Dinghy Dock Rules? (Or Wild West?)

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

I suppose paying might be common in some places. From Seattle to Mexico to central Panama to Ecuador to Marquesas and Tahiti to Tonga,Western Samoa, Fiji, Vanautu,New Zealand the onlt place I have had to pay fees for the Dingy dock was at La Playita Panama City. It was advisable there and you also had free access to good potable water.
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Just cruise into the marina, look around and ask anyone about the dinghy dock. In Mexico, if you go into an actual marina, they will often want you to pay a small fee and there is often a very courteous guard there to be sure you do. That security is nice. Go up on the beach and its free and we never had anything stolen but always go to populated beaches if you need to leave the area.

The only time we were quoted an outrageous fee was in Acapulco. This has to be the least friendly major harbor, for cruisers, that we've ever been in. There are two marinas in the main harbor - one of them didn't charge anything but there was a lot of surge there and we couldn't find anyone in the office who could authorize our use of the dock. The best marina told us on the phone that they wanted about $50 US per day to use their dinghy dock, get a shower or go ashore. I'm not too proud to say we passed on that deal. As an aside, that marina was asking $300 US per night for a Med tie on their dock.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

I suppose paying might be common in some places. From Seattle to Mexico to central Panama to Ecuador to Marquesas and Tahiti to Tonga,Western Samoa, Fiji, Vanautu,New Zealand the onlt place I have had to pay fees for the Dingy dock was at La Playita Panama City. It was advisable there and you also had free access to good potable water.
Always use a long painter off the bow. No stern line. Keep your motor tilted down. The only place in my travels you would have needed a chain foryour dingy’s security is Mazatlon Mexico and Whangarei New Zealand.

In the Caribbean one always locks unless the dock is visible from your restaurant table.

The stern anchor is used where construction of the dock permits the dinghy to drift under. As tide rises the dinghy is trapped underneath and bashed to bits. Also, docks where surge and waves drag the dinghy against broken bits of dock, barnacles and other sea life.

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

In the Caribbean one always locks unless the dock is visible from your restaurant table.

I would say always lock - full stop.

When I was in Pto. de la Cruz, Venezuela, one couple pulled their dinghy far up on the beach and watched it from the bar while having beers with friends. They repeatedly checked the dinghy, but then it was gone. Fishermen had grabbed it and took it to the water, then towed it at high speed out of the area. Another cruiser gave chase but they got away. It only takes a few seconds...

Greg

[Pelagic]

Etiquette is for civilized locations.

Security is the reality issue in all the other places where a small rib and motor represents maybe 3 years annual income for a local family.

Most small yachts don't think in terms of a 24/7 security watch for their lifestyle, especially at anchor, or going ashore.

Living in Asia, I do, which means we always travel with a minimum of 3 on board.
We take turns doing tender runs ashore to drop off, pick up.
One always remains on board, while the other two can go shopping/sightseeing.

So for me, hiring a Filipino crew to sail with us, is by far the best investment in tender security and a relaxed way to visit new locations.
He enjoys all the same tourist perks, has better instincts dealing and negotiating with locals and gets paid to do the drudge work. [emoji4]

Going rate these days is about $350/month.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

We have never paid a dinghy fee except ar 79th st basin on the Hudson. It was the worst marina with the nastiest staff we have seen in seven years. Throughout the Caribbean we never are charged anywhere for a dinghy.

Lock your gas can to the motor, motor to the dinghy, dinghy to the dock. At night, lift the dinghy out of water and lock to the boat. The boat is your home. The dinghy is your car.

Leave your motor down. Mind where you leave the dinghy and how it might interact/damage another boat. If the area security looks poor, stay away. Never leave it overnight or especially late. We paint the motor so it is harder to fence. Our equipment is 2002 and maintained. It looks old.

Go Blue.

Saw a small outboard that the owner had doused in metho and lit, put out the fire as soon as the plastic cowl started to deform and burn and then artfully painted. It was brand new when it was done but he never had any trouble or worries about it "wandering away".

[a64pilot]

I just can’t bring myself to trash my stuff like that.
A year ago, I peeled my 20 HP sticker off, and replaced it with a factory 6 HP sticker.
There hasn’t been one person yet that didn’t think it was a 6, even with it hanging in plain view with the big three bladed SS prop.
I have had one or two comment on the fact that it is a strong 6 HP though.
Who would steal a 6 Suzuki, with all those 15 Yamaha’s around?

[Lihuedooley77]

We also lock our dink, motor and gas tank, and the outboard down .

Most of our sailing now is bare boating, and for those types who head ashore to party down, or whatever...... the bare boat charter companies dinks , many look the same. But , there is a number on the dink, and we remember that number.

Having it locked up and the shut down, starter cord, in my pocket, so far in 34 years or so, never a problem.

We do not have any super whiz ding, electronic aid to dink dock information, but so far have been able to get all the scoops we need from a cruising guide.

However, there are loads of places on this planet that we have not sailed, and understand different procedures will certainly be encountered.

We tie up with a long painter payed out, and lock the lot up . The cord we take just to keep some well rummed fellow sailor from taking the wrong dink by pure accident. The bad dudes will probably have a spare cord in their shorts.

All we can do is our best not to become victims. A well experienced evil doer will be prepared to circumvent our basic security measures.

Very much enjoyed reading the various posts explaining actual conditions all over the world. Good on ya, skippers.

[mikedefieslife]

The worst thing about busy dinghy docking IMO is those with crappy dinghies full of water and dirt. Means you get wet when having to climb across dinghies and onto the dock.

RIBs and slatted floor dinghies seem to be worst for this as the ones I've seen don't have an intelligent way to keep the floor dry.

[richparker]

If you ask permission the answer is always no.

Better to seek forgiveness is dispensation later

[richparker]

Yes long painter

[bvander]

Etiquette at dingy dock is simple, long painter, engine down. Of really crowded deploy stern anchor.
Dinghy dockage varies from place to place. Example Annapolis had ladder and place to tie up dinghy all over the place. Miami outlaws dinghy tie up except at recognized dinghy docks. S Florida generally not dinghy friendly. The phrase "Better in Bahamas" is true for dinghy landing/docking.

[bvander]

Originally Posted by richparker

If you ask permission the answer is always no.

Better to seek forgiveness is dispensation later

In Miami that means a cab to Seatow site and paying big bucks for impounded dinghy.

[Montanan]

In a secure docking situation, where the dinghies are not likely to be stolen and thus not needing to be locked to a cleat on the dock, such as in a busy restaurant, or a private club at a secured marina, where dinghy owners can keep watch of their dinghies, when attaching your painter to a cleat use the eye of your painter and just loop over the cleat. If there is another dinghy's [or boat's] painter already attached to a cleat by its eye, then pass your eye end up through the bottom of the other painter's eye and loop your painter's eye over the shared cleat. That way the first to leave can just remove their eye end with out detaching the other painter's eye loop or loops. Avoid using cleat knots on cleats that are shared and as other's have said don't wrap lengths of your painter around a cleat so as to consume the cleats holding capacity with just one painter. When there are numerous painters on a shared cleat it becomes a PITA to sort out, if they are not passed each through the other's eye loops.

[Riggerman]

I sail full time around the world. I rarely have to pay for dinghy dock, most places welcomes boaters. Places like restaurant, bars, hotels etc... But don't be a dink. Be a patron, if it is a bar, buy a drink, if it is a restaurant or hotel, have a small meal, fries, salads will usually do it. Remember that they paid to have that dock put in. So why would you be able to use it for free?????? Unless you thing you are special ?

[Montanan]

Much depends on how crowded the place is or is going to be in the Wild West. It is very advantageous if the proprietor or public has provided a long sturdy rail to hitch to instead of just a few individual posts or cleats to tie off on to, as a long rail allows for many more tie ups to be spread out, with out overlapping leads or knots.

It is convenient when everyone can tie up directly bow on, but sometimes there is need for many dinghies and one has to make a long string tied bow to the stern of the boat closer to the lead. Like a pack train.

Provide for a long length of your painter from dinghy to dock, on a dock that will become crowded, more than two boat lengths [unlike hitching a horse where you want to keep the halter lead short so it can't step on them or through a loop of the lead, and so they can't back far or fast or graze]. Realize that long painters can easily become tangled in propellers so be very cautious to pull you painter all the way into your dinghy and to manually back far clear from the other dinghies before putting your outboard motor in gear.

And yes keep your motor shaft down, [unlike when tying up horses where it is preferable to run the stirrups up the leathers or with stock saddles and western saddles cross the stirrups over the top of the saddle so as to avoid getting their stirrup iron caught in their teeth, rare but very hazardous].

Tidy up your painter ends, don't let them hang loose on the dock or over the side of your hull. [You don't want your horse to step or become entangled on them, same with the reins which entanglement could pull on the bit and hurt the horse], i.e., tripping hazard on dock and tangling hazard on propellers.

Put a distinctive dash of color on your dinghy and motor so as to make it easy to discern which is your's and so that others will not confuse your's with their's when returning from the Saloon. [Reference horse blanket image which makes it easy to spot when there are many horses of similar appearance in the same pasture or paddock.] A distinctively colored dinghy, or motor is much less likely to be stolen as its uniqueness stands out to the authorities [i.e., Sheriff and posse.] and / or vigilantes. We mark ours with the 3-7-77 code, those in the know get the drift.

If there are expected tidal changes and / or waves use a stern anchor to keep the boat away from the dock so it doesn't go under or over the dock and provide adequate length of painter to accommodate the water level changes.

Don't hang a bunch of fenders on your dinghy. But please maintain a smooth rub rail on a hard dinghy so as to protect adjoining dinghies.

Some prefer to use a long chain and padlock to secure the dinghy instead of a nylon painter, but a bolt cutter makes very short work of chain link, cable, or a hasp on a lock. Chain and lock aid in keeping honest people honest as it makes the taking a breaking offense and less of an opportunity for a joy ride.

Unclutter and drain your dinghy, particularly when the dinghy will be crowded and two or more deep from the dock such that one needs to crawl over the dinghy between yours and the dock. Don't leave valuables, D'uh. Tie up your life preservers so they don't get stolen, or tossed over board by the wind.