Hit dock for first time! Doh! Left a mark.

[NewBoater]

Just when you think you got it pretty much under control and are getting the hang of it. You have a night like this. Wind and current/tide were rough. I was all over the slip just couldn't control it. Wanted to go sideways into other boats wanted to go forward to front of slip even in reverse. I was so frustrated and it bumped the front but at the end of the day hopefully it's a scratch that can be fixed at the end of the year with probably a couple of other scratches I will get I am sure. Last year the boatel had a guy fix a bunch of marring on the side that a bumper created, fixed perfect for about $75. Hopefully this can be fixed as it's kind of a deep scratch so not totally sure but at the end of the day we still had a great night but I was just telling my wife before we left going to dinner and docking just works my nerves as no one around here has good protected docks well at least not up to my standard of what I think they should look like and protect. And last year I got scratches on the side of the boat from using a bumper. Go figure. So just a couple of days ago I got some nice black covers to go over the bumpers and I took them out for the very first time for this dinner and they did a great job protecting the side of the boat with that crazy current after I got it tied up but of course I bumped the front of the boat where there were no bumpers on the dock or on my boat to protect. Damn kinda ruined my night. But I got over it in about 30-45 min lol. Bumping a dock for the first time I'm sure is not fun for anyone and I am normally very good around the docks but some other circumstances (wind/current/tide) were just stronger this night than I had seen. It was literally crazy my boat was all over the place when I got to the slip. It was like I had no control over the boat so at the end of the day I guess one scratch is not that bad. Here's a pic of the scratch and docked after I got it tied up with nice new covers over the bumpers to protect the (side) from being scratched. I try to keep things in perspective and I know it could have been a whole lot worse. Glad no one got hurt also as my wife tried to save it and glad she didn't get hurt in the process.

 

[Bruce]

That is a shallow scratch. Some spectrum paste and a little elbow work will make it disappear.

I would much rather have a boat that we enjoyed with a few marks and great memories on it than a pristine boat that spent its life in the garage.

 

[Ilmmct]

Sheryl Crow said it best or at least fashioned the phrase into a money making song, "The First Cut is the Deepest". Sorry this "first" ding happened to you otherwise pristine hull. I have those moments where everything is perfect and afterwards I pat myself on the back and say ... I have "mastered docking". Then like you (and many worst) a WTF docking foible-ladened shit-show occurs. Wind, tide, excessive verbal captain commands (wife), guests grabbing for pilings and I am once again humbled.

The 2nd-n cuts won't be as painful. I could take some pictures of my hull and show you the "tattoos" that the weather/wind/tide gods have left as a reminder to stay humble and to plan for future momentos.

 

[jameskeller76]

First of many, I actually let the scratches build up and then buff them out at the end of the year. This scratch will come out with some compound and a variable speed polisher.

 

[McMark]

Yep. That'll buff right out

 

[Glen]

First scratch is always the hardest.
Now just enjoy-

 

[txav8r]

You know its there, no one else will notice, and if they do, so what? Just enjoy your boat and family. I can tell by your writing that you want to be in control of it, me too, but there are days that wind/waves are just not in your favor. When your fighting it one way, give in and go the other way. If you can't do that such as getting into your slip, throw away the man card and get a hook and throw off a few lines and have someone help to pull the boat into the slip. There are just days like that. Don't for one minute think that the guy that is a master of his boat that everyone envies, doesn't have bad days. As for the scratch, just mend them in the winter!

 

[renrab]

lol shit happens, first time out it was so windy and I smacked the side of my hull where the 242 sticker is into the side of my slip...the first of many more to come

 

[Jebinok]

Oh that's noice, consider them scars, chicks dig scars, and believe you me both myself and my boat have em.

 

[Hannibal]

I scratched mine the first time out. I was nauseous. However, I started noticing dock bumps on every boat that's been around the buoys a few times. I wish I could pull up to the ramps like a champ but boats just kinda waller around with wind, waves and current. Best you can do is land the impacts on the fenders. It would be nice if boat ramp docks were better designed to allow the rub rails to do their job but I haven't seen one yet around here.

 

[Glen]

I've started pulling off the stickers on the sides of our 242X.

Show scrapes too easily, and a bit gaudy for our taste.

Peak off east.

Gelcoat is easier to maintain.

 

[sx998]

I got my arse handed to me on a windy day trying to get it on the trailer. Afterwards I realized that I still had the Bimini up. Thing is like a sail on a windy day. Bimini now comes down in the no wake zone before the ramp.

 

[NewBoater]

I got my arse handed to me on a windy day trying to get it on the trailer. Afterwards I realized that I still had the Bimini up. Thing is like a sail on a windy day. Bimini now comes down in the no wake zone before the ramp.

Funny you say that that was one of the first times in forever that I was trying to dock with the Bimini up, and it was very windy. That probably had something to do with it for sure.

 

[zipper]

Funny you say that that was one of the first times in forever that I was trying to dock with the Bimini up, and it was very windy. That probably had something to do with it for sure.

I've learned to always take down the bimini in the no wake area before I back into my slip. My wife looks at me funny when I say its time to do this, but its a big sail exposed to the winds.