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Post by john on Jul 5, 2018 6:31:10 GMT
I’m predominantly a motor boater but I very much enjoy seeing sailing boats on the Broads from dinghies to Hunters boats to werries.
I know you lot with flappy things have the right of way (and I agree with that) but there are a couple of things that bother me ....
A) tell us what you want us to do. I can’t speak for all motor boaters but I’ll do exactly what you want. I just can’t always figure out what you’re going to do or what you want me to do. Point where you want me to go.
B) if I’ve gone out of my way to avoid you and give you as few problems as I can at least acknowledge I exist! Again, I can’t speak for everyone but there are only so many times I’m going to back up, wait until the perfect moment to pass etc without at least getting a nod or a smile. I’ve used extra fuel and time to help you, is it really too much trouble to look at me and smile?
Discuss 😏
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begee
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Post by begee on Jul 5, 2018 6:48:46 GMT
Sailors can be an unfriendly lot sometimes. I try really hard to be friendly, pointing really clearly where I want the other boat to go them giving them a thumbs up and a wave when they start to turn.
But some mitigation. When you do a long stretch into the wind you might tack 50 times. That is quite hard work and requires both hands in lots of boats. You may be the 20th boat of the day to pass and it is almost certain a couple of those have done something really unhelpful. The most usual is turning in-river just before we tack when approaching head on. This leaves us with a brown trouser moment where we can’t tack and the bank is in front.
Last time out we were really aggressively shouted at for tacking....
So it works both ways.
When a lot of sailors are racing many do seem to lose their sense of humour completely, which is a shame I agree.
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begee
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Post by begee on Jul 5, 2018 7:09:07 GMT
In spirit of helpfulness : how to pass a sailing boat tacking.
Towards you.
If they’re going fast and there is room on the river, sometimes the best thing is to head down the middle and let them sort it out. They usually will.
If you have to keep to the right, do so. Stay close to the bank. The sailor is trying to make his tacks as long as possible so this helps everyone.
Watch a couple of tacks and aim to arrive just after the sailor has tacked. So head straight for the point you think they will turn. If you arrive too early they will have to tack but you have become ‘moving bank’
Away from you. Harder because your difference in speed isn’t do great.
Once again, aim for the point where you think he will turn on your side of the river.
Get close if you can, when he turns put the power on and keep it on. Aim to be well ahead when he arrives back on your side of the river. No one will arrest you got speeding if you are using power to avoid a collision.
If it’s 3 rivers race day, repeat 100 times.
If I had an reverse criticism it would be all around powered boats driving as if it was a road.
Rivers get messy so slow down. Don’t keep the powers on when entering a fleet of sailing boats. The keep to the right is advisory. And passing to the right is sometimes the worst thing to do. I’ve had 11 foot wide cruisers try to pass inside me through a 7 foot gap.
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Post by john on Jul 5, 2018 7:19:09 GMT
That’s very useful thank you.
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Post by john on Jul 5, 2018 11:29:20 GMT
You may be the 20th boat of the day to pass and it is almost certain a couple of those have done something really unhelpful. If that makes it ok to not acknowledge every helpful motor boat can I use the same argument to dive into the gap in front of some sail boats? 😏 A friend of mine is a horse rider. If she’s in her car and a horse rider doesn’t say thank you for slowing down she’s been known to stop the car and shout at them! |
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begee
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Post by begee on Jul 5, 2018 13:04:38 GMT
Quite agree, but if you’re racing a 31 foot river cruiser in a brisk wind the other issues may be more important - like trying very hard not to crash into the next boat.
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begee
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Post by begee on Jul 5, 2018 13:05:41 GMT
And, I think your friend may have anger issues..
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Post by john on Jul 5, 2018 13:10:45 GMT
I get that sometimes there’s a lot going on on a sailing boat and that’s absolutely fine and understandable in those circumstances to not prioritise saying thank you.
However, I’ve seen many times when the sailing is very serene with little happening or being done (at least as far as I can tell with my zero knowledge).
My friend has very serious anger issues 😏 Hopefully she never reads this or she’ll be angry with me!!!
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