It starts on the walk down the dock. The launch drivers might be sitting there in the dockhouse, one on the bench beside the ice machine, in the sun, and one on the stool in the little dockhouse, reading a book. Or maybe they're both out on the launches, driving along through the anchorage, delivering people to their boats. You'll want to pause at the dockhouse at the end of the pier, no matter what.
From there you can do a couple of things. First, do you need any ice? You might need ice. The ice machine is there, cubes or blocks for $1.75. You'll want cubes if you're just going out for a few hours, because you can sink your beer or soda cans into the cubes and they'll be nice and cold. If you're going on a longer trip you'll want a block, of course, because it will melt more slowly. You'll need an ice pick and an ice bucket then, for your gin and tonics, but if you're only now thinking about this at the end of the pier you can't go back and you're just going to have to make do. You could use a screwdriver, maybe, in a pinch.
More importantly, you can see where the launches are, and the launch drivers. Are they right there at the dockhouse? If so, say hello, and, if you've forgotten their names, take a look at the whiteboard on the wall of the dockhouse. It has the weather forecast and the times of the high and low tide, and down in the right hand corner it'll say "On Duty: Scott & Theo." Of course you wouldn't forget Scott or Theo's names, but some of those newer guys, the new Pete and Pat and is it Chris? well, yes, the reminder helps. So you'll scan the whiteboard to get the names -- right, it is Chris, I thought so -- and maybe you'll make a comment about the weather to cover yourself, so they don't realize you're refreshing your memory. "Hmmm, do you think we're going to see 10-15 from the north? I doubt it."
Sometimes when you're at the end of the pier there will be a load of people just climbing onto a launch, about to leave the dock, and you'll need to scurry down the ramp with your bags. No running, now. Someone could get hurt. But catch the eye of the launch driver and he'll wait for you.
Remember to ask whether the launches are running to sides, or around the whole anchorage. On busy days, one launch services the boats to the north of the dock, and the other services boats to the south. Especially if your boat is far away, getting on the wrong launch will mean other people have to wait a long time to get on their boats.
You climb into the launch -- a step up onto the rail and then a couple of teak steps down, with a nice stainless rail for you to hold onto. If you've got a bunch of big bags you might want to hand them in to someone who's already in the launch so you can hold the rail. That's nothing to feel embarrassed about. Better to do that than to lose your balance. As you climb down the steps behind the launch driver you'll tell him quietly what boat you're going to. It's good manners to say a bit about the location, too, (e.g. "I'm behind the Grady White with the green dodger towards Town Landing," or "It's the blue boat behind Lucky Bear over by York Ledge,"). That way the launch driver doesn't need to pretend he remembers where your boat is, or ask, which might be a bit embarrassing for him.
Once on the launch you can sit or stand, but you need to move away from the stairs. If you stand you'll want to keep your knees slightly bent, because the launch driver will be speeding up and slowing down and there are waves and turns and you don't want to lurch into anybody. There are nice teak benches around the inside perimeter of the launch, and open floor on the inside, with a big raised fiberglass engine cover right in the center. Kids like to sit on the engine cover but generally adults do not. The prime real estate seems to be the benches in the stern, maybe because it's the easiest place to get to. If it's a full launch I like to cross to the starboard side and sit on the bench there, where I can talk to the launch driver and I'm out of the way of other passengers. If it's just me I'll hang out right there on the steps behind the launch driver, talking to him, because my boat is such a short ride away.
When you settle in it's a good habit to put your bags on the floor between your feet. It's easy to put them on the bench beside you, and there's no real harm in that, unless you don't notice that the launch is getting full and your bags are taking up seat space. This is a great time for looking around the anchorage, and for friendly chitchat with the launch drivers or the other passengers. The weather, a particular boat that you've noticed, asking whether they've been out a lot this season, something. If you're like me you probably are trying to remember someone's name, and are doing what you can to pretend that of course you remember but just haven't found it necessary to use it in conversation. Of course when you do remember it's a good habit to use it, just to cement it in your head for next time. I've spent long launch rides kicking myself after chirping, "Hey, Rich, how are you," and then, after he's been delivered onto his boat, realizing that it's not Rich, but Russ.
Getting off the launch is pretty straightforward, except that there might be waves, and the launch is moving, and the boat is moving, and they're not moving in the same direction at the same time, and the launch is really only idling beside the boat, it's not attached or anything and the gap between boat and launch is changing in size each second, and you've probably got some things to carry, your bags and the ice you bought and maybe a kid or a couple of passengers who might not be so nimble or agile, and maybe the boat is actually quite a bit higher than the launch and you'll need to climb up and even swing your leg up over the lifelines and it all takes a bit of balance. Here's what you want to remember. It's the launch driver's job to hold onto the boat, so you don't need to worry about grabbing the boat or pulling it close to the launch. You'll just want to worry about climbing on. Put your bags down on the top step and get yourself onto the boat. It's okay if it looks awkward, just get on. Then someone will hand you the bags. If there are lifelines and there's a gate, you can unfasten the gate now so that your guests can climb on and walk through the gate rather than stepping up over the lifelines.
Say thank you to the launch driver. There's no tipping or anything like that, so a friendly wave goodbye is all that is necessary before you turn your attention to the boat you are on.
How big a launch is this? I recall launches at most marinas we moored at being not-too-large Boston Whalers, and standing was seldom a good move; the driver was often in the back driving with the outboard, not with a wheel and throttle.
Lately, it's been a more of a row-the-dinghy-yourself mooring.
Posted by: pjm | July 29, 2005 at 10:53 AM