iBoat Skipper Doug
Active Member
- Aug 8, 2018
- 140
- Boat Info
- 2003 225 Weekender w/Bravo III drive
2019 Venture trailer
- Engines
- 5.7 MPI Mercruiser w/Bravo III drive
I made a mistake and yelled at a onboard guest.
I’m sharing what happened, and how I’m trying to learn from what happened so I can be a better skipper.
I welcome your critical or supportive review.
The Background:
We had guests onboard our 24 foot cuddy cabin boat, a Mom, Dad, and two children, the youngest a toddler. They also own a boat, a old, small, aluminum fishing boat with outboard, but I don’t judge, a boats a boat.
It had already been a long, hot boating day, with much time spent in the sun at a shallow, sandy bottomed, popular anchorage. I was getting tired.
My frustration level became elevated due to guest actions. For example, the guest applied aloe sunburn spray inside my cabin, getting it all over my seats. They just saw me go onto my swim platform to do that to myself. Then the mother reached into her oversized purse, pulled out a box of blueberries, which her children were grabbing and dropping onto my seats and carpet. My request to put away the blueberries until they were off the boat so I do not get stains resulted in the mother rolling her eyes. Another example, while on plane I turned around to see the toddler without a life jacket. I asked what happened to the life jacket? The mother said her child was hot so she took it off. After having the guests not listen to me all day, I decide the safest thing to do was this; I came off plane, went to neutral and said I was sorry but state law requires I not make way unless children under 12 years old are wearing a life jacket. Tensions were rising.
The Event:
We needed to get fuel as we passed a station. Its a poor setup with the dock on the river. The easy, upstream side of the fuel dock was taken, but the two of us had docked there many times. We got fenders and lines ready on the starboard side. My Admiral went on the bow to lasso a dock cleat.
Just the two of us have done this downstream docking with success many times. What we do is she gets the bow line attached to a dock cleat. Next, I reverse the boat with the drive turned toward the dock which pulls the stern tight to the dock, put boat in neutral, then quickly get the stern line on the dock cleat. Its that simple.
This day, with the guests onboard, as my Admiral was on the bow securing the bow line to a dock cleat, the Dad stood up, went to the starboard aft corner and stood by the stern line and cleat. I thought to myself, I have a second helper, a experienced boater. How awesome.
With the bow line attached to the dock cleat, and the boats stern being pulled way from the dock by the wind and current, I turned the wheel to full starboard and reversed the engine, just like I had planned. This pulled the stern back to the dock, just like always.
The guests back was to me. His hands went up and in front of him. Certainly he’s putting the stern line on the dock cleat. But wait, the stern is floating back away from the dock. Oh,... he must have missed getting the line onto the dock cleat. No worries, I repeat the process of reversing, pulling the boats stern snugly against the dock. His hands go up, just like last time. But again, the stern starts floating way from the dock.
After the third attempt, the guest turns slightly toward me. Now I can see his hands are not trying to get the line on the dock cleat. Shoot, he doesn’t even have his hands on the dock line. He has his fingers in his mouth picking out blueberry skins from his teeth! He’s blocking me from getting to the stern line and completely clueless about what is happening.
Thats when I loose it. I yell “Get the F***ing line on the F***ing dock cleat or get the F*** out of the way so I can do it!
Now knowing what he needed to do, he immediately and easily put the line on the cleat.
The Lesson:
I regretted loosing my temper as soon as the sentence was out of my mouth. I never verbalized to the guest my expectations, so the guest never acknowledged their understanding of what they needed to do.
I have apologized to the guests. It was my fault. Although there were no injuries beyond feelings, it could have been worse.
Now, my goal is to learn from my mistake. After doing some research, I think I know how.
I came across a story of a airplane disaster, the deadliest plane disaster in history. Thats where I learned about a process to improve teamwork and reduce mistakes called Crew Resource Managment or CRM.
Thats my new passion for improving my seamanship. I want to be a better skipper. A safer skipper. A skipper who does not loose his temper and yell.
Below is a video about the basic concepts of CRM and a sheet I made for myself to start my journey to becoming a better skipper through utilizing CRM.
Although the video focuses on ambulance E.M.T.s, the concepts are the same for airplane pilots, operating rooms, and yes, recreational boaters. Basically any place prone to miscommunications resulting in safety concerns.
Again, I welcome your critical or supportive review.
What are your thoughts?
Do you feel CRM could make you a better skipper?
Are you experienced in CRM?
In my below self-made beginners CRM guide, what would you change?
I’m sharing what happened, and how I’m trying to learn from what happened so I can be a better skipper.
I welcome your critical or supportive review.
The Background:
We had guests onboard our 24 foot cuddy cabin boat, a Mom, Dad, and two children, the youngest a toddler. They also own a boat, a old, small, aluminum fishing boat with outboard, but I don’t judge, a boats a boat.
It had already been a long, hot boating day, with much time spent in the sun at a shallow, sandy bottomed, popular anchorage. I was getting tired.
My frustration level became elevated due to guest actions. For example, the guest applied aloe sunburn spray inside my cabin, getting it all over my seats. They just saw me go onto my swim platform to do that to myself. Then the mother reached into her oversized purse, pulled out a box of blueberries, which her children were grabbing and dropping onto my seats and carpet. My request to put away the blueberries until they were off the boat so I do not get stains resulted in the mother rolling her eyes. Another example, while on plane I turned around to see the toddler without a life jacket. I asked what happened to the life jacket? The mother said her child was hot so she took it off. After having the guests not listen to me all day, I decide the safest thing to do was this; I came off plane, went to neutral and said I was sorry but state law requires I not make way unless children under 12 years old are wearing a life jacket. Tensions were rising.
The Event:
We needed to get fuel as we passed a station. Its a poor setup with the dock on the river. The easy, upstream side of the fuel dock was taken, but the two of us had docked there many times. We got fenders and lines ready on the starboard side. My Admiral went on the bow to lasso a dock cleat.
Just the two of us have done this downstream docking with success many times. What we do is she gets the bow line attached to a dock cleat. Next, I reverse the boat with the drive turned toward the dock which pulls the stern tight to the dock, put boat in neutral, then quickly get the stern line on the dock cleat. Its that simple.
This day, with the guests onboard, as my Admiral was on the bow securing the bow line to a dock cleat, the Dad stood up, went to the starboard aft corner and stood by the stern line and cleat. I thought to myself, I have a second helper, a experienced boater. How awesome.
With the bow line attached to the dock cleat, and the boats stern being pulled way from the dock by the wind and current, I turned the wheel to full starboard and reversed the engine, just like I had planned. This pulled the stern back to the dock, just like always.
The guests back was to me. His hands went up and in front of him. Certainly he’s putting the stern line on the dock cleat. But wait, the stern is floating back away from the dock. Oh,... he must have missed getting the line onto the dock cleat. No worries, I repeat the process of reversing, pulling the boats stern snugly against the dock. His hands go up, just like last time. But again, the stern starts floating way from the dock.
After the third attempt, the guest turns slightly toward me. Now I can see his hands are not trying to get the line on the dock cleat. Shoot, he doesn’t even have his hands on the dock line. He has his fingers in his mouth picking out blueberry skins from his teeth! He’s blocking me from getting to the stern line and completely clueless about what is happening.
Thats when I loose it. I yell “Get the F***ing line on the F***ing dock cleat or get the F*** out of the way so I can do it!
Now knowing what he needed to do, he immediately and easily put the line on the cleat.
The Lesson:
I regretted loosing my temper as soon as the sentence was out of my mouth. I never verbalized to the guest my expectations, so the guest never acknowledged their understanding of what they needed to do.
I have apologized to the guests. It was my fault. Although there were no injuries beyond feelings, it could have been worse.
Now, my goal is to learn from my mistake. After doing some research, I think I know how.
I came across a story of a airplane disaster, the deadliest plane disaster in history. Thats where I learned about a process to improve teamwork and reduce mistakes called Crew Resource Managment or CRM.
Thats my new passion for improving my seamanship. I want to be a better skipper. A safer skipper. A skipper who does not loose his temper and yell.
Below is a video about the basic concepts of CRM and a sheet I made for myself to start my journey to becoming a better skipper through utilizing CRM.
Although the video focuses on ambulance E.M.T.s, the concepts are the same for airplane pilots, operating rooms, and yes, recreational boaters. Basically any place prone to miscommunications resulting in safety concerns.
Again, I welcome your critical or supportive review.
What are your thoughts?
Do you feel CRM could make you a better skipper?
Are you experienced in CRM?
In my below self-made beginners CRM guide, what would you change?