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Some dock masters are jerks

Posted by on March 21, 2012

Day 8 Jax Marina to Halifax Harbor Marina: So, with days 6 and 7 a bust we got a 7:50AM start from Jacksonville Beach headed for our next destination. Not being too sure about anchorages in these areas and Bob’s guide not giving us an anchorage that maximized our day, we had planned on a second marina. Not a bad idea since we had a full head and zero fresh water.

Growing up in Jacksonville I had spent many a day at the old fort in St. Augustine. But when we approached the Lyons Bridge it seemed sort of odd to see that old fort from the water. Anyway, as I called to get the Lyons bridge opening I heard another familiar voice calling for a bridge opening further to the south. It was the couple that had introduced us to the 8-knot life and as we came under the Lyons Bridge they and Belle passed port to port. Odd really, they were heading up to Baltimore area to put their 48LRC on the hard.

The only excitement of this day was the jerk dock master at Halifax Marina. As I approached the marker that was the turn into Halifax Marina I passed it because there was a work barge sitting right in the way of the entrance and I thought… that cannot be my turn. Then realizing what I had done I attempted to turn Belle, but with winds now climbing to 17 MPH I was pushed out of the channel and ran Belle into the mud. Sorry Belle, I’ll clean your strainers and rub you down later.  Anyway, making a turn and then into the marina’s channel I had about two feet on either side of Belle as I passed this stupid work barge. But, the worst was yet to come.

I learned a new lesson this day… When you call a marina and ask which side they want you to tie and they come back with “your choice captain,” you should just keep on going.  So much for that learning opportunity… So, I called back and said (politely), sorry bud, it’s your marina and you know the tide and wind and where you are putting me; which side should I set up to tie? They answered; Port tie captain. Now we are getting somewhere.  With Lou out in the wind and rain, she gets five fenders over the side and stands ready at the bow as I attempt to bring Belle up to the dock. Problem is… they gave me a port side tie that put the wind and, what felt like one hell of a current, pushing Belle faster than I could back her down. Definitely not a port side tie; in these conditions you have to motor into the wind, but the jerk dock master had no clue.

Finally I wrestled, and I mean wrestled, Belle to make a 180 turn and head into the wind. Things are doing better now, except the jerk dock master is standing at the far end of the J-dock and I’m attempting to hold a position about midway on the dock. The jerk had his hands in his pockets just looking at Lou in the wind and rain like we were supposed to just drive on up and ask for a slip ticket or something. I put Belle into a forward path toward the dock and stepped to the pilot house door and yelled at the jerk… HEY, CAN YOU WALK DOWN HERE AND TAKE THIS Fuc*&^($ line?  Sorry, but I had lost all patience at this point. The jerk finally moseyed down so Lou could throw him the line and he tied us off to a cleat. Now I was set – and could just back Belle’s stern against the dock. WRONG; the jerk tied the bow line so tight I was laying against the hull with the stern hanging out a good ten feet.  So again, I stepped to the pilot house door and yelled; can you let the line off some? Then back to the wheel and Lou starts looking at me from the bow like this is not really happening is it?  So this time I walked out to the bow, hoping Belle would behave while I was gone, to find the jerk had tied the byte overhand on the cleat and he couldn’t get the line to release. Realizing this was starting to look like a Saturday night horror flick I grabbed another line and threw it to the jerk.  Then pulled my knife and cut the first line. this was one of the lines I had specially made in Charleston for $65 and the jerk ruined it. 

Finally we get secured, but I was not done with this jerk. I am pretty easy going but between this guy standing at the end of the dock with his hands in his pockets, and seeing Lou in the rain and 20 MPH wind, combined with destroying a $65 line I laid into this poor guy. Have you ever tied a boat before? What the hell were you thinking standing some 40-feet away while I was trying to wrestle this boat into your dock? And, who the F*$^ gave you knot tying lessons? I was not happy and he was a bit stunned by it all. May have been his first day but, hey… somebody at this bloody marina should have known how to help in this kind of weather.

Now the crux of this saga. The wind never did relent and when morning came we decided that moving across the marina to have the head pumped was too risky. So, I filled the water tanks and pulled out at first light.

If you are ever thinking of pulling into this marina you should first call ahead and see if the jerk dock master is on duty, or if they offer you the side tie of your choice… just keep on cruising.

But, for miles traveled, we made 72 nautical miles that day. We are getting this tub closer to home!

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