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From: Pascal Gademer (no email)
Date: Wed Aug 11 2004 - 23:34:44 EDT
what size boat?
The lack of skills displayed by a majority of boaters is really scarry... I
often spend the week end in a little harbor part of Biscayne National park
with a few hundred feet of bulkhead where boats tie up. it's well protected,
wind rarely exceed 10 kts, as easy as it gets.
it's quite a show on most weekends... I'd say that half of the people coming
in do so with no lines or fenders ready... then when the boat is within a
few feet, it's a mad rush to find lines and fenders with the driver (can't
call that a captain) yelling instructions to obviously ignorant
passengers... it's absolutely amazing to watch... small... medium...
large... center consoles or day boats... expresses, sportsfish... same
circus... then nowadays more and more boats have thrusters which means they
don't even need to have any skills... till the fancy gadgets fail...
I always handle my boat alone and quickly learned that spring lines are the
most important lines, once set I can take my time tiying up the bow and
stern lines.
I usually try to politely decline help when I come in somewhere, for all the
reason you posted, which often results in funny looks but who cares... Even
when I have guests aboard, I prefer to do it myself. I prepare my lines and
fenders ahead of time so that all that's left to do is get the boat in the
right spot... with twin screws there is no excuse not be able to do that...
I'm also lucky to have doors at the lower helm so that the spring line is
only 5 steps away. as long as I can loop it around a cleat or piling, the
rest is no problem.
Not only a clueless helper can cause problems but they can also get hurt
when dealing with a large boat.... the last thing I want is some well
intentioned guest or bystander try to stop 50 000 lbs of boat... keep all
limbs inside the vehicle until it comes to a complete stop... thank you!
:-)
pascal
miami, fl
1970 hatteras 53
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Smith" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 8:14 PM
Subject: lv-ab: Docking Education
> Hi Folks
>
> About 5 minutes ago I witnessed a collision when a boat was docking right
> behind me. A fellow on a power boat was entering his slip and lost
control,
> slamming sideways into a recently refurbished old wooden yacht. The damage
> is heartbreaking, as the old wooden boat just got launched, having spent
> over three years being lovingly refinished from stem to stern.
<><>><<<>><<
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