Common Etiquette screw ups for novices

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

I do have one question though. in another post you mentioned them swinging over your anchor.

That makes it hard to leave doesn't it?

It is a rarity that you happen to swing in the one heading degree out of 360 where this condition occurs. However, it does happen. When that happens and it looks like the wind might hold through your departure time (we look the afternoon before) then we dinghy over and say..

"Hi, we're leaving around "n:nn" tomorrow morning. It looks like you might be close or possibly over our anchor. Will you be around at that time and willing to temporarily pull in a few feet while we retrieve our anchor?"

I've used dinghy's to push a boat out of the way temporarily so someone else can pick up their anchor. This is typically an issue in a busy anchorage, which also typically has a lot of people around in dinghy's. Just ask a passerby to push the boat out of the way for you.

It's incredibly rare, but I've never had an issue getting out of the situation.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

In many cases the annoying music is coming from cockpit speakers, whether or not the party is in the cockpit. A simple expedient is to move the party below and kill the cockpit speakers - interior sounds don't usually travel that well. I have my interior speakers connected to the "front speakers" outputs, and the cockpit to the "rear speakers" outputs, and leave the fader to exclusively front unless I'm in the cockpit. It seems obvious and easy to do; the problem is thinking about it and actually caring about our impact on others.

Greg

This, or use headphones. If you must play music loud, plug in some earbuds. Then blast away.

[Blairfisher]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

This, or use headphones. If you must play music loud, plug in some earbuds. Then blast away.

Of course the problem here is that a lot of times people want to share the music, so headphones don’t work for them. They are having a good time, probably have had a few beverages, and may not even be aware that others are being bothered.

As tarian mentioned, music really carries over water - I can hear kayakers chatting out in the bay where I am, and when a party boat comes in to anchor and cranks up the tunes everyone on shore is annoyed.

Two examples - my neighbour (a young, fit guy) got into his kayak and chased after one of the boats that was blasting their music. He told me they were very apologetic and turned it right down - they had no idea anybody could hear it.

Also there was a charter boat slowly cruising through with the tunes very loud. Since the boat had a name on the back I hailed them on the vhf - the skipper turned down.

I also have cockpit speakers and inside speakers. It is great fun to crank up the tunes but you need to be considerate. Set a lunch hook in a tiny bay in Desolation Sound last year - enjoying our tunes in the cockpit when we noticed some campers in the trees. Turned down...

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Blairfisher

Of course the problem here is that a lot of times people want to share the music, so headphones don’t work for them. They are having a good time, probably have had a few beverages, and may not even be aware that others are being bothered.

True, which is why I said (I hope it was this thread... this theme comes up fairly regularly here), talk to them first. They may not be aware how loud they are. It's the few who don't give a damn about anyone else which cause the problems.

No one is against people having a good time, and enjoying some music on their boat. But if you're forcing everyone else in the anchorage to listen to your tunes, then it is WAAAAY too loud.

[Blairfisher]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's the few who don't give a damn about anyone else which cause the problems.

No one is against people having a good time, and enjoying some music on their boat. But if you're forcing everyone else in the anchorage to listen to your tunes, then it is WAAAAY too loud.

Agreed - just really felt I needed to reply to tarian’s notion that if he and his mates thinks it is OK, then everyone else needs to pull anchor if they don’t like it.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by sailingabe41ds

...and we boost their egos when they do that so they are more likely to take a risk again in their million dollar power boat and help a stranded helpless little sailboater. Yes, thank goodness for power boaters. God bless them and their ego.

Abe

Heh! The only powerboaters I ever personally met who had million-dollar boats were ones who had come to grief and needed rescuing...and they were astonished when they weren't mugged or pillaged by the ragged hordes who helped them!

All of our kind strangers have been guys with outboards; I always wondered why they needed such big engines. Obviously it's to tow off the hapless sailors cluttering up their view and frightening the fish!