Gotta Luv It
 

I know that I "brag" way too much on this forum, but I have to tell this one (recurring) story.

As most of you know, I keep my boat in a marina on Lake Travis near Carlos'N Charlie's. I prefer to pickup my "crew" at Carlos'N Charlies at 1:00 on Sat and Sun afternoons. CnC has better parking than my marina, and it's a great place to gather while we wait for everyone to arrive.

My story is simply the oohs and aahs and handshakes that I get everytime I BACK INTO one of the courtesy slips at CnC. :D

Although the dock cleats are placed for backing in, most boats pull into the slips. The boats that pull in never look right in the slips. :rolleyes:

So, here I come in a beautiful 31-foot Cigarette Bullet with my HP500s sounding good. The restaurant/bar overlooks the slips, so everyone is looking at me. I expertly back into an open slip, jump out of the boat, and tie it off like it was nothing. :cool:

I have other boaters smile and tell me that I am making them look bad! I back in a 31-foot Cig and they have to pull in with their 23-foot Baja! ;)

It is a wonderful feeling. Second only to the feeling I have when I leave CnC with a boatload of hotties!

:party-smiley-020:

Thats cool man. Working for a marina I was the one who always picked up and took home the customers boats so i got real good at backing the big sport yachts and motor yachts into the slip. Felt good when I took a boat home and picked up the owners and they would just tell me to drive and park it for them cause I was better at it. Nice to know there is something I can do!

Clay, you have got to tell those women to quit blowing smoke up your azz, It's going to your head!

WoW

Special

If you cant back a 31' with twins in more easily than a 23 single, there is something seriously wrong. The bigger the boat the easier it gets

Singles, especially those with a big prop/HP like mine are a pain to back in, I don't even try if there is a fair cross wind. Mine just crabs in whatever direction the prop is facing.

I always found docking a boat with twins much easier than a single. The most difficult being an inboard ski boat because if its lack of steering in reverse.

Exactly! And that's the funny part. It is much easier to back in a heavy boat with twins than a light boat with a single engine. Especially in a crosswind! :eek:

Fortunately for me (and my ego), most people don't know that. They just think that I am an awesome driver with a cool boat! :D

:Whatever: :signs069: ........................:D

No, they think your the captain of a sleek tuna trawler. :D

When I pull up to the restaurant/bar that I go to almost every weekend . I pull in then do a 180 and slide right up to the dock . Real sweet . Then shut down the 500's with CMI headers and no mufflers . Almost every weekend the crowd of people clap . Some because of how well I parked but most are just happy that I finally shut the engines down .
Paul :D

It ain't braggin' if you can back it up, Big Boy! All that is left for you to do is install the retractable stripper pole so you can deploy it through the sunpad at the dock. Or better yet, two poles - one on the bow and one on the sunpad!

I kept my old boat in the water, and you had to back into the slip - no other way to get off the boat but the transom.
It was a single BB in a 25' boat. I got to the point I could park that thing like a car. I'd have the boat shut down in the slip 5 -7 feet from the dock, and jump out on the bow to retrieve lines as it gently drifted back into the dock. And yeah, it felt good being able to handle the boat that well.

One tip my Dad taught me when I was very young, and he was teaching me how to dock the boat, is to plan your line for the conditions.
As you're idling in, make note of the current pushing you - how strong and which direction.
AND, I found I always got the best idea of where I was going to wind up by finding a flag, or those windsock things attached to other boats antenaes and know which way the wind was going to be pushing, and how hard. Made it very easy after you know how to read those two things.

I'm with you on this one. I'm pretty sure they clapping for turning the engines off. People hate our ass if they don't have one!!!

Hey Clay, try a single engine 25 foot cat with a surface drive for an ego deflater.

They won't be clappin, they'll prolly be laughing. :)

Boy it's really gettin DEEP in here!!! LOL.

Good job. Keep up the good work. Might have to stop in there on the way to Southern TX. this winter. Always did love Austin.