Comic Relief

[dparilla]

So I am out sailing this past Tuesday, and trying to redeem myself after gooning up my last arrival at my home slip (you know the one where the wind is on the bow as you stubbornly try to back in?!) I figure I gave the restaurant patrons a show as we landed on broadside on the end of my finger pier and had to line handle our way in, it looked ugly but no stratches, just ego damage.

Anyway, we are grooving along...making 6.5 knots in 12-15 apparent. Along comes the afternoon run of the Spirit of Washington (a large dinner cruise boat) and 1 medium size cabin cruiser. I decide to tack instead of jibe and make a nice clear turn away from the oncoming dinner boat and the cabin cruiser and to shoot well astern of the diners (waving to be nice friendly.) The cabin cruiser decides to add power and cut left scooting IN FRONT of the dinner boat to get to the docks first. Realizing that he is quickly running out of room (the dock is closing in on him at 15 knots) he goes to neutral and starts blowing his horn! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 blasts...my buddy and I stare at each other and then back at him as he is still hauling the mail to the dock. Add 6 or 7 more blasts followed by LOUD cussing and he hauls it to port skids past the dock, and bounces off the antebellum dolphins (nice rough wood stacks) beyond the slips.

Its about this time, we hear his engine start up (it was off???) he circles back gets a line to the city dockhand who came running at the 14 blasts. This poor kid barely gets a turn on the cleat when the boat "springs" off this ersatz spring line, causing the all parties on deck to lurch forward, then the skipper tosses a line from the stern which quickly takes the brunt of the boat. Its about this time that the dock hand calmly pulls the bow line in and stops the ping pong effect. As we now have turned south to follow along the river front, we overhear the owner of the powerboat on the phone yelling (ostensibly to his broker) "What do you mean there are no brakes?"

I don't feel too bad about my last landing anymore.

 

[Dougo]

Takes all kinds to own a boat! Glad no one was hurt.

 

[wonkodsane]

dparilla, I know your pain.

Both from sailing with the slightly higher percentage of stinkpot goons of the Potomac and also that wind on your bow as you back in.

My buddy was backing his 42' Catalina out of its slip at Gangplank in light wind and the minute he cleared the fingers we got a good long 25 kt gust almost broadside that pushed us to the wall in seconds. That boat has a fair amount of freeboard.

Fending wasn't much of an option, but it didn't stop me from trying. The wind slacked off a bit and we got out with nothing more injured than our pride, but DC sailing is not as leisurely as some might think!

 

[Hello Below]

Why there isn't a requirement for a competency licence (license below the 49th) including driving a class of boats is beyond me. And I am saying something more than just the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC).

 

[Benny17441]

Hey, that powerboater could likely be a member of congress so go easy on him. Don't feel bad about your docking as using the lines to help dock a boat is a perfectly sound technique. To me it makes less sense to be there moving back and forth in an attempt to dock. Landing broadside on the finger may not look pretty but if you make it look like that is what you wanted to do you will be applauded for your boat handling skills. I know because I have done it.

 

[Winkfish]

Landing broadside on the finger may not look pretty but if you make it look like that is what you wanted to do you will be applauded for your boat handling skills. I know because I have done it.

I like the way you think!!

 

[Bad Obsession]

There is one in every crowd. My wife and I get a kick out of watching people make a horses butt of themselves because of their lack of knowledge of boating. Funny, but most of the time it seems like sailors educate themselves with the rules of the road, courtesy, and sea handling skills while a lot of the power boaters fail educate themselves.

I am always impressed with the power boaters that do educate themselves and it is evident when the handle their boat.

I am not saying that this straight across the boards, rather a trend. I have met some great powerboaters and maybe a few clueless sailors. In the end it is evident what type of boater you are dealing with in the first few seconds seeing them on the water!

 

[Steve Dion]

Why there isn't a requirement for a competency licence (license below the 49th) including driving a class of boats is beyond me. And I am saying something more than just the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC).

Hellow:

Have you ever noticed how licensed automobile drivers drive? Licensing is a means for government to employee people and collect fees (nothing more).

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

Funny how when 'comic relief' is mentioned it's always motorboaters who seem to provide the most amusement to us and not the other way around! Oh, sure; the stinkpotters will believe we provide all the laughs. But then they'll attempt to leave or land on a dock and to show us that it's all about The Throttle; and any half-blind idiot will see who's really the best show on the water.

JC <-- surrounded by motorboat marinas here in NJ!

 

[All U Get]

We would keep our boat "bow in" when we were at a slip and performed all sorts of maneuvers including 270 degree turns while backing out. One day I even backed out the fairway to the channel because the wind and wave just wouldn't co-operate. An old Coastee gave me the hint on a single screw boat to drag an anchor while coming in if there was enough crew to help. In your case off the bow as you back in. We just got better using a spring line while docking. I think US Sailing has videos of this technique, hope this helps.
All U Get

 

[Tommy T]

I used to get hours of entertainment sitting on the patio of the bar at the marina. The patio was located across from the launching ramp. Just watching some so called boaters try to get their boats on their trailers was always a joy to watch.

 

[dparilla]

Today the sailboat rentals upped the ante by pulling a dock hand into the river. I just hope many can learn from the blunders of a few.

Don't run full tilt through a no wake zone with the harbor police in sight.
Don't approach a dock faster than you want to hit it.
Never say watch this.
Rum soothes all wounds
There is never "nobody" watching
Psst...when in doubt...your anchor is dragging.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Life is too short...so lets go sailing.
Look ma no hands never ends well.
Pilings, fingers, dolphins don't move.
The autopilot will steer you to the next hazard to navigation...often along the shortest route.
The head only plugs with guests on board.
You will forget to disarm the alarm with guests aboard.
Low tide isn't.
The furthest distance between two points has a two yeat old in the middle.
You can never stay out too late to ask the barmaid out.