Your bad docking experiences (embarrassing is good too!)
 

The thread posted today titled: "LOL You know those days when things just won't go your way" got me thinking after Smarty pretty much said it...we've all had bad docking experiences. Considering the boats we own it can be doubly embarrassing because they call attention to themselves because of their very nature, people love it when the dude in the loud dick boat fuks up. Got any to share (I know we ALL have them)?

Mine (one of many): Just took delivery of a brand new 28' Nordic Heat. Couldn't wait to get it out on the Sound to enjoy my first ride. Had a fellow boater in the passenger seat to ride with me that day. Only a few gallons of gas in the tank so off we go across the harbor to gas up. Approach the dock to begin the process of getting it parallel. Coming in at an angle in neutral and throw it in reverse to slow and begin to swing the stern around...nothing, give it some throttle and the engine revs but nothing happens. Oh sh!t...back to neutral then back to reverse...nothing...sh!t...forward and nothing, neutral to reverse 800 times in two seconds nothing...fuk...people at the dock start to look alarmed...total panic sets in with me, friend looks at me like WTF? People on the dock scatter...crash...scrape...bang...stop. WTF? Gouge in my 15 minute old Nordic.

Turns out the cotter pin on the throttle cable linkage to the engine was never put in, the clevis pin must have vibrated out and we can't find it. So my buddy sits in the engine compartment on the way back to the marina while I shout "forward-reverse" instructions to him from the helm. Trust me, the docking procedure back at the marina was ugly with that method too. People were looking at us coming in like WTF...again LOL!!!

Got any?

I think we've all had our days. Anytime there's a crowd of people and you have to abort your first attempt you look like a schmuck. The beginning of this year though I ran a small local poker run. Showed up a bit late and found a place to tie up along side of a dock behind the t-head. Had a slight breeze blowing me in and docking was no problem. By the time the run was ready to leave though the wind had picked up and I was glued to the dock. You can't overcome it with propulsion, you could shove the boat off and it'd be laying against the dock in a split second. I couldn't ease to the end of the dock because the T-head was in front of me. It took some creative "roping" and a tense moment or two before she'd point the right way. I guess not being able to leave the dock is ten times worse then not being able to dock LOL

I started getting the hang of a spring line at times...works really good.

We went out early one day was suppose to be nice out all day went over to a local hang out spot by the beach so we brought a grill and coolers and all that to be there all day long. Well the afternoon came around we wanted to cook but i forgot the grill in the back of the truck so i left a few people there to save my spot and me and a buddy took off to go get the grill. I had a couple drinks already and of course the boat dock/ramp was full of people i pull up quick to just jump out grab it and come back. Well i pull up to the dock slow and go to put it in reverse and i noticed i wasn't going in reverse so i gave it so more gas still nothing, well turns out i was in forward still and ran right into the dock. Not real fast didnt even scratch the boat but was embarrassing because everyone was watching and a few people i knew were there watching it all. That was my screw up this summer lol.

A friend of mine has a 26 rinker mini cruiser thing, tall as hell and no room for anyone on the side of the boat to help tie up, plus its only got a 305 single. ANY crosswind and your phucked. The spring line trick is about the only thing that works

I've had a fairly heavy wind blowing down the length of the marina into all the boat slips. I planned my back out for when the wind died down a little bit so as to give me plenty of time to put one drive into forward and pivot the boat around. I dock a 30' boat in 35' wide dock to dock channel so things can get tough. The slips are all made for 20' boats, and everyone in my marina is just about 25' - 40' feet now. So running out of room is common. I usually refuse to go boating unless I have 1-2 good and capable co pilots.

So back to my story as I was backing out I shifted my starboard drive into forward in an attempt to pivot and the engine coughed, sputtered, and died. This was my power steering equipped engine... As I scrambled to fire it up, rev it up, and get rid of the now pooled fuel the wind started. I ended up doing about a 270 degree turn and where I wanted my bow to be my aft was. I was lucky that we spun in exactly the middle of everything and didn't hit anything. I managed to back all the way out of the channel into an open part of the marina, slam both drives into forward and do a power turn. I was white knuckling the entire time and am terrified at times to go into my slip still when I'm alone or with one other.

Just this past summer we were leaving Kelleys island with some friends. Just like the video posteed the wind was blowing. We depart from the dock, one engine stalls and we blowing sideways in the channel. All I could do was back out so I could maintain control while until I was able to get the other engine running. Defiantly was embarrassed but the only thing hurt was my ego.

It's always the really simple ones that get me. Need me to back a cat with no power steering and crash boxes in between two boats? No problem.
Need me to dock a narrow, responsive, family runabout next to a dock......no good. lol

Picture this one. I had a nice Taylor jet boat that I took down to clear lake with the kids to watch the planes in the nearby airshow circle around. The ramp is wide and was fairly busy. Loaded the kids up in the boat and tied boat off to back of trailer with about 30' line with climbers type clip on the end. The wind was blowing off the ramp and I figured I could back it let it float to end of line pull up six feet and then walk boat over to dock.

The backing in and floating off part worked like a dream, somehow the line got a twist in it and flipped over and undid the clip. Now I am seeing my boat blowing towards the rock breakwater with a 5 and 7 year old adrift in it.

Only thing to do was run down the jetty and dive in, water was pretty cold but still manged the recovery in time to avoid damage.

Things did not go so well for my cell phone and wallet.

I never did figure out how that clip opened, I know I will never use clips over a knot again.

The kids thought it was great fun

I once had the rack guys drop my old Mako C.C. into water and I fired up and started down the river and the boat wouldn't get up on plane. It didn't take long to figure out the drain plug wasn't installed and the hull was filling with water. Turned around and got back to the take out well and couldn't back with the wind and river current. Finally got it in and they lift the boat out and shut the fork lift off and go get everyone available to see the water draining from the hull. Most embarrassing day.

It was my very first boat and very first time driving it. 24 baja. I grew up driving my dads boats so I thought I was such a good captain. The marina I bought the boat from was very narrow and my boat was parked in like an L shaped canal. Being I just bought it and is the maiden voyage so all the sales guys and workers were out watching. As soon as I start it the wind naturally starts blowing. Now I have to back this thing down about 30' then Make a 90 degree turn with boats parked all down the side. One of the guys says hey want me to walk you out with a line? Nah, I got this. Started backing out, wind blew the noise directly into the first boat in under 5 seconds. If I ever wanted to just run and hide, that was the day! Luckily no damage to either boats. The guy says you want that hand now? I felt like such an idiot!

I used to get nervous all the time when docking but now I really don't anymore as It is what it is and i always welcome a helping hand now. I just take my time, if it takes two try's, no big deal its better than panicking and slamming boats. Everyone has their bad docking days and if they tell you they don't, they're lieing.

Some neat tricks that I've used here: http://www.seaskills.com/files/SeaSk...sColumnDIY.pdf

pulled into harbor in my triple outboard 2.5 mercs 33 powerplay gas dock with county sherrif getting fuel on left rock wall on right ran out of gas! wind was pushing boat towards rocks , picked up my hand held and called for help! sherrif turned their diesel 43' around with lots of smoke, got me before I was on rocks ,lucky he was there. towed me to the gas dock fully safety check and registration , 3 warning tickets

Set out to find the problems on the 91 302 scarab "blood river marina" left the marina knowing the lake was going to be ruff. That's were it started, by the time I made it to sun buns bar in the 55 canal I broke the T-top, the anatas,and a side panel or 2. Whent to dock at the bar. In the 55 canal witch if you have been the current and wind can be a *****. Did about 5 approaches one motor kept dieing, had antenas hanging, 2 panels in the inside fell off and a T-top that was ratchet strapped. Was not cool plus everyone there knew me.

Frank Marchone (R.I.P.) was backing a soon to be mine 26' Sonic (was sea-trial for my first boat) into the water across from Red Eyes. He hit the piling backing down the ramp with the back corner of the boat . My remark sitting in the shotgun seat of his truck: "What did you do to your boat?" He was not pleased with my snide remark.

A season or two later, I was coming into a PACKED marina, chock full of bass boats finishing a tournament, all trying to get checked in. It was a complete Charlie Foxtrot inside the breakwall; and I was clearly not wanted. I shut down my very loud (in comparison) motor, climbed onto the bow of my boat; and yelled at the top of my lungs "I just bought this boat, and I have no idea what I am doing!" Those bass bastards scattered like frightened sheep. I hopped back in the cockpit, bee-lined for the dock, tied off like a boss, and was out of the water in about 5 minutes as my truck was in the grass right beside the ramp (out of the way). The only ones that were embarrassed were the couple fishermen that had time to come up to me in the parking lot to admit that they had been had. :drink:

And then there was the time I put my props on the wrong sides; and could not figure out why the boat would not idle backwards off the trailer. Hmm, let me give it a little gas... still nothing. Well, let me REALLY give it some gas. I damn near hooked the bow eye on a seatbelt in the backseat of the truck. :eek: Fortunately it was a private ramp and my best friend at the time was the only one who saw as he was driving my truck.

I had the boat float a bit "sydwayz" off the trailer once due to a current. I was backed in too deep; and the boat teetered on the fender as I was pulling up the ramp, crushing the fender and looked rather precarious. I hauled ass out of there and tied down at the gas station down the street.

Your avatar is awesome! Lol

Docking at certain bars at LOTO can be a bit of a problem, especially if the lake is rough. We went to dock at Shooters 21 with our Fountain, when a bunch of things went wrong at once. I positioned myself to back in, and right as I started, my wife got some dirt or something in her eye. She is rubbing her eye and trying not to knock her contact out, and at the same time trying to ready the lines and grab the dock. I can't reset as I'm already halfway in the slip and waiting to drift over to the dock itself...and out of the corner of my eye, it see a wake coming. I yell to her to hang on, and throw the port motor in forward hoping to get out of the slip before the waves hit us. No dice. The rollers come in, the starboard part of the swim platform goes UNDER the metal dock, then comes back up on the next wave, taking a quarter-sized chuck of red gelcoat out of the boat. I'm yelling, the wife is yelling, finally we get it settled and tied off. Our friends come over after tying off their boat, we are still pissed off that we hurt the boat and she looks like she's crying because I yelled at her...everyone thought a divorce was immanent.

This summer we were anchoring at our usual beach spot on a windy day, everyone goes in stern first, so I'm on the bow of my boat with the anchor while my wife is on the stern, she throws her anchor on the beach and me, not looking where I am throwing my anchor, heave it with all my might right at some poor girls kayak, it's a very sobering feeling when you hear a bang and a scream instead of a splash. In the end, the girl was fine, her kayak was fine and everyone on the beach laughed about it all day and I only had a bruised ego.

Docking during Canal Fest on the Erie Canal can be a nightmare. Everybody with a boat is out not to mention the paddle bike things that are everywhere. It was windy and I went to tie the Slingshot off my friends Carver. A gap opened up where I could cut across the canal and pull right up to the boat. I yelled to my wife who is on the bow that with the wind I'm coming in hot so get ready. We are a few feet from the Carver when the port motor dies. The wind grabs the bow and pulls us away from the boat. The boat is now sideways in the canal f'ing everything up and I am trying to get the motor started when I look up and my wife is gone. I look at the other shoreline and people are pointing in my direction. I turn around to find my wife is hanging off the Carvers bow rail with her feet dangling. I fired up the motor and came around to get her. When we finally got tied up about 20 people started to clap. I can't believe she held on until I was able to get back!

These are some funny experiences, keep em coming. I like hearing from other what we all go through in boating, or may yet to experience, that day may yet come to fruition - The Bad Day When Docking, Launching at the Ramp, or Reloading at the Ramp.

One day I will never forget was when were arrived at a boat ramp on the Salem River, in Salem, NJ. As always since the 1990's my father had to have the boat at the ramp at mid-level tide or high tide or otherwise there would not be enough ramp-water to float the boat for launching, the tide was mid-level and going out so window of opportunity to launch that day was limited, and with tide going out an now ramps within a 40 mile drive this was the time to launch. So we got to the ramp and just as we are backing down small runabout races-crashes into the dock, the driver of the boat jumps out without securing the boat and races to his truck and trailer.

I run down to the dock to start my tirade about we were next, and to help this idiot out and to tell him he would have to wait, but as soon as I approach the boat, I realize the boat is taking on water and about to sink on the ramp, thus screwing me and my father or the opportunity to launch our boat, the Hairy Canary that day. I jump into action get the runabout's drunken ass passenger's off of the boat, help the drunken runabout owner back down the ramp, as I turn my back the son-of-b*tch is not paying attention continues backing down not listening to my EXACT instruction and runs me over; I get knocked down as he continues to back up as I was trying to connect the cable hook to the bow-eye, I was momentarily stuck between trailer, boat, and ramp. I pried myself free and started to crank the over-weighted boat on the trailer, with at least an extra 2000lbs of water-weight.

Problem #1: The piece of sh*t runabout had so much water in it, I thought the tires on the trailer would blow out, or a trailer would just collapse.

Problem #2: I suggested waiting five minutes to bail water, turn on bilge pump, before the full load of boat and water would be put on the trailer when pulling up the ramp, but this boat owner was all kinda f&cked up (drunk).

Problem #3: The tide was still going out, I so finally said enough is enough, the boat owner was extremely embarrassed, so he drove the boat up the ramp and just kept going. No thank you to me for my help and he just drove off leaving one of his passengers behind mistakenly, or maybe on purpose behind, she wasn't coming boating with me because she was neither a skank nor pig, she was a f*cking hippo who would have cost us in top-end speed due her 350 lb frame, no fatties! She was sh*t out of luck.

Just a ridiculous experience before we started our boating day, I was physically exhausted, frustrated, and the day did not even begin.

By the way the reason the doofus boat started sinking was due to the fact he never ever put the drain plug in, dumb-ass. Here is a picture of the boat my father used own, I like pictures in a thread.

This one was embarassing for my wife a couple Summers ago.

We were on a family trip at LOTO with our then 10 & 7 year olds. It was a cloudy but was supposed to clear off but still looked like it might rain.
Winds were blowing about 10-15mph. No big deal even if there is a pop up shower. We decide run about 25mph up to Bear Bottom so the kids can ride the water slides.
It still looks like it might rain, so I decide to back into one of the 10' wide covered slips. Its still pretty windy so I tell the wife to watch the back corners of the boat.
I'm about a foot into the slip and the wind is pushing the bow sideways pretty hard, but had everything under control and the wife is watching the corners of the swim platform.
Then all of sudden, she pops up, screaming and cussing, not watching the boat and boobs hanging out cuz her clasp on her bikini top just broke.:eek:
I was yelling at her to watch the swim platform so the boat didn't hit and laughing at the same time. She was so pizzzzzed off and thought her day was ruined since she didn't have another top.
2 minutes and one zip tie later all was good.:lolhit:

ROFLMAO! Did you leave the tail on the zip-tie hanging out, or cut it off for a little dignity?


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I forgot to post about the time many years ago that I fell off my own boat while docking.
26' Sonic single backing into slip with 4 widely spaced pilings big enough for a crab boat, at a seafood house on the Chesapeake bay... the wind was whipping really good. and the GF at the time was keeping the boat steady at the rear pilings while I went up on the bow.

With the bow of the boat wet & slick, and the wind; I really didn't want to stand up. (I had just wet sanded and polished the deck, first trip out.) I was on my knees lassoing the pilings when all of a sudden... I was swimming. I had mistaken the edge of the bow for what I thought was a place for my foot on the walk rail around the boat. In actuality, my (rear) foot was already hanging over the side of the walk rail. I was attempting to push off with that foot to lift me up a little for a throw; and when my whole leg slipped off, I just followed along with it; took the dock line with me in both hands. Motor was running, GF had all she could do to keep the boat somewhat controlled at the back end; and with the wind and motor racket, she did not even know I had fallen off until I swam around to the transom and pulled down the ladder. I can remember praying she didn't try to come and find me by putting the engine in gear, etc. etc.

Fortunately, the restaurant was not packed, and it was a LONG dock, so I don't think many if any folks inside saw what happened

This was early in my boating career. Moral of the story: One hand for your ass, one hand for the boat; always.

Was driving my old Formula 233 which was my first boat. Knowing nothing, I had no idea about the pitfalls of OMC Stringer drives. First time ever coming to a restaurant dock and reverse failed. I bounced off the dock with a stalled motor. A 21yr guy climbing out of that boat after that debacle just caused a lot of heads shaking and a few rolled eyes. I wanted to get a bull horn and announce it wasn't my fault (of course I did buy/run it that way :angry-smiley-038:). Bruised ego for sure.

Yep that sounds like a classic shift interrupter circuit fail . Many a captain has had embarrassing incidents caused by this OMC setup .

Stumbled on this old thread; good stuff here!

Landing an airplane and docking a boat are both controlled crashes

This one always hurts to watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ypPIs1KzE

Lake Ozark: Pulling up to Dog Days a couple years back on a new 65' Sunseeker Manhattan (neither mine nor captaining), the captain wields it with a surgeon's precision down an aisle of boats and expertly backs it into a slip. He hops off to tend to fenders/ropes as people start to line the railings of the deck to check out one of the biggest nicest boats on the Lake. Pleasantly pickled, and grabbing my wallet while others mill about on the swim platform the captain suddenly shouts, "Yo!- I need you to hit the bow thrusters". I glance over puzzled because he is looking at me, I look down at the drink in my hand and back at him..."hurry up the wind is picking up"...I run up to the flybridge and quickly study the dash for the first time, "oh cool, two big screens...I wonder what these buttons do?...hmmmm...hey, that joystick looking thing says bow thrusters, I bet that's what he was talking about". Nervously I tap the joystick to the left and hear a groan from deep within the vessel, the captain gestures for me to do it again as he is wedging giant fenders between the dock and hull...I tap it a couple more times and we are good. Some of the observers on the deck think that the entire parking job was my doing so walking into the bar I got some cheers/comments/pats on the back and didn't bother correcting them.

Another fathers boat story , he sold off his 19 footer and buys a 21 bayliner sierra which is about triple the boat and we get set for a maiden voyage, the plant manager at work volunteers to go along as he has much more experience. Sooo We take a nice uneventful ride and he shows us the ropes. While were out the wind kicks up and together with a healthy current in the river , we cant seem to get back to dock without slamming into it, so as we take turns trying to catch it he's warning us about falling off the back. Finally he says I'll grab it ...
off the back he goes and my dad and I immediately go in to hysterics while also a little horrified about what just happened. :picard1:
I called him flipper at work the next day and to say the least he was not impressed.:whistle:

Not exactly docking but....

years ago I was walking from one marina to another (after many beverages, hence walking) and I see GlassDave at a hoist putting the Donzi in...he saw me and said lets go for a boat ride... Eventually after a couple more beverages we start pulling up to woodtick (a local party island) He says there is a stern anchor and line under the back seat, grab it and toss it. I grab it, doesn't seem like there is a lot of line on it, but I only need say 20 feet..I toss it, it immediately grabs and starts pulling my drunk azz off the back of the boat so I let go of the line and we coast up onto the beach....

seems the stern anchor was tied to a 10 foot dock line...figured that out after I went swimming to fetch the anchor....

My worst ever was unfortunately at the Powerboating for a Cure poker run here in Norfolk - naturally with my slow ass boat I was one of the last people back so 90% of the participants saw me come in, deal with two stalling engines and and just royally **** it up. Several members in here had to come to my rescue - it was embarrassing and the only solution was cheap bourbon....

I don't remember this; and you are still welcome back! We miss your crew. :D

On my old 28 cat the shifter and throttle were positioned so that when you put the boat in forward the action of extending your arm would cause your forearm to hit the throttle. Hit a pontoon and a boat lift because of it, design flaw for sure.

Not really a bad docking story but I did not make many friends a few years ago

We had a 23 ft Chris Craft Scorpian that was well used by previous owners. We were at the beach and it was one of the rare glass days in Lake Erie. Went to leave with the wife, my son who was 7 at the time and the family dog.
Tried to get on plane and no luck. Boat would just not come up.

So I go to lift the engine cover and see water above the starter and its rising. Lost a driveshaft bellows for sure and that is a big hole in a boat even with good bilge pump. My buddy slides up to see whats wrong and I get the wife and kid on his boat and told him with a bit less weight in the boat I'm going to try to make the marina about 3 miles away.

Well I still have the dog with me, she looks at me like "I'll go anywhere my master goes" so we get it on plane and head to the marina.

There is and S bend rock wall real close the the ramp at our marina here for fishing guys to use so they don't have to idle through the whole marina. Well I did that S bend at close to 30mph, right turn, left turn , gunnels about in the the water.

6 or so boats lined up at the ramp and I drove on plane right up to the dock and stepped off shouting "BOAT IS SINKING" and tossed a guy on the ramp my bow line. People are yelling a me as I backed the trailer down in and cranked it on, towed it up in the 4 lane ramp aways and everybody calms down as they see a 4 inch hole where the bellows should be spewing water down the ramp,

My dog is standing up on the seats grateful for all the attention she is getting for being the co-pilot .

Last year, by myself in my single engine Baja 29 Outlaw. I pride myself on being able to dock this boat but the truth is, I'm usually smart enough to set my ego aside and know when it's just better to go somewhere else. Usually being the key word here.... This boat is tricky to nose in, very challenging to side walk and with a mere wafting of a sparrows wings, a real MFr' to back in.
I was alone because it was a Friday run. A little deal they call Support Our Troops was the event here at LOTO. I didn't participate but did spend the morning watching the big boys head for the first stop. I spent 20 minutes at 4 corners (bout' the 31MM) and as the big boys thinned out, I decided to head for a place with a view. Paradise.
As I round the wave break, I pick my spot. Not by the size of the slip nor the ease of getting in but more by the value of the boats next to the empty slip and whether a slip of the throttle will lead to an ass whooping or a 5 figure insurance claim. (Never take a chance on parking next to an older Fountain blaring trap music and 3 guys with bad tribal tats. Their skanks will serve up the ass whoopin'). But I digress....
I swing around, stern to the slip. A black Thunder on one side and the dock on the other. I start to get sideways. No.... Aw crap, now I AM sideways, across the nose of a BT, an empty slip and ya.... That Fountain. The breeze is pushing me into the boats which was part of my plan, I just didn't plan on being sideways. My plan was wind on the nose helping me to ease into the slip. I YELL (panic has set in, I never claimed to be cool under fire) Help! Kick me off the nose, kick me off the nose! The BT gal knows exactly what is happening and sits on her Black Thunder now with her legs out on my transom area and I yell to Fountain skank, "do like her, NOW !! The fourth boat that I was lined up to be in the side of was an Outerlimits. A ten penny nail couldn't have been beat in my ass with a 10 lb. sledge at this point.
I crank it hard right and apply reverse. This gets my ass end moving away from the BT but also now means my bow is coming back towards the BThunder at more of a port now to their port nose. The gal on the BT foot walks me off her boat and I am now backing away from exactly how I came in.
And at this point I realize, Paradise was a stop on the run and there are at least 180 people watching my fiasco.
I do not drink on the boat and Millers has breakfast so I went there, parked nose in and ordered 3 bloody Mary's and a Budweiser and told the girl, I am going to be here as long as it takes to drink all this, then anoth two hours to sober up.
Just for kicks, may put a bow thruster on this boat just say it's the only single 29'setup for LOTO dcking. Tbird

Perhaps the funniest thing I've ever read on OSO. Ten penny nail. LMAO! :D :drink:

My sister just bought a 1980 century arabian. Good starter boat from her. Well I replaced the steering cable and helm one night. Then my father and I decide we will take the first run. Go make sure it works and Doesn't take one water. I back it in and dad fires it up. After a short period of monitoring while still on the trailer, " let her loose" so I do. Dad starts backing up to the left towards the marina with the 35ft cruisers right there. Tell him to turn and he turns more to it. He get the boat out of the marina without hitting anything then calls me. " the steering is backwards." Turns out it matters on that system if the cable is above or below the helm. I out it below because it was easier. It got a lot harder to correct it in the middle of the river.

We will get back - we really miss that weekend, but have just had a bad run of conflicts the last few years, between children, motor issues, etc...... At least they no longer stall constantly so if I screw it up again it's all on me......

I know of a certain boat owner who went out on his sea-trial for his brand new boat with the owner of the company...
...and the steering AND the gear shift were both set up backwards inadvertently. The boat owner never noticed until the company owner told him when they were back at the dock. (Boat's owner didn't drive the boat that day.)

considering all I ever had was a john boat and am getting close to splashing my 251 convincor... I'm sad but positive I'll add to this thread in one way, shape or form :lolhit:

At least I'm not too proud to ask for help and mentors