I yelled at a guest - and what I am doing about it

fwebster said:
But before we even pivot the boat in front of the slip, I tell any guests aboard to sit "here" and I point at the seats I expect them to sit in and tell them: "We do this all the time and we can handle the lines and the boat so please stay seated until I turn off the engines."
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This is my process as well. Just prior to pulling into any dock, I ask any passengers seated in my way from the helm to the stern to switch seats so I don't trip over them. If they've never been on my boat before, I will tell them, "I'm going to get next to the dock, and then walk this way to get off the boat so I can attach the bow line. Once I step off of the boat, you can follow me off, and hold the stern to the dock by grabbing this (usually the camper top frame). If I do not get off of the boat, please stay seated.". I rarely have pax on rough days, so it's usually safe to do that. I let them know that I dock my boat by myself on a regular basis, and that if I need any help I will ask them to help. I tell them that if I ask them to do something, and it is not crystal clear to them what I am asking them to do, to do nothing at all and to speak up right away to tell me that they didn't understand. Doing the wrong thing is often worse than doing nothing.

I find that experienced boaters will understand, and will stay seated. If nothing else, out of sheer curiosity of what my solo docking routine is. If I dock a second time with the same experienced boater(s) on board I'll say, If you want to help with the bow line this time, please do and spring it to the center cleat just like I did the last time.".

Every once in a while, someone with a memory span of less than 3 minutes will do something else, but that's only happened once or twice.
 
I don't profess to know Panamanian maritime law or that of our neighbors to the north, but your method of a funds transfer could be construed as a charter for hire and of "consideration" in some USCG districts.

That makes your vessel subject to commercial vessel regulations, inspections and requirements for specific safety gear like a life raft, EPIRB, having a licensed captain onboard with a TWIC.....at a minimum 6 pack or OUPV and a master's license if there are more than 6 passengers aboard.

Here is the definition of "Consideration" for you US readers anyway:

Any economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit including monetary payment going to an individual, person, or entity, but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage, by monetary compensation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies. 46 USC 2101 (5a).

I let my Masters License lapse a few years ago because the USCG began strict enforcement of these definitions in the District where we boat and it just wasn't worth the hassle of staying license and TWIC current for the peanuts I was making delivering a few boats and doing a few new customer orientations a year for the SR dealer. So, be careful if you are using a cost sharing or repayment scheme in the US.......you could end up filling out Federal forms for several days to avoid fines and legal hassles.
 
fwebster said:
I don't profess to know Panamanian maritime law or that of our neighbors to the north, but your method of a funds transfer could be construed as a charter for hire and of "consideration" in some USCG districts.

That makes your vessel subject to commercial vessel regulations, inspections and requirements for specific safety gear like a life raft, EPIRB, having a licensed captain onboard with a TWIC.....at a minimum 6 pack or OUPV and a master's license if there are more than 6 passengers aboard.

Here is the definition of "Consideration" for you US readers anyway:

Any economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit including monetary payment going to an individual, person, or entity, but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage, by monetary compensation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies. 46 USC 2101 (5a).

I let my Masters License lapse a few years ago because the USCG began strict enforcement of these definitions in the District where we boat and it just wasn't worth the hassle of staying license and TWIC current for the peanuts I was making delivering a few boats and doing a few new customer orientations a year for the SR dealer. So, be careful if you are using a cost sharing or repayment scheme in the US.......you could end up filling out Federal forms for several days to avoid fines and legal hassles.
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Panama we have condo
Canada we have boat. We are retired and feeding a family for 2 weeks is a bit much. Once we had guest that stayed for a month they bought 10 bottles of wine and a jug of beer. Only way we got rid of them was park the boat and we went home.
 
northern said:
Panama we have condo
Canada we have boat. We are retired and feeding a family for 2 weeks is a bit much. Once we had guest that stayed for a month they bought 10 bottles of wine and a jug of beer. Only way we got rid of them was park the boat and we went home.
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Sounds like you need to stop inviting these "guests."
 
Golfman25 said:
Sounds like you need to stop inviting these "guests."
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Wave did it without offending. Used to get calls telling us when they would arrive for their vacation. We have been very open to people dropping in now we want some control. The ones we can all and say we will visit them are waver exempt.
 
fwebster said:
I don't profess to know Panamanian maritime law or that of our neighbors to the north, but your method of a funds transfer could be construed as a charter for hire and of "consideration" in some USCG districts.

That makes your vessel subject to commercial vessel regulations, inspections and requirements for specific safety gear like a life raft, EPIRB, having a licensed captain onboard with a TWIC.....at a minimum 6 pack or OUPV and a master's license if there are more than 6 passengers aboard.

Here is the definition of "Consideration" for you US readers anyway:

Any economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit including monetary payment going to an individual, person, or entity, but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage, by monetary compensation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies. 46 USC 2101 (5a).

I let my Masters License lapse a few years ago because the USCG began strict enforcement of these definitions in the District where we boat and it just wasn't worth the hassle of staying license and TWIC current for the peanuts I was making delivering a few boats and doing a few new customer orientations a year for the SR dealer. So, be careful if you are using a cost sharing or repayment scheme in the US.......you could end up filling out Federal forms for several days to avoid fines and legal hassles.
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I had a similar thought and then you spell it all out a few posts later.

How do you keep all this knowledge from leaking out of your head while staying well rounded and grounded in reality?

Thanks for the continuing education!

northern said:
Wave did it without offending. Used to get calls telling us when they would arrive for their vacation. We have been very open to people dropping in now we want some control. The ones we can all and say we will visit them are waver exempt.
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Sometimes it’s okay to be offensive if you are being taken advantage of.

You can make your feelings known with strong language without being insulting or offensive. I had to learn that and it helps you find out who your real friends are.
 
Blaster,
Thanks for the compliment. We have both been around CSR long enough to realize the need for "continuing education"......I'm just trying to do my part!

Northern,
I'm with you on controlling guests. I retired early and have a house on the beach in Fla and one in the hills of Tennessee, both beautiful areas that attracted what seems like every person we ever met. "Hey. are you guys going to be around next week?" To which we started out answering "Sure" because we didn't want to make people mad. Well, the effort to not make people mad ended when a friend called from one of the Tennessee state parks 60 miles away with: "I was just checking to see if you were in Tennessee, we are hooking up our camper and can be at your house in about an hour. Can't wait to see you.......... Then he shows up with a 1 ton dodge pulling a 4 axle 5th wheel travel trailer and expects me to rig a power feed from my welders to his trailer so he can run 3 AC/units. The next 3 days were spent arguing with him over uncovering our sewer line so he can dump his holding tank.....(he knows I have a backhoe!) Did I mention that they travel with 5 dogs (mixed male and female) and 6 cats? His wife is a sweetheart and my wife really likes her and enjoys spending time with her, but the guy wears real thin, real fast.

The straw that broke my wife' back was when they were banging pots and pans in the kitchen @ 6AM. on Day 16 of our running an accidental bed and breakfast. My wife isn't an early riser and she woke me up and demanded that I find out what the hell was going on. I went back to the bedroom and reported that "your guests" are ready for breakfast. When Fran made it to the kitchen, the guy cheerily says: "Toots, I need some coffee and what is for breakfast". Later, I suggested that they needed to be somewhere else for the remainder of their Tennessee visit

Now, we never welcome guests who invite themselves and we always are clear about the length of visits......we also never "loan" our beach house.
 
Frank,
Your male guest could be named “Cousin Eddie”. (From The Vacation movie series)
 
fwebster said:
Blaster,
Thanks for the compliment. We have both been around CSR long enough to realize the need for "continuing education"......I'm just trying to do my part!

Northern,
I'm with you on controlling guests. I retired early and have a house on the beach in Fla and one in the hills of Tennessee, both beautiful areas that attracted what seems like every person we ever met. "Hey. are you guys going to be around next week?" To which we started out answering "Sure" because we didn't want to make people mad. Well, the effort to not make people mad ended when a friend called from one of the Tennessee state parks 60 miles away with: "I was just checking to see if you were in Tennessee, we are hooking up our camper and can be at your house in about an hour. Can't wait to see you.......... Then he shows up with a 1 ton dodge pulling a 4 axle 5th wheel travel trailer and expects me to rig a power feed from my welders to his trailer so he can run 3 AC/units. The next 3 days were spent arguing with him over uncovering our sewer line so he can dump his holding tank.....(he knows I have a backhoe!) Did I mention that they travel with 5 dogs (mixed male and female) and 6 cats? His wife is a sweetheart and my wife really likes her and enjoys spending time with her, but the guy wears real thin, real fast.

The straw that broke my wife' back was when they were banging pots and pans in the kitchen @ 6AM. on Day 16 of our running an accidental bed and breakfast. My wife isn't an early riser and she woke me up and demanded that I find out what the hell was going on. I went back to the bedroom and reported that "your guests" are ready for breakfast. When Fran made it to the kitchen, the guy cheerily says: "Toots, I need some coffee and what is for breakfast". Later, I suggested that they needed to be somewhere else for the remainder of their Tennessee visit

Now, we never welcome guests who invite themselves and we always are clear about the length of visits......we also never "loan" our beach house.
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Best one we got a call from some one who does not like people staying with him but expects to stay with you. He called and said he would be visiting for a couple of weeks. I said we will not be home he said just leave the keys under the mat. Waver with cost got him to not visit. He is now single so you get him and a new woman.
 
Blueone said:
:eek::eek:.... and people do this ?
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I thought I was being tough for asking guests to bring what they drink, then bring what they don’t finish back home with them.
Storage and fridge space fills up fast.
If a guest stops by unannounced I can offer them Tangueray and Tonic, Jack Daniels or bottled water. We usually have a good supply of each aboard because it’s what we drink.
We’re not beer or soda drinkers so we don’t usually keep either on the boat.
It’s not unusual to have 8 or 10 people on the boat and each of them drinks something different. I gave up a long time ago trying to keep a variety of different adult beverage options on my boat.
 
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