Marina Etiquette
When you’re an avid boater, you no doubt encounter many different marinas during your boating adventures. Often, on weekends and holidays and the nicest summer days, these marinas are crowded with water users of all stripes, including many other boaters. Tempers can quickly run high as people lose patience, but not with the crowds -- with poor manners. Being disrespectful and rude at the marina can cause a number of problems for you and those around you.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to mend your ways and make things right by learning and employing the right etiquette. This convenient guide to marina etiquette compiled by Germaine Marine should help you navigate any marina with easy grace. You’ll win the respect of other marina users and perhaps even encourage them to behave better at the dock!
Slow Down
You wouldn’t pull into a parking lot at 50 miles an hour, trying to jam yourself between two yellow lines at top speed. Similarly, you shouldn’t race into your slip with your motor at full throttle. Reduce your boat’s speed as you approach the marina, well in advance of getting close to other boaters and water users. You don’t want to churn up waves and knock other boaters around with your haste, nor do you want to splash or submerge swimmers in your wake. Maintain a slow but steady speed as you come into the marina and pull into your slip. This will keep you and others safe and lower the chances that your boat will be damaged.
Don’t Linger
You wouldn’t stay at the gas pump for fifteen minutes after your car is done fueling, so why would you linger at the fuel station when your boat is filled up? Move along expediently to keep boat traffic flowing. This allows others to get fueled up so they can head out sooner, too. By the same turn, don’t linger at the entrance of a marina or block any paths with your boat. Keep yourself out of the way of others so that tempers don’t rise.
Keep The Docks Clear
While you’re docking your boat, you’ll likely toss ropes, watercraft and fishing equipment, life jackets, towels and other items onto the dock to get them out of the way. Don’t forget to remove these items to your vehicle or stow them back neatly on your boat afterwards. Coil up ropes so they don’t trip people walking on the dock. When you do dock your boat, make sure the bow doesn’t come up over the edge of the dock, impeding foot traffic. If you have a problem with this consistently, try docking your boat with the stern facing the dock instead.
Respect Other Marina Users
If you’re at a marina in the evening and the scene is very quiet, you don’t want to be the one disturbing the peace with loud conversation and raucous music. Spend time quietly with family and friends watching the sunset or conversing, but be respectful of those around you who wish to do the same without being troubled by noise.
Turn Everything Off
Before you leave your boat for the night, make sure every electronic device and light is turned off. You don’t want your lights to blind or distract other boaters in the dark, or prevent them from stargazing! You also don’t want your radio or TV to crackle with static all night. Not only would neglecting this task be distracting to marina neighbors, but it would run down all your batteries and waste power.
Still seeking the boat of your dreams for aquatic adventures? If you’re in the states of Utah or Arizona, come pay Germaine Marine a visit! We can show you our full inventory of new and used boats for sale, as well as swap boating tips and tricks.