towed in

[Tom Monroe]

My outboard, which has been increasingly recalcitrant all summer, failed me outside the channel into the marina yesterday afternoon. With a 50 ft wide channel and the wind on the nose, I had to get a guy to tow me in. At the point where I would normally make a 90 degree turn into my slip, I just uncleated and dropped the tow line, and turned into the slip with the last of my momentum and dropped on the dock lines. No sweat.

Marina owner then came down .... said I should have been tied up side to side and let the powered boat bring me completely into the slip, I endangered other boats, bla bla bla.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Tom

 

[Skip Lethin]

It depends on the wind, how wide the channel is. I have had to do it both ways, if the wind is an issue then it is safer (more control) side by side. With a stern to bow set up you only get one crack at it.

 

[Paul Brinkley]

You could tell him that just because he couldn't make those moves doesn't mean everyone can't....

 

[ITMaster]

I learned a long time ago

to never be critical of the maneuvers of another on the water, least I be the recipient some day . I am not certain about your marina and the rules and policies of it. We have a set of detailed rules and policies at our marina that explicitly detail all aspects of use of the marina. If that is not clearly spelled out in black and white, then he is weak with his criticism directed toward you. If it is and you broke a rule, then shame on you; tell him that you are sorry and to smack you on the back of the hand you and that you will try to play better with the others in the sand box in the future.

We are required to carry liability insurance of $300,000 / $500,000 at our marina, that's what it is for, an accident. In this case while I can agree that with the tow vessel tied along side you, that you are in better control, you made a good judgment call, which was a good one, no harm no foul .

All's well that ends well. Tell him not to get his panty hose tied in such a tight knot since it restricts the flow of blood to his brain that inhibits clear and prudent thought. It is all too easy to say what someone else shouldda, couldda, wouldda done when you aren't the dooer. You got in without hurting anyone or anything----job well done Captain !! :dance:

You haven't been running that sorry gas with ethanol in it have you? Try some Water Zorb, and some good stabilizer and disconnect the fuel supply and let the carb run until the gas is gone and the engine dies.

 

[sailaway78]

I have to ask

First of all, if you made it into your slip and tied up with no damage to anyone or anything, you done good. And no one should question that. Even when you foul up, anyone not on or familiar with the boat should be cautious with the criticism. But mainly I felt I should comment on the outboard quitting. Admittedly it was acting up before hand, so this sounds like a failure to take care of something, when it's needed taken care of. Instead apparently you let it go till it quit. Not a wise thing to do with anything mechanical, particularly a boat.

 

[higgs]

Find a new marina

The guy is a chump.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Clevis

You are a complete maverick. You could have gotten everyone in the marina killed and sunk every boat. Only a madman would coast a boat into a slip.

 

[All U Get]

The marina owner could have offered "Next time please tie up at the fuel dock and we'll help you back to your slip".

 

[Rick Webb]

Sounds Like he was doing His Job

Just because it worked is not justification.

His job is to minimize the risk to the marina and all of the boats there. If someone is doing something that may jeopardize any of the boats or the facility he has an obligation to do what ever he can to prevent any damage.

If his attitude bothers you so much move.

 

[dancing bear]

Re: Sounds Like he was doing His Job

Is the Marina owner invested in a for profit towing operation? Your free tow might be the cause of his dissatisfaction with your maverick-ness. Good one Hermit!

I also wonder if you are allowed to single hand into the slip, with motor, that seems pretty risky too.

At my marina, people offer to help you in these situations, they come running around from other piers, really. This guy is a boob, and not in a nice way.

 

[higgs]

Experience

When it comes to experience on cevis's boat and his abilities on the water compared to his marina owner - I bet Clevis wins.

His marina owner is a chump.

Hermit: You forgot how the resulting collision could have caused boats to explode thus putting not only all the boats in danger, but the entire facility.

The guy is a chump.

 

[Tom Monroe]

Re: Experience

Well, thanks for your comments. I believe I'm going to write it off as a bad day for the marina guy, and do it the same way next time. C27's are pretty easy to dock. They spin quite nicely on their turning moment, and they don't slide around at all.

Nice and easy has a great point. The OB started causing me problems the weekend before, and I was trying to milk it for one more outing before pulling it and potentially ending my season. A minor case of letting desire get in the way of seamanship.

Tom

 

[sailaway78]

I'm glad you didn't take offense

I'm glad you didn't take offense at my comment. But this is something that happens fairly frequently, and is sometimes posted up. At least you are man enough to tell the whole truth. I wonder how many are capable of something like this, and how many practice it. I live in a sub division that is built on a series of canals, and am on the very end of a cul de sac. I have sailed from the lake to my dock, including making a U turn at the end and coasting to the dock, just for the practice and to see if I can actually do it if needed. I had the engine idling over for just in case, and hopefully will never have to do it, but am confident I can if it should become necessary. How many of you guys and gals practice such a manuever, for those just in case times? How many of you have a good feel for how far your boat carries when all power is lost?

 

[Napa Ed]

Re: Sounds Like he was doing His Job

I'm with the manager. You weren't careful enough to keep your engine in running condition, who's to say you're good enough to dock without power. If you had messed up and drifted into my boat, I wouldn't care how much insurance you had. The manager was giving good advice for the benefit of all slip holders. You're feelings or assumptions about your abilities aren't his concern. You assumed the engine would work, you also assume you can drift into your slip. You're only batting .500. I wouldn't trust you either.

 

[Rob2435]

Re: Sounds Like he was doing His Job

I was out sailing and had a battery issue that left me unable to restart my engine, so I sailed her back into the slip. Was I wrong to sail her back in? What about sailboats that don't have engines? Should they be towed back in to the slip every time they go out? Banging the docks may cause minor damage to the docks but most of the damage will be to you boat. It's easier to replace a few boards of wood then a bow pulpit...I say sail her in!!!

 

[Bill Roosa]

We've come a long way baby!

There was a time when boats did not have engines. There must have been some pretty worried marina owners then don't you think?

The rank and file sail boater can't do what you did so if one of them sees you do it it is OK for him to try and bust up someone else's boat in the process. I believe this was the marina owners concern. he could have verbalized it better though.

 

[letterman]

Not sure about some of you....a risk? damage another boat? And who is this nut from Florida?
This stuff happens every day. Get over it. And learn from the experience! This boater did good. Except he had to be towed in...blasphemy I tells ya!!! Ten lashes with a wet noodle.

 

[newly anonymous]

it's all about perspective

I've never been to Carlyle Lake--nor have I heard of it, for that matter--but I imagine it's a place where a Catalina 27 is one of the biggest yachts on the water. Conversely, I've been in a marina the last six months where the smallest slip is a 44-footer and the smallest sailboat is a Catalina 42mkII. I doubt that anyone around here would worry about a 27 being towed in, but you'd get a lot of grief trying that maneuver on one of our 60 footers.

Sounds as if the marina owner thought you were making that maneuver on a boat too large to control in close quarters. Time for him to get a bit of perspective. You might want to send him to Florida this winter to hang out with the nuts?

 

[Tom Monroe]

Re: it's all about perspective

Just to clarify ... the original question was NOT about sailing the boat in. I've done that before and am confident of my ability to handle the boat under sail, having participated in sailing "ostacle courses" which require adept boat handling, and having sailed dinghys without motors for much of my life.

But, given the wind direction, which was dead on the nose, I wisely elected NOT to do so, and to get a tow from a pontoon boat headed in.

 

[higgs]

Clevis

You performed admirably and showed terrific seamanship being able to bring your boat in safely under such conditions. Despite the pundits who are quick to say you should have.... you have showed your ability to handle your boat in adverse conditions which is probably more than a lot of your critics can say.

Your marina guy is a chump.