I have a lot of neighbors that spend their entire summer season sitting in those new fold up chairs and plastic resin chairs around their portable tables and portable TV's at the dock. Taking the boat out sailing is generally not an option so all this talk about rigging, and motors, and anchors is all moot. I thought a good topic for a poll would be what activities do you engage in while at the dock. Also is excessive cleaning and scrubbing bad for your boat?
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Same Neighbors
A group of my neighbors in the marina do the same thing. Every weekend they set up a cabanna tent, the BBQ pit and lawn chairs and sit there all weekend long in any type of weather. They rarely take their boats out of the slip. That's not for me. I am on the water every free minute I have. At night, we gather in the neighborhood bar and grill and watch football and talk about sailing. It just doesn't get any better than that.
A group of my neighbors in the marina do the same thing. Every weekend they set up a cabanna tent, the BBQ pit and lawn chairs and sit there all weekend long in any type of weather. They rarely take their boats out of the slip. That's not for me. I am on the water every free minute I have. At night, we gather in the neighborhood bar and grill and watch football and talk about sailing. It just doesn't get any better than that.
don't even get out to the dock
At least your neighbors make it out to the dock, mine can't get that far. To make it even worse, we live in a neighborhood just off Charlotte Harbor so our boats are in our back yards! If I can't make it out twice a month I'm starting to twitch. My neighbors just sit in their easy chair and watch their boats turn into living eco-systems. Some even have complained that I take our boat(s) out too early (the noise).
At least your neighbors make it out to the dock, mine can't get that far. To make it even worse, we live in a neighborhood just off Charlotte Harbor so our boats are in our back yards! If I can't make it out twice a month I'm starting to twitch. My neighbors just sit in their easy chair and watch their boats turn into living eco-systems. Some even have complained that I take our boat(s) out too early (the noise).
The boat next to me...
has a beard longer than Rasputin! Actually, I've never seen the owners of the boats on either side of me and I've been in the same slip for over a year! Other than August I'm on the boat constantly, but August is just too hot and too much light air. BTW: Steven F. My family lives in Englewood, but they're all stinkpotters, do you ever find the need for some extra crew? I've Been wanting to sail Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf off Gaspirilla Pass for some time (I did do it on my old 16 foot cat, but its not the same. Also, I tryed to rent the O'day from Widdens Marina, at Boca Grande, but they won't let her out into the Gulf!
has a beard longer than Rasputin! Actually, I've never seen the owners of the boats on either side of me and I've been in the same slip for over a year! Other than August I'm on the boat constantly, but August is just too hot and too much light air. BTW: Steven F. My family lives in Englewood, but they're all stinkpotters, do you ever find the need for some extra crew? I've Been wanting to sail Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf off Gaspirilla Pass for some time (I did do it on my old 16 foot cat, but its not the same. Also, I tryed to rent the O'day from Widdens Marina, at Boca Grande, but they won't let her out into the Gulf!
Dock Lizards
I switched marinas a few years ago and deliberately chose a slip without power or water available. I go to the boat to sail and have learned how to manage batteries and water w/o the imbilicals running from the boat to the dock. I occasionally cruise and now feel comfortable living on battery power and the boat alternator as a power source. I have a blaster pump on board and can hose the boat down with any water that I may be anchored in. My choice. It was partly economics and partly the desire to get away from the bbcue grills, bicycles, and other accessories of the dock lizard life. I like to sail. Period. I also enjoy going down to the boat to read. Every spring I haul a box of books to the boat to be my boating season library. I clean the boat as a matter of love and pride, but it isn't a fixation. There will always be someone whose boat is newer, bigger, cleaner, fancier. I love mine because she is who she is and I want her to be comfortable. After all, she is much more than just a boat... Tom
I switched marinas a few years ago and deliberately chose a slip without power or water available. I go to the boat to sail and have learned how to manage batteries and water w/o the imbilicals running from the boat to the dock. I occasionally cruise and now feel comfortable living on battery power and the boat alternator as a power source. I have a blaster pump on board and can hose the boat down with any water that I may be anchored in. My choice. It was partly economics and partly the desire to get away from the bbcue grills, bicycles, and other accessories of the dock lizard life. I like to sail. Period. I also enjoy going down to the boat to read. Every spring I haul a box of books to the boat to be my boating season library. I clean the boat as a matter of love and pride, but it isn't a fixation. There will always be someone whose boat is newer, bigger, cleaner, fancier. I love mine because she is who she is and I want her to be comfortable. After all, she is much more than just a boat... Tom
Dock Sitting has its place and time
Often, by the time I get my gear together, get the drive to the marina in, get ice and food and whatever maintenace items I may need/want, then get em hauled all the way down the dock to the boat, get it unbuttonned, get everything stowed, the ice in, the thru-hulls open.... I am content with staying at the dock for a night -- or just too pooped to sail. Sometimes, I motor on out, and find an anchorage and grill some food. The next morning, I may scrub the deck down or do some maintenance, or go sail -- depending on wind and weather, and whether Im awaiting guests or not. I have seen some dock lizards for sure. I can certainly see the allure -- when I first got my boat, I just wanted to be there. It was as much my cottage on the lake as it was something you could actually go places in. BUT, first and foremost I love to sail. And as long as my next-boat neighbors arent lizards all the time, and the lizards that do exist dont bring seedy friends and a bad element to my neighborhood, Ill let them live. Oh - I clean the deck when it needs it. Usually @ once/month. Is excessive cleaning bad for a boat ? By definition -- if its excessive, its bad. Excessive is probly also relative to your location. where Im at, the air leaves black sooty stuff on the deck. Part of my bonding with my boat is washing her down and making her beautiful -- I always enjoy sailing her more when shes clean. Duane
Often, by the time I get my gear together, get the drive to the marina in, get ice and food and whatever maintenace items I may need/want, then get em hauled all the way down the dock to the boat, get it unbuttonned, get everything stowed, the ice in, the thru-hulls open.... I am content with staying at the dock for a night -- or just too pooped to sail. Sometimes, I motor on out, and find an anchorage and grill some food. The next morning, I may scrub the deck down or do some maintenance, or go sail -- depending on wind and weather, and whether Im awaiting guests or not. I have seen some dock lizards for sure. I can certainly see the allure -- when I first got my boat, I just wanted to be there. It was as much my cottage on the lake as it was something you could actually go places in. BUT, first and foremost I love to sail. And as long as my next-boat neighbors arent lizards all the time, and the lizards that do exist dont bring seedy friends and a bad element to my neighborhood, Ill let them live. Oh - I clean the deck when it needs it. Usually @ once/month. Is excessive cleaning bad for a boat ? By definition -- if its excessive, its bad. Excessive is probly also relative to your location. where Im at, the air leaves black sooty stuff on the deck. Part of my bonding with my boat is washing her down and making her beautiful -- I always enjoy sailing her more when shes clean. Duane
Dock Sitting
At my marina they tend to have the power boats segegrated from Sail (mostly because of depth or maybe it is the closeness to the bathrooms), but all the Dock Sitters are power boaters. They set up their chairs, coolers, etc. and start drinking early, nine or ten in the morning. I really don't see that same behavior from the sail boaters. I will hang out on my boat, and chill, but I would much rather go anchor out than sit in the marina.
At my marina they tend to have the power boats segegrated from Sail (mostly because of depth or maybe it is the closeness to the bathrooms), but all the Dock Sitters are power boaters. They set up their chairs, coolers, etc. and start drinking early, nine or ten in the morning. I really don't see that same behavior from the sail boaters. I will hang out on my boat, and chill, but I would much rather go anchor out than sit in the marina.
Concur with Ken.
Our marina has a fenced area where the powerboaters have their tables and dock boxes. They are always there at the tables. But all the sailboats around me are usually gone by the time I get there on Saturday morning. Maybe the sailing is just better on Lake Erie.
Our marina has a fenced area where the powerboaters have their tables and dock boxes. They are always there at the tables. But all the sailboats around me are usually gone by the time I get there on Saturday morning. Maybe the sailing is just better on Lake Erie.
Dock Sitters
I don't see that many dock sitters here. There however, are a lot of boats that never get visited by their owners at all as far as I can tell. But then I'm not hanging around the marina so maybe I just don't see them. I go sail pretty much every time I go to the boat. If maintenance is required I try to squeeze it in before or after a sail. That is, if I can't put it off until winter Pete
I don't see that many dock sitters here. There however, are a lot of boats that never get visited by their owners at all as far as I can tell. But then I'm not hanging around the marina so maybe I just don't see them. I go sail pretty much every time I go to the boat. If maintenance is required I try to squeeze it in before or after a sail. That is, if I can't put it off until winter
PeteGreat Idea...
...a couple of posts back. Fencing in the power boaters. I think I'll suggest that to my marina's management.
...a couple of posts back. Fencing in the power boaters. I think I'll suggest that to my marina's management.
What's a dock????
Oh, yeah, that thing I tie up to when I come back in... Always wondered what it was for, except to walk out to and back from the boat...
Oh, yeah, that thing I tie up to when I come back in... Always wondered what it was for, except to walk out to and back from the boat...
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