Re: Gentlemen's Rules for Rafting?
We raft up almost every weekend, always a good time. Here's everything you need know, as publishe by our boating club:
Poker Run & Raft Up Tips
With so many people and so many boats, it?s important all attendees be familiar with proper etiquette and the rafting process to make each CBPBA successful and safe for everyone. Most of this is pure common sense, mixed with a little common courtesy and mutual respect. Some of it is based on physics. There will be a pop quiz at the next CBPBA Poker Run / Raftup , so be sure to study hard.
If you have any questions, simply ask any CBPBA Volunteer. We use VHF Channel 69 while out on the water.
PRE-RAFTUP PREPARATION
* You?ll need a minimum of 2 fenders, but 3 or 4 is preferred. The more the merrier if we?re in a choppy location. And DON'T show up with little sissy sailboater fenders, bring big ones! Invest in the largest fenders you can safely stow, they help protect the boats especially in areas where there is wave or wake action. You'll never catch any grief for having too big fenders. Size matters when it comes to fenders!!
* Ideally all boats should have 5 to 6 docklines, but ensure you have at least 3. At a minimum you?ll use 1 to the bow, 1 to the stern and a 3rd as a springline. Springlines, like anchors are extremely important in a huge raftup. They will help minimze the drift on the line.
* As with the other items above, this one?s really not an option. Be sure to bring your anchor and 100? of line minimum. We?re usually in 10? of water or less. Conventional wisdom would call for 50? to 75? of line deployed, sometimes we?ll use more or less depending on the location. More important information regarding anchors is located below.
* Bring plenty of food and drink, protection from the shade, etc., all the normal things you take for a day on the water. But if you plan to drink alcohol, please be responsible. Ensure you have a sober designated captain aboard for the ride home, or plan to stay the night on the raft.
* Don?t forget your inflatable rafts & water toys!!
APPROACHING THE RAFT
* RELAX and enjoy!! You?re probably going to be just like the rest of us upon arrival, all excited and ready to go. Just take your time, the raftup isn?t going anywhere. Take a peek around you, see if there?s a line of boats to the approach, are people already there waiting to raftup in front of you? Take it slow and easy, we?ll guide you in.
* Anchors aweigh! Unfortunately, most people hate dropping their anchor, but it?s not an option for a CBPBA Raftup. For everyone?s safety at a raftup, we need a lot of anchors to protect people, and boats. We may not need it, but have your anchor out and ready to deploy when you approach the raft. If you?re unable to drop anchor and backup to the raft, have the anchor ready and wait for one of our volunteers to approach for directions. Our volunteers will typically be in an inflatable dinghy.
* If you?ve travelled to the raftup with friends, get together before steering to the approach line. Let others go in front of you if you?re waiting for people. Common courtesy and respect is contagious.
* Ideally smaller boats should hover and wait for larger sized boats to approach the raftup line. Rafting up several boats is easier and stronger when we run larger boat sizes out to the smaller sizes.
* Always try to raft up with boats of similar size and type to avoid damage caused by rubbing between dramatically disparate sizes (i.e., a 22' up against a 42' won't work, damage will most likely result to both vessels). As a rule of thumb, it?s probably more important to consider your freeboard at the stern and midship than length, but always try to raft with boats of similar dimension and size first.
* Place guests/mates at positions on the bow and stern for raftup approach, have lines and fenders ready. Don?t forget, you?ll need to have anchor ready to deploy.
* Always approach at idle speed and angle approach into the wind or current.
* Be aware of anchor lines and locations as you approach. It?s generally understood if you cut an anchor line by accident, it?s your responsibility to arrange for a replacement with the other captain. If you do happen to cut a line, don?t freak out, just swap contact info and buy the guy a new anchor, pretty simple. If we didn?t all agree to this little understanding, nobody would want to throw an anchor. Without anchors, we can?t safely have a huge raftup.
* Make it a point to tell your crew, when they throw a line to somebody, do it with authority, throw it to a point beyond the person!! This will hopefully minimize the ?girlie? man toss we often see, resulting with a line in the water because the toss fell short.
* Probably one of the most important things to know about rafting up a boat is to tie up the stern first, as tight as possible. You want no slack in the line. Once the stern is pulled tight and secured, lash the bow line snug.
* Finally, tie spring lines to keep your boat from sliding forward or backward while on the raft. This also allows us to more easily adjust the raft quickly, and helps prevent boats from being damaged.
I?M TIED UP TO THE RAFT, SO NOW WHAT?
* Somewhere above, we mentioned common courtesy and respect are contagious. Keep it in mind, you?re now taking part in a fun raftup on the Chesapeake Bay, so have a good time! Introduce yourself to the crew and captain of the boats tied up to you, offer up a cold beverage, introduce your crew, but don?t break wind under any circumstances until you?re clear of the boat and safely in the water. We have a very strict ?no farting? policy at all raftup events.
* NO SHOES PLEASE! Remove shoes before traversing the raftup, and try to walk "swim platform to swim platform" if available. Cross the raftup or crawl across sunpads on boats with no platform area. If no swim platform or sunpad is available, ask the captain of the boat you?re crossing where you should step. Of course you can always just jump in the water to move around, but that?s just going to mess up your hair.
* Always assist incoming boats joining the raftup. It?s rare we have too many people helping, so pitch in when you can.
* If you don?t know the people rafted next to you, request permission to board bow areas before jumping over to assist, bare feet only, no shoes please.
* Be sure you and your crew STAY OUT OF THE WATER while other boats are still joining the raft. All it takes is a stiff breeze, a strong wake, a broken throttle or steering cable, and all of a sudden a boat is running into the swimming area!! Play it safe, be smart, wait until there?s no threat of an errant boat running into the water where you intend to swim.
* Props and outdrives are sharp. Unless you want to cut your day short for a run to the local emergency room, remind everyone to swim clear of props and outdrives.
* The Pool?s Open!! Okay, the raft line is good, no boats in the area, time to go swimming. Yes, this is a 1st Grade topic, but also a good reminder to us adults. Don?t dive headfirst off your boat. Diving into shallow water is dangerous. There, we said it.
* I said, The Pool?s Open!! A physics lesson now. Any human body attempting to swim between boats rafted together will be completely crushed, resulting in serious injury or death. People forget, or whatever, but this does happen. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GO BETWEEN THE BOATS FOR ANY REASON. There are 100?s of thousands of pounds of boats all rafted together, you don?t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out a wake moving the raft will generate enormous pounds of pressure in the resulting squeeze.
* Everybody loves good music and sometimes the CBPBA provides live music, or a DJ. But in the absence of the CBPBA provided music, keep your own sound system at a level you can here while on your boat, not at a level you can hear 5 boats away. Sure everybody would appreciate a custom 1000 watt amplified system with 2 12? bass woofers, but if it?s blaring country music, we may be forced to unleash the CBPBA tactical scuba diving team with adjustable wrenches to pull the offending boat?s drain plug.
* Have a drink, have two, have as many as you want. But if you plan to drink alcohol, don?t drive your boat. Designate a competent and sober captain for the ride home, or just plan to spend the night on your boat while tied to the raft. It?s just so easy, pure and simple. Don?t drink and drive.
* GIVE A HOOT, DON?T POLLUTE!! Don?t throw anything in the water, period. This includes cigarette butts!! If you must smoke, throw butts in a trash container on your boat. People are swimming and mingling, keep the water clean.
* Use VHF Channel 69 for boat-to-boat communication or to contact a CBPBA Event Volunteer for advice or help with anything.
* NEVER be embarrassed to ask questions!! Everyone learns from each other and members are willing to help with any given situation.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS . . . THE PARTY?S OVER. (THE 10 MINUTE WARNING)
* Your wife just called wondering where you are, your girlfriend called wondering where you are, and neither is happy with you at the moment. You gotta? go!! We need a 10 minute warning at a minimum. Departing the raft can be extremely dangerous, so it has to be done right!!
* Locate the people from the boats on either side of you first. Blow a horn, pass the word down the raft line, shout out their names, whatever it takes, find them. You need to have at least 4 people (who are not on your boat) to assist in your departure.
* If you can?t locate the other crews, find 4 people willing to help. Each of the 4 people is positioned to the bow and stern of the adjacent boats. If you have an anchor out, it comes up last, don?t release or pull it until you?re away from the raft. Alternatively, if you know the people next to you, you can always leave the anchor with them, tie the line to their bow and have them bring it to you the next day.
* Now that you have 4 people positioned, BE CERTAIN NO SWIMMERS ARE NEAR YOUR BOAT, check bow and stern before starting your engine(s).
* The 4 people you shang-hai?d into helping will untie the lines and ensure there?s enough line to lift up and over your boat to the adjacent boat as you depart. Check the line lengths, ensure they?re long enough to reach. In essence, these 4 people will be creating a hole from which you can leave, but they will have to pull against one another to close the gap after you?ve departed.
* Slowly move out of the raft line. Realize the power of ?neutral?, you don?t have to be in gear the whole time you?re leaving. Once you?re clear of the raft, pick up your anchor.
* Once you have the anchor properly stowed, a little toot of the horn, a snickering grin and a golf wave are all we need to know you?re okay and on your way home.
