Explaining to guests that a rub rail is exactly what it is

[PhilPB]

I don't know how many times I've had to pronounce to guests that they are not to get between the boat and a piling. I use my rub rails for their intended purpose but it's hard to get guests to understand that. There is always the "Superhero" that thinks they need to fend off when we are totally under control backing into our slip.

[psneeld]

"touch something again that I don't tell you to and I can make sure your hand(s) get smashed"

[Shrew]

Pretty easy.

"We dock the boat all the time just the two of us. Introducing a new hand will only confuse the process. Please do us a favor and don't assist."

[GoneFarrell]

Fished one or two of those superheroes out of the Columbia River for doing similar. Was really dangerous because of the current under the dock. Snag your pants/coat on a spike or nail under the dock and automatic you're on the 6 o'clock news.

[Comodave]

That is what fenders are for. I used to teach and test boat crew for the CG Aux. I would tell them that fenders are replaceable but fingers and hands may not be. I was coordinating an Operational Exercise at Lake Mead, back then it was full, when one of the people I had trained and tested came running up from the dock with blood all over his hand. I asked him what happened and he said “I did exactly what you told us not to do”. He used his hand for a fender. It cut off the end of one of his fingers. There was a doctor on the boat. He looked at the piece of finger and flicked it overboard and said “fish food”. There are huge carp that hang out at the docks there and one snapped up the finger tip. The guy was very upset that a fish ate his finger tip. Oh well…

[Choices]

We know several people that have broken windows trying to keep the boat off a piling. I would rather lose a finger than replace a window...

[markpierce]

Experienced boaters want ignorant dock people to just stand there.

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. C. Hmmm...interesting choice. Personally I would rather lose a boat than any of my parts...

[Comodave]

Originally Posted by RT Firefly

Greetings,
Mr. C. Hmmm...interesting choice. Personally I would rather lose a boat than any of my parts...

Me too…. Well at least some small part on the boat.

[slowgoesit]

Originally Posted by Choices

We know several people that have broken windows trying to keep the boat off a piling. I would rather lose a finger than replace a window...

After you've saved 8 windows from breaking, you'd find it pretty difficult to pick your nose!

[Comodave]

Originally Posted by slowgoesit

After you've saved 8 windows from breaking, you'd find it pretty difficult to pick your nose!

Good one…

[guy with a boat]

Originally Posted by Choices

We know several people that have broken windows trying to keep the boat off a piling. I would rather lose a finger than replace a window...

This is new to me. How does this occur? And with several people? I’m apparently living a sheltered boating life.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by guy with a boat

This is new to me. How does this occur? And with several people? I’m apparently living a sheltered boating life.

Pretty common. They lean back against a side window while stiff arming the piling and the resulting pressure breaks it.

Of course I was in an area with very strong tidal currents that ran through the marinas that pinned the boats against pilings.

[alormaria]

Originally Posted by Choices

We know several people that have broken windows trying to keep the boat off a piling. I would rather lose a finger than replace a window...

I've both had to replace a window and lost a finger (two different circumstances).



I'd take the window replacement every time.

[Hydraulicjump]

Can I add my pet peeve to this? Probably happened to all of you at one time. The "good samaritan" that rushes up to grab a bow line as you are pulling in and to help you stop the boat chooses to immediately cleat the line off about the middle of the dock, spinning your stern into the boat you are sharing a slip with. All this while your most experienced hand--my wife in this case--is getting ready to step off from the cockpit and into what is now a rapidly opening chasm that guarantees a swim. Now every time I see a good samaritan coming to help I say thanks, wait to cleat it until I say so, which will be after my wife cleats the stern line! Took two of these great embarrassments with lots of yelling from my spouse to end this practice. And now with a bigger trawler, this is vitally important.



I am with the earlier instructions for guests. "Thanks for your offer to help. We got this."



As for windows and fingers...yikes!

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Hydraulicjump

Can I add my pet peeve to this? Probably happened to all of you at one time. The "good samaritan" that rushes up to grab a bow line as you are pulling in and to help you stop the boat chooses to immediately cleat the line off about the middle of the dock, spinning your stern into the boat you are sharing a slip with. All this while your most experienced hand--my wife in this case--is getting ready to step off from the cockpit and into what is now a rapidly opening chasm that guarantees a swim. Now every time I see a good samaritan coming to help I say thanks, wait to cleat it until I say so, which will be after my wife cleats the stern line! Took two of these great embarrassments with lots of yelling from my spouse to end this practice. And now with a bigger trawler, this is vitally important.

I am with the earlier instructions for guests. "Thanks for your offer to help. We got this."

As for windows and fingers...yikes!

We always make sure the bow line isn't reachable from the dock for that reason. It needs to be one of the last lines on for us in most situations (due to hull shape and cleat placement) otherwise the bow line is guaranteed to end up too tight and the stern will never get near the dock.



In addition, the admiral is very good about giving anyone on the dock clear and explicit instructions such as "take this line, put it on that cleat". And if they don't listen and start doing something potentially dangerous or that's likely to lead to a very messy docking, she knows that she has full authority to tell them in no uncertain terms to "get the **** away from the boat and don't touch anything" if the situation escalates to that point (which has only happened once that I can recall).

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by guy with a boat

This is new to me. How does this occur? And with several people? I’m apparently living a sheltered boating life.

Slight tangent, but I'm told you have to be careful where you place fenders on boats with large hull-port windows. Point load from fender has cracked more than a few.

Peter

[C lectric]

Blame the designer.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Hydraulicjump

Can I add my pet peeve to this? Probably happened to all of you at one time. The "good samaritan" that rushes up to grab a bow line as you are pulling in and to help you stop the boat chooses to immediately cleat the line off about the middle of the dock, spinning your stern into the boat you are sharing a slip with. All this while your most experienced hand--my wife in this case--is getting ready to step off from the cockpit and into what is now a rapidly opening chasm that guarantees a swim. Now every time I see a good samaritan coming to help I say thanks, wait to cleat it until I say so, which will be after my wife cleats the stern line! Took two of these great embarrassments with lots of yelling from my spouse to end this practice. And now with a bigger trawler, this is vitally important.



I am with the earlier instructions for guests. "Thanks for your offer to help. We got this."



As for windows and fingers...yikes!

I've given up on this one (well meaning dock helpers who over-tighten bow lines). I have to yell to get their attention which I hate - the linesman may be my best shot at a free beer in an hour. Best has been to immediately ask them to ease the line 5 feet (lucky to get 2). I don't know if I'm tying a cleat hitch incorrectly or if everyone else is, but I always have to re-tie lines. Same with fenders. Given how few boaters know basic line handling for docklines and fenders, little surprise the schmoe on the dock offering to grab a line doesn't know. But again, could be my way is unusual. I don't think so, but who knows. Maybe I'm missing something.

Nothing kills momentum faster than a taught bow line. Might as well shoot the helmsman. But if that's the worst that happens on any given day, total success.

Peter

[backinblue]

Pretty simple rule I learned long ago is to never put any body part between the boat and the dock. As far as dock lines, you are usually tossing a line to an uninformed teen, so just don't toss a bow line if you don't expect them to use it. Once you have a spring or stern line in place you can do that. There are times when a strong crosswind can blow the bow off a pier, so it should really be up to the capt to prep the crew on the docking plan prior to arrival.