Raft Up Rules
 

What's the proper etiquette when rafting up? If people are rafted up in a cove, do you have to know someone in the end boat or any boat to join? What if you're in the middle of a raft up and you gotta leave? Just moved the boat to a place where people do this alot and I don't want to embarrass myself more than I already do.

Just say, " Hey, can I tie up?", its that easy. And to leave you just slide out and the boats on either side pull together. Midnight:cool:

I would have the boat already rigged with lines and fenders BEFORE asking to raft up. I can't stand it someone wants to raft and they start coming at my boat with no fenders. Other than that it is a great way to meet new friends on the water. We had about thirteen tied together on Sun. and what a blast it was.
Robert

I like it when someone comes to tie up to your boat with a water winnie and two life vests as fenders. :D I dont think so buddy! We will probably have over 200 boats in Hanky on thursday in Grand Haven. It will be a blow out. I post some pics next week. Midnight:cool:

Kind of depends. At LOTO, we have a few places to raft up, the most famous being party cove. In party cove, it is generally acceptable to raft up in any of the large lines. There are small groups of boats away from the main area that are obviously together and probably want to hang by themselves.

Other coves are more family oriented. You can identify these coves by small groups of boats with lots of kids. They typically want to hang by themselves.

----

While on the subject, (not directed at you) I have a few pet peeves to vent about that drive me crazy:

1) Fenders. If you don't have any or the ones you have are so small they couldn't hold a wave runner off, don't ask to tie up next to my custom paint job!

2) Ropes. Yes, you would be amazed at the number of people who have no ropes to tie up with.

3) Anchors. You need one. Don't expect me to hold you in place, my anchor is rated for my boat's size & weight only.

4) Common Courtesy. Don't bring the kids and tie up in the "party" place. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who bring young kids to a place that is likely to have naked drunk people! By the same token, don't expect to tie up in the 'family' groups if you're bringing the party. Just common courtesy.

5) Boat size. It is nearly impossible to raft off some boats either due to length, freeboard size, shape, whatever. I don't want to have to spend a half hour helping tie up so my paint doesn't get scratched.

Thanks.... needed to vent. Anybody else? :D

Yeah, it seems people actually take the fender size seriously that is printed in some catalogs. A smaller boat will bounce more than a larger one and therefore needs bigger fenders. I usually use 10" fenders on everthing. Mach you have made some good points,only if we could get everone to pay attension(NOT directed to anyone here, only inconsiderate boaters that don't read this).
Robert

6)Pay attention to your boat, don't tie up and wonder down the line make sure your anchor is set and have someone in your crew keep an eye on it at all times. Don't expect you new neighbor to care for it.

7)TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, I didn't just redo my interior to have someone wonder around with their 6" pumps on.

8)If you smoke, smoke on your boat and keep the ashes in a can! :mad:

9) If you have non-boaters with you let them know some of the guide lines of boating piror to tie up.

Also not directing to anyone here, just some pet pives and past encounters.:rolleyes:

Yup........Little "Mermaid" fenders & cut up pieces of ski line......
Tie up to me? IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!!:D

Mach- I may print that and hand it out. But you need to add a couple.

If you are soaking wet, please don't walk on anything but my swim platform(not across my bow, not on my sundeck, not in the cockpit).

If your gonna puke, get off my boat! (Kris:D )

I'm hear to party too, I'm not spending my whole day tieing people up and letting them out!

A water gun sprayed in my boat is not funny!

Water balloons hurled across the cove like missles are not funny!

Naked bodies(women) are pefectly acceptable, loosen up everone does it!

If you didn't bring anything to drink, I'm sorry (trading is OK).

Midnight:cool:

Greatest three points I missed, good call:

My boat has right on the rail "NO SHOES" and people still do it.

Do Not F@#ckin' smoke on or around my boat!

And educate your no-boater friends!

Thanks, I missed those, and they are important.

Midnight:cool:

I'm seeing a new addition to the "how to guide" section forming already! LOL! :D

I'll consolidate the list in a couple days and give it to the board gods.

And never pull in the opposite direction and tie nose to transom (makes for terrible aeriel shots) but they do it at Havasu all the time must be a desert thing:D :p

Ain't nothing like someone elses boat to fend off all the incoming huh, Too Old :D :D
Robert

Call me pretentious or just plain anal, but I carry 4 fenders, the smallest of which is 10" in diameter (two 10's, two 12's). I have a lot of friends with bigger boats than mine, and the bigger fenders help a lot. Also, I have a custom paint job on both sides, bigger fenders, less worry, less damage. The only damage to my paint job in the 8 years I have had my boat is from a 35 Fountain where his stainless rub rail screws scratched up the paint when a fender fell into the water while we were trying to leave the wall in Grand Haven. I believe I have had only this slight damage due to my keeping MORE fenders than I really need. And I ALWAYS offer to use mine when people raft up to me. Chances are mine are bigger anyway!! LOL!!! There's a sex joke there somewhere........:rolleyes:

Anyway, I like tying up to new people, great way to meet new friends.

Mike

I've read some good stuff here. My irritant is the approaching boater unprepared to come along side. When that happens I push'em away and instruct them to get set up properly BEFORE nearing the raft-up. Typically around here we have the additional problem of tidal currents which are always running either in or out with a very short slack period. This adds to the importance of being prepared with the right bumpers and pre-rigged lines and a proper approach. Ideally one should come within a few feet of the rafted boat so that the bow and stern lines can be tossed over and be carefully pulled in. Also captains, never turn off the engine until the lines are tied. On that same note, never untie and toss the lines until the captain of the departing boat is ready and the engine is started (keep in mind currents/winds).

Departing from the inside should be a coordinated effort as well with all the boat owners involved present and ready to begin. Otherwise with the current and winds it could be nasty...

My only question is, what's a rope?:) I don't have any on my boat.

All good points, I have never rafted up, and wondered about the protocol. We usually anchor in shallow water with others. A point to remember when doing this is to bring two anchors. Where we go, the wind and tide change frequently, and one boat with no stern anchor is a pain in the a$$. I carry a very small danfort for this, the size you would use on a jon boat. It is amazing how well these little things hold. It held my boat and my buddies 25 footer when he forgot his. I have on occasion forgotten my stern anchor, because I rotate it with the three different boats I take out. I guess I should get off $20 and buy two more.:(

I carry a second anchor also. An 8lb navy anchor that if I simply drop it straight off the transom, the boat doesn't swing. Works like a charm.

Geez, with all the sruff I carry on board my 24 foot boat, it's a wonder I ever get on plane!!!

MIke are you in GH on Thursday? Were doing Hanky, but were going elswhere for the rest of the weekend. Chad

Chad, I'm heading up to Traverse for the weekend. Blue Angles rock!! And my parents have a place up there so FREE ROOM AND BOARD!!!!! Can't get much cheaper than that. Got a $900 bill for the rear end on my truck today. Kinda puts a kink in the vacation plans.

Have clean fendors so they don't scratch the paint or gel. I have seen some nasty ones from people going through locks or tied to dirty docks.

No pontoon boats allowed. The're like a can opener on a plastic boat. Line up the transoms for easy movement from boat to boat. Cross at the back, not the bow. Fat fenders.

Fred-last year we were rafted in Fond Du Lac for the poker run. When I came back from lunch I saw this huge fat guy clumsily walking across the boats. By the time I go to the end of the pier the damage was done. He had walked across 3 boats (including mine) with one leg on the sun deck and another on the seats. Like I said he was clumsy. Anyways, just before he got in the boats, he walked through a puddle and tracked the mud right through the boats. All I could do was stand there and look at the mess. It was so bad that another guy why was rafted behind me came up and help me clean up. Just wondering if it was the same schmuck.

I once had an idiot walk across my BRAND NEW sun deck vinyl with a piar of those nice steel tipped cowboy boots....you know the ones....nice pointy heels too. I told him to take his boots off or get the hell off my boat. He tried to argue that he wasn't hurting anything. Well, he's standing pretty high, I'm in the cockpit....didn't take much effort at all to get him into the drink. He was pretty pissed too. But, he didn't try to get out of the water on MY boat. Bet them was expensive boots....but not nearly as expensive as my new vinyl. This was 7 years ago, and I'd do it again, even though I've grown up some since then.

I keep 6 fenders on the Formula (2 for the locks) plus 2 sets of jetski holdoffs (rope thru the middle of 4' long sections of pool weenies with some pvc to keep it stiff). I've got (6) 15' lines and (2) 25' lines. I've got a 150' line for towing or anchoring. I've got a 20# vinyl coated anchor and a 10# fluke. I've got 6 towels just for traffic wipe-up.

On the cruiser, I'm stocked with enough stuff to make the Formula look ill-equipped...