S ummer C ruising ‘Round the DelMarVa
15 Things to Do on Your Boat
Good Guest and Host
Striking Sailors’ Chords
How To Be a Good Guest and Host
W
by Cindy Wallach
e have some friends, let’s call them the Smiths, who keep asking us to take them out on the Bay on our catamaran. Every time they hint at it, we dodge. We have other friends we love having aboard so much we would rearrange our schedule to take them out sailing. Truth is, some guests are a delight to have onboard, and others not so much.
Good Guest
One of the most important things to keep in mind when you’re going out sailing with someone is that the boat is their baby. Maybe they don’t say it out loud, but it’s true. Don’t press buttons, rummage through compartments, or slam doors. Do ask questions and learn the ropes. Your host would much rather you ask them to flush the head after you go than have you break or flood the toilet from inexperience. Better yet, ask for a toilet tutorial. Ask for a once over of the whole boat. And don’t be afraid to ask about anything you’re not sure about.
##When good guests and good hosts meet, happiness ensues.
And just as you would with a new baby, bring food. Having to drive guests around the Bay and also cook for them can be a little much. A bag of chips won’t cut it; bring something already prepared, nutritious, filling, and easy to eat with your hands. Moderation is everything when you’re out on a boat. There are several things you want to avoid in excess. First, avoid too much sun. You and your boat host will be in a world of pain if you let yourself become a boiled lobster while underway. It’s dangerous, it’s painful, and it’s totally preventable. A sunburned guest can quickly become a sick guest, so put on sunscreen, drink lots of water, wear a hat, stay under the bimini if possible. Sundowners out on the water are a fabulous way to relax, but out on the boat is not the place to get drunk. Try to stay hydrated and drink nonalcoholic drinks. You can save the festive rum drinks and beer for back
##Try to give your guests some moments to remember.
at the dock. If you must drink underway, go easy. Keeping guests safe is hard enough; a drunk guest is a liability to everyone. There’s one thing you need to be ready to let go of when you head out sailing with a friend, and that’s schedules. Don’t expect to cast off right when you arrive, and don’t expect to return at a particular time. Your boat-owning friends will do the best they can, but nobody can control the wind and waves. If you don’t have a loose enough schedule to give the whole day over to sailing, you may want to decline until you have more time. Put your devices aside, and enjoy the company and the amazing views. Finally, don’t sail and run. Your hosts will have been working to get the boat ready for a couple of hours before you arrived, and they will have an hour or so more work to do once you tie up at the dock. Ask how you can help. Sails will need to be folded, lines coiled, decks rinsed and scrubbed, odds and ends put away, and trash taken out. The best way to become the people who never get asked back out on the boat is by saying goodbye within minutes of arriving back at port.
Good Host
It’s not all about the guests doing the right things; the host plays a big role too. You’re not just hosting for an after58 June 2015 spinsheet.com