It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times Pt2

[Hylander]

About 10 years ago we hired from Herbert Woods  Florida Light.      We had already spent a week in Watersedge at Potter Heigham but as it was booked for the second week plumped for a boat instead.    Off we gaily went down the Ant and then turned right towards Wroxham way.     We found a lovely spot on a very wide part of the river and moored up.   Hubby got out his fishing bits and bobs and as it was our anniversary I found the champagne and was duly pouring out two glasses for a toast.    I happened to glance backwards along the river and could see a Bridgecraft boat approaching at some speed, , I could not see anyone at the helm  and shouted to hubby ,  do you think he is going to hit us.    Well you know what you men are like, of course it isnt going to hit us, and with those immortal words it slammed into us full pelt.    Me, the now non existence bottle of champers , broken glass and other crockery etc , shot off down the river like a bullet from a gun.   With the force it ripped out the Rhond irons and other halfs fishing tackle also went into the river.     I managed to start the engine and I can recall my other half yelling at the boat behind "go and rescue my wife".     This happened and I was brought back to the side.

It turned out this boat had couples on board I would have said in the 50s and no one seemed to take responsibility for what had happened.     We called the boat yard and they dispatched an engineer who made his way to St Bennets and he hitched a lift off of another boat to us.      By this time the stink of diesel was awful.     We were told to make our way back to Herbert Woods where we had to make a statement.   They eventually found us another boat (twice the size) and we had that for the rest of the week.   However to this day I still have a fear of a boat approaching us and think they will hit us the same.

There was rumoured that drugs were involved, but we never were told the outcome.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Baitrunner]

So Neil, how would you feel if your car got whacked causing £4K worth of damage and no one stopped?

I dare say none too pleased. 

As Alan says, there are s lot of joys to having a boat, or a nice car or house etc. But if someone damages them it doesn't make you very happy. 

[Timbo]

Three years ago, two weeks after forking out £6k to have new planking put into the hull of RT, complete paint job etc, some complete moron rammed 40ft of Herbert Woods tupperware into Royal Tudor. Three years down the line I'm still working on my boat having spent many more thousands and my boat is still not in the water.

Now on the plus side, I've learned many new skills around boat building. Made many new friends and now think, once I get my boat back in the water, that should it happen again I will be calm and relaxed...even disdainful. Which will be in stark contrast to the folks trying to get my fingers from around the throat of the plank who just rammed my boat as I slowly wring the life out of them.

Incidentally there is also a special hell reserved, with hot pokers and mallets, for folks who even look as though they are reaching for a boat hook anywhere near my varnish! 

[Wonderwall]

2 hours ago, Baitrunner said:

So Neil, how would you feel if your car got whacked causing £4K worth of damage and no one stopped?

I dare say none too pleased. 

As Alan says, there are s lot of joys to having a boat, or a nice car or house etc. But if someone damages them it doesn't make you very happy. 

Funnily enough, though not funny , my daughters new car got written off 2 weeks ago and the culprit decided to carry on. Granted it wasn't 4 grands of loss, but it's all relative. Of course I wasn't happy, my daughter was devastated, but stuff happens and I certainly don't go to the window every time I hear a car pass by.

Im kinda getting dragged into an argument , which I can neither defend or win, but my point was for example, last year I moored at Ranworth and the chap next to me had a boat to die for. It was magnificent, but was he happy? I'm not convinced. Every time a boat came near , out his boat he came instructing the captain on how to moor, and not in pleasant manner either. 

Now here was a man who appeared to have everything , but relaxed and content he was not. Mean while , the relative poor hirers were relaxed , happy , smiling and generally friendly.

It makes you wonder . 

[Gracie]

Sorry to hear about Rosie's car, Neil, hope she is ok

Although I completely understand how awful it is to have your pride and joy crashed into and don't blame anyone for being totally upset and outraged, I do feel that Neil's original post was a tad tongue in cheek and he never meant to cause upset or argument, since getting to know him very well, to cause upset to anyone is the last thing Neil would ever want

Happy  and safe boating everyone

Grace

[ChrisB]

Over the years I have heard many (no names will be mentioned) who have advocated a laissez faire to Broads Boating. "Let us raft up" " the odd bang is expected" etc etc. Both here and in the other forum. " they are only having a bit of fun".

Until they get clobbered, they can't retract previous posts so become very silent on the subject.

[ExSurveyor]

I accept accidents happen,  sadly a small portion of helms are plain stupid and make no attempt to understand how to handle a boat,  when in doubt,  give it full throttle or play the how close can we get game,  or the oh look,  the back end swings in a funny way.  

With a boat heading to you,  you have little indication as to how competent they are and from experience have to assume the worst.   

I moor on a wide area of the Yare,  on the river,  last mooring with large signs saying,   private   No mooring,   I work on the theory that if they look like they are coming in to moor,  they haven't seen the signs they may not have seen my boat.  

I am cautious,  not paranoid.  That doesn't mean they aren't out to get me. 

[johnb]

In advance, people often ask about mooring on the forums. They are usually assured (after advice), no to worry, there is usually someone there who will help if you need it. During the summer, a large hire boat attempted to moor stern on at Ranworth, they were clearly having problems, but no-one on the boats  either side of the gap got out to help.Although I had driven there by car, I eventually went across the green and took the ropes.

When on my boat, when I hear someone approaching to moor, one of us just usually makes ourselves available to help if needed. It protects our boat and helps to ensure the people and ourselves have a good holiday. I am sure no-one wants to damage another boat. 

[dnks34]

I can relate to much of whats been said, however last weekend I met a couple who actually moored away from my boat and another private boat moored next to me and then walked over to ask if we would help them bring their boat nearer to as they didnt want to risk hitting us.

We were only to happy to help them and we ended up having a nice chat.  

Theres nothing wrong with asking for help! 

[vanessan]

17 hours ago, johnb said:

 

When on my boat, when I hear someone approaching to moor, one of us just usually makes ourselves available to help if needed. It protects our boat and helps to ensure the people and ourselves have a good holiday. I am sure no-one wants to damage another boat. 

We do exactly the same and on more than one occasion it has saved our boat from getting a bump. Mostly folk are happy to accept help and will go on to ask questions or for advice. Only once has a chap got tetchy when I offered him help to leave a mooring. "I can't be bothered with all this technical stuff" he said as I tried to explain to him how to get the stern of his boat out easily! 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Our boat is far from new,but for sure if a boat is approaching  and you get the feeling  I will offer help and advice. The last thing I want is damage to our boat.On two occasions  at Horning we have had damage  down.A boat was coming in to moor  and grazed the front

Another  time a boat  left the moorings  quickly and pulled  off one of our fenders.Yes we all need  to  learn,sadly  some people  dont

 

 

[JanetAnne]

6 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

Another  time a boat  left the moorings  quickly and pulled  off one of our fenders.

If I am playing sardines on a mooring  my fenders stay up! You rarely need two boats worth in the one space between them and repairing wooden decks when the fender eyes have been ripped out is far more work than we need.

[Chelsea14Ian]

It was early morning  we were in bed no traffic. All the yo-yo you had to do was put it in neutral and they would have slowly  gone forward 

[vanessan]

I now have a fear of a boat ramming us while trying to leave a quayside going forwards as if the helmsman was driving a car. It did happen to us around 6 years ago when the helmsman was trying to leave Reedham with both wind and tide behind him and did a lot of damage. These memories stay with you. Earlier today I watched a Richos boat at How Hill attempting to leave. Luckily he had a reasonable amount of space as he was going forward trying to turn away from the quayside then backwards to enable him to have another go. I think the boat was probably on its way back to base so had probably been out for the last 5 days, I guess he had been doing this all the time. It's a common sight and I think the boatyard trial run should include guidance on how to leave a mooring and an explanation that boats do not steer the same way a car does. It seems to me that some of the guys who do the trial runs merely want to show off their own skills and rush into and out of a mooring as fast as they can leaving the client thinking he has to do the same! 

Earlier this year I was talking to a couple on a Maffett's boat. They were first timers and had come into moor at St Olaves in a way that made me think they had been at least a couple of times previously. They told me that Maffett's had given them about an hour's tuition, taking time to explain things and answer questions. I know it is a small yard but all credit to them, they had happy and confident clients and that's the way it should be.

 

[SwanR]

Reversing out of a mooring is one of the most valuable things I have learned, as well as mooring against the tide. And both of these came from other boating folk and watching Robin's videos. 

I remember only too well our first trip. We were on the southern rivers and although we had been on the northern side many years before with our children, really we were complete novices. Our first night was spent at Bramerton - I was probably bringing the boat in too soon and some very nice people came out of their boat and called to me to go along a bit more before coming towards the bank. They then helped us tie up and I was very relieved to be safely moored up for the night.

The second night we spent at Reedham. Not having been on these kind of forums, or read anything at all, I now know that we were actually quite fortunate to get in there easily and that the conditions there can be trickier than I would have known. When we were preparing to leave the next morning I realised very quickly that I could not swing the boat out soon enough to avoid hitting the one in front of us. I quickly put the boat into reverse to stop us going forward with a fast flowing tide but I didn't know how I was going to manage to get out and we now had the ropes off. Another boat owner walking along the bank called out to me to reverse out into the middle of the river. And they helped with clear directions until I was safely on my way.

Over the course of our subsequent trips this has proved invaluable advice but it's only through experience that you gain the understanding of how it all works. I'm not saying that Swancraft didn't tell us any of this - they might have done but it's hard to take in and remember everything when you're excited to be on holiday and anxious about doing something new.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Jean,

We all like it when everything works out and we make that perfect mooring, just stepping off the boat rope in hand with the fenders hardly touching the mooring, no tugging of ropes or frantic revving of the engine.

Sadly wind & tide do not always allow for this even to the seasoned boater. From experience we all tend to know those mooring locations that there is always tidal issues where the only course of action is to reverse from the moorings, the green at Stokesby springs to mind.

The only times I have moored at Reedham is to take on fuel or water, a fast flowing river and concrete walls can be a killer to fiberglass, preferring mooring at Reedham Ferry (not on the rickety wooden staging however).  

Regards

Alan

[JennyMorgan]

Folk should try coming alongside under sail. Took me three attempts the other evening at Hickling! Unfortunately sailing boats have neither breaks nor reverse, only the wind, and there was a lot of it on that occasion, and a lack of forward motion to prevent them bending their bows. Sometimes it can be just so easy, but not always.

[Hockham Admiral]

I always used to drop the main and come in under jib alone, Peter.   

[JennyMorgan]

Horses for courses, Alan. On my daughter's boat, Spray, we would be more than likely to come in under main, furling the large jib at the last moment in order to prevent the bow falling off the wind.No way will she sail under jib alone, other than downwind. On my drascombe I'd more likely scandalise the main, relying on the jib, as you do, with once again a last minute furl on the jib. In the Hickling scenario we actually came in under bare poles for the first attempt, it was that windy, with a last minute head up into the wind close under the stern of a moored boat right on the corner by the beach. Quick with the sails and a beam reach under partially furled jib and full mizzen we went back out of the dyke and turned for two more attempts, getting it right on the third go. I suppose I could have used the motor but a challenge does no one any harm, occasionally! At worst I'd have ended up on the lee shore and looked a prat, nothing new, but hey, we got there in the end. P.S. I was showing off, but don't let on. We were actually the only sailing boat to do it under sail on that occasion.

[JennyMorgan]

Sorry, John, called you Allen, the old mind is going!

[Broads01]

Yes Reedham quay is a tricky one. There's usually a ranget on hand and they're very helpful. I agree about reversing out Jean, it lets you prepare by spinning the stern out by a quick burst of forward gear and the rudder hard in (I've never had bow thrusters).

[Gracie]

We had a boat with bow thrusters once from HW, when we picked the boat up im indoors boastfully declared he wouldn't use them and had no need for them whatsoever, went South, decided to moor at the Ferry Inn at Reedham, river was raging and the wind howling, yep, he used them alright lol

Grace

[MauriceMynah]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with bow thrusters, either in having them or using them.

I watched a largish cruiser leaving the moorings at Upton Dyke earlier this year. Space was very tight as the Water Rats were moored up, filling just about all the space. The skipper was obviously pretty experienced as although there was a crew on board ready to fend off, they were not needed. Use of the bow thruster did all he needed. Had he not had this piece of equipment, leaving that mooring would not have been possible without the crew.

My second reason for preferring to see boats with them is that the extra manoeurverability they give makes the likelyhood of the boat hitting mine reduced. That's got to be a good thing.

Those who say that bow thrusters are unnecessary tend to be those who also say  "We all make mistakes, even me"  yet still for some unaccountable reason, cannot accept their value.

[Baitrunner]

Here here MM. 

After my last boat danced all over the place on a slight breeze vowed I would never have a boat without one. In fact if I could would go for bow and stern thrusters. Super. 

Having said that I have been moored at Reedham with a the tide up the stern and a 30mph wide blowing me onto the quay heading. The thruster did nowt except make a noise. Then the use of the big bow fender and bow line to get the back kicked out before you can reverse kicked in. I have to say that is always a last resort  for me as I have to rely on crew to lock the bow rope off and getting the fender right!!

[SwanR]

Bow thrusters are great for us as there is only ever the two of us on board so no spare crew to help when mooring up or departing. But I have also been in that situation where the bow thrusters are no match for the wind, usually Beccles Yacht Station and Ranworth Staithe. Had bow and stern thrusters on Rose Emblem this year but didn't get the hang of that at all!