Tipping Dock masters.

Siboatguy

Siboatguy

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Mar 28, 2016
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Holmdel,NJ
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1999 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer
2005 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer
2005 Sea Ray 340 Sundancer
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When we go away to other marinas and see the dock masters... They help you tie up they help u un tie... They watch over your boat if its not a floating dock. How much do you usually tip? Sometimes I'm 50 bucks and sometimes I'm 20 in and 20 out... Is this too much?
 
I wouldn't say it's too much, but it's a lot more than what I tip. The most I usually tip is $5 in and $5 out. If the service is not so good I'll probably just give $5 total. The most I've ever given is $20 total. Perhaps I'm being stingy?
 
Siboatguy said:
When we go away to other marinas and see the dock masters... They help you tie up they help u un tie... They watch over your boat if its not a floating dock. How much do you usually tip? Sometimes I'm 50 bucks and sometimes I'm 20 in and 20 out... Is this too much?
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Dock/Harbor masters or dock hands?
 
Say either one?? Who's helping you Tie up,Watch the boat, Un tie, Held a slip because you were close?
 
Size of the boat equates with the tip, too. Bigger boat, bigger tip. Twenty is the norm for me, in and out, and fueling. Also, do you have to compete with other boats for the attention of dock hands?

To me, it's similar to trash removal in our neighborhood. I tip each man $20 about every month or so. I get much better service from them than they give to my neighbors.
 
I have a smaller boat, so it depends on where I am, how much help I get, and if I think I need someone keeping an eye on it while I'm away.

Fuel docks - $5 if they are friendly and courteous when they hand me the nozzle and run my debit card. $10 if I get also get a pump out while I'm there.

Dock bars / restaurants - Usually $10 if they help more tie up, but maybe a little more of the place is busy and they get me in anyway. I usually keep a bottle of 5 yo Antiguan rum on board, so I occasionally offer a shot of that if they go above and beyond. That one nearly always gets me special treatment for the rest of the season with that particular dock master.

Marinas - $10 if they just help me tie up, or $20 if they help and I think it will help to get them to keep an eye on my boat while I'm away.
 
$10-$20. Based on what they do to help. $0 if they just watch.
 
I usually do 20. If it's some kid working there for the summer trying to make a few bucks, it's 10.
 
We were at a dock and dine restaurant a few years ago waiting for a table when we saw an older couple backing in to a slip. My then 15 or 16 year old son went and grabbed a line from the wife to be courteous and polite, then helped them tie up. The whole encounter lasted less than 5 minutes.
If we’re at a transient dock we always go to grab a line from a boat that is coming in if we can.
The husband gave him a $10.00 bill. He told the guy that he wasn’t working there, but the guy insisted he take it. I thought that was pretty nice.
 
I think the discussion so far has been about tipping when you're visiting a marina as a transient. I'm curious how folks handle their "home" marina staff? Do you do something every time you come in and out, or do a more generous tip/gift at the end of the season, or some combination of both?
 
be_prepared said:
I think the discussion so far has been about tipping when you're visiting a marina as a transient. I'm curious how folks handle their "home" marina staff? Do you do something every time you come in and out, or do a more generous tip/gift at the end of the season, or some combination of both?
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Good point, I've just got into the habit of tipping them for services provided. They work a seasonal job, at least here in jersey, and I feel I get somewhat a better service. Example, the waste guy comes out every two weeks to vacuum out our waste, I always tip 40 bucks for that service, and never feel guilty about if I was tipping enough...after speaking with the other boaters, they say they give him 100 for the season. However, last weekend I needed him to swing buy for an emergency vacuum out of waste an he showed up after 10 min after me calling him. The other boaters were wondering what I said to him to make him come out so fast and they all swore I'll have to wait another week.

Time is money and when they provide a service I need and they do a good job, I don't mind tipping. Not sure if I answered the question correctly but in think if I do the math, on average I spend 300-400 in tips for the season.
 
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On a lake, so don't run into a tipping scenario other than when getting fuel.

First couple of times I thought I got poor service, so no tip. Buddy with me one time said tip them $20 and see if that changes things moving forward, so I did.

Next time I pulled in for fuel, they were all over it helping. Each time I go, I now tip $20 and get outstanding service throughout the process.

Wouldn't be surprised if they keep a "tipper" list...
 
This year I tipped our dockhands $100 at the beginning of the season (the ones I see on a regular basis, not all of them). I get exceptional service now (it was good before, no complaining). Saturday night we made the 5:30 opening of the draw bridge to get back to our home marina before the guys closed up at 6. When I radioed in for a hand, the reply was "Mike, we saw you waiting and are already at your slip, take your time" Cool kid. M
 
At transient marina's - 10-20 based on how helpful they are. That includes lines and power cables.

Anytime I have a service, I tip again. Pump out - if they are doing the pump out $20 - I have two blackwater tanks.

Fuel - 10 or so.
 
We tip for docking - $10 in and usually $5 to $10 out - as out is little to no work. So far as fuel, usually $0 as I fuel my own boat. As a firefighter / paramedic, have seen on too many boats with bilges / water tanks / black water tanks full of fuel from the dock hand fueling the incorrect fill. There is a process to safe fueling and we follow it precisely. If we leave the boat for any length of time, (dinner away from the marina, etc) I find the dock person and ask them to keep and eye on boat and tip them accordingly for that.
 
spikedaddy99 said:
This year I tipped our dockhands $100 at the beginning of the season (the ones I see on a regular basis, not all of them). I get exceptional service now (it was good before, no complaining). Saturday night we made the 5:30 opening of the draw bridge to get back to our home marina before the guys closed up at 6. When I radioed in for a hand, the reply was "Mike, we saw you waiting and are already at your slip, take your time" Cool kid. M
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Reminds me of a couple years ago. I was heading to the marina at St Ignace. It was dark when I pulled in so just pulled into an empty slip. There were two people standing there waiting to help. It was the Harbormaster and his wife.

Their day was already over. They were heading south across the Mackinac Bridge when the Harbormasters wife saw us approaching the bridge from the west and said 'I bet they're going to the marina'. They had to finish crossing the bridge, turned around, and came all the way back to the marina. They didn't check us in then, helped us tie up, and said 'see ya in the morning'.
 
When we are traveling, there is always someone to help us, so they get a tip depending on service, 5 or 10 bucks, more if it's a nasty spot or nasty weather. It's a non issue at our home port as there are no "dock hands".
 
I tip both dock hands (one is the harbormaster) $20 each when I arrive at our normal transient slip. I tip $10 each to fuel dock attendants. At the home marina, there are no dock hands and we all try to take care of each other. I stop whatever I'm doing to help another boater at the dock and several others do the same. It comes in handy on days like yesterday when I had 25 knot wind blowing me straight away from the dock. It's not too hard to get it close in that wind, but keeping there can be a real challenge with just two of us on the boat. I appreciate the dock neighbors helping and I return the favor whenever I can.
 
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I tip the college students working summer jobs 10-20 bucks depending on how much they do and how much help they are at the transient marinas we visit. The Habor Masters on Lake Michigan are mostly full time year round staff who never appear to expect tips. They mostly supervise the dock hands. I don't tip them. My storage marina does great work and they really charge high prices for it. The staff is well paid and I don't tip them, but always thank them for doing good work. Many have become friends of ours over the many years we have done business with them. Tipping practices seem to vary by geographic regions.
 
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