BLUEMOMENT

On Sunday we were pootling about in Chiron trying to get some charge in the batterys. We were the only boat about apart from the Winter Series boats.
The Park Ranger appeared from behind Belle Isle just as we crossed the ferry.
He changed course and headed for us but we were just minding our own business and I thought nothing of it.
He started following us and I thought, wierd that, and carried on.
It turned into a chase!
We were doing 4.5Kts, anything much faster and he couldn't have caught us, he tooted his horn so I throttled back to see what was up.
He had pulled us up because we haven't renewed our registration which falls due 1st Jan. He knew my name so he had obviously looked me up on his little puter. We had left the reminder at home so I told him I would sort it out next time we come up, this had been OK before when the Warden looked after it.

Today we got a snotty letter saying that I'd had a verbal warning for this heinous crime, that would stay on my record for 3 years, and if it happens again I could be prosicuted. I realised he was bored but he must have nothing to do while he is sat at his desk either.
I have seen them out at Easter poking folk and suggesting they pop across to the Wardens to pay but not a week into the New Year.

For goodness sake! Time you got Chiron on to a different pond.

My sympathies, but it's your own fault for leaving home witohut a gun.

Portsmouth Harbour Plod are the same. They need to bollock 4 people a day. On a busy day it won't be 'you'. On a quiet day it will be 'you' regardless of what you're actually doing.

On both days I've been bollocked by them I was the only boat out.

Being threatened by jobsworths or bollocked by harbour police are aspects of sailing alien to me and although I did have an altercation with the Junior Service last year it was more of a skipper to skipper kind of thing.

Silkie wrote:Being threatened by jobsworths or bollocked by harbour police are aspects of sailing alien to me

Don't ever move to the south. It's crawling with jobsworth twassocks:

This was a bollocking for not listening to Channel 11.



I didn't get a shot if my Iron Duke bollocking 'cos I thought I was in the wrong at the time - it was only later I checked and found I wasn't.

This was a genuinely polite request to stay out of the way of an alleged explosion:



Bit more civilized in the North I think. Unless you take untaxed Whisky from a wreck, then Dogberry gets a bit irate.

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The only time I've experienced a public bollocking was on Mojomo when we crossed the start line for the ARC then did a 180 and plowed our way back through the field . . .

A ModPlod boat once tried to give me a bollocking for crossing from the Cloch to Rhu at night with only a torch. I quoted the section of the IRPCS regarding lights for sailing vessel under 7m long at them - politely but firmly - and they buggered off.

Another ModPlod launch once had a shout at me for getting within 50 feet of the jetty at Coulport. I think they were more embarrassed than annoyed, really, as they had been ashore in their wee hut having a fly cup while we made our very slow (F1-2) approach.

I've been threatened by armed men at Coulport as well. I just wasn't far enough West for their liking.
Apart from that, I think we must be very lucky up here, long may it last.

Haven't had a bollocking but got pulled over by two RIB loads of heavily armed troops off Warren Point. Seems the "1-8-4-7 Tango" the patrol boat had been calling for ages on 16 was indeed us...

In my defence I'd only just bought the boat and hadn't really paid any attention to the large red numbers on the mainsail.

I thought incursions into the Coulport exclusion zone were almost a civic duty otherwise the mod-plod would have nothing to do with their mobo, no reason to open the throttles and make a big wash, and no opportunity to be officious and threatening - think how bored they would be without us. If they really don't want boats inside their area why don't they just paint a line on the water?

At least when you get warned off @ Coulport you should be glad that they are awake.
I wished the Park Warden was back in his office which is where he seems to be most of the summer when the mobo's are taking the piss with the speed limit. I don't begrudge the mobo's having a bit of a thrash now and then but there seems to be much more of it than when the Wardens did the patrols.

You have just cost me £15:00, Robert.

claymore wrote:You have just cost me £15:00, Robert.

How so? Was the chain wrong?

Oh, your mooring is next door to the Ranger's place isn't it. They will be extorting £10 for some new numbers too, faded doesn't quite describe your old ones.

Chain was fine - my conscience kicked in on reading your post so I phoned and stumped up 15 of the finest.
Had some fancy numbers on the black board thingies hanging off my guardrails but they blew off some time ago.
Can you still get the stickie jobbies?

claymore wrote: Can you still get the stickie jobbies?

Happens to me if I don't eat enough fibre.