Dock mate crushes comment by another

[honeybadger]

Sunday i was at my Slip removing my Center Console to clean the bottom , Two slips down a guy lets his wife dock the boat ( Joy stick with bow,stern thrusters and twin engines) still i thought it was a nice job, Upon setting the lines and hooking up shore power . He walks over smiling looks at the old salt i am talking to " owner of a round stern wooden trawler" and comments "impressive docking don't you think"? before i could say Nice Job the old salt chimes in " well put a solo cup over that joy stick and remove the thrusters and do it with one engine that would impress me he said ! Poor guy said see you guys and walked away i looked at the old man he laughed at me and said " don't worry i am sure all those boats that never leave the dock were impressed" i was pretty impressed with the electronic controled docking the old guy Not so much !

 

[HopCar]

The comment does seem pretty harsh. Maybe if I put some thrusters on my boat, my wife wouldn't be so nervous about docking it.

 

[markpierce]

Monday a passerby noted my bow thruster due to the symbols on the hull. Responded it is handy when maneuvering with a single screw. Yeah, he said, without it it would be difficult to maneuver between the dock fingers. Responded it could be readily done without the thruster, but it is a heck of a lot easier with the thruster. (And to myself, no less sinful than those with two propellers controlling them independently.)

 

[psneeld]

Sunday i was at my Slip removing my Center Console to clean the bottom , Two slips down a guy lets his wife dock the boat ( Joy stick with bow,stern thrusters and twin engines) still i thought it was a nice job, Upon setting the lines and hooking up shore power . He walks over smiling looks at the old salt i am talking to " owner of a round stern wooden trawler" and comments "impressive docking don't you think"? before i could say Nice Job the old salt chimes in " well put a solo cup over that joy stick and remove the thrusters and do it with one engine that would impress me he said ! Poor guy said see you guys and walked away i looked at the old man he laughed at me and said " don't worry i am sure all those boats that never leave the dock were impressed" i was pretty impressed with the electronic controled docking the old guy Not so much !

I think the old salt and I would have been more impressed had the guy and wife been standing on the dock and bringing the boat in.

I have seen that once. A captain had to move his 80 foot or so motor yacht. While standing on the dock, by himself, he started his engines, untied from the dock and moved the yacht ahead 40 feet to fit us in behind him, thrusted tight and retied.

That impressed me..but for a completely different reason than boat handling/seamanship.

 

[Tony B]

I think the old guy is an a$$hole. Impressed or not, there is no excuse for rudeness especially for a man who is proud of his wifes accomplishment. I'm sure there are a lot of men on here that couldn't get their wifes to dock under any conditions. Some of us are more fortunate than others.

 

[psneeld]

I think the old guy is an a$$hole. Impressed or not, there is no excuse for rudeness especially for a man who is proud of his wifes accomplishment. I'm sure there are a lot of men on here that couldn't get their wifes to dock under any conditions. Some of us are more fortunate than others.

True...I missed the part where the wife was the operator.

I have a friend who docks her twin gas, 34 Sea Ray pretty good...and it's not an easy boat because of the small props.

A lot of guys comment, nitpicking when their own performances are't exactly stellar.

So yes the old guy could have been more gracious.

 

[O C Diver]

I agree with the old man, but being a good marina neighbor often means keeping your opinions to yourself.

Ted

 

[swampu]

I am impressed anytime a woman navigates a vessel close quarters. Not downing women but mine won't touch the controls unless we are going straight. My son on the other hand is 7 and he can't wait. That technology is impressive though and hey, the old man has earned his opinion.

 

[Rambler]

Mark: Is there some reason to having your sails up while dockside?

 

[Moonstruck]

Mark: Is there some reason to having your sails up while dockside?

Mark docking under sail? Now, that's impressive!

 

[honeybadger]

I had to check the Honey Badger the only joy stick on her is the search light control,closest thing to a thruster is make sure the bow is into the wind when backing into the slip. i would LOVE a thruster but shes so shallow in draft i think it would just spray water all over my dock mates boats. Yea the old guys wife told me the last Florida trip he did entire thing with nothing but charts and a depth sounder. left all the nice electronics off ? Hey it is his boat his wife just rolls her eyes

 

[Moonstruck]

We were fishing the Gulf Stream off Morehead City when a northeaster moved in about 12 hours early. It kicked up 12' seas in the Stream, and 8' outside the Stream. With about 60 miles to run home it was a tough slog. We had to ride the backs of steep breakers coming in Beaufort Inlet. We were beat up pretty badly, and looked it.

When I got back to the dock, one of the old local salts took a look at me. He asked if it was a tough day. I said yeah we got the crap beat out of us.

He looked at me and said, "son, what were you doing out there in that skiff". I must have looked crest fallen. I just stood there. He waited a minute. Then grinned gave me a wink and walked away. He knew what he was doing. They will jerk your chain. That was 40 years ago.

 

[Rambler]

i would LOVE a thruster but shes so shallow in draft i think it would just spray water all over my dock mates boats.

Maybe mount a modified electric trolling motor to the bow?

 

[Slowboat 37]

Let them say what they may, in the six years we've had this boat I have never had to back out and try again to get in to the slip or had a problem at the fuel dock or any where else for that matter. A single engine and bow thruster is a great combo.

 

[ancora]

The "old salts" in our club say, "thrusters are for people who can't handle a boat."

 

[RickB]

More like "old s**ts" and pretenders with toy boats and not much else.

Real mariners don't need to say crap like that because they know better and don't need to.

 

[skipperdude]

Sometimes it is easy sometimes not. (Single no thruster) The most trouble I have is solo. Either the bow or stern will drift away from the finger and I have to scramble to get her tied off without looking like I did it alone, or bumping finders with the boat next to me.
Getting to old to scramble much.

SD

 

[Moonstruck]

Let them say what they may, in the six years we've had this boat I have never had to back out and try again to get in to the slip or had a problem at the fuel dock or any where else for that matter. A single engine and bow thruster is a great combo.

I have to agree with that. I have had a single without a bow thruster. It was really no problem to handle. I had a single with a bow thruster. It was a joy to handle. I have twin screws with a bow thruster now. The thruster is really used to move the bow over to pilings for tying up in the slip. It is really handy for that. My Blackfin is a single (that prop walks like crazy in reverse). It is no problem because I am used to it.

The world is moving to technology, and that means boats too. Computers driving the fuel system, computers controlling the docking, and pod drives. I guess I am old fashioned, but I love my mechanical fuel injection, mechanical controls, and straight inboard engines. It won't be many years before there will be little choice in this.

To me the best set up is a single with a bow thruster. It is the best of both worlds.

 

[mahal]

Sunday i was at my Slip removing my Center Console to clean the bottom , Two slips down a guy lets his wife dock the boat ( Joy stick with bow,stern thrusters and twin engines) still i thought it was a nice job, Upon setting the lines and hooking up shore power . He walks over smiling looks at the old salt i am talking to " owner of a round stern wooden trawler" and comments "impressive docking don't you think"? before i could say Nice Job the old salt chimes in " well put a solo cup over that joy stick and remove the thrusters and do it with one engine that would impress me he said ! Poor guy said see you guys and walked away i looked at the old man he laughed at me and said " don't worry i am sure all those boats that never leave the dock were impressed" i was pretty impressed with the electronic controled docking the old guy Not so much !

Sounds like a bitter old man. Some people have class and some don't.

 

[psneeld]

errror in movie upload...stand by

 

[Blue Heron]

Everytime you dock without hitting anyone or anything is a success. No matter what propelled the boat to the dock, wind, sail, engines, engine or thruster, or paddle...

 

[Tom.B]

The "old salts" in our club say, "thrusters are for people who can't handle a boat."

You should find a new club to be a member of.

I would rater have another tool on the toolbox that prevents me from causing damage to someone else's prize possession or get me out of a jamb than not. I would guess that "old salts" (lets call that guy a-hole for short) has been around long enough to make more than a few mistakes in his day. Was he BORN with the ability to perfectly handle a boat? I'm doubting it.

I will often dock using the stern thruster... but I'll not use it a lot too. It allows me to get better at it and still have the ability to correct mistakes. Or just do it quickly and easily. Why make it harder when you don't have to?

Somebody on the dock being a critical jerk and holding some sort of religion against thrusters, would be happier just letting his boat plow into the dock or another craft? I hope not. I'd hope he would stay away from the marina I am in.

Tom-

 

[Tom.B]

Everytime you dock without hitting anyone or anything is a success. No matter what propelled the boat to the dock, wind, sail, engines, engine or thruster, or paddle...

+1

 

[Scary]

Way too much ego, he must have been born short in the pants. There are lots of jerks like this. They just have too say these things to reinforce their sense of self worth. They are often the ones yelling at there crew for their own failures. if you stood there and continued talking to the ass you just gave him the audience he craves. I would have walked off shaking my head at his crap.

 

[Per]

I have seen that once. A captain had to move his 80 foot or so motor yacht. While standing on the dock, by himself, he started his engines, untied from the dock and moved the yacht ahead 40 feet to fit us in behind him, thrusted tight and retied.

by the use of a remote control or what?

 

[markpierce]

Mark: Is there some reason to having your sails up while dockside?

Wanted to get a good view of how well the sails set. Looked good.

No, never sailed into the berth with the Coot. Hull form is wrong and sails too small. In the distant past, however, I occasionally sailed sailboats into their berths safely.

 

[skipperdude]

I dunno. If you have all that equipment to Autodock. Where is the skill that you get from practice.
Perhaps he could do the same thing with just a single no thruster.

When I see someone do something without a lot of technical junk I am impressed.

Doesn't it amaze you when you see some of the craftsmanship from decades past compared to the computer generated stuff coming out of China or where ever.

I am talking about wooden boats built by eye and a knowledge not available in an AP.
That kind of stuff impresses me.

Sd

 

[Marin]

the old guys wife told me the last Florida trip he did entire thing with nothing but charts and a depth sounder. left all the nice electronics off ? Hey it is his boat his wife just rolls her eyes

There is a member of the boating club we belong to like that. He's been sailing the same 40' sloop for several decades now and has been to just about every nook and cranny between Bellingham and the north end of Vanouver Island. Anyone who knows the area knows it's a maze of islands, rocks, reefs, and steep, shelving bottoms that near the shorelines can go from almost 1,000 feet deep to five feet deep within a few boat lengths.

His sloop is fitted with a VHF and a depth sounder. That's it, so far as I know other than a compass No Loran, no plotter, no radar. He goes everywhere by chart and when the visibility drops he goes by chart and depth sounder. He told me (not bragging, just telling me his navigation techniques) that he once went from Sucia Island to Bellingham, a course distance of some 25 miles, in fog using his charts, the compass, and the depth sounder. And he had no problems whatsoever. The process is not accurate in the sense most of us are used to with our plotters, but it was safe as houses.

He does not pooh-pooh things like plotters and radar at all. He just has no need for them in his cruising. And these days I'm not sure a plotter would be of any use to him anyway since he knows that whole stretch of islands and bays and channels by heart now.

 

[Moonstruck]

Well, here goes the progression I have seen.

We started with DR plotting and a flashing dept finder. That included much hope that we would miss the shoals returning. Then we got a radio direction finder that would give directions within a few degrees by nulling out an AM radio station. In our case we used the antenna on Radio Island between Morehead and Beaufort. Then we got a single track loran A military surplus. We had to go down to the cabin and tune the oscillascope to tune it. It would track one LOP. We would fish a line to have an idea where we were. For instance off Morehead the 1800 line. To get another LOP you would have to start over on the process for another station.

Everyone was resistant to the change over from LORAN A to C. That is the base of what we use now, and WAAS was a huge improvement. Interfacing with a chart plotter and autopilot was unheard of. I guess much of what we did was just blind faith.

I still have the plastic encased fishing charts I used. One side was my fishing spots plotted on LORAN A grids. The other is the same on LORAN C grids. During the change over people were using both. It was the only way to know what they were referring to.

I have to say that I am a fan of the new interconnected electronics. However, we do have paper charts and plotting equipment at the nav station. Don't leave home without them. I can still do it if necessary.

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

Everytime you dock without hitting anyone or anything is a success. No matter what propelled the boat to the dock, wind, sail, engines, engine or thruster, or paddle...

My standard is, "no blood and no insurance claims." If I make that, I treat myself to a post-docking beer.