Slipway etiquette

[Tideline]

Years ago, the only launching and retrieval I ever did was on quiet irish beaches and slipways where even the tide seemed to wait for you. But with pressure on slipways these days, can anyone give me some constructive do's, don'ts and grizzles that you have had about boat users and what they do and what they shouldn't.

 

[DinghyMan]

From what I've seen at Windermere its;

Park for an hour in the "No Parking" area

As soon as someone has struggled past you ask them how long they will be as you want to launch NOW

Ignore everyone and just abandon everything everything in everyones way and then wander off for a piss or coffee

Back your trailer, very badly, down the slip and see how many pedestrians and boats you can hit

When vehicle if blocking slip remember you left your brain in the car park and wonder off again for 30 mins

Take boat off trailer and abandon on the "No Mooring" area which was obviously left there just for you

After all this sit in boat in no mooring area for four hours then make a complete [assorted words] up of backing trailer down slip and recover boat

Tow boat into car park, go wrong way round one way system, back into at least two vehicles and piss off without leaving insurance details, exit car park by entrance instead of exit just be be an arse

Well thats how it appears to be done every weekend I've been there anyway... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[STEVEDUNSTABLE]

ive been towing, launching & recovering boats for over 25yrs. in that time i have learnt ALL there is to know on this subject!!! these are all compulsory BUT not in any order. never check water depth until you are at the front of the queue. never prep boat until you can cause maximum delays. make sure boat battery is flat AFTER launching. never have a bow line secured and ready. ALLWAYS ensure famliy dog is NOT on lead to allow peeing on other boats in queue. ensure boat is well loaded with booze but NO life jackets etc. etc etc etc................ that should start you off. loads more if needed

 

[ataylor]

Good Question, There's one thing that really gets the red mist flowing. You pull up at the slip and park to the side, organize yourself in your own time and when you are ready to launch some idiot has parked on the slip, thus stopping anybody else from using it and proceeds to spend the next half hour removing straps, light board and loading car etc.  Please Please only back onto the slip when you are ready to launch.

 

[Avocet]

Ah happy memories! We used to trail and sail a Leisure 17 on Windermere years ago and we used to get quite miffed by muppets with speedboats who always seemed to ait until they were blocking the slipway to discover that:

their battery was flat,
they hadn't got any fuel,
their outboard wouldn't start,
the power tilt wouldn't work,
the trim tabs wouldn't work,
or any combination of the above!!!!

There were times when I really felt like backing on to the slipway and THEN "remembering" to step the mast and put the sails on!

Oh, and while I'm having a rant, I also used to get pig sick of people with shallow draft uber-manoeuvrable speedboats that would float in a couple of inches of water taking up all the spaces round the outermost ends of the public jetties so that people with keels couldn't use the (completely empty) spaces at the shallow end of the jetty!!!!!!

 

[William_H]

This looks like a pommy "Grumpy old trailer boat men" rant.
Trailer boats are extremely popular around here. Boat ramps are well organised and in fact many of the complaints you rant about are dealt with at least by signs. You would get a clear raz if you took time preparing the boat on the ramp and retrieval is in order of trailer arrival not boat arrival. The one near me is 4 wide so not usually any wait. migrate olewill

 

[davidpbo]

Well, you got a few grumpy replies to that didn't you.

I pay any dues and ask what the procedure is if there is any, i.e. does a slot have to be booked? and do my best not to get in anyone's way or leave too mcuh stuff lying around because

a) It is a hazard.
b) I might forget it.
c) It might get nicked.

Rig the boat in an area where it does not inconvenience anyone else and then launch. Clear the boat from the slip and remove the vehicle and trailer as quickly as possible although that may not always be as quick as others may like.

Most people are fairly understanding if you go about things in a business like and considerate way.

My first ever launch of our boat was a demonstration of how not to do things so I am not too judgemental if people get things wrong as long as they are showing reasonable consideration for others.

If they are a total prat it is often great fun watching them launch.

Beware pedestrians who seem to love walking behind a reversing vehicle.

 

[Lakesailor]

No-one has mentioned about having to get out of the car to ask the people who have set up their chairs and picnic on the slip area so that you can't reverse down.

Generally the slip at Windermere (Ferry Nab) is pretty well organised but the loons with the litany of battery, tilt, starting problems seem to to have evaporated to a large degree since the speed limit was introduced.

Usually seemed to be some blokes from Blackburn who'd just bought a boat and hadn't even taken to cover off, except to put the boxes of lager inside.

 

[Avocet]

Yes, that's exactly the recollection I had too - scallies in speedboats ! I was, however, as William H correctly observed(!), having a bit of a grumpy-old-sod moment just then. It's over 10 years since we used to launch trailer sailers at Ferry Nab and I always thought the wardens were great - prompt, efficient and polite. We often used to pay the bit extra for the tractor launch at busy times because the appearance of a uniformed warden and tractor tended to clear the slipway quite well too!

 

[rich]

[ QUOTE ]
If they are a total prat it is often great fun watching them launch.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you wouldn't help each other then? it would speed things up a bit /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif