiller pilot.. electrics/port lowers blown out in electric storm 1400 miles earlier and mast lowers jury rigged with ropes and block and tackle adjuster... the French boat, after the ramming reversed away for some distance then shot off leaving me with a 4ft vertical split in the hull by my stbd shrouds and a 14+ft split in the hull/deck join... I'd been solo at sea for 47 days..
Luckily I had some charge left in my Mobile phone and managed to raise the emergency services who linked me thro' to the Coast Guard..
I explained my situation, damage caused an reasons for not being able to continue and also why I could not make it to Salcombe unaided.
As is usual in the UK they put out an all ships for voluntary assistance before hitting the RNLI.. although I could see several yachts in the vicinity no one offered assistance so the Lifeboat was dispatched to tow me in.
After getting alongside in Salcombe, while the CG, Harbour Master and myself were discussing what had happened and the fact they'd collared the french boat entering... this guy comes wandering up and asked if I was the guy with no engine and couldn't sail...
The Harbour Master confirmed that I was.. whereupon he said, in his best Oxford English.."I heard the all ships, I was about 2 miles away.. but decided that someone who had no engine and could not sail had no right being out there... so I told my crew we'd let the stupid fool sort out his own mess".. needless to say had I not been grabbed by the CG and Harbour Master I might well be writing this from a prison cell...

I will always offer help before judging anyone, as circumstances are not always as they may initially seem... apart from which.. I enjoy it..

Stillraining · 04-05-2010, 09:23

Great Story Boatman....any distress situation is totally different and I'd fight to be first to the seen in that case....otherwise watching someone have difficulty by their lonesome in mild conditions away from harming themselves or others, is different in my and many others opinions...and like has been said good for them to practice.

IF I saw the OP's same scenario in a gale and the guy was fighting to save his boat off the rocks..I would definitely offer help right away...again each situation will be different.

Im with ya..I would have wanted to deck that dude as well.

What ramifications and restitution's if any were levied toward the offending vessel?

I have one question just for my own learning...was there NO evasive action you could have taken at the last moments?

**boatman61** · 04-05-2010, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Great Story Boatman....any distress situation is totally different and I'd fight to be first to the seen in that case....otherwise watching someone have difficulty by their lonesome in mild conditions away from harming themselves or others, is different in my and many others opinions...and like has been said good for them to practice.

IF I saw the OP's same scenario in a gale and the guy was fighting to save his boat off the rocks..I would definitely offer help right away...again each situation will be different.

Im with ya..I would have wanted to deck that dude as well.

What ramifications and restitution's if any were levied toward the offending vessel?

I have one question just for my own learning...was there NO evasive action you could have taken at the last moments?

I was wholly to blame in that I saw him 5 miles away but had something on the stove.. kept popping my head up to check and when he was about a half mile away I figured with the changing angle he'd pass well to my stern so concentrated on my nearly ready meal... thats why I have a burn scar on my groin...lol... the naked chef.
Seems they were dining and a course adjustment was made using a remote tiller control without the head popping up to check all was clear first... maybe like me they assumed they were clear...
The short of it was, as I was uninsured I only got 50% out of them... the French crew claimed I must have been asleep as I was naked when I charged on deck to be confronted by two couples fully dressed scrambling out of their hatch...
Had it not been for Panteanius I could have got nothing... but they had insured 3 of my previous boats and I asked them for help, thankfully they offered me some great behind the scenes help/advice on how to present my case.. repairs estimate was 11k+, settlement was just over 5k.
Settled for the hull/deck join repair and did the rest myself..
But every cloud has a silver lining.. ended up working at an RYA school in Salcombe for the following season(2002) that works with the disabled/disadvantaged on an old Mersy Ferry called Egremont, met some lovely people and generally had a great time.