Sad Tale Or Typical?

[annv]

I think they must have a rather timid personality if concerned with someone watching them, life all round must be difficult for them, such a shame as it must make life very trying. John

[NorfolkNog]

3 hours ago, Speleologist said:

1. Have a plan and communicate it clearly to the rest of the crew so they know what to expect.

2. If it isn't going right, abort early and try again. This is much safer than trying to salvage an approach that is going wrong.

Both good bits of advice which can apply to any vessel. We always try to think in advance, including which way the tide is running or if there is a strong wind. Know which side you are aiming to moor or stern on if applicable so you can have ropes ready. 

And definitely abandon an attempt that is going pear shaped! Much better to start again if you can and if it's safe to do so of course. 

[SwanR]

We always make a clear plan together when we leave a mooring - what’s the tide doing, take the bow or stern rope off first etc. And my hubby always gives me a really clear shout when he’s back on board and I can take us away. 

[Hylander]

29 minutes ago, SwanR said:

We always make a clear plan together when we leave a mooring - what’s the tide doing, take the bow or stern rope off first etc. And my hubby always gives me a really clear shout when he’s back on board and I can take us away. 

Your last sentence Jean brought to mind - I wonder how many have not been on board in the past when the boat takes off down the river leaving said person on the quay side.     

 

 

[SwanR]

5 hours ago, Hylander said:

I wonder how many have not been on board in the past when the boat takes off down the river leaving said person on the quay side

Exactly what I’m keen to avoid. And actually as we approach any mooring he also gives me a clear shout once he has stepped off onto the bank with the ropes. He always wears his buoyancy aid and makes sure that I always know where he is. 

[Speleologist]

7 hours ago, Hylander said:

I wonder how many have not been on board in the past when the boat takes off down the river leaving said person on the quay side.

That's why I always aim to leave with everybody already aboard. Lines looped ashore and back to the boat so they can be released and recovered from on board. If the boat would otherwise need a shove to get it out then it's simply a matter of springing off. The only exception would be when I have no engine to spring off, but even then it's easy enough to leave one warp attached until everyone is on board.

[NotDeadYet]

On 27/04/2021 at 07:45, Smoggy said:

....... if running into the tide and holding stern line only it's even worse.

One of my least fine moments at Reedham.  Ranger to the rescue, red face to the pub .

[CambridgeCabby]

I can remember coming in to stern moor at The Bell St Olaves not realising or allowing for the eddys  around the bridge , swung a huge 360 narrowly missing the bow on a moored boat ,by using full forward , by literally a couple of cm , and yes was witnessed by more than a couple of onlookers 

[Maxwellian]

3 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

I can remember coming in to stern moor at The Bell St Olaves not realising or allowing for the eddys  around the bridge , swung a huge 360 narrowly missing the bow on a moored boat ,by using full forward , by literally a couple of cm , and yes was witnessed by more than a couple of onlookers 

Often is, silence when you walk into the bar as well.

[PaulN]

I always offer to help moor when people look as though they might welcome some help and invariably I am thanked for doing so. The only times I might not offer first is when someone is mooring with the tide and looking as though they will crash into us.

It never ceases to amaze me, the number of times I see an adult or worse still a child trying to stop the progress of  boat weighing several tons and with momentum, by holding a rope without any attempt to wrap it around  post of run it through a mooring ring.

Invariably hire craft have tight knots in polypropylene mooring ropes and I have recently seen this twice when the crew have told me it's their first time mooring having taken over the boat that day. I really think this should form part of the hire companies pre-checks. Running ropes with knots through rings is difficult.

It also often frightens my wife and me to see young children on deck when parents are concentrating on mooring. 2 weeks ago we witnessed a couple mooring stern on at Ranworth while their 2 young children were standing up larking about on a sloping fore-cabin roof, on a morning when we had just scraped the ice off our boat wind screens! Would these same people have left their best china or wallets there, I suspect not yet I am also sure that they value their children more.

I have watched all the safety videos that the BA have recently published which I consider to be very good, there is one that explains that one should moor against the tide, but their is no mention of interpreting tide directions from the information in the skipper's manual. I think all boats should be sent out with separate  tide tables like the one's that I print off from 'That Other Place' each year. These show low water times at most major locations and slack water for crossing Breydon.

[CambridgeCabby]

I’ve watched the videos and also think they are excellent , the Broadcaster free paper which is (or was) placed aboard every hire boat has the tide tables in , and of course the Aweigh App is very useful all of these however are dependant on them being used by the hirer , you can make all this information available but there is no guarantee that those on holiday (or privateers) will make use of it .