Bada Bling and What are your rules?????

[clint6760]

I don't have any rules except somebody needs to always be watching the rope to make sure it doesn't get sucked up.

And make sure you don't stick your vagina or rectum in the wrong spot.

 

[Speedling]

Rules?
Eat drink and be merry.
My seats are beat up. My kids destroy everything.

 

[treeskier]

Great thread...two main rules

No spray suntan products and please sit down when I dock the boat. I can handle the boat and my GF can handle the dock lines everyone else stays put until we are tied up. And just like in Roadhouse..."be nice".

 

[Devildog]

I don't have any rules except somebody needs to always be watching the rope to make sure it doesn't get sucked up.

And make sure you don't stick your vagina or rectum in the wrong spot.

Someone had to say it .

 

[kthrash]

I had these stickers made for my boat.

 

[Bennie]

Soooo.... I'm confused.

NO shoes are NOT allowed?? So I get to wear my hunting boots while sipping on red wine, smoking a cigar and munching on Doritos?
ALRIGHT!! I'll bring the beer

 

[kthrash]

Here we go with the Grammar Nazis..

 

[Ronnie]

Wow, it pains me to state this and I'll probably catch some flack for it but I would not want to be a guest on many of your boats especially if you intend to hand me a towel to help wipe down your boat after a day out.

I go boating to relax, making and enforcing non-safety related rules and cleaning the boat after every use sounds like a lot of work and stress too me.

My typical boating day goes something like this. Meet at my house where I have the boat and trailer hooked to the tow vehicle ready to go. Drive to the water, launch, play, BBQ, etc. Afterwards we retrailer the boat, cover it and go to dinner. I put the boat away "as is" (by parking it, plugging the charger maintainer into the wall and removing any wet stuff for proper drying) and I don't see the boat again until the next outing.

Resale value does not even enter my mind, I have no need for a trailer queen nor the "nice boat" compliments, it will always be a nice boat too me, since I paid for it I figure that is all that matters.

 

[kthrash]

@Ronnie, I respect your opinion, However after having a dip cup full of Tobacco spit juice spilled in my boat, red wine and red Koolaid spilled in the boat and ruining carpet, Cheetos ground into the cushions so they are permanently orange, and other damage that is completely avoidable, I made my rules so my guests and I can enjoy the boat without having to constantly keep an eye on kids or adults.. If you eliminate the cause of the issue before hand and everyone knows the issues it saves everyone headaches.. I dont like when people damage my toys, just like I would respect theirs. And most guests dont want to damage your toys, they just dont know what will damage things..

A buddy of mine recently had a beer bottle top puncture a hole in a seat due to a kid stepping on the bottle top that her dad had left on the seat cushion.. lesson learned, all bottle caps are put back in the trash or cooler.

I allow plenty of clear liquids on the boat, Beer, Sprite, Water, Capri suns, etc.. plenty of chips, pretzles, popcorn, sandwiches etc, I even grill on my boat, so there is plenty allowed and just a few items that are not..

 

[Julian]

I don't have any fixed rules....just have fun.

One that I TRY and stick to is if the anchored water depth is above your head, I'd prefer it if you took a floatie of some sort with you....especially the kids. We have tons of noodles....just take one. It allows me to relax a little bit more and not to have to watch as closely....

My new boat has a nice PVC mark on the side from when I approached the inflated air dock (I leave it inflated over the winter) and used the boat to help push the air out of it. It was windy and the boat twisted and slid along the PVC frame for the air dock....PVC is a PITA to get off gelcoat! So if you look at the last pic I posted in "Show us what you see"...you'll notice a white line....

My wife saw this happen and figured I was going to go ballistic.....it actually now allows me to relax....the first mark is the hardest....now she's used! LOL (so the hole drilling has commenced!)

 

[justason]

The only rule on my boat is EVERYONE is in charge of making sure a rope doesn't go under the boat........

 

[OperationROL]

@Ronnie - You would hate being on our boat then. Both my wife and I are over the top and don't apologize. We believe in taking care of your stuff. However, in my observation, most of the folks I know are the same way. With that said, I know that folks always enjoy themselves as quests aboard Perfect Heaven II!

Here are our rules:

Listen to the captain. If I bark an order, I apologize, but sometimes I don't have time to craft my request.
Be really militant about the safety of the wake boarder/wake surfer/tuber.
Be really militant about the rope
No Shoes.
Handle everything like it is fragile. (i.e. Don't let the seats slam or hit everything with the table and leg.)
Only my wife and I are up and moving when anchoring, launching or retrieving.
Red items can be drank or eaten on the swim deck.
If in jeans, you sit on a towel. That goes for new bathing suits as well.
Lift your legs with wake board into the water and avoid scraping the swimdeck
Men, do not think you know more than my wife and offer assistance backing down the trailer. She knows what she's doing.
No spray anything in the boat. Go on the swim deck, find the direction of the wind and adjust accordingly.

 

[Devildog]

I gotta say, this is pretty therapeutic. I think that I was a little too puckered in the past. Especially with a brand new boat. After reading all of your posts, my looooong weekend of boating with friends lacked any in-fighting or stressful outbreaks. Well, except when my wife switched Spotify over to some country station . Sorry, that just does nothing for me.

I certainly don't want my boat to be a "queen", but at the same time, I do want my guests to have a good first impression and feel safe when they arrive.

Appreciate you guys and gals sharing your experiences. It has been super helpful.

 

[Julian]

The only rule on my boat is EVERYONE is in charge of making sure a rope doesn't go under the boat........

I agree....but I also ALWAYS make sure that ONE individual OWNS the rope. It is their job to ensure it doesn't go under....and I make it clear....it goes under and gets sucked in...they will be the one cutting it out for an hour while we glare at him/her! LOL This is probably the most serious and stern part of my intro for newcomers on the boat. But mostly my wife and I are a team on the rope handling.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

I lean towards @Ronnie on this one too. My logic is lead by example. People know how much I love my boat. So when they leave a wet towel out or a empty can, I put it away for them. They notice, say sorry, I say "psssssssh have fun, just tidying up" but we both know and it doesn't happen again. If I were to step on a boat and got read a bunch of safety rules my next next step would be off the boat. I feel like it comes off as "this is my boat, I'm almighty". Aka little man syndrome. I wanna have fun, that's why I got the boat for myself and others to enjoy. I know the company I keep and it should be a great day on the lake.

I do designate a rope owner though.

 

[kthrash]

In all honesty, I dont have to read a bunch of rules, everyone that gets on my boat, sees the sticker, laughs and then has a good time, next time they come they don't bring offending items.. If they ask why I explain the damage all of the above causes to my boat that they are a guest on and everyone understands...

They are free to use all of above on the swim deck or the Lilly pad.. just not in the boat.

 

[Bennie]

I believe that majority of us on here, and others that have any level of boating experience or general respect, will already know the majority of these "rules".
I'm quite sure that we would all have fun on any of each others boats. It boils down to a simple respect for other people's property.

That being said we also have the "base-line safety rules" that are pretty much for those neighbor kids that would like to join but have never been on a boat before. Once you know "boating rules" they are pretty global as seen here. We all want to have fun... just please respect our boat and we'll invite you out again.

 

[OperationROL]

I lean towards @Ronnie on this one too. My logic is lead by example. People know how much I love my boat. So when they leave a wet towel out or a empty can, I put it away for them. They notice, say sorry, I say "psssssssh have fun, just tidying up" but we both know and it doesn't happen again. If I were to step on a boat and got read a bunch of safety rules my next next step would be off the boat. I feel like it comes off as "this is my boat, I'm almighty". Aka little man syndrome. I wanna have fun, that's why I got the boat for myself and others to enjoy. I know the company I keep and it should be a great day on the lake.

I do designate a rope owner though.

I just pictured me with a checklist reading the rules before everyone boards. Ha, ha. That's not how it happens. An example was yesterday my buddy and his wife changed into jeans for the fireworks. My wife simply said, "Here's a towel, jeans tend to bleed in the seats so we sit on towels if we wear jeans or new bathing suits." They took the towel, sat on it and enjoyed the fireworks. Another example......a few weeks back, my niece (brother in law's step daughter) got ready to spray sunblock in the cabin. I said, "hey, xxxx, do you mind doing that on the swimdeck. That stuff tends to leave a residue on the seats." She went onto the swim platform and sprayed herself.

So.......I guess it's all about how you deliver a message. I am very comfortable delivering the message in a non-threatening way.

 

[Glassman]

OK, so sometimes we DO invite guests out on the boat. Typically it will be for 3 or 4 days...we get a suite and provide the food and drink. If the guests want to bring something, that's fine too.

Typically I'll go over a few basic things on the first day and that usually covers it. First and foremost is safety. The basic rule is Stay seated in the Boat until I say it's OK to jump in. Never put a body part...hand, arm, leg between the boat and anything - dock, another boat, etc. If I need a guest to do anything I'll explain it in depth well in advance of the time I'll need that done. Usually it's stuff like keeping an eye on tow lines or holding the "Skier Down" flag.

Messy stuff stays on the rear patio. I don't mind orange food, red wine, etc., but it stays on the rear deck. I can hose off any mess and nobody gets their feeling hurt...much. And obviously we'll be floating or anchored when you're cleared to be back there. Life preservers are worn by those who need them, regardless of age. I carry a couple of self inflating belts and vests just in case the waves get over 6'. Then I put them on my family - every man to himself!

I've certainly mellowed with age, but I do still wipe down the boat every time while the wife and guests, etc. enjoy the pool. Call it therapy...or my quiet time alone with the boat. I restock the coolers, cover the boat and go relax by the pool and wait for my servants to feed me. Life is good

 

[Zeus2013]

There are only two rules on my boat.

1. I am the captain and you must follow all directions as directed, no discussion, period.
2. See rule #1

I always give the do's and don't up front on all other safety and misc. items.