Marina Etiquette
Nothing ruins a day on the lake faster than a rude boater racing by you carelessly, sloshing water onto your deck, or someone who leaves their ropes and equipment all over the dock for others to trip upon. If you’re ever at a marina, you’ll no doubt see infractions of this type, and it’s important to know how to avoid inflicting these same discourtesies upon others.
The Harbor (Boat & Yacht Sales) is located in Branson, Missouri. We serve Table Rock Lake with our three marinas, so we’re happy to provide you with some simple rules to follow in the interest of politeness and respect for your fellow mariners.
Go Slowly
As noted above, no one likes it when Speed Racer zooms past and causes a ruckus by stirring up the water and literally rocking your boat. Don’t be that guy. When you’re coming into your slip, slow down your speed significantly. You wouldn’t drive through a parking lot at 50 miles an hour, so don’t do the same thing in your craft. Approach the slip with caution; the general rule is to not go any faster than you’re willing to hit the dock.
By the same turn, you don’t want to speed around anyone on a personal watercraft or anyone who is swimming or participating in watersports, as you could disturb or injure them. Slow down and pass to the right, signaling your approach if possible. Make a wide berth around water skiers and swimmers.
Move Things Along
Sticking around at the gas pump is bad manners, whether you’re at the local filling station in your car or at the boat fueling dock in your yacht. Clear out of the area as soon as possible. Don’t hold up the line when you’re leaving or returning to a marina or dock, either; other people need to be able to enter and exit the lake, so it’s good manners to be as expedient as possible.
Keep The Dock Clean
When mooring your craft, you might be tired and simply want to leave the ropes as they lay or allow your bow to overhang the dock. Don’t do it!
Coil up ropes and keep all of your items stored on your craft or removed to your car so no one trips on them. This includes fishing gear, trash, food, watersports equipment and life jackets. You probably don’t want to leave some of these things on the dock anyway, since they could be easily stolen.
While docking, you can try going stern-to-dock to avoid bow overhang, or you can make use of spring lines to better control how your boat moves.
Be Respectful
If you don’t want other people to be rude to you, then don’t be rude to them—simple as that. Of course, there’s always one person who will be careless no matter what, but you can take the high road and earn the respect of everyone else around you by being courteous. Don’t sit on the dock blaring music or talking loudly in the evening if the marina is quiet. Never throw trash in the water or leave it lying around. Be mindful of others around you while you’re out on the water and give a polite wave to other boat operators!
We hope this guide helps you to have a better marina experience. Seeking boats for sale in Missouri? Come by our dealership in Branson today to check out our current stock of new and used boats for sale. We also operate three Table Rock Lake marinas for your boating pleasure. The Harbor proudly serves the greater Kansas City metropolitan area as well as Springfield, Missouri.