Marina Etiquette Tips

Thank you for posting this.  For a newbie like me, they come in handy.

My Summation:

Do unto others as you would have done to you.

Be Polite.

Be considerate.

In other words, act like your mother is watching you.

SwampNut wrote: Is it unreasonable to expect your sailboat neighbors to tie up their cables or whatever they need to do so you don't have to listen to them clang all night?  Seriously, is it considered acceptable to make that much noise all night?  I noticed only some sailboats did it.

I hear what you are saying swamp, but it seems like I always here them clang on windy nights...not knowing much about sailboats, I'm guessing there isn't much they can do.

My Marina Contract requires sailboats to secure their halliards.

Question for Presentation:

Turn your VHF radio to LOW power so if you make a call when close to other boats you do not damage other boater’s radios.

How would you cause damage by not switching to Low power?

I would add one clarification on the helping others dock....ask first, if help is needed. 

I've had more problems from dock boys and dock neighbors surprising me, by grabbing a dock line tied off one of my cleats, and pulling the bow or stern off line when I  was docking just fine.  Next thing I know I'm forced to conteract their "help". 

Just be there to offer to lend assisitance, only if the Capt. truely needs it.

T3RockHall wrote: ........."Finals" are on the transmitting end. You might overload the "front end" of nearby radio causing distortion, but you won't damage it with 25 Watts.

Correct.  Although we used to blow the AM radios in our work trucks back in the 70s when we forgot to turn them off before using our two way radios.  The antennas were about three feet apart and I think the two way was much more than 25 watts.

Quote: - Keep music / TV volume at a reasonable level. Sound travels very well over the water. Keep this in mind when talking too.

And if you have a generator, don't use it at the marina.

I would certainly hope everyone would already know what was listed as proper if you have ever docked a boat in a marina.  I'm sure we've all seen boaters who would see many of the valid points listed as foreign to them.  I just love sitting at idle holding my position outside a fuel dock while some guy in a pontoon boat eats the chips he just bought at the store while still tied to the dock. 

I would certainly agree with everything which was listed, and while there is certainly nothing wrong with switching to low power transmit of a VHF, I have never heard of that being done to prevent damage to another VHF close by.

Sorry to question that as it really has nothing to do with properly docking your boat and being polite to those around you.  But there is no way to damage anyone's VHF by using full wattage.

How many of you have more than one VHF on your own boat?  Do you switch one off when you are transmitting from the other and using full power?  I certainly don't, and I've never heard of anyone else doing it either.

Outside of that, I would have a hard time understanding any circumstance which would lead someone to run their generator while docked at a marina.  When I am in a marina it generally means I am staying there to avoid running my generator.

Now if I just pull into a marina long enough to visit a restaurant or get supplies, I'll keep my generator running for the duration of that stay.  Certainly nothing wrong with that.

Not trying to be picky, but we may as well get those parts cleared up.

He's letting his blower run for the recommended four minutes before restarting his engine. 

Well that all depends I would not turn the genny off if I'm just stoping for 5-10 minutes to go in to a store for snacks or drinks...

But if I'm docking for dinner it would have to be a case by case. I'd have to look around me to see how tite it is and ventalation and a close look at nieghbors. I mean If I got food or fish in the fridge I don't want to turn it off too long , also the ice gets all stuck together Safty is always first but most times the CO has plenty of space to escape..

And a Inverter is not going to handel a full side by side two more freezers a bar fridge and another ice maker..

Most everyone runs the gen when staying for a short time for lunch or visiting. As Carl said there are multiple things that need to be running. In the south AC is a neccessity. Last Memorial day with temps around 90, the whole area we were staying lost power. There were about 12 gens running that stayed on for 15 hours. I had a full boat with 3 A/C units running as well as everything else. You could barely hear the noise of the gen over the a/c fan blowing. NO ONE COMPLAINED or cared. In fact everyone was greatful to have power.

Ever see any megayachts? they NEVER shutdown the gens.

Of course some people like to sleep in a pool of sweat. Not anyone I know!

PascalG wrote: "Now if I just pull into a marina long enough to visit a restaurant or get supplies, I'll keep my generator running for the duration of that stay.  Certainly nothing wrong with that." nothing wrong with that ???  CO getting trapped against a dock and drifting onto the next boat ?  nothign wrong with that ??

CO trapped against a dock?

I've never seen a dock with four walls, a roof, and a garage door.

Have you ever had any one rafted up on either side of you while on the hook Pascal?  I do it all the time in TN with 10 or more boats, all running their generators,  ALL NIGHT LONG!!!

I KNOW, LET'S MAKE THIS THREAD ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE CO MONITORS ON THEIR BOATS!!!!

Bird:

Glad to see you back. Why bother with a guy who is just trying to bait you and get your goat - he wins if you lower youself to his level good buddy.

Bill

My boat came with an owner's manual and I read it. 

The manual had several cautions on CO poisoning and showed examples of how this can happen.  One example showed exhaust gasses accumulating at a dock and entering the boat.  In calm winds this could easily happen.

A  neccessity ?  What do the poor folks do?  What did everyone do fifty years ago?  How about people who must work outdoors in the summer?  Roofers?  Road crews? Landscapers?

Food, oxygen and water are necessities, AC is not.

You probably don't overnite on your Glastron in Charleston during the summer.  Folks who invest small fortunes in big boats do it because they enjoy being comfortable on the water especially when overnighting for days, weeks, or even months at a time.

Would you pay good money to take a cruise on a ship with no AC?  Heck, would you pay $19.95 to spend the night in a Notel 69 without AC?

Kinda silly for you to have made that jab in this context, don't you think?

TN Freebird Are you referring to the owner's manual which came with the generator on your boat?[/QUOTE wrote: Nope, the boat's owners manual.

Nope, the boat's owners manual.

Actually, I do.  The water temperature helps to keep the cabin cool and I open the vents.  There's usually a breeze blowing.  And we don't wear much clothing while sleeping.

A guess being comfortable is not important to some people. I like to stay on my boat for weeks at a time.  The reason I work hard is so I can do the things I like AND be comfortable. IF you want to ride around in a boat with no amenities your choice.

Do not criticize my choice, If you admit the truth you would rather be in the a/c also.  Yes , people got by without electricity, running water, medicine, heat etc. I have NEVER met anyone who wanted to go back.

As a side note, My brother has a permanently installed generator at his house. During and after Wilma his gen ran for 10 days. NO ONE complained, instead they stayed at his house and soaked up the a/c, hot water and refrigerated food.

The biggest whiners are also the most envious. Live and let live.

Nope, the boat's owners manual.

Yep!

It was obvious you did not have a generator on your boat, and I was just trying to make a point.

Look guys, people like Dave, Carl, Bill, myself and others are not trying to be condescending to those who have smaller boats which are also very enjoyable when used as they were designed to be used.

We just happen to do most of our boating on larger boats, that's all.  Yes, we all have experience running smaller boats, but many of you have none in running larger ones.  Nothing good or bad about that, it's just a fact.

With that being said, would any of you drive the new Monte Carlo you just purchased from the local Chevy dealer to Daytona and tell Dale Earnhardt, Jr. how he could learn anything from you?

Can we please have a little less heckling on subjects where boat size is an issue?  Do guys like us just need to pretend we own nothing but smaller boats in order to fit in as boaters who enjoy hanging out with fellow boaters, no matter how large their boat may be or who the manufacturer was?

pop-pop wrote: captddis said "I have NEVER met anyone who wanted to go back." I would love to go back to the 50s and early 60s life was much slower and better back then.

I'm 49 years old, but I would LOVE to go back to when Americans all stuck together, didn't need welfare programs, most still believed in God, prayer was still allowed in school, and most everybody spoke English or at least made an effort to when they moved here.

I would be more than happy to have a sailboat if I could in fact go back to that time.  I'll bet I'm not the only one who feels that way and would think even a certain imported member may feel the same way.