Cowes - are we welcome?

Nasher · 04 June 2007, 10:44

Hello all
We went over to the Folly for Lunch on Saturday and for the first time didn’t feel particularly welcome by the Cowes Harbour Authorities.

The big Yellow and Orange Harbour Authority RIB was waiting just inside the harbour flagging down every RIB we saw enter. No other boats, just RIBs as far as we could see.
We were asked politely to keep our speed down and look behind occasionally to check our wake.
Fair enough, but we were doing about 5 knots at the time, following a sailing boat in, but a big 30 foot motor cruiser was overtaking us at probably 10 knots throwing up a huge wash and wasn’t even looked at by the guy in the HA RIB.

At 5 – 6 Knots The Nashers Revenge is only just in gear and does not throw up a big wake, however every Harbour Authority Launch that we passed going up river gestured to us to slow down and made wavy movements at us with their hand to indicate why. Again despite the presence of big motor cruisers going faster than us and throwing up big wakes.

Are they having a crackdown on RIB owners?

Maybe we are getting a bad name like Jet Skiers.
Certainly at work last week one of the directors who is in to Rags and Sticks referred to me as ‘the RIB hooligan’

Nasher.

Neal · 04 June 2007, 11:08

Hi Nasher, we always seem to end up in Cowes and never had a problem .We always keep the speed down and always get passed by some big boats with loads of people on, hope things are not changing. Were they only looking at speed or just useing it as a reason to get a close look at the RIBS and what thay were being used for?

Nasher · 04 June 2007, 11:13

Neal Hi.

We often end up there too, and its the first time its happened. I could understand if it was just one HA launch, but it was all of them, and it was us that were being thrown around by the wake of larger boats.

Nasher

Carl · 04 June 2007, 11:30

i went to the folly last night and got stopped half way up the river by some pratt of a harbour hitler, told me slow down,i told him i was doing 6 knots,so he then said i should keep my wash to a minimum,i then told him because the tide was at full flow going out ,if i backed off any more i would be going backwards,at this point he could see i was going to lose it,and off he went on his merry way,and so did i,this time at a greater speed than before he stopped me................the thing that got mt back up was how much wash does a 21ft boat make a 6 knots ............answer not alot........................oh one last thing he said was that the reason he stopped me was because the weather was so good/calm it was more noticable...............my reply," ive never known the medina to be rough"

Nos4r2 · 04 June 2007, 11:40

Sounds like a letter to the harbour authority might be in order to ask what their policy is...

codprawn · 04 June 2007, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl

i went to the folly last night and got stopped half way up the river by some pratt of a harbour hitler, told me slow down,i told him i was doing 6 knots,so he then said i should keep my wash to a minimum,i then told him because the tide was at full flow going out ,if i backed off any more i would be going backwards,at this point he could see i was going to lose it,and off he went on his merry way,and so did i,this time at a greater speed than before he stopped me................the thing that got mt back up was how much wash does a 21ft boat make a 6 knots ............answer not alot........................oh one last thing he said was that the reason he stopped me was because the weather was so good/calm it was more noticable...............my reply," ive never known the medina to be rough"

If it's the wash they are worried about I would have thought 50kts would have been the best speed!!!

Golly · 04 June 2007, 12:03

That's really interesting.

On Saturday we launched in Southampton and then went right up the Hamble to the pub at Curbridge at high tide. I've never been right up the river before. I was going at just under 6 knots all the way up (apart from slower at the shallow bits right at the top). On the way up, just above Warsash a harbour master boat was coming down the other way and gave me some sort of wave which might have meant "slow down". Didn't understand it since I'm only in a 4.8m RIB at 6 knots and all the big boats seemed to be coming down the other direction.

Then further up just above the railway bridge at Bursledon, another harbour boat and again he sort of waved ambiguously. In that case there were some canoes nearby by the side of the river, so I thought he was maybe making sure I'd seen them.

Then again on the way back down later, harbour boat going the other way waves again. That time, my seven year old daughter was fiddling around with the dry bag at the back of the boat, so I thought he might just be warning me that she might fall in or something (?!).

However, having read your posts I'm wondering if there's something more to it. I was going carefully and courteously with 2 young kids on board, so I don't understand why all the attention from the harbour masters.

Gerry

Moneypit · 04 June 2007, 12:31

I went to Cowes yesterday as well, the harbourmaster's yellow/orange boat was manovering to pull out across the chanel as I was going in so I hit nuetral to avoid getting close to him, he waved me through so I throttled up to get moving and he then shouted across at me to slow down - I was amazed as I had only started moving so wasn't at 6 knts! I followed a 40 ft cruiser out of the harbour later which was doing about 8 kts (me 5), it went straight past him and not a flicker.

I wonder if there were som Ribex experiences that have annoyed him.

alystra · 04 June 2007, 12:53

Thank God I live 500 miles away from such snotty snobby people. Next time you're all chugging up the Medina obeying the speed limit, why not take the name, and/or a picture of all the gin palaces overtaking you? Send a letter of complaint about their wash etc. to the harbourmaster and include the evidence. He might be inundated with letters he has to answer, which would soon sort out the arrogant jobsworth in the launch - or perhaps not.

Yours in naivety,

Supplier of bullets for others to fire.

Peter J · 04 June 2007, 13:01

I went up the Medina on Sunday on a hard boat, a 33 footer. We were doing about 9 knots when he flagged us down. He only picked on us though.

So it's not just ribbers.

CJL · 04 June 2007, 14:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter J

I went up the Medina on Sunday on a hard boat, a 33 footer. We were doing about 9 knots when he flagged us down. He only picked on us though.

So it's not just ribbers.

But I bet they knew your were a rib owner so he was still picking on you

genoa · 04 June 2007, 16:07

We went in on Friday with 1 very wet looking kid in the bow, as she had been knocked off the rib by a friendly 40ft power boat that went past us at Egypt point sending up such a wash she was thrown over board. Nothing to do with Cowes HA, but wake can cause serious annoyance, injury and death. Lesson learnt - even though she had a life jacket on, make sure kids are in seats at all times!!

BogMonster · 04 June 2007, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by alystra

Thank God I live 500 miles away from such snotty snobby people

Thank god I live 8000 miles away from them

No such problems with speed in this neck of the woods!

I have done some observations and if anything 30+ knots seems to be the speed that leaves the smallest wake in my RIB, I guess there is less boat in the water but you can steam past the moored yachts where I launch going flat out and they hardly move, at 6-7kt they rock around all over the place.

eupa · 04 June 2007, 18:00

You are all wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

You must wait until everybody is anchored and they are all on deck showing off their riches and bimbo's. THEN you go pass at least at 10 knots- kick up a hell of wave so that you can see their boats rock,..... then get the bleeding hell out of the dump. Its even more amuising with two 250's on the back....
Me antisocial?? you bet your bottom dollar I am.

jonathan

Cork Rib · 04 June 2007, 19:18

Naw, keep to the law, 6 knots.....but trim the engine right out! really pisses them off

Hightower · 04 June 2007, 19:22

I recon you should switch your outboard/s off when you see the Harbour Master comming and get the Oars out, when he passes you should stand the oars to attention and salute with the other hand.

I've actually rammed the Cowes Harbour Masters boat.....It was a couple of years ago though.

GED · 04 June 2007, 20:59

Harbour Authority Dont Ya Just Love Em!!!!!!!!

andy edwards · 04 June 2007, 21:33

we went into cowes on saturday morning to be shouted at by him he is a div he also made a big point about telling me i am on the wrong side of the river he also shouted at my freind for acelarating out of the path of the red jet ferry

Nos4r2 · 04 June 2007, 21:42

Hmm. I guess something's rattled their cage. There's a few of us heading up past the Folly next weekend. I wonder if it would make a point to them if we all followed Hightower's suggestion?

Hightower · 04 June 2007, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Hmm. I guess something's rattled their cage. There's a few of us heading up past the Folly next weekend. I wonder if it would make a point to them if we all followed Hightower's suggestion?

Ramming speed