Raritan Marine Products Dept Blog: Getting to Know Your Fellow Boater

Knowing Boating Etiquette Makes for Great Friends

Raritan Engineering Company your Raritan marine products specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding getting to know your fellow boater.

Your Raritan marine products suppliers talk about how in the beginning, boating and boats were much more homogenous than they are today. Boats came in small sizes and had outboards, and they came in larger sizes and had inboards.  

Boats tended to all look the same in the past. At the least, they looked related. The teak step pad on the gunwale of the runabout mirrored the teak cockpit sole of the cruiser. The vent hole cut into the ski boat’s glove compartment door was the same anchor-shape cutout one would find in the hanging locker door in the master stateroom of the whole sale marine sport-fishing boat. 

Boaters too were almost all cut from the same cloth, tending to be versed in various watery activities. The avid tuna angler with the convertible learned to tie knots and sharpen hooks while chasing flounder from a skiff. 

Today, it’s different. A 40-footer is as likely to sport outboards as diesel power — and the term “twin screw” no longer carries as much panache. Boats sport refined details, and even the smallest models are so much more capable, versatile and easier to maintain than their predecessors. 

For many, the time to come up as a boater versed in a variety of watery activities just isn’t there, even if the desire is. So, we have better boats but a worse understanding of each other. And there are more of us. 

There are certain customs and traditions that help us, as boaters, get along independently while respecting that right for others. Just as there are social norms you’re expected to know on land, you’ve got to know certain basic rules of boating etiquette if you’re going to be spending any time at all on the water. 

 

These basic rules of the road that show you how to operate your boat and you shouldn’t leave the dock until you’ve spent some time getting to know what you’re doing. Your boat parts experts talks about how it’s the same method you would follow with a car (on an actual road) except you don’t have brakes. 

 

• You are responsible for your own wake and any damage done by it. You’re cruising across a channel and you avoid striking a cruiser by swinging into a shallow anchorage while traveling at a pretty good speed. 

 

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• Slow down if another boat is trying to overtake you. This is boating, not The Fast & The Furious. Tight channels, marina entrances, etc. should be single file. But if there’s room to pass and another vessel is coming alongside you, ease off the throttle and avoid a drag race.

 

• The first one in blazes the path. If you’re entering an anchorage, mimic the other boats in how you tie off, how you anchor, how much line to use and how much distance you allow between the other boats.

 

• Respect your neighbors. If you have a loud boat (kids, music, barking dogs, smoky grills), make sure you leave plenty of space. Sound carries much farther on the water, and you can be heard clearly from a good distance away. 

 

• Know your ramp manners. If you’re launching or retrieving your boat at a ramp, do it efficiently. Load your boat in the parking lot. Pull your boat over to a temporary dock to bring passengers aboard. 

 

• Move along already! As long as we’re on this subject, the same rules go for fuel docks. Get your fuel, pay your bill and move out of the way. If you need to buy groceries or a lake chart or bait, relocate your boat to the temporary docks.

 

• Lend a hand. This is one of the unwritten laws that can say more about you as a boater than almost anything else. You should be willing to assist other vessels as they arrive and depart. While this courtesy shouldn’t necessarily extend to the entire marina, you should be alert to help out you folks in the adjoining slips. 

 

• Keep your area tidy. Marinas have enough hazards as it is without having to step over draining coolers, half-deflated tubes and sloppy dock lines. Your marine parts distributors talks about how buckets, shoes, carts and other items need to be stowed properly.

 

So don't forget these helpful reminders in maintaining good manners while on the water. 1) You are responsible for your own wake and any damage done by it;  2) slow down if another boat is trying to overtake you;  and 3) know your ramp manners.

 

A Family Sailing Trip Becomes A Whale Rescue Operation

Planet Earth is a wonderful place. Not only is it beautiful but it is also where we can witness the co-existence of so many different forms of life.

Every once in a while, we come across a few examples where men and women put themselves in danger just to help the animals we share this planet with. This is one of those stories.

All Aboard

Michael Fishbach, who is the co-founder of The Great Whale conservatory, was out for a sail with his team and family on a perfectly sunny afternoon. 

A Sad Sight

Michael and his team came across a giant humpback whale. But instead of being excited to see this great animal, they were all saddened. The whale had managed to get entangled in the nets of the local fishermen and was hardly moving. 

Hope lives on

However, to their great surprise and joy, the whale rolled slightly and let out a huge breath from its blowhole. Michael and his team were overjoyed at this but they knew that the danger was far from over. 

Miracle Workers

As any animal rescuer will tell you, there is always a danger in approaching a cornered animal who is in pain. They might perceive you as a further threat and given the fact that the whale was trapped in human made nets, it was a very real possibility for Michael. 

Rescue Operation

The task at hand was twofold. The team had to work quickly using the only knife they had to cut through the nets. The other task was to keep the whale calm so that it would allow them to approach it. 

Naming Ceremony

By the time the entire rescue operation was over, Michael and his team had developed a special bond with the whale. They even named it Valentina and she knew that they did not mean her any harm and wanted to help. 

A Special Thanks

Before she swam away for good, Valentina performed as series of maneuvers to show her appreciation and she spent almost an hour playing with Michael and his team.

 

Choose your Raritan marine products here and see how Raritan Engineering is the #1 expert in marine sanitation supplies.

via Time for Boating

via Boating Etiquette: Reading between "The Rules"

via A Family Sailing Trip Becomes A Whale Rescue Operation