A question of terminology and etiquette

[schrater]

When you want to get the attention of a fellow boater who is belowdecks while anchored or tied up to the dock, how do you call out to them? You can’t ring the doorbell after all...

“Ahoy!”
“Hello?”
Hey [Boat name]!
Knock on a porthole?

 

[menzies]

Walk to where they are.

 

[psneeld]

At anchor if I dont know the name, I will call out "hello on the (type of boat)"...

If I am in the dink, see next paragraph.

At the dock similar but will try and get name first.....after that, I try and stay away from windows and ports and knock on a part of the boat that I think will be audible inside without sounding alarming.

 

[bayview]

Knocking works for me.

 

[caltexflanc]

Knock on the side of the hull. Even on our big Hatteras, you could hear a knock just about everywhere on the boat.

 

[Ski in NC]

Yep, knock on the side of the boat, closest to where you think they are. Just remember they might not like getting woke up.

 

[sbu22]

"Ahoy the boat!" Or personalize with the boat name if known usually works. And the courtesy of staying clear of windows and other sight lines until recognized.

 

[menzies]

Walk to where they are.

Ah, you aren't both on the same boat?

 

[mattkab]

When we had a sailboat, we had a fellow sail-boater/friend that would walk the docks and come up on sailboats he knew, pull hard on one of the mast says, and let it go... like a big guitar string.

From the inside the boat it's really loud. People would come running out to see what the problem was, to find him on the dock laughing his ass off....

It was funny when it wasn't 7am.