"Paul Cassel" wrote in message
. ..
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:


I have no idea as to the whereabouts of the particular anchorage you have
in mind nor about any other anchorage you might frequent. But one thing I
DO know and it's the only thing that matters is it's high time people
start asserting their rights to clean air and peace and quiet in ANY
anchorage other than some big shipping anchorage which small yachts would
have to be daft to even consider using.


I agree that one generator can ruin the peace of an anchorage for the
entire group. I'll also add as annoyances any sort of music which is
clearly audible outside the confines of the boat on which it's being
played.

However, the problem is that we have no rights to assert. I prefer perfect
quiet whilst at anchor but have no more right to that than someone has the
right to both run a generator AND play rap noise. There are no rules.
There are only standards evolved from when we didn't have generators or
rap crap.

Just as for me, the beauty of a sail is being able to end a day or set of
days at sea by a quiet time on my aft deck enjoying the remains of the day
or the evening quiet, some think the perfect end to a day at sea is
watching TV or listening to 50 cent piece wail on about how he likes to
shoot his bitch's ass with the piece he stole off of a police he killed.

At one anchorage south of Peanut Island in FL (Palm Beach) one fellow
playing loud music apparently got his anchor rode cut by another fellow
who swam there in an amphibious attack. But as much as we fantasize about
doing that, AFAIK, that's the only time it really occurred and it may have
been a defective cable at that.

-paul

I have to disagree with you on one point and that is everybody has the same
right to enjoy their time as the next guy. That sounds fair but it isn't.
One needs to add the qualifier that everybody has the same right to enjoy
their time as they see fit AS LONG AS THEY AREN'T BOTHERING SOMEBODY ELSE
WITH THEIR NOISE, SMELL, COMMOTTION, POLLUTION, CLOSE PROXIMITY, SLOPPY
ANCHORING, DRUG ABUSE, THEIVERY, RUDE BEHAVIOR, ETC.

In other words, it involves the golden rule. Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. If you are such a self-centered, rude sumbitch that
you end up with your anchor rode cut you should take the hint and shut the
f*ck up. If you love loud music then wear earphones and crank up the volume
until it shatters your eardrums but don't impose yourself on everybody else
in the anchorage. That will end you up sunk or worse.

I know of one anchorage where drug dealers set up in an old derelict of a
boat. It was only allowed to continue for about a month with the coming and
goings of addicts at all hours. When it got to the point when the addicts
were stealing dinghies, motors, anchors, life jackets and breaking into
anchored boats their drug boat ended up burning to the waterline and sinking
one dark night. End of problem!

It is often said that might makes right. And, fortunately, those who are
interested in right are most often the mightiest and that works to all our
advantage.

Wilbur Hubbard