As A Freshman On A Slip, How To Best Not Look Green?

Joe · Jan 19, 2012

To me, the direction of the boat in the slip has more to do with privacy or weather. As long as you secure your halyards, don't hog the ramp with your junk, don't clean fish in the slip, keep your music to yourself.......... and most importantly... don't leave your dog alone in the cabin to bark and disturb your neighbors....... and take it easy on the cigars.... then you're cool. No one really cares how you manage your dock lines unless you threaten their boat......... if you do you'll get a message from the marina manger.

tkanzler · Jan 19, 2012

The common thread amongst most of the response posts, and the basic tenet I try to live by in my marina (and in general) is to not do things that will infringe on anyone else's ability to enjoy the experience. Loud music, barking dogs, slapping halyards (though I actually like that sound), dock lines for others to trip over, etc. Basically just be a good neighbor - interested and available if someone needs help (docking, moving heavy things, rigging, etc.), but not unduly in their business (gossiping, being the neighborhood gadfly, just doing things that annoy people, etc.). You can't live your life only to not annoy other people, but some consideration of others will go a long way, and seems to be in awful short supply these days (not just at the marina).

wflowe2 · Jan 19, 2012

You'll immediately impress and make friends with at least half the population if you have an attractive scantily clad female crew on board. You won't believe all the help and advice guys will volunteer as they look for excuses to hang around your boat. The other half of the population, not so much.

Ron20324 · Jan 19, 2012

Which way you orient the boat may depend on the heat of the sun flooding the cockpit. I'm bow-in to keep the cockpit shady.... When you know someone is coming, put a smile on your face before you turn to say hi.

WayneH · Jan 19, 2012

Bow in or bow out?

I have mine bow out because my shore power connection is all the way at the stern. I wrapped the excess cord around our dock box to keep it out of the way. The slip lays east-west so shade doesn't matter. Although we have nice sunsets from our cockpit, the sunrises come over the bow so I can sleep later.

I personally HATE slapping halyards and have gotten up in the middle of the night to try and fix mine. The wife can sleep through the noise.

I like the scantily-clad female crew member idea, too. You should get lots of help with her around.

joes new addiction · Jan 19, 2012

I too am going into the slips for the first time after trailing last year and have fear of crashing my little boat into someones ultra expensive boat!
I'm gonna go in being conservative and friendly. Make sure I don't make ANY waves, (on the water or off).
The P.O., first day he's in the water backs outta the slip, bango-tango into another boat, crunching the ladder on his/my boat.
My experience so far with sailing is that like motorcycle racing, if your nice, smile, act cool, people will except you, be glad to help you out, it seems like a small tight knit group.
If your a D*** head, you get treated like a D***head!
Seems I had more problems with the powerboat guys making wakes at the public launches, muscling their way to the ramps, come barrleing into the docks, etc.
(it was also fun to watch, usually the same guys launching and better, retreive their boats. It usuaully ends up with a bunch of curses toward their wives cuz it's HER fault he can't get the boat on the trailer)!
Joe
So much to learn, so few hours! Think the goverment will give me a HUGE grant to sail full time to see if my life was better sailing than working?

Squidd · Jan 19, 2012

For you new guys... here are some videos that have helped me in proper docking proceedure...

Wrong way... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JATSpxlB3uE

Impress your neighbors way... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIxQxr8sRJk

Stu Jackson · Jan 19, 2012

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6379.0.html

Sometimes it's dangerous to have others grab your docklines, or for you to do so for others.

Learn how to use your docklines, don't pull on the rope, put it around a cleat first, then you won't fall in!

Docking is among the hardest things people have to do. Why? 'Cuz they do it so infrequently. Wanna make friends? Practice, practice, practice. Spend a day, really!, doing nothing but docking. By the time you're done, you'll be an expert and your anxiety level will go WAY down.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 19, 2012

Courtesy of power-boaters ...

I have a little story and I'll make it quick ...

Sue and I used to take our ski boat out to Montauk to use it on Montauk Lake and explore all the places you can get to around Gardiner's Bay. We always stayed at a particular motel where you can have one of their permits (for a fee) to use at the town ramp. So one afternoon, we're done for the day and going about our business of pulling the boat out on the trailer. The driveway and ramp was virtually empty (a few parked cars and trailers) and there was nobody around to wait for to use the ramp so I drop Sue off at the dock and wait in the boat while she backs the trailer down the longish drive which terminates at the ramp. She's backing down the driveway, slowly and deliberately, but she's not messing up and while she's backing down, four guys in a beat-up pick-up come tooling in with the radio blasting like yahoos, trailering this old POS Stingray kind of boat. They go blasting by her and swing around like they are going to attempt to back down on the ramp ahead of Sue's attempt to back down the ramp. The driveway is wide and the ramp is about wide enough for 2 trailers if you want but Sue is backing down the middle, and I don't blame her because there was nobody around anyway before these yahoos showed up.

Anyway, the guy realizes that he didn't have quite enough time to cut in front of her because she's not stopping for him, so he jumps out of the truck and says plenty loud enough for Sue to hear 'Oh, this awwter be ennataining' in his best NYC accent.

It takes us no more than 2 minutes to drive the boat on the trailer, secure everything and drive off the ramp from the time he insulted her with his initial comments to his parting shot at her while she drove back up the ramp ... "Welcome to Montawwk!" as he was flipping her the bird.

(Me being the timid, unconfrontational guy that I am, didn't really get involved - I figured that it would be more expedient to just let it slide - and there were four of them)

So we're cleaning up our boat while the four yahoos pile in their boat and take-off. Just before leaving, Sue goes over to the parked pickup and kicks the driver's side door (she does kick-boxing) and leaves another nice big dent to add to the collection of dents.

"Welcome to Montauk" she says!

Stu Jackson · Jan 19, 2012

Wow, Scott, two wrongs make a right?

Scott T-Bird · Jan 19, 2012

Don't look at me! I wasn't involved!

Jackdaw · Jan 19, 2012

Stu Jackson said:
Docking is among the hardest things people have to do. Why? 'Cuz they do it so infrequently. Wanna make friends? Practice, practice, practice. Spend a day, really!, doing nothing but docking. By the time you're done, you'll be an expert and your anxiety level will go WAY down.

Right on. Remember the old saying:

NOBODY sees you jibe. EVERYBODY sees you dock.

joes new addiction · Jan 19, 2012

So to impress the new "neighbors" I should get a scantly clad female crew to bend WAY over and tie my little boat?
Hmmm, I don't have one, as I usually sail alone, (since I dropped my Harley on the interstate with my wife on back, she is a little scared to do things with me now?? )!
Ya think I can impress them if I wear a bright orange speedo?
The U tube spill was funny, but not as funny as when I saw this guy in this fancy bass boat, (#3 Dale Ernhart jobbie), all metal flake, shiney and brand new and expensive looking with a locomotive size motor hangin' off the back try to be cool-est and give it a umph with a quick blast of the throttle onto the trailer and low and behold he umphed it right into the back of the brand new Chevy truck!
The look on his face and his wife's was worth the time a bunch of us spent getting it un-umphed!
Of course he blamed her cuz the trailer was at a SLIGHT angle.
I hummmed in with "B-cup" under my little electric motor and hopped out to help him.
Joe
Why is it always easier and faster to do it the wrong way?

Doug L · Jan 20, 2012

Here is something no one has mentioned yet. If you go bow in, keep your boat back far enough that your bow sprit or anchor is not in the middle of the dock for everybody to walk around, or walk into itn the dark.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 20, 2012

Yes, that is very true. Sailboats are often the worst offenders of this.

Jackdaw · Jan 20, 2012

Doug L said:
Here is something no one has mentioned yet. If you go bow in, keep your boat back far enough that your bow sprit or anchor is not in the middle of the dock for everybody to walk around, or walk into itn the dark.

Most marina's have rules specifically prohibing overhangs onto the docks. In some cases it is a municpial law. Which adds another item to the list. Find a copy of the marina rules and read them!

joes new addiction · Jan 21, 2012

Well, wrote the check and got my assigned slip for the 2012 season.
Nothing I think I can't follow in the rules except you can't camp on the boat overnight.
I was hoping I could to try living on it.
Guess I'll have to find a quiet corner of the lake to anchor and hang.
I'm like 3 in from shore on the last set of docks, which means I have to go by like 40 boats, and the other 2 sets of docks to hit open water eek!
I guess now I do have to hire the Swedish female swim team to pull my bumpers in!
Joe
Now that it's all falling together, I'm starting to get a bit nervous!

jepomer · Jan 21, 2012

When we first got a slip, we opening admitted that we were "beginners" and were open to advice. Our dock neighbors were all willing to help us learn and we paid attention to what they recommended. We came down during each of the "hurricanes" (the storms were a bit wimpy by the time they reached us) and helped others secure their boats. The second year I brought extra mooring lines and they were needed by others.

It has been a wonderful experience and we learned a lot from both the sailors and motor boaters.

Sometimes it's easy to be green... (paraphrasing Kermit the Frog)

Squidd · Jan 21, 2012

joes new addiction said:
...Well, wrote the check and got my assigned slip for the 2012 season.
...Nothing I think I can't follow in the rules except you can't camp on the boat overnight....

No overnight in the slip you paid for...???

What kind of dock is that...?