Some Important Reminders About Tying Up Your Boat:
Fenders (Bumpers) and Protecting Your Boat
When tying up to the floating docks, it is important that you use properly-sized fenders to protect your vessel from damage. In addition to protecting your own vessel, the fenders protect the boats on either side of you from damage as well. Remember that you are responsible for any damage your boat causes to other boats...even if you are not aboard...so it is important to leave your boat properly secured and protected by fenders.
We have noticed that some folks either forget to use fenders or do not know how to properly and effectively place them on the boat. Our crew is always available to help you figure out the best way to tie up your boat and place your fenders. You should have a minimum of four fenders, and always put two fenders on either side of your boat. They can be secured to cleats or railings, canvas poles, steering wheels, etc., but they must be placed so that they cushion your boat from damage.
Our crew can also install additional cleats specially designed for fenders if you would like to add them to your boat to make things easier for you.
Tying up your boat
As you are aware, the dredging we had done this spring made the west end of the docks much deeper, but the eastern docks still have shallow water at low tide. We've added finger docks so that tying "bow in" is possible, and will allow all the dock spaces to be used, even at the lowest tides. We've marked the docks with arrows to indicate where you should tie "bow in" (which means "front end to the dock" for you landlubbers). If you tie up "stern in" in these spaces, your outdrive or lower unit could be in the mud at low tide. Please be sure to follow the arrows to protect your boat and engine!
We've recently marked the slips with numbers just for reference. They aren't necessarily "slip assignments," so don't worry about coming back to the same number slip you were in when you left the dock. However, you should be aware that each slip has two cleats to tie up to. Please use the cleats on either side of the painted number to secure your boat to the dock.
There's usually no need to share a cleat with another boat:
This is a better way to tie up:
Cleat Hitches
While we're on the subject of tying to the cleats, a cleat hitch is a very simple knot to tie, and should be able to be untied just as easily. Wrapping the line around the cleat 16 times makes it difficult to untie, and does nothing to secure the knot. Here's an example of how a cleat hitch shouldn't look:
This is what a properly tied cleat hitch should look like:
Come into the office one day and Gary will show you how to tie it if you're unsure.
Here's a link to a YouTube video that shows how to tie "The Perfect Cleat Hitch." It's a little long and sometimes he repeats himself, but it is a good instructional video.
Also, coiling up the remaining line and placing it next to the cleat is the best way to avoid a tripping hazard on the dock. It isn't necessary to wrap it around the cleat at all.
Water Hoses
We have three hoses at the dock, so that you can rinse down your boat, Please be sure to shut them off and not leave them running when you're done. The ocean levels are rising enough without us adding to the problem. Also, coiling them up after use is a good way to avoid a tripping hazard on the dock, and keeps the place looking a little neater.
 
Thanks for your cooperation. We hope these tips help to make your boating experience better at The Boat Place. If you have any questions, please give us a call.
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