Crash while docking.

[Newman]

absolutely not....there's enough heavy handed control in everything else as it is.....the Dealers need to be held to a higher standard when they cut someone loose on the water....same thing happens with motorcycles....you can go buy a bike that will run 200MPH on the street without any kind of training whatsoever....go out on the street kill yourself or others before ya blink your eye.....crazy.

I disagree with this 100% percent. YOU are responsible for your actions not the dealer. The excuse of "I didn't know that" or the "dealer didn't tell me I couldn't do that" is pure BS. It's an excuse to shift the blame from the offender to someone else. You, the operator, are expected to know the "ROR" and know that a stop sign means stop or what a no-wake sign means. I can't speak to those that choose to ignore the rules.

I applaud the dealers that step up to offer training/assistance. If they want to provide this service, AWESOME (I am all for it), but if they don't or you choose to ignore it then I believe it is of no fault of the dealer. My point is we should be expecting boat owners to do their due diligence; new, experienced, young or old and not be expecting someone else to do it for them.

 

[rcknecht]

One the best things about boating is the big brother is not involved (much)... The ROR is logical and can be learned. New boaters just need to have a friend help them... Don't go and pick up a boat without someone onboard who knows what to do. Let's try to help each other so big brother does not try to help... Next thing you know there will be speed limit signs on the water and stop lights...

 

[dwna1a]

A dealer (like mine was) is just like going to pre-school. If they choose to they will teach you some of the handling of your new boat, then it's up to the new owners to take those very basic skills and improve upon them! Keep this in mind tho, new owners rarely ask for help. From a new phone, to a new tractor, to a new boat, owners will rarely ask for help and at times accidents like this happen. When a person panics anything can and will happen!

As for licences, yes maybe... Maybe different levels of certifications with insurance discounts would intice new boaters to seek more education on boat handling and safety... Maybe better enforcement, I really don't know or pretend to know.

We've offered new to our marina boaters rides out into our area to show the danger areas. We use their boat to show how it handles in our currents, how to trim the motors up for our low tides, how to tie it up. In the two years we've been offering we've had three Captains.

 

[Billfletcher]

I think the "male ego" is definintely an issue in all of this for new boaters in not seeking assistance/training. I try to remember the simple phrase - "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I dont know".

Previous posters also made some good points about the ROR, stand off vessel, horn blows for passing, etc. I can tell you in San Diego, that only a very small % of the boaters have these basics down.

Oh well, it is summer, the sun is out, and the weather is warm so all is good.

 

[Joe5.0]

I just thought of something ironic. The title of this thread is "crash while docking", and I'd argue that EVERY docking is just a controlled "crash". At SOME point the boat touches a piling, fender, etc. Its just the speed and force at which it meets the object that defines how bad of a crash it is.

I have a LOT less experience than most on this board I'm sure, and I've got a 28 footer with a single I/O in a slip surrounded by monsters poking out 5' past the dock. I'll never rip on someone that has a bad docking experience unless its clear they have impaired judgement or are just overly idiotic. We had a group of people on a boat directly across/behind our slip start to audibly laugh and make comments one of the first times I docked this year. It was a new setup for me, as the dock was on my port and I have to approach from the port side. All my momentum and the wind takes me away from the dock and with a single screw there's not much I can do other than pivot the boat and hope I get it close to enough at the midship cleat for the wife to tie up. I didnt the first couple times and had to manually push off the pilings on the starboard side to move close enough to tie up. It really irked me that the people that NEVER take their POS floating RV out make fun of someone docking. I got over it real quick when the ONE time I saw the boat actually leave the slip the owner came in a little hot and smashed his pulpit into the seawall pretty good. It didnt do much damage, but the slurred yelling was pretty entertaining.

I came pretty close to walking over and making some semi-sarcastic remark, but I thought the better of it and just moved on.

Its almost always better to be helpful than critical. Sorry for getting OT. :grin:

 

[WDCboater]

I think the "male ego" is definintely an issue in all of this for new boaters in not seeking assistance/training. I try to remember the simple phrase - "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I dont know".

Previous posters also made some good points about the ROR, stand off vessel, horn blows for passing, etc. I can tell you in San Diego, that only a very small % of the boaters have these basics down.

Oh well, it is summer, the sun is out, and the weather is warm so all is good.

It amazes me here how many people don't know basic rules or know how to follow the channel. (and Washington, DC requires all operators to have a safety license)

Im one of only a few boaters in my marina who uses the horn when leaving. I also take my time going down the ally and getting into my slip. Some people race through the marina and we have incredibly tight conditions.

One thing I appreciate about my dealer is that they spend and entire day on the water with you at delivery. If they don't believe you're ready to leave with the boat on your own they'll park it back in a slip and work with you again. They make you go through docking training in slips with difficult wind conditions and with very little wiggle room.

While I would have liked a joystick, I'm glad I have a v-drive boat and I know how to do it the old fashioned way.

 

[Dsybok]

I disagree with this 100% percent. YOU are responsible for your actions not the dealer. The excuse of "I didn't know that" or the "dealer didn't tell me I couldn't do that" is pure BS. It's an excuse to shift the blame from the offender to someone else. You, the operator, are expected to know the "ROR" and know that a stop sign means stop or what a no-wake sign means. I can't speak to those that choose to ignore the rules.

I applaud the dealers that step up to offer training/assistance. If they want to provide this service, AWESOME (I am all for it), but if they don't or you choose to ignore it then I believe it is of no fault of the dealer. My point is we should be expecting boat owners to do their due diligence; new, experienced, young or old and not be expecting someone else to do it for them.

True that. My 320 was my first boat, and maybe I am no fool but never having handled a twin engine boat and never having driven a boat on the open ocean before I first went off and my admiral too, and took the 8 hour USCG Aux boating safety course. Of course I spent time studying books and the course was just to confirm what I had already learned reading. Next for my sea trial and delivery I hired an experienced delivery captain to take us on our 25 mile delivery from the marina we purchased in to the marina we had secured moorage in. This was after I had another experienced skipper friend give me some basics in throttle and power technique. Learned a lot on that trip, including slow speed maneuvering, and timing swells with proper application of throttle.

These things seemed like pretty basic things to me, but judging from what I see, it seems like a LOT of people just get the keys and go.

 

[Gary Hill]

Dealer training, licences, classes, etc. All good. Problem is, you can't fix stupid. Not trashing the old guy (hell who am I calling old) or those of us with the occasional docking issue. Problem is, the stupid is running amuck out there.

 

[Dsybok]

Interesting post script for me for this thread, this came today from Boat US to my inbox:


Dear California BoatU.S. Member:


Legislation is headed to the California Governor’s desk that will require boaters operating motorized vessels in the state to complete a boater education course and carry an operator card. BoatU.S. has been working with the Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) to help guide and shape the development of this legislation over the last several years.

Some key points:

This requirement will be a phased in by age:
Starting January 1, 2018, boat operators < 20 years old
January 1, 2019, boat operators <25 years old
January 1, 2020, boat operators <35 years old
January 1, 2021, boat operators <40 years old
January 1, 2022, boat operators <45 years old
January 1, 2023, boat operators <50 years old
January 1, 2024, boat operators <60 years old
January 1, 2025, all boater operators regardless of age
The state has not yet developed the system for getting cards to boaters. However, we anticipate that taking either a classroom or online course, like the free BoatU.S. Foundation boating safety course, will be satisfactory ways to qualify for the state card.

Holders of U.S. Coast Guard marine operators licenses, out of state boaters and renters are exempt.

California Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) may charge a fee for the operator card, not to exceed $30. BoatU.S. and RBOC have been and will continue to be engaged in this process to ensure the fee is reasonable. As a point of reference, Oregon currently charges $10 to issue its state boater education card.

Currently, 45 other states require some form of boater education.

You can review California Senate Bill 941 by clicking here.

RBOC and BoatU.S. support this legislation and are committed to ensuring its requirements are realistic for California boaters

 

[WDCboater]

Interesting post script for me for this thread, this came today from Boat US to my inbox:


Dear California BoatU.S. Member:


Legislation is headed to the California Governor’s desk that will require boaters operating motorized vessels in the state to complete a boater education course and carry an operator card. BoatU.S. has been working with the Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) to help guide and shape the development of this legislation over the last several years.

Some key points:

This requirement will be a phased in by age:
Starting January 1, 2018, boat operators < 20 years old
January 1, 2019, boat operators <25 years old
January 1, 2020, boat operators <35 years old
January 1, 2021, boat operators <40 years old
January 1, 2022, boat operators <45 years old
January 1, 2023, boat operators <50 years old
January 1, 2024, boat operators <60 years old
January 1, 2025, all boater operators regardless of age
The state has not yet developed the system for getting cards to boaters. However, we anticipate that taking either a classroom or online course, like the free BoatU.S. Foundation boating safety course, will be satisfactory ways to qualify for the state card.

Holders of U.S. Coast Guard marine operators licenses, out of state boaters and renters are exempt.

California Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) may charge a fee for the operator card, not to exceed $30. BoatU.S. and RBOC have been and will continue to be engaged in this process to ensure the fee is reasonable. As a point of reference, Oregon currently charges $10 to issue its state boater education card.

Currently, 45 other states require some form of boater education.

You can review California Senate Bill 941 by clicking here.

RBOC and BoatU.S. support this legislation and are committed to ensuring its requirements are realistic for California boaters

I'm surprised CA is so far behind on this.
In Virginia all operators will be required to have a safety license by 2016.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating/education/boating-safety-education-requirement.asp

DC it's already mandatory.

 

[MonacoMike]

I'm surprised CA is so far behind on this.
In Virginia all operators will be required to have a safety license by 2016.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating/education/boating-safety-education-requirement.asp

DC it's already mandatory.

Assume out of state operators are excluded if you meet your states requirements.

MM