Sailing in and out of a crowded mooring field

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Relatively easy with a smaller, lighter boat & fin keel & rudder. We are 36 tons, 58 feet, full keel, ketch. Turning radius is about 120 feet. We can drop everything and coast for 500 yards. I prefer not sailing in an anchorage or any other tight spot. We need prop-wash and prop walk to maneuver. Careful planning of the wind is also critical.

You're like us only worse since you've got even more momentum, we're 30 tons, 69 ft sparred (but only 54 on deck), full keel, and yeah, we can coast and coast and coast...and coast some more. Momentum is amazing isn't it.

[markpierce]

Getting steerage after unhooking is the most difficult part in avoiding collision.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

We really digress.

So they were 44 feet -- wow, they're slick for that size. The two still in San Diego are Flirt and Frolic owned by Jack...(can't recall his last name) at SWYC. Here's info about the Naval Academy yawls link.

I did crew quals on Alert and Resolute.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by OldFrog75

Has anyone done this? Seems a little like being a trick shot artist - possible but would require hours and hours of practice.

I thought of this thread this past Friday as as 32' sailboat hit my boat out in the mooring field. There I was on my mooring field in 15 knot steady conditions doing project work and this "I'm a great sailor" a-hole hits the starboard stern quarter of my boat. I was inside the starboard stern aft locker and even hear him coming before he hit. As he continued to sail on by and got even with me in the locker I yelled at him, .............. as he just kept sailing away. He never showed any concern about hitting me or any damage he may have done

The only reason I got away with only a couple of scrape marks on my hull was that the "I'm a great sailor" did the almost impossible and hit right when I had a couple of fenders hanging.

So when all you "I'm a great sailor" people want to "practice" get together and go out to a separate area together and "practice" doing it though each other's boats.

[Sandero]

If it's crowded it's kinda stupid unless your in a small boat without a motor.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by micah719

.............
.................
The bucket on a rope idea for slowing down is good. I might rig a honking great drogue as a last resort option in case I lose control.

I understand the slowing effect, but I loose much maneuverability with a tow or drogue. I recall times when I used to pull my children on lines behind our boat for their enjoyment,- 'snorkeling in light wind or play, but the drag made it very difficult to turn. Maybe this is a greater problem with a full keel. I know that I'd have big problems trying to wiggle through a crowd with a drogue!

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

... A while later I was sitting in the cockpit enjoying a cold beer when a cruiser pulled up next to me in his dinghy and loudly, rudely, and colorfully castigated me for being an unsafe and showoff sailor. He was very upset about my sailing into the anchorage and setting the anchor under sail ...

Sounds like an individual we'd all just love to spend time with.

[first wind]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I thought of this thread this past Friday as as 32' sailboat hit my boat out in the mooring field. There I was on my mooring field in 15 knot steady conditions doing project work and this "I'm a great sailor" a-hole hits the starboard stern quarter of my boat. I was inside the starboard stern aft locker and even hear him coming before he hit. As he continued to sail on by and got even with me in the locker I yelled at him, .............. as he just kept sailing away. He never showed any concern about hitting me or any damage he may have done

The only reason I got away with only a couple of scrape marks on my hull was that the "I'm a great sailor" did the almost impossible and hit right when I had a couple of fenders hanging.

So when all you "I'm a great sailor" people want to "practice" get together and go out to a separate area together and "practice" doing it though each other's boats.

what i think is funny is that people under power have collisions all the time. in the last two years, i have almost been run down by no less that three power boats. i watched a guy on a hunter trying to get into his slip, at the marina, completely under power, just last week, almost run into 2 pretty expensive looking powerboats. he only kept from hitting them because he fended off of both of them. the one he only avoided hitting by an inch. took him forever to get into his slip. but, you don't hear anyone saying people shouldn't operate a boat under power in a busy marina or anchorage.

it's a bit silly, actually.

it's not the mode of locomotion. it's the skill of the operator. sure. you should practice far from other boats until you really know how to maneuver your boat under sail. but, after that, it's really no more likely that a person sailing into tight conditions is going to have a mishap than a person powering in tight conditions. of course, things can go wrong no matter what drives your boat. it happens sometimes. that's what insurance is for. you just have to hope that people are honest.

i have seen pictures of busy ports during the age of sail. very crowded! they did it and they didn't have a motor as an option.


i have tended to notice that people who don't really know how to sail well tend not to like those who do. i have sailed strictly motorless for 20 years. i always return to the dock with no problem.

i watched this one guy return to the dock down wind, once. he didn't bother to even try to spill the wind from his sails. he could have if he'd have known what he was about. he had his wife sitting in the bow to catch the dock with her legs and stop his boat from crashing into the dock! crazy, i tried to explain to them how to return to a dock. i was as polite and unoffensive as anyone possibly could be; letting them know i was trying to be helpful. they were both offended and didn't want to hear a bit of it. i seriously don't think that guy would be any better using a motor.

you really can't have a bad experience with one guy sailing in a crowded area and say all people who operate strictly under sail are incompetent buttholes anymore than you can be mugged by a black guy and go around saying all black people are criminals.

[sailorboy1]

such a reach

[a64pilot]

I sail into and out of an anchorage all the time, just for kicks, and heck maybe I learn something too.
But I would never do it anywhere near other boats, reason is, even if there is little risk of damage, what's the justification of doing it?
Smacks just a little too much of a "Hold my beer and watch this" type of maneuver to me.


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[a64pilot]

https://youtu.be/wxg30c6z00E


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[first wind]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

https://youtu.be/wxg30c6z00E


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yeah. that's the one video that ends up in every thread about this. one moron does not mean everyone who would come in under sail is a moron. notice, he came in under full sail....who does that?

[sailorboy1]

Hey my boat got hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet that a-hole was right up there with some of you in saying "one moron does not mean". You can play all your word games and other crap, means nothing to something like me that has been hit by one of you!

[a64pilot]

An issue is you go and do it, your good, know your limits and pull it off.
Moron says hey that's cool, I'm going to do that next time. "Hold my beer"

But back to the question, what's to gain? I know what there is to lose, we all know that, but what is there to gain?


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[contrail]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Hey my boat got hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet that a-hole was right up there with some of you in saying "one moron does not mean". You can play all your word games and other crap, means nothing to something like me that has been hit by one of you!

Every time I have been hit (and it has happened), it was by a guy under power. I don't think it was BECAUSE they were under power. They just didn't know how to maneuver their boats. Maybe they listened to those who say it's not worthwhile to get training....just go and learn by yourself, it's easy, you'll get it! (And bounce off a few boats while you're at it.)

Skill matters far more than the source of motive power.