Rafting is the nautical equivalent of double parking. Six deep is not uncommon especially if you are in Bembridge at the height of the season or on a sunny afternoon in the Beaulieu River.
There are several stages to successfully raft your boat against someone already moored.
Stage 1
You have to pick a boat larger or the same size as yours. Rafting against a small boat is asking for trouble. You could quite simply crush them to death.
Once you have chosen your victim, swing into view and calmly shout “mind if we come alongside?” The owner will respond with the time honoured response of “Bugger off and use someone else”. His next response will be ‘we’re leaving at 04.30’. This trick is so well known that most people don’t believe it to be true any more. If you are, in fact, planning to leave at the crack of dawn, offer to go on the outside of the raft. Let the harbour master know and he may place you in a raft consisting of other early birds. . You’ll often find that a ‘no problem, we’ll get up and help you out’ will weed out the true early birds from the cantankerous worrying about their gel-coat!
However once he realises he has no choice he will start to throw out every fender he owns. He suddenly becomes very keen to help you.
Nothing will start your relationship with the boat alongside on a worse footing than approaching without being properly fendered. So hang your balls out early.
Stage 2
Come in close, stop alongside and get your clumsy crew to board the victim’s boat. Arm them to the teeth with all sorts of lines and ropes with which to attach your boat to theirs. The owners will now be sweating profusely, watching your every move, especially your anchor, very, very closely.
If the victim is a real mariner, he will politely suggest you attach lines to shore. This is to prevent his boat having to take the full strain of wind and weather. Taking a line to shore may well involve carrying a humongous weight of line over several moored boats. Whist the crew is on shore securing lines, toss them the power cable with a casual ” oh just find a spare socket somewhere”

Stage 3
You now need to go ashore.
There exists a very simple code of etiquette. One must never clamber across or through the neighbours’ cockpits. There’s nothing worse than having a quiet drink when a neighbouring crew comes stomping across, knocking the champers and nibbles over.
One always walks across other boats’ foredecks. Note the position of drying washing, open hatches and other trip hazards for when you make your way back in the dark. Master-cabins tend to be at the front of many boats, and they have skylights which you are permitted to walk across. During the summer these are often open at shin height and can cause a nasty graze and some serious nautical language to be uttered.
Serious no no’s are using the stranchion wires to swing on, sit on or haul yourself over the side. Do not stop to get a quick glance of the news being broadcast on the TV below you and never ever comment on the state of tidiness of either the cabin or galley.