Mooring your vessel properly will save headaches for you, management, and your marina neighbors. Be proactive and avoid aggravating the other tenants!
It only takes a little effort to be a good neighbor while mooring in a marina. Taking these steps will insure a good working relationship with your slip mates and marine managers. Think about how your actions will impact others after you have tied up the boat and left for the day.
Here are things you can do to be a good neighbor in the marina:
Tie your boat so the anchor and bow pulpit do not extend over the bullrail and into the path of people walking in front of your vessel. Many boat anchors are just above eye level. I have walked into so many anchors along the dock that I swear sometimes the next boater to do this is going to be evicted!
Flemish your mooring lines! Simply said, coil up your excess mooring line neatly so it's not a tripping hazard for others. This goes for lines on your boat deck or finger float.
Shut down the electronics. Don't leave for the long trip home without shutting down your boat properly. Turn off the VHF radio, spotlights, navigation lights, and even the television. Our commercial fishermen are famous for leaving on what everyone here calls "crab lights," 1000-watt halogen floodlights that can wake the dead.
Don't store gear on your finger float. Use the dock box, if one is provided, or store everything onboard. A cluttered finger float can slow down emergency responders coming to your boat. If there is a flooding or fire problem, you don't want junk on the finger to be in the way.
Insure shore power cords and mooring lines don't cross the docks. Put your water hose away. These things pose a trip hazard for anyone walking down the dock. Sometimes there are people that aren't walking to well to begin with. You and your marina's insurance carrier will thank you.
It is poor form to linger at the launch ramp or fuel dock floats. Take care of business and get out of there! These facilities aren't the place to load your boat or wait for passengers. Most marinas and harbors have loading zones designed for this purpose.
Most marinas have a published policies and procedures document that will help you from inadvertently causing a problem with your boat. Take time to visit with your marina neighbors and the harbormaster, and they can surely offer some additional insights for you.
The copyright of the article Marina Etiquette 101 in Boating & Sailing is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Marina Etiquette 101 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Oct 10, 2006 2:13 PM
Jill Florio :
this is such important info! My father taught me quite a bit when he owned the Harbor Island Fuel Dock in San Diego. Most boat owners are a very conscientous crowd...but some people...well, ya just want to shake them. :)
Oct 10, 2006 3:48 PM
Alan Sorum :
Vigorously! :)
Oct 20, 2006 7:48 AM
Lisa :
Additional marina etiquette items
Based on personal experience and observation
I would add:
- If it's a windy day or tight quarters it's considered polite to help another boater dock. Normally this means someone that is docking within a couple of slips from where you are. This normally is nothing more then holding a line if tossed to you until a person form the boat is able to tie it off they way they prefer.
- Obey no wake inside any marina with some to spare. Error on the too slow.
- If you are tying up along a guest wall do so in such a manor that your boat does not hog more room then it should. If there is a 50 foot wall and you have a 22 foot boat don't take your 22 feet out of the middle. Pick one side or the other.
- Along a sea wall use a spring line in each direction so your boat does not move in either direction causing your boat to hit another boat.
- Turn your VHF radio to LOW power so if you make a call you do not damage other boater's radios.
- Do not use the VHF radio for boat to land based communications unless it is with a licensed shore station like the marina itself. Not only does this clutter the airways its illegal per the FCC. Use a family frequency hand held for this purpose.
- Keep music / TV volume at a reasonable level. Sound travels very well over the water. Keep this in mind when talking too.
- Keep your kids off other people's boats, and under reasonable control. Don't let them grab and play with other boater's water lines, dock lines, etc.
- Respect quiet hours. This varies marina to marina. Mostly I see this as after 11:00PM.
- Return dock carts to their proper location when finished using.
Oct 20, 2006 1:46 PM
Alan Sorum :
Lisa has done a good job of outlining good marina couresty. Visit her blog for a complete post on this subject: http://presentationrentals.blogspot.com/2006/10/marina-etiquette-tips.html
