I read an article recently, I think it was in Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and they mentioned something about tipping dock hands and fuel dock attendants at the marina.

I am not new to boating and I'm ebarrassed to say that I have not tipped these people in the past. Should I have been? What do you tip, if anything?

Really, I'm not cheap!!!

In my case I tip very heavily if the dockhands are young, female and wearing thongs. Other than that.....

I usually throw the dockhands a few bucks for handling the lines at a gas dock or restaurant, more if they go above and beyond. Some of the gas docks and restaurants around Lake St. Clair seem to have an almost magical power to attract large numbers of folks with single digit IQ's. Sometimes all that is between your boat and one of the floating idiots is an a fast dock hand....

Now I'm starting to feel like a cheapskate... It never occurred to me and I've never seen anyone else tip. I'll have to make up for it at my marina this summer.

When we rack stored our boat, I also made sure to find out what kind of beer the lift operators preferred. A case at the beginning of the season and - especially - a case at the end (when they're going crazy pulling all the boats for winter) tends to "grease the wheels".

Seems like I never had to wait for my boat, never a problem if I wanted to pull into a slip to change the oil or do other maintenance, that sort of thing.

After the last run of the year, I'd buy one of those styroform coolers, fill it up, ice it, and leave it in their office.

Don't feel bad. You'll be more aware now and sometimes the dock hands really earn those tips.

We went many years boating before we started tipping, or even notice that others were tipping. I guess as the lake (LOTO) has grown and develped, the need for good dock boys and girls has really increased. I love the way they lasso the cleets on the dock with the rope. Gotta give em an extra buck or two when they do that! LOL!

Dock handling I can do myself. But if they want to hold the pump for 15 minutes while I go in the dock-shop for some beverages and snacks, I'll tip....

OK

I feel really cheap now, but then again most of our marinas are all serve yourself

i only tip if the service is good,usually ill give a gas guy $5.00 and
dock guy $10.00. i allway's find if you tip the dock guys good they
remember you and take good care of you and your boat

That's great information, Mike. We rack-store our boat too so when we arrive everything is pretty much said-and-done. No real opportunity to grease palms per-se. The beer-tip thing is a great idea and for the 16 year old dock hands I'll just resort to a couple of dead presidents.