Dinghy Dock Etiquette

[Tingum]

Leave your motor down. You are being discourteous to those with rubber dinghys

[philiosophy]

The antique for tieing your dingy at a dingy dock or jetty as they call it in New Zealand and Australia is motor down and long painter. Period. Only ******** do otherwise. There is frequently one at most dingy docks. Surely you don't want to be that guy. Doesn't matter how long you leave it in the water. You don't have the right to damage others dingoes. Tie on a long painter. This has been the rule from Seattle to Tasmania. I imagine all the world's dingy docks.

[Moontide]

Guess you're getting the idea from all the other posts - long painter and engine down. I've actually heard stories that dinghies with short painters are more likely to go drifting away.


Pretty sure it was not just the Silver Back that was having a problem with how you were tying it. Some say taking the engine in and out of salt water is worse - their theory is that every time the water drys it leaves a little salt behind versus just a constant immersion. Can always periodically put outboard earmuffs on and flush the inside with fresh water.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by Moontide

Guess you're getting the idea from all the other posts - long painter and engine down. I've actually heard stories that dinghies with short painters are more likely to go drifting away.

I would certainly imagine they are, and not always from malicious intent. A dinghy tied up tight on a short painter is far more likely to require someone else to adjust the tie. Human nature says you are less likely to take as close care with a cleat hitch that is not holding YOUR boat.

[Lihuedooley77]

Agree, we leave the dink motor lowered when secured near other vessels, docks or ashore . Well, unless we have hauled the beast up on to a sandy beach.


If we are using it going ashore , docks, dock side bar, market runs, we lower the dink motor and leave it in the water until we return..

We haul it up for passages since we tow the dink astern.

Depending on the situation, when docking, we can secure the dink side to away from other vessels, We also when approaching dock, or slip, or mooring, or anchoring, that dink painter is hauled in with the dink close aboard . Lowering the dink motor and prop before all that might also be a good plan. No sounds or wrap, wrap, cluck, scrapes, bangs, or irate skippers.

I do not think we would leave the dink in the water if we were not staying on board and going to use it. The motor would be hauled up and padlocked to the stern pulpit. You can also haul the inflatable dink up on board, and deflate it, or stow it well secured on the fore deck.

Depending on the length of the passage and the weather and sea condition, we will may secure the outboard to the block on the stern pulpit. Have a line secured to the motor when lowering or hauling the outboard up or down to the vessel.

Just our way of handling dink situations. Others have great ideas as well.

Other positive note :

A fun plan, how about a talk with your neighbors and work out a solution. Yep, walk on over to their boat with a few beers in hand, greet them, introduce you and your boat, have a couple of coldies, talk story, and come to an agreement that works for everyone.

No talking, or compromise just divides everyone, and actually escalates the problem.

Maybe, with finding your dink motor and prop going back down into the water is a clue as to what others feel you should be doing.

Defuse the problem, put your prop down into the water, and drop by with those cold brews, and a smile, Make new friends.

Friendship is precious cargo.

Neighborhood wars, or dockside battles are not good for anyone.

[CarinaPDX]

While this issue has been beaten into the ground (engine down, long painter of course) I think the larger issue is about cruising etiquette generally and being sensitive to it. Just as humans growing from babies to adults is a process that includes increasingly taking into account of others, going from cruising noob to old salt means learning and respecting etiquette, including local variations. Americans (me included) tend to be very slow learners in this regard; witness the OP continuing to do the wrong thing after being repeatedly told/shown otherwise. So when someone asks, or demands, that something be done differently try to first understand instead of getting one's back up (including insultingly referring to the old salt as a silver-back) - don't keep pissing them off just because you don't understand. OTOH the old salts shouldn't be insulting while trying to change behavior, as some have done here. Etiquette is, above all else, about getting along gracefully and avoiding confrontation and hurt feelings.

On the specific case of dinghy docks, there are times where it is appropriate to lock the dinghy to the dock. It is not usually needed to have a bulletproof system, just something to stop the casual "borrowing" of dinghies (NEVER do that BTW). A long (12'-20') cable will suffice. I have used a 15' chain, which allows for moving the dinghy away from the dock for others to access. Don't lock the dinghy close to a ladder. And learn to tie the dinghy off with minimal congestion of cleats and other attachment points - i.e. learn to share (not a particularly American trait).

If you are lucky enough to make it to Europe there is another entire body of etiquette that is unknown here: the default is to raft boats alongside docks/quays. Once tied alongside it is appropriate to hang fenders off the outside, in preparation for (and welcoming) a boat to lie alongside. I wish we were more willing to share as well. It is really annoying finding a dock covered with yachts lying alongside and no one willing to raft up. The English have an expression for this: "I'm all right Jack - pull the ladder up!". I just call it selfish and inconsiderate.

Good cruising etiquette is important so learn to pick up on it quickly and show that you care.

Greg

[MicHughV]

I've seen " extremes" of noobs tying up to a dinghy dock, including posting a " guard"..some poor schmuck has to hang around the dinghy dock, keeping a watchful on "precious"...if he gets lucky, the skipper will bring him a beer while he is on " station"...
the mind boggles....

[Nicholson58]

Never leave the motor up. Rude and careless. I have seen people tie a plastic bucket over the skeg and prop. Leave it down and add a large aux zinc if you worry about corrosion.

[CarinaPDX]

On the issue of corrosion, the stainless steel fasteners threaded into aluminum will seize over time in salt water, and not just the submerged ones. The next time I buy an outboard I will dismantle and put Tefgel on the threads before assembly - then I will be able to maintain it. There is a cover over the exhaust and cooling galleries that I can't remove due to corrosion, which would require drilling and Helicoils to open/close. The lower unit with the bearing for the short shaft is similarly frozen, and won't open even with the special tool and a lot of force. Tefgel...

Greg

[r2sail]

Down & long painter

[Kiwi.]

Dinghy etiquette demands: motor down and a long painter. You have definitely been breaking the rules. I'm surprised you've only had a motor drop happen, I've stayed in many places where you'd have been cast adrift. You don't own your own spot on the dock!
During my misspent youth we had a particularly offending dinghy at the end of the Auckland - Suva yacht race. The Suva Yacht Club dinghy dock is not large and the tiny seagull outboards on old soft floor inflatables have many sharp edges. So we stole the offender's dinghy one night (whist they were in the bar) and took it out and hoisted it to the top of their mast (complete with Seagull outboard still in the up position), point made!
Edit PS: what annoyed us even more about this bloke, was that he would always leave the motor down when he tied it behind his own boat at night. Happy to damage everybody else, but looked after himself. (He got off lightly).

[teneicm]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This subject seems to really get heated responses, and it comes up fairly often here on CF. For what it is worth, once away from US waters (at least in the Pacific), folks are a bit more relaxed about such things. I've never heard the subject discussed amongst the cruising fleet out here, let alone agonized about.

Jim

Sure, but by the time most of the folks get to the SP, they've been clued in to the system. Only place I can think of in the Pacific where we had any issues was Denerau, and that was due to the charterers.

[johnn33]

Perhaps these should be used more often
https://www.google.com/search?client...ropellor+guard
John

[AlanT]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

If you are lucky enough to make it to Europe there is another entire body of etiquette that is unknown here: the default is to raft boats alongside docks/quays. Once tied alongside it is appropriate to hang fenders off the outside, in preparation for (and welcoming) a boat to lie alongside. I wish we were more willing to share as well. It is really annoying finding a dock covered with yachts lying alongside and no one willing to raft up. The English have an expression for this: "I'm all right Jack - pull the ladder up!". I just call it selfish and inconsiderate.

Good cruising etiquette is important so learn to pick up on it quickly and show that you care.

Greg

Another Euro mooring tip for the mother ship that I have not seen observed here, is if you are using a Loop to sling over a cleat or bollard, make sure you run it up through the throat of the loop of any other line using the same bollard. This will allow the other user to remove his loop without having to take your line off the bollard. ~A

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

. . . If you are lucky enough to make it to Europe there is another entire body of etiquette that is unknown here: the default is to raft boats alongside docks/quays. Once tied alongside it is appropriate to hang fenders off the outside, in preparation for (and welcoming) a boat to lie alongside. I wish we were more willing to share as well. It is really annoying finding a dock covered with yachts lying alongside and no one willing to raft up. The English have an expression for this: "I'm all right Jack - pull the ladder up!". I just call it selfish and inconsiderate.

Good cruising etiquette is important so learn to pick up on it quickly and show that you care.

Greg

Amen! Great post. Welcoming of rafters-uppers is not consistent around Europe; was refused in Sweden once when I really needed it. But in the UK rafters-uppers expect to be welcomed. I once got scolded for not coming on deck to help take the lines of the boat rafting up It's a very good system, greatly improving your chances of finding a berth in a popular harbour. I have made long term friends via this kind of raft up! Another nice custom is rafters and raftees inviting each other for drinks.


Part of the whole culture of the sea is helping each other, to a much greater extent than is normally done on land. It's obvious if you think about it why -- if you need something at sea, you may be really screwed if no one cares and no one is interesting in helping you. So you gladly give it, share your fuel, food, water, expertise, or whatever, knowing that some day you might be the one in need.