Stink Pots!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

bligh

Guru
Joined
May 29, 2013
Messages
1,531
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Concerto
Vessel Make
1980 Cheoy Lee
As a long time and current sailor, I am accustomed to yelling at power boats as they roared by us, causing our hastily made instant coffee to spill. Sailors use terms like "Stinkpot", "Bagle-barge" and "Slab" among other word to describe power boats and their weekend warrior crews.
But now that I am semi converted to the trawler lifestyle, I am looking for more colorful terms to describe those boats with the sheets on them. So far I have heard "Rag-boat", "Stick boat", and "Blow-boat."
Please share your best derogatory term for sailboats, so I will have a maximum arsenal of insults to hurl at my sailing brethren during our July cruise.
Thanks in advance.
Scott
 
Last edited:
"rag merchant" ... "jerk" ..... *@@##$"

Regardless, power boats' wakes can negatively affect other power boats.
 
Blow job and air boat is what I and others I know use.
 
Coot! :hide: (jk)

Personally to me, it's not the method of propulsion, but the professionalism and courtesy extended to your bretheren sharing the waterways. We're all in the same waters...like sharing the road with diesel trucks, electric cars and motorcycles.

A sailboat who insists on tacking across my bow during my attempt to pass in a civil manner, a Sea Ray (or equivalent large planing powerboat) who insists on passing at warp speed throwing a huge wake just 50 ft to port when there's all kinds of room or the go fast who races toward my transom at 70+ mph before cutting to the side at the last second to pass...I have choice names for all of 'em under my breath, but none that I'll post here.
 
Lets stop picking on each other, a duck is a duck regardless of its feathers and a boat is a boat regardless of its means of propulsion. The point made re rag merchants forcing right of way is a good point. We share the water and each of us should, no must, understand the issues of our fellow sailors. Wash/wake issues affect us all and those who fail to look astern or when passing a vessel running at displacement speed are not only ignorant of their surroundings but are usually the least educated about boating are the 5% who cause all the grief to GC and enforcement agencies.
Walk the dock and have a word with your local idiot,we all have at least one in each marina, or club. Bill
 
Lets all remember the rules we learned in elementary school, in how we should treat each other, you would think it would be common sense!!
 
Lets all remember the rules we learned in elementary school, in how we should treat each other, you would think it would be common sense!!

In my days, that was taught in kindergarten as well as nursery school.
 
Last edited:
Kindergarten was the best 3 years of my life!! A half day of 'work' broken up with a nap sounds like my retirement plan.
 
I like sailboats. I'm a former sailor. I like Colin's gaff-rigged ketch. He's a new neighbor at K dock, Vallejo.

img_164136_0_f30bfb5f9f6ae53c68cfc5dcec1de0ea.jpg
 
I like sailboats. I'm a former sailor. I like Colin's gaff-rigged ketch. He's a new neighbor at K dock, Vallejo.


Nice boat. Wouldn't you still be a sailor, Mark?, even if the sails only go up once a year.

I cop it from both sides. Some sailors don't think I have a "real" sail boat, and some power boaters scoff at the "rags" I carry on board.
All in fun though. 99% of boaters around here appreciate any boat/boater that gets out on the water.
 
Nice boat. Wouldn't you still be a sailor, Mark?, even if the sails only go up once a year.

Perla believes sailboats are "too close to water." Unlike a Coot with sail(s).

232323232%7Ffp54367%3Enu%3D394%3A%3E7%3A9%3E559%3E2%3A3%3B7%3A964%3A245ot1lsi
 
Some sailboat people here call powerboats "hot water boats". I think it`s because they`d like to come alongside for a hot shower after a day`s sailing.
In fairness, the more traditional sailors here usually exchange a friendly (hand)wave with the more traditional powerboaters. The less said about some "40 ft speedboat" cruisers with their close passing and deep wake the better, I dislike them as much as sailors do.
 
... In fairness, the more traditional sailors here usually exchange a friendly (hand)wave with the more traditional powerboaters. ...

We get lots of friendly handwaves from sailboats.
 
Sample of a "wake nemesis" for other boats, both sail and motor powered. We had room to maneuver into this fellow's wake, while FlyWright (who's gentle wake is in the foreground), didn't and had stuff shooting out of his refrigerator.

232323232%7Ffp7348%3A%3Enu%3D3363%3E33%3A%3E57%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D39495%3A4%3A92336nu0mrj
 
Last edited:
AS far more rag baggers chose the anchorage , rather than a marina for overnight ,

I call them neighbors.
 
I had a sail boat in the same slip for over ten years. When I sold it and put the trawler in the same slip this past September a guy about 75 feet across from me with a big motor cruiser hollers out "welcome to the marina " I holler back "hey man I've been here twice as long as you and you wouldn't speak to me when I owned the sailboat" It's funny how people are like that . I used to complain about stinky smoking boats and now I own one.I found this little note in my paper work on my old sailboat when I sold it last year . It says "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can make in 2 years by trying to get other people interested in you ! Wish I would have found it when I boat the boat 15 years earlier.
 
The operative word is that we are all boaters, same interest, problems, solutions, systems, and we all have fun. When needed we all come to the aide to who needs it no mater what kind of "boat" it is. Lets all remember that.
 
...The point made re rag merchants forcing right of way is a good point...

Agree with everything Bill said, but for the record sailboats do NOT have "right of way" and are in violation of the rules if they choose to tack into your path unexpectedly.

In a meeting or crossing situation, two boats, one power and one sail, not in a narrow channel, neither one constrained by draft, restricted in ability to maneuver, or commercial fishing, the powerboat must "give way" to the sailboat. The sailboat, however, does not have right of way. She is OBLIGATED under the rules to maintain course and speed.

Obviously power boaters should understand that sailors need to work with the wind, and show a little courtesy.

But under no circumstances can a sailboat "force right of way." We will all get along better out there if we could get this point through to the untrained in both camps, sail and power.
 
Nice boat. Wouldn't you still be a sailor, Mark?, even if the sails only go up once a year.

I cop it from both sides. Some sailors don't think I have a "real" sail boat, and some power boaters scoff at the "rags" I carry on board.
All in fun though. 99% of boaters around here appreciate any boat/boater that gets out on the water.

:iagree:
 
On the Great Lakes "school teacher" would encompass the majority of sailboaters. Add descriptors as appropriate.
 
Coot! :hide: (jk)

Personally to me, it's not the method of propulsion, but the professionalism and courtesy extended to your bretheren sharing the waterways. We're all in the same waters...like sharing the road with diesel trucks, electric cars and motorcycles.

A sailboat who insists on tacking across my bow during my attempt to pass in a civil manner, a Sea Ray (or equivalent large planing powerboat) who insists on passing at warp speed throwing a huge wake just 50 ft to port when there's all kinds of room or the go fast who races toward my transom at 70+ mph before cutting to the side at the last second to pass...I have choice names for all of 'em under my breath, but none that I'll post here.

Al, Al, spit it out. You can't continue keeping all that pent up anger inside. We're here to help.

img_164217_0_25ee1e6c2404e82924278d1b8505027d.gif


Keep the needle in the low range for best results. Take me for example. Don't worry. Be Happy.

img_164217_1_d0ff9d94406946a670696d1dd01f31c1.jpg
 
Whilst sea kayaking the coast of BC, we conservatively estimate the number of sailboats actually sailing, and not motoring, at about 5%. (These were boats actually going somewhere, not farting around near the marina for the afternoon). This renders moot any derogatory remarks from sailboaters towards motor boaters regarding motors in boats.
 
I like boats - sail, power and even row boats.

I’ve owned a lot more sailboats than powerboats.

Today I own the little DeFever 40 which I keep at my dock at my house. If we want to go cruising, say to the Chesapeake, which we plan on doing this fall, we take the DeFever.

If I just want to spend a day on the water having fun, we drive a hour and a half to the marina where I keep my dry stored J22 sailboat.

Having said that though, in the 10,000 cruising miles I’ve spent on the DeFever I’ve noticed some real differences in how cruising sailors and cruising power boaters operate. As stated above 95% of the sailboats are motoring.

A lot of cruising sailors could benefit from paying more attention to the world around them and maintaining situational awareness.

Hey sailor, you want a slow pass? Turn on your radio, jerk!

So I guess you could say I sometimes call them “jerks” Most often it's a friendly wave.

Mike
 
I just call them sail boats.

Just don't try to hail them. I don't think I have ever had a sail boat respond.

Most don't seem have a radio in the cockpit.

Sd
 
Al, Al, spit it out. You can't continue keeping all that pent up anger inside. We're here to help.

img_164306_0_25ee1e6c2404e82924278d1b8505027d.gif


Keep the needle in the low range for best results. Take me for example. Don't worry. Be Happy.

img_164306_1_d0ff9d94406946a670696d1dd01f31c1.jpg


LOL!! Thanks for listening, Moomman! If I need to get more off my chest, I'll call you late some night. BTW, I like your meter...

...and I love that picture of you in the chair, Don. Thanks for resurrecting that old relic from the past. What's really in that Dr. Pepper can?
 
Back
Top Bottom