Down Under? Mostly up!!!

[daga]

Good point. Was that a photo of Airlie Beach YC? If so, the tide there can definitely leave you high and dry tho.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Even looking at all of these pictures, how is having them up damaging the other dingys? Unless of course your running into the back of them, in which case an optomotrist is in order.

At some busy places dinghies can be two or even three deep. Never encountered that at WSC yet though.

But we don't dinghy there much any more. Shopping is easier at cannonvale, and it's a short walk from the VMR ramp.

[undercutter]

Just thought I should post again here as so many took the time to answer my question. At the time the pictures were taken at Arlie beach there was neap tides and none of the dinghies were in a position to dry out so that of course was not the answer although maybe just a habit. We too will trim up the motor to the first or second position in such a circumstance however we will never leave the motor completely up. I did take the time to ask at the yacht club office and they did in fact tell me that it was policy of the club to require that the motors be left up due to fouling of painter lines in others props as others have suggested here. I certainly respect their decisions however much I disagree. And yes we have suffered damage in the past due to sharpened props from groundings which can leave nice jagged edges on props. Floating painter lines as someone else suggested seems commendable. How much time does it take anyway to lift the engine while retrieving your dinghy and onboard to ensure that those inflatables do not get damaged while you push off from the dock.

After spending so much time in SE Asia we have taken to the practice of tying up with a long painter to shore and throwing out a stern anchor although it is nice to be able to get along side a pontoon dock for provisioning.

For those that suggest that the reason is marine growth or corrosion due to salt water, all I can say is that on every dinghy that is tied behind an anchored boat (which I understand) or even towed behind a sailing one (which I cannot fathom) the motor is always in the fully down position?????????

Appreciate all the feedback. Should arrive Bundaberg tomorrow.

[exMaggieDrum]

I wouldn't think that a dinghy dock where the dinks are only one deep and the painters are not too long would never have a problem with either lines in the props or up motors damaging other dinks.

The problems can happen when there is more than one row of dinks and the props are up. If all is calm and will stay calm I shouldn't think that would be a problem. But when the dock is subject to ocean swell or passing boat wakes then it can be a problem. We always use a floating dink line. It saves us from wrapping out dink line around our boat's prop should be forget to check and it is a courtesy for the other dinks at a dock when you have a long painter out.

Seems like if you can take the time to pull your dink motor up when tying up, you could leave it down at the dock and then raise it to make sure you don't have a painter wrapped around it. But hey, all of us want to do what is best, whatever that is. I doubt anyone will change their habits from this thread. If a marina requires the motor up I would haul mine up. But in my experience marinas don't generally have that much of an issue with multiple rows of dinks.

Avalon in the Catalina Islands off of California is a terrible place to dock your dink though as there is swell coming in from the open harbor and much wake traffic causing much shuffling of the two rows of dinks often there. I am not happy when I have to come in to upraised motors there. I can see just fine thank you but it looks like a wall of pikes off of a fortification trying to fend off invaders.

If a dock were subject to drying out that is an entirely different situation where you would have to leave the motor up but not sure how you intend to get back off the dock in the mud. If you don't have any choice then you have to just deal with it and keep the motor up and wait for the tide to come back in. Somehow I don't envision having a huge raft of dinks on docks like that.