Rough docking - and neighbor's comment

I guess, did you know you were going to have trouble - if so - I would throw fenders out on each side first - the second question was the blue hulled guy just standing on the front with hands on his hips - looking important or trying to help? I am assuming he was just being important. If that's the case who needs him. If you knew this maneuver was going to be a challenge then throw fenders out and suggest your friend do the same. That's my philosophy. If the guy was a jerk who needs him. I/O's are more of a challenge than V's and they are harder to correct. But to talk to your wife - instead of you. We all get in tough situations - Sorry about the scratch on your boat. The guy in the blue boat should have offered you a beer as some sympathy for your scratch.
 
I met one of my best friends during a near miss docking experience with my last boat on a windy day (it's always that damn wind, isn't it). He came out to his bow to help (and, of course to defend his brand new boat!) and then when I saw him up at the pool, I went over to apologize - the rest is history!

With this boat I had one harmless experience and one near disaster, not due to wind at all, but due to my own inexperience. It made me realize how vulnerable I was and the next chance I got, I took a friend out with me (the same guy I met "by accident" 3 years earlier) and spent an hour practicing backing down on a no-wake marker. It was a real eye opener. I've also spent time pointing the boat into the wind and just stopping all forward momentum to see what happens (I make a game of this when waiting for that occasional bridge opening). I could have never predicted how this boat wound up reacting.

Anyway, Keith, by no means am I suggesting that you need practice. Please don't read this the wrong way. For me, my docking mishaps were just a way of taking a bad experience and turning it into something potentially positive. You never completely and entirely know how your boat is going to react - unless you're that blue hulled guy ;-)
 
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Who hasn't been there///done
that..get off yur ass and help..its neighborly and ?RIGHT..IMHO...I would have said 'Hey hugo...!!Argo..f ,,,, .urself'..justly warranted for pompous asses who never leave the pier..and dont help a fellow boater exoerienced or not...IMHO:smt038
 
earthmover17 said:
Guy was a gutless chickens**t. This is why he wasn't man enough to say something to you. As previously posted Captain to Captain or don't say anything at all.
Geez he said it to your wife (also good for her).

Jack
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Looks like this gutless bastard should have sent you a email. He didn't have the balls to help you or bitch face to face
 
You really need to let this kind of stuff roll off you like water on a duck's back. It's no big deal.

I've come across just about every a$$hole on the Central Florida Gulf Coast, some of them twice.

I've been boating for just 3 years and have put over 5,000 miles under my hull. Some guy who probably never leaves the dock has NOTHING to say to me that I care about.

In all those miles, I've manage to have just two "dust ups", both of which caused minor damage to my boat and no damage at all the the ones I hit due to inexperience.

I would rather use it and break it than dock it and fake it.
 
Try docking with a jet boat!! Absolutely no control at idle. (yep I have hit a few boats too.) I have had to start using my kicker to maneuver in the marina.

Can't wait to see what happens with my SR.

BTW, a lesson I learned, ALWAYS throw out your fenders when coming in to dock..... If you had, no screw damage to your gel coat.

Your Admiral did a great job by not telling you right away. It would have ruined your entire day! Take her out for dinner!!:thumbsup:
 
Wow, you guys are very forgiving.

While I don't agree with the way the blue hull guy handled the situation, I can relate to his concern. I happen to have the "luxury" of having open slips on either side of me at my marina. These slips have been rented out every weekend to transients. There are a number of other slips on my dock that are also used as transient slips. There have been several incidents where transients came in, hit the boat next to them, said nothing and left, leaving damaged gelcoat on the other boat. Every weekend when I get down to my boat I inspect it for damage. So far I have been lucky.

Then there is this guy 4 slips away from me that bought his first boat. An old 30ft Carver. (already banged up) He starts drinking at 9:00 in the morning to wash down his Perkasets. I watched him fall off his boat 2 weeks ago and then fall asleep with a beer in his hand. Last Sunday, this white trash fool leave the dock as I was leaving for home and pulled out into the channel and nearly crash into 2 boats. He slammed the boat into reverse and bounced off a piling. I later learned that he came back in the marina and hit the boat docked next to him. ( I don’t know if he reported it)

I am not Jesus and do not walk on water, but I can honestly say that I have never hit another boat. I have been caught in bad situations and lost control, but I had someone on the bow of the boat to push off. I take boating seriously and am very self conscious about hitting some else's boat. If I recognize that conditions are going to be tricky I try to get help before attempting to dock. If there are no other boats in the area and I want to risk damaging my own boat, then so be it. But I would not attempt to dock next to some else's boat unless I felt reasonably confident that I could do with out hitting him.
 
That reminds me - Rod nearly crashed into my neighbor's boat on Saturday. Funny thing is he wasn't even trying to dock and that was with his little boat! :grin:
 
Vince_nj1 said:
Wow, you guys are very forgiving.

While I don't agree with the way the blue hull guy handled the situation, I can relate to his concern. I happen to have the "luxury" of having open slips on either side of me at my marina. These slips have been rented out every weekend to transients. There are a number of other slips on my dock that are also used as transient slips. There have been several incidents where transients came in, hit the boat next to them, said nothing and left, leaving damaged gelcoat on the other boat. Every weekend when I get down to my boat I inspect it for damage. So far I have been lucky.

Then there is this guy 4 slips away from me that bought his first boat. An old 30ft Carver. (already banged up) He starts drinking at 9:00 in the morning to wash down his Perkasets. I watched him fall off his boat 2 weeks ago and then fall asleep with a beer in his hand. Last Sunday, this white trash fool leave the dock as I was leaving for home and pulled out into the channel and nearly crash into 2 boats. He slammed the boat into reverse and bounced off a piling. I later learned that he came back in the marina and hit the boat docked next to him. ( I don’t know if he reported it)

I am not Jesus and do not walk on water, but I can honestly say that I have never hit another boat. I have been caught in bad situations and lost control, but I had someone on the bow of the boat to push off. I take boating seriously and am very self conscious about hitting some else's boat. If I recognize that conditions are going to be tricky I try to get help before attempting to dock. If there are no other boats in the area and I want to risk damaging my own boat, then so be it. But I would not attempt to dock next to some else's boat unless I felt reasonably confident that I could do with out hitting him.
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I enjoy watching my neighbors docking their new boats...(I help when I can) Nothing is more fun to watch than a first timer yelling at wife :smt021 and bouncing off the dock... We clap and wave when he get tied up... :smt038 The sad thing is they get better and the show is over... I always remember the first time I was docking and seeing all the eyes watching to see what I would hit... We have all been new at something, and that excitement of "will I screw up" happens less and less... But wind will always make a good boater look like a novice... Vince, I would put fenders all around my boat and get a video camera so we can all see Mr. Drunk and Dangerous...
 
Vince's situation is different in that he has a recurring problem, both with the BUI guy and the transients every weekend. When it's the same a-hole banging around the marina like a pinball every week, YEAH, it's time to say something and get into defensive mode. When there is a menace to society and to himself driving drunk, you have to say something. When a guy gets into trouble as an isolated incident, that is NOT the time to be a douchebag. There is no blanket way to handle these situations - each one is different. Just remember, it takes more effort to be nasty than it takes to be nice!
 
If you have a fender up and need to pivot off of another boat, I personally don't see a problem with that.

Like others have said, wind and current can get the best of you. Learn from your mistakes and make sure you continue to use the boat vs. staying at the dock because of the possibility that you could have a similar situation as last.

Doug
 
Captains have said during classes that it's perfectly acceptable if conditions dictate. I've never seen issues when people use fenders near the rub rail. What do you think the rub rail is there for anyway? Each their own I guess.

Doug
 
I guess one would have to assess the situation when they arrived at the dock. I can only relay what 'professionals' told me. I'm sure some agree, while others don't. No biggie.

Doug
 
sfergson727 said:
I think I would take offense to someone pivoting off my boat regardless of how many fenders were out, unless it were a pre-arranged and agreed to maneuver. Pilings are great for pivoting, gel coat....not so much. Don't forget, when you pivot off someone elses boat, you are putting stress on the hull of the pivotee. Perhaps you are shoving him into the finger pier next to him. Suppose his fenders roll up or under due to the pressure and now he has damage on the pier side of the boat. Don't pivot off your neighbors boat, please......and stay the heck away from mine!!!!
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I am in complete agreement. Unless there is a medical emergency, you do not have my persmission to use my boat as a pivot point to dock yours. Go tie up at the fuel dock and get some help.
 
That's the problem. If you have to assess the situation AT THE DOCK, then maybe the trip was a little premature. It's like sending a new driver to the mall during the holiday season to learn how to park. You'd be pretty pissed if you got back to your car to find the driver used your car as a pivot point.
 
I'm firmly in the "Scott Camp." If anyone feels the need to "pivot off" another boat, please leave your name, phone number, insurance company and insurance policy information with the boat you pivoted against so the owner can remedy any damage done. Even if circumstances forced you into a bad situation where you had to work you boat against someone else's, it's not his fault you got yourself into that situation. Therefore he should not bear any financial hardship for damages done.

Best regards,
Frank C
 
douglee25 said:
If you have a fender up and need to pivot off of another boat, I personally don't see a problem with that.


Doug
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You mean like this?

IMG_0173.jpg



As you can see, if that were a boat, it's going to get damaged. Your fender is not doing anything. You would have to have 1 or 2 people dedicated to fender placing, but they would have to practice A LOT to get good enough to catch the contact point right before it happens.
 
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