Dinghy Dock Etiquette

[svHyLyte]

We carry a folding grapnel anchor:





attached to 5' of 1/4" chain and have a 100 foot long rode of 3/8" braided polyester that passes through-but is not tied to--a smooth shackle attached to the end of the chain. We also carry an 18" SS "corkscrew" of the type used by dog owners to secure their animals when they are out and about. When we go shoreside we drop and set the grapnel 50' or so from the dinghy dock or shore and pay out the doubled anchore rode as we approach. Once ashore, on dock or shoreline, I tie the dinghy's bow painter to the anchor rode and simply haul in on the opposit leg of that, which pulls the dinghy back out to the vicinity of the anchor, out of other people's and harm's way. The doubled rode is knotted and secured to the dinghy dock where it promptly sinks below the water, out of sight. If going up on a beach, I usually wade out kneed deep, screw the doggie tie-down into the bottom and secure the dinghy anchor rode to that (under water) and mark the spot with a yellow tennis ball with a line passed through it and tied to the top of the doggie tie-down. (You just have to watch the tide for this if you're in an area with big tides.)

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

We carry a folding grapnel anchor:





attached to 5' of 1/4" chain and have a 100 foot long rode of 3/8" braided polyester that passes through-but is not tied to--a smooth shackle attached to the end of the chain. We also carry an 18" SS "corkscrew" of the type used by dog owners to secure their animals when they are out and about. When we go shoreside we drop and set the grapnel 50' or so from the dinghy dock or shore and pay out the doubled anchore rode as we approach. Once ashore, on dock or shoreline, I tie the dinghy's bow painter to the anchor rode and simply haul in on the opposit leg of that, which pulls the dinghy back out to the vicinity of the anchor, out of other people's and harm's way. The doubled rode is knotted and secured to the dinghy dock where it promptly sinks below the water, out of sight. If going up on a beach, I usually wade out kneed deep, screw the doggie tie-down into the bottom and secure the dinghy anchor rode to that (under water) and mark the spot with a yellow tennis ball with a line passed through it and tied to the top of the doggie tie-down. (You just have to watch the tide for this if you're in an area with big tides.)

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

I can't quite picture that exactly but is sounds good!
I guess it is painter-to-anchor line I can't quite see.
Do you think this helps your ability to keep posession of other dingy contents like fuel lines, oars etc?

[Pathfinder]

svHyLyte - Pretty slick! What weight grapnel anchor is practical for an 8 foot pram or hard sided dinghy?

[svHyLyte]

Our dinghy is a West Marine 340. We have a 7# Sea-Dog folding Grapnel Anchor that's attached to 5' of 1/4" plastic coated chain that has a SS Carabiner Clip with a screw lock gate through the last link. Our shore-side tie is an 18" cork-screw doggie tie-down stake from PetsMart like this:



We have a similar SS Carabiner clip on the ring thats free to rotate on the screw. The screw lives in our dinghy stuff-bag with a piece of flex tubing on the sharp end.

Usually we simply take the dinghy ashore and connect her to the dinghy dock with a long length of 1/4" plastic coated cable with a lock on one end. If that's a problem, however, we use the procedure described before.

Normally the thimble end of the rode is attached to the Carabiner at the end of the chain but when we need to double the rode for a stand-off mooring arrangement, we pass the free end of the rode through the Carabiner on the chain and then fix it to the opposit--thimble end--with a bowline. As we approach the shoreline, or a dinghy dock, we drop the grapnel over the side and pay out the doubled line carefully until we have enough scope out to set the grapnel with a couple of good tugs. When we get up to the shore-line, everyone jumps out and I attach the dinghy's painter to the thimble end of the rode where the other end of the rode is tied, also with a bowline. As I mentioned before, we either screw the tie-down into the sand--or if we think there might be security issues, I'll wade out and screw the tie-down into the bottom--haul the anchor rode in until the dinghy's floating 30-40 feet off shore and then pass a double loop of the rode through the Carabiner on the screw end as one would affix a repelling line. The dinghy is out of harms way and doesn't inconvenience anyone else. If we're going to be out after dark, I leave a solar powered garden walkway light--$7.00 at Home Depost--standing up-right in a little holder made from a length of PVC Tubing on the transom. Thus far we've not havd any difficulties.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte.

[Pathfinder]

How long is the West Marine 340, there are no results on this in Google nor West Marine. It is an inflatable, I suppose.

[svHyLyte]

Pathfinder. West Marine's dinghy's are listed in terms of meters. A 280= 2.8 meters. A 340 = 3.4 meters=11.15 ft.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

[donradcliffe]

Its time for another reminder that leaving your outboard tipped up at a crowded dinghy dock is a no-no. There were three dinghies left that way at Bowen's wharf in Newport the other day.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its time for another reminder that leaving your outboard tipped up at a crowded dinghy dock is a no-no. There were three dinghies left that way at Bowen's wharf in Newport the other day.

I just have to wonder whose rule is that? Is it posted? Is it on the state boating exam?

I'm just wondering because if someone else thinks the outboard is supposed to be tipped up (apparently at least three did in your experience), how do you resolve the different opinions?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I just have to wonder whose rule is that? Is it posted? Is it on the state boating exam?

It's called common sense. Listen to the elders. Learn.

[SimonV]

I wouldnt leave the engine any other way but down. Folks that leave them up soon get informed.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Bash

It's called common sense. Listen to the elders. Learn.

I'm probably older than you.

I've read dozens of boating books and I have participated in several boating forums. Nowhere have I seen this posted except here.

When considered in the context of possibly damaging another boat, it makes sense, but when considered in the context of keeping the motor out of the water when not in use to prevent marine growth, leaving it up makes sense. That is what many boaters have learned from reading their motor's owners manuals or listening to advice from other boaters.

I just think you're going to have a very difficult time convincing strangers that you know best and that they should follow your rules. I am not saying that you are wrong, just that if you expect everyone you meet in life to see things your way, you are going to be very disappointed.

Perhaps signs should be posted.

[GordMay]

From Rob & Dees advice on Dinghy Etiquette

Pet Peeve No. 4 - Tipped up outboards
If you do this you deserve to have your dinghy slashed to pieces and sunk- And don't be surprised if that happens.

If you leave your outboard tied to your sailboat at night, tipping the outboard up helps to keep the prop free from barnacles. BUT NEVER EVER TIP YOUR OUTBOARD UP AT A DINGHY DOCK WHERE OTHER DINGHIES WILL BE TIED UP. If you do, your upturned prop will slit the rubber tubes of any dinghy tied alongside. If that happens you deserve your fate.

In the mid nineties in Georgetown, Exuma there was one very anal boater who was worried about the barnacles that would grow on his prop in the hour he was ashore buying groceries at Exuma markets so he always tipped his outboard up. On two occasions I saw him in arguments with other boaters who asked him to lower his outboard. One boater had cuts in his hypalon dinghy tied next to the offender and showed him the slashes. Later the subject was discussed on the morning net reminding everyone to leave their outboards down. Imagine my surprise a week later when I saw the same dinghy completely slashed and sunk at the dock- the outboard was under two feet of water but I could still see it was tipped up. He got what he deserved.

Years later the same situation resulted in a near fist fight on the docks in Papette, Tahiti with a Frenchman who insisted on tipping his outboard up despite a dozen other cruisers asking him not to.

More ➥ Dinghy Etiquette

[rwidman]

Years later the same situation resulted in a near fist fight on the docks in Papette, Tahiti with a Frenchman who insisted on tipping his outboard up despite a dozen other cruisers asking him not to.

And that's what often happens when one person or even a few people try to tell another person or a few people what to do.

Again, I'm not saying you are wrong, but unless it's a posted rule or an actual law, you're just going to have problems telling others what to do, especially if others are watching.

If it really bothers you, put the other guy's motor down. See where that leads.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

We carry a folding grapnel anchor:





attached to 5' of 1/4" chain and have a 100 foot long rode of 3/8" braided polyester that passes through-but is not tied to--a smooth shackle attached to the end of the chain. We also carry an 18" SS "corkscrew" of the type used by dog owners to secure their animals when they are out and about. When we go shoreside we drop and set the grapnel 50' or so from the dinghy dock or shore and pay out the doubled anchore rode as we approach. Once ashore, on dock or shoreline, I tie the dinghy's bow painter to the anchor rode and simply haul in on the opposit leg of that, which pulls the dinghy back out to the vicinity of the anchor, out of other people's and harm's way. The doubled rode is knotted and secured to the dinghy dock where it promptly sinks below the water, out of sight. If going up on a beach, I usually wade out kneed deep, screw the doggie tie-down into the bottom and secure the dinghy anchor rode to that (under water) and mark the spot with a yellow tennis ball with a line passed through it and tied to the top of the doggie tie-down. (You just have to watch the tide for this if you're in an area with big tides.)

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

We carry the exact same ground tackle as you in our dinghy, but your method, as clever as it is, seems like an awful lot of trouble. In really crowded dinghy docks (Yarmouth IOW comes to mind) people just raft up their dinghies. Or in many places you can skip the dinghy dock and just run it up on the beach.

The grapnel anchor carried well up the beach and buried is a good bit of extra security.

[svcambria]

I've read dozens of boating books and I have participated in several boating forums. Nowhere have I seen this posted except here.

It is common practice, I would have thought universal practice, to keep the outboard down. Less common practice is to use a long painter. Both are so necessary when up to eighty dinghies are sharing 80 feet of dock space (or less) - a common occurrence abroad...

Michael