Especially for you single screw guys

Marin got me thinking about this.* In the early part of September each year for a couple of days there is the National Hard*Crab Derby.* It is sort of the Bay Watermens' celebration of the hard crab season.* It is in Chrisfield MD.* As part of it is the Watermens' docking contest.* It is a fun couple of days, and you rub shoulders with the men you see working on the Bay as we boat around.* They are great and interesting people.* They also know how to let their hair down and have a good time.* Watch this video along with your crews, and see if it will sharpen your docking skills.


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-- Edited by Moonstruck on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 04:07:54 PM

Great. This is more my style but I need to sharpen my docking skills.

Those guys are a bunch of amateurs!! :cowboy:

Woodsong wrote:
Those guys are a bunch of amateurs!! :cowboy:

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*OK, Tony.* I'm coming up to Island Point this weekend to have you demonstrate some real boat handling.

The docking contests look like a lot of fun, and, if one has the guts and the boat, a lot of fun to participate in. This is still the most impressive docking I've seen to date. It's from the Tilghman Bay docking contest....

I need more practice!* I'm still working on slow.

...and what's your point, Woody? Yes, two engines DO allow you to hit the dock at a higher rate of speed. So what? Do I detect a bit of jealousy here? ;-)

That's pretty amazing. When people whine about the notion of requireing licenses for boaters--- as we do for cars, motorcycles, airplanes, over-the-road trucks --- they should watch this video. Unlike any other form of high powered, potentially damaging and even killing form of transportation, all that is required to operate a boat is the money to buy it.

This sort of thing is more common than one might expect. Just two weekends ago we were in Friday Harbor when a fellow with a 40-something foot, twin engine Bayliner came close to to doing this very same thing, both going out and coming back a few hours later. When he came back he completely lost control of the boat and in reponse to shouted instructions from other boaters kept responding that he had no steering control. After coming very close to hitting nearby boats, somebody came out with a dingy and put another boater on board. Apparently the Bayliner "skipper" was more than happy to turn everything over to someone else.

The boater who boarded immediately regained control of the boat and docked it in its slip with no problems at all.

It's one thing to watch an incompetent person try to maneuver a 15 foot runabout. It's a whole different deal when they are trying to maneuver 15 tons or more of boat in a crowded marina. And as long as they or their insurance company can pay the damages, they can be right out there the next weekend doing exactly the same thing.

FlyWright wrote:
...and what's your point, Woody? Yes, two engines DO allow you to hit the dock at a higher rate of speed. So what? Do I detect a bit of jealousy here? ;-)

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haha! *YES Flywright- us single screw guys are too cheap to buy a boat with*twin screws so we have to reduce ourselves to finding youtube videos proving how incompetent twin screw boaters are. *hahaha. **Except you of course*

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Just to play on the opposite side for a second... I can see that even WITH some instruction, a new boater can panic, freeze, or just get really confused about what to do and how to fix it. I wouldn't beat the guy up too bad.

As for docking contests? Certainly a contest that started with a "Hey y'all, watch this."

GonzoF1 wrote:
Just to play on the opposite side for a second... I can see that even WITH some instruction, a new boater can panic, freeze, or just get really confused about what to do and how to fix it. I wouldn't beat the guy up too bad.

As for docking contests? Certainly a contest that started with a "Hey y'all, watch this."

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*Tom, the famous last words of a red neck are"hey ya'll, hold my beer, and watch this".

Marin wrote:
...*Unlike any other form of high powered, potentially damaging and even killing form of transportation, all that is required to operate a boat is the money to buy it.

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*FREEDOM!

So, do we need*different licenses for single-screw versus double-screw, versus with or without bow thruster, under 8 meters, under 12 meters, ad nauseum?**Should we (owners/masters)*hire captains until a license is obtained?

I feel relatively safe with a single berth several feet longer than needed to accommodate*the boat.

markpierce wrote:Marin wrote:
...*Unlike any other form of high powered, potentially damaging and even killing form of transportation, all that is required to operate a boat is the money to buy it.

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*FREEDOM!

So, do we need*different licenses for single-screw versus double-screw, versus with or without bow thruster, under 8 meters, under 12 meters, ad nauseum?**Should we (owners/masters)*hire captains until a license is obtained?

I feel relatively safe with a single berth several feet longer than needed to accommodate*the boat.



*Mark, I say a man should have the right to tear his boat up any way he wants.* He just has to be responsible for damage to others.

Moonstruck wrote:
Mark, I say a man should have the right to tear his boat up any way he wants.* He just has to be responsible for damage to others.

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*No argument here, Don.

You know, in looking at Gonzo's avatar and watching that heart breaking video again, the boat in the vid and Gonzo's sure look similar!!

You know, I don't judge that guy who is wrecking in that video. My heart goes out to him. He no doubt has caused quite a bit of damage to his own vessel, probably some neighboring ones, and you know it was NOT a good day of boating for him. If I were on the dock with him I would hope I'd give him a cold drink and a pat on the back saying no worries. But I must say....it makes me cringe to watch that video!

markpierce wrote:
So, do we need*different licenses for single-screw versus double-screw, versus with or without bow thruster, under 8 meters, under 12 meters, ad nauseum?**Should we (owners/masters)*hire captains until a license is obtained?

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*I don't know what the practical answer is.*

But I take it you're fine with a recent immigrant from Hong Kong buying a new boat (Bayliner as it so happened) in Vancouver*and then proceeding to run it between a tug and its tow, hang the boat up on the towline, at which point the barge ran over the boat and killed the majority of the family and invited guests on board including a baby and a couple of kids?

I assume you're fine, then, with a boater buying a boat and then proceding to take it out in rough water, lose control of the boat, and have it flipped with the loss of everyone on board?

I take it you're fine with the proud new owner of a 50-something foot boat taking it out for the first time and doing about $50,000 worth of damage to the neighboring boats in the marina*as well as his own?

Since you're just fine with all of that--- all of which were actual occurances, by the way--- I assume you would be fine with letting people plunk down the money for a car and then procede to drive it with no prior driving experience at all.

I don't see why driving or even pilot licenses should be required at all, really.* Since people are apparently fine with people getting killed by totally inexperienced boaters there should be no difference at all between that and people getting killed by totally inexperienced drivers or pilots.* Dead is dead, right?* How you died doesn't make much difference once you have died, right?*

Drving a cars's dirt simple.* Turn the key, press the pedals, turn the wheel.* A caveman could do it.* And the recent Barefoot Bandit from Whidbey Island showed that you don't need to take lessons to be able to fly a plane.* He learned how to do it with Microsoft Flight Simulator.* True, he crashed every plane he stole when he tried to land, but he walked away from them okay.* So looks like pilot's licenses are unnecessary, too.

So if you're gonna wave the Freedom flag around, put your money where your mouth is.* No licenses needed for anything.* Now THAT's* freedom, right?

Marin wrote:... So if you're gonna wave the Freedom flag around, put your money where your mouth is.* No licenses needed for anything.* Now THAT's* freedom, right?

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*Hey!* Ya gotta draw the line somewhere or they'll be requiring licenses for taking a bath.

We have a licensing system for power boats here in Oz, and it works well. What's more, we have almost got uniformity around the states. Initially only here in Queensland did you need one, and that goes back years. However, now the other states are getting on board. I think this is because there have been some serious tragedies, and finally the same point Marin has rather colourfully made has been taken notice of and finally acted upon.

What's with this obsession with stern-in mooring anyway.* Why make an easy manoeuvre difficult when it need not be?


-- Edited by Peter B on Thursday 11th of August 2011 02:10:15 AM

If it weren't for the potential injury to other people and things, I'd say let natural selection run its course.

Peter B wrote:
We have a licensing system for power boats here in Oz, and it works well.

-- Edited by Peter B on Thursday 11th of August 2011 02:10:15 AM

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*Connecticut has a licensing system and it's not*very effective IMO.

dwhatty wrote:
If it weren't for the potential injury to other people and things, I'd say let natural selection run its course.

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*I go along with that just fine.* Chuck Darwin knew exactly what he was talking about.* The problem is that more often than not the victims are not the idiot driving the boat but the family, guests, passengers, people in other boats, etc.* Just because the fool at the wheel had the money to buy the boat is not a reason why anyone else should get hurt or killed, or why my or your boat should be damaged.

Peter says* "What's with this obsession with stern-in mooring anyway."

I agree Peter but if youv'e got the drill down and it's easy and it gives some kind of advantage..............A lot of slips aren't square at the end so unless youv'e got a double ender???* Maybe some guys can't back up their boat trailer but can do the boat in that one spot so think it makes up for that??? I can back up anything and lots of people seem envious (even my wife) but many feel it's a feather in their cap or a sign of manhood so some could be backing into their slips for status. But if it's all the same I'm gunna go straight in. They even write books on how to simplify one's life.

A different perspective; apart from PWCs, we don't have a licensing or registration regime here in New Zealand. (PWCs must be registered).

Yes, anybody can buy any sort of boat and go off and create mayhem, but*they don't. I believe we have the highest boat ownership per capita in the world, but we have very*few accidents.*

Like any western country, we have an increasing number of immigrants, especially from Asia, and*more of them are venturing out onto our waterways. They are not creating any issues, apart from some disregard for, or ignorance of,*our fishing regulations.

Several investigations have concluded that the cost and bureaucracy associated with licensing is unlikely to be worthwhile.

Coastguard, which is voluntary and not Govt funded,*is very active in promoting its education courses which include Boat Master, Day Skipper etc.* I would like to see insurance companies offer an incentive to do these courses, but there is none presently.

Charter companies usually insist on a Boat Master cert.

Marin wrote:dwhatty wrote:
If it weren't for the potential injury to other people and things, I'd say let natural selection run its course.

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*I go along with that just fine.* Chuck Darwin knew exactly what he was talking about.* The problem is that more often than not the victims are not the idiot driving the boat but the family, guests, passengers, people in other boats, etc.* Just because the fool at the wheel had the money to buy the boat is not a reason why anyone else should get hurt or killed, or why my or your boat should be damaged.

*We're on the same page.

Peter B wrote:What's with this obsession with stern-in mooring anyway.* Why make an easy manoeuvre difficult when it need not be?

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*I wonder if the fellow in the video was trying to back in or if that's just where he ended up?* He went on quite aways down the fairway before coming back.** I seem to recall hearing people on the docks saying, "Just put him in here" or words to that effect.

Depending on where your slip is and the direction of the*prevailing weather it can sometimes be beneficial to back the boat in.* Our boat does better with its back to the wind as the flying bridge cover--- the oldest and most expensive to replace piece of canvas on the boat--- does better being pushed down by the wind than flapping up and down in the wind passing over it from the front.* As it is, our slip puts the boat's back to the wind when it's bow in. But after they redo the dock if we end up with a slip on the other side we might start to back in so we can keep the same orientation to the wind.

But I*think it's generally*a lot easier to go in bow first.* Backing out of a slip is (usually) dead simple so I agree with Eric, why make life more complicated?

Well, I guess we could jump off the bow pulpit.* It is just more convenient to back in.

You need to file a lawsuit with your marina for giving you a slip with too short a dock and forcing you to undergo the trauma of having to back in every time you come home. If they'd given you a proper slip to begin with you could have been enjoying the recuced stress of bow-in docking all this time that may very well have added years to your life. As it is now, I would think the marina owes you big time. Play the victim role effectively and you could end up being able to get an even better boat. And the correct size dock to go with it, I bet.

Marin wrote:
Play the victim role effectively and you could end up being able to get an even better boat. And the correct size dock to go with it, I bet.

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*There's a better boat?

Moonstruck wrote:Marin wrote:
Play the victim role effectively and you could end up being able to get an even better boat. And the correct size dock to go with it, I bet.

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*There's a better boat?

*Umm. I don't think that I'll go there.

Woodsong wrote:
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You know, I don't judge that guy who is wrecking in that video. My heart goes out to him. He no doubt has caused quite a bit of damage to his own vessel, probably some neighboring ones, and you know it was NOT a good day of boating for him. If I were on the dock with him I would hope I'd give him a cold drink and a pat on the back saying no worries. But I must say....it makes me cringe to watch that video!

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seriously, that gave me cold chills to watch.*

We are all about "it is only fiberglass" but the worst thing we do is scrape a bit along the dock once in awhile, not try to take out a finger with our swim step!!