Where has common sense gone??

[Maine Sail]

Last night, July 7th, we were anchored in a beautiful and idyllic Maine cove with only four other boats. Each boat had plenty of room to swing, even a 53 footer, and there was room enough for at least eight or ten more boats. About 7:45 p.m. a very salty, but ragged looking Pearson Triton entered the cove and attempted to anchor.

A little background is necessary here to help set the stage. First each boat in the harbor was oriented in a North / South direction with the bows heading North. Now anyone with common sense, being a boater is not a pre-requisite in this scenario, would assume a new boat to the harbor would set anchor, and back down in a bow North, stern South direction.

Not this crew! We were down below reading, and having some wine, when I heard the first grunts of what sounded like an Atomic four with no hint of a muffler. I lifted my arse from the settee, and poked my head out, to see the comings a goings. I was just in time to see the guy on the bow drop the anchor no less than 15 or 20 feet off my bow! It was a rather benign and calm Maine night so instead of saying anything, or making a scene, about the guy dropping his Danforth across my anchor rode, and within spiting distance, I just sat back with my glass of red wine and took in the show.

For quite some time they would back the boat North, away from mine, in the opposite direction of the wind and current, and then stand on the bow, in amazement, as the boat slowly drifted back towards my boat, right where the wind and current wanted it. They would then back her North again, only to repeat this process over and over, for a total of five times. To say the least it was a surreal situation!!!

How is it that people like this are even on the water? Why is it that in a cove with LOTS of room left they chose to drop anchor 15 feet off my bow and directly over my rode which is fortunately mostly chain so it was on the bottom? How is it that with at least three adults on board no one registered any sort of common sense, a light bulb went off, they had a epiphany or, gasp, noticed the direction of the other boats?

Each year the quality of boaters seemingly gets worse and worse. Even here in Maine where fog, lobster pots, ledges and rocks are the norm we see more and more boaters with little to no skills even the basics like anchoring. I hate to imagine what the rest of their trip will be like but, based on what I saw, it most likely won't be a "no issues" cruise.

I don't actually know what happened to them because after a good deal of time they finally gave up and motored off into the sunset possibly to torment another boater in another cove with their interesting anchoring technique....


P.S.
To the Triton owner who is the brunt of this rant, you know who you are, please do us all favor and take a safe boating course, a USPS course or at the very least read a book. Your anchoring skills and manners need improvement. I purposely did not mention a vessel name or hailing port so you can improve your skills quietly and confidently without ridicule if by chance you happen to read these forums.


-Maine Sail
Casco Bay, Maine

[Noah]

Nice rant...

[Allen]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the definition of a complete idiot was someone who kept doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

It was an interesting rant though. ;)