Date: 5 July 2015. Boat Etiquette
101: Permission to board.
© janice142
All too
many people do not realize that boats are private. Take yesterday
evening... As the sun was going down a fellow and his three year old
came out onto the dock (marked Private: No Trespassing) and hopped
aboard Rollin' Stone. The nerve! If you want to know the quickest
way to irritate a boat owner, stepping aboard uninvited is probably Number One
on the list.
Rollin' Stone is the large black hulled steel shrimp
boat to the far left.
I cannot
imagine how well anyone would like it if a stranger came onto a
private porch and made themselves at home. To be fair alcohol was
involved. That is the
why, but never an excuse for poor behavior.
When I
questioned the idiot he told me he wanted his little girl to see the
fireworks from the boat. Also, he acted like I was the problem and
should allow it.
No. Not a
chance. Never.
Yes, many
boaters are social creatures.
Others might best be described as curmudgeons.
I know of more
than one boat named Curmudgeon.
Side Note: If your boat is named Curmudgeon, I
would love to share a
picture on my site. Send your photo (the larger the better) to me at
janice@janice142.com please. And thanks.
As for me,
I tend toward the more sociable side of the dock. I look forward to having
friends stop by unless I am in the middle of a project such as
reorganizing the galley. For some reason when the boat looks like
the next picture I am totally uninterested in seeing anyone.
Disaster, clutter and chaos do not make me happy. You
can
well imagine how happy I am when Seaweed looks like this:
The galley is a mess, at least part-way through the
remodel. Tidy and finished is covered in an upcoming article.
However,
when you wish to visit aboard a boat, it is never wrong to ask
"Permission to come aboard". Even friends ask. We never assume
no matter how many times we've been on a boat that we are welcome at
that particular time.
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Boat
Etiquette 101 |
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#1) Always ask "Permission
to come aboard"
#2) Always wait for the
response before boarding
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That is it, in its entirety. Wait, don't ask and assume it is
okay to immediately
step aboard. Get permission first.
It is easy to make
friends on the docks. Everyone I know likes to hear their
boat is wonderful, and how much someone admires it.
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I often get comments on Seaweed's solar panels. All want to cut their
power bills, so there is interest in the possibilities solar
affords. As for me, I enjoy sharing what I have learned over the
years.
Above is one of my three solar panels. This one is atop the
pilothouse. You can see the wind generator in the background. And
no, I don't know why the blades appear to be bent. Picture taking is
not my strong suit.
Children seem better versed in solar power than the adults.
Few are familiar with the wind-gen aka wind generator. That
said, the kidlets do not understand the realities of how many solar panels
are required for their normal house-bound lifestyle.
Even my Grand asks permission
to board Seaweed.
Quite often
I invite Kidlets aboard, after first instructing them on the
"Permission to board" rules. Of course I ask the parents approval
too. After granting the kidlets an okay, more than one parent has
barreled aboard too -- without asking!
Do not set
foot on a boat without the privilege being granted.
And never ever
go on board a boat without asking first. Even friends ask.
Remember a
few days ago we discussed Rocky Raccoon? In the
Rocky Raccoon Returns
article, the raccoon came aboard Rollin' Stone without permission.
Here he is slinking away afterwards. Do not be that critter.
Good boat etiquette begins at dockside. Asking often will result
in a lovely visit. My friend Angela stopped by in her kayak one day
and we had a laughter filled chat.
We shared a beverage and then she took her kayak back
across the river. It was a nice treat for me because as a soloist,
well, it gets lonesome sometimes.
Her boat, the S/V Teasa is the
third to the right of the building. The boat is eventually heading
for Brazil. Teasa has already brought Angela and her Daniel across
the Atlantic Ocean. You will
note the boat has a much stouter mast than the others. Teasa is set
up for blue-water sailing. She is a beauty.
Sharing my waterfront world is wonderful. All I ask
is that you request permission to come aboard before assuming my good
nature will keep you alive. Thanks!
Oh, and calling on VHF Channel 16
is always welcome too.
Have you ever had anyone tromp aboard your boat without
asking?
And, do you have any secrets to keep the dock-walkers off your boat?
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© 2015, 2023
Categories:
Boats,
Characters,
Security,
Wild Things
Rocky Raccoon Returns ~
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