www.iFourWinns.com

I'm not talking about things like not offering gas money or not helping wipe down afterwards-to me those are assumed parts of having a boat and I don't expect someone else to carry that burden. If they want to help out, I won't refuse it but I don't expect it.

I'm pretty laid back, but there are a few things that I can't stand people doing on my boat:

1. Wearing their shoes when getting into the boat. Extra deduction of points for stepping directly onto the upholstery with your shoes on.
2. Grabbing the bimini top or bimini poles for support when feeling unsteady or off-balance (there are so many other things that are 10X sturdier).
3. Bringing half of their house on board with them. If you want to bring some sunscreen, a few towels, maybe an extra cooler bag with extra liquor that is great. But leave your fully-inflated ducky float ring and mask, snorkel, and oversized diving fins at home.
4. Insisting that I pull them at 10MPH or so on the tube. Nonsense. You get what I give you. And on the tube, I give you pain. Like it.
5. Refusing to get into the water and swim because "the lake looks dirty."
6. Volunteering to help catch the boat and hold it at the dock while I'm tying it off, and then letting the boat smack the hell out of the dock.

Anyone else care to share?

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

You've had someone say "The lake looks dirty!?"

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Yes, and the lake was so clear that day that you could easily see your feet if your legs were straight down as far as they'd go. I think it was more of a "lakes are dirty" line of thinking in general. Regardless, it was a girl I dated long ago (who has sense been replaced with my wife, so I took care of that problem) and she didn't make the trip again.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

- SMOKING...really pisses me off. I made a girl (only one on board smoking) put on a life jacket and swim away from the boat with her cigarette. Vinyl burns too easy.

- People that bring their kids onboard without asking. Im only 27 and I dont hate kids, but everyone on my boat is my responsibility and if I wanted the responsibility of a 3-5 yr old I would've had my own by now.

- People that assume beer on a boat is free to the public

- People that say "Yeah I know how to wakeboard"...and after 10 tries still can't get out of the water. Than they get angry when you try to coach them.

- People that touch my radio without asking

I'm sure I'll have a few more later... I usually have a blast out on the water but for some reason one of the above happens atleast once a trip!

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2007 Four Winns 220SS (Sold!!)
2006 Toyota Tacoma

Radio thing drives me nuts!!!

I also hate when those who have NEVER owned a boat start insisting you to go into an area you know u will hit bottom!

Finally prior to installing my windlass on the boat the admiral would play the role of anchor wench as she is deathly afraid of handling the wheel. It would drive me nuts when another man on the boat would see her dealing with this and go into the cooler an fetch a beer instead of going up and giving her a hand. These individuals are on a one strike policy in my book!

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Totally what you guys said.

- Slamming doors is another big one for me. Gloveboxes, walkthroughs whatever.
- Shoes in the interior or just rough trampling of the apohlstry for that matter - ughh.
- Careless smokers (and I am a smoker) burning apohlstry or throwing butts in the water - ughh.
- Throwing refuse overboard I find disgusting - I wouldn't have someone back. In fact if I was in the right mood the offender would be the next article over the side but they were forced to retrieve and I was certain that everyone else knew why we had to loop back with a big announcment.
- Invited guests who invite guests of thier own without sharing the increasing numbers with me.

As far as the tube of ski is concerned - most know already what to expect and decide for themselves accordingly
I try to be pretty careful - even more-so with someone elses' kit. I just wish others recognized the dispair that comes form having your toys broken and just generally had more of a regard for other peoples possessions.
Seems that it is a pretty common mentality nowadays though - oblivious to anyone or anything around you. A quick detour through any WalMart Parking Lot Shopping Cart Dodge Ball Match is clear evidence of that.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

Pet575, I have the answer for the shoes on the boat. I have a sticker on the back that the sign guy who does the boat lettering for me made that says naked feet only with the bare foot symbol in the middle. I can get them for you. He does all colors.

Bring on the weekend.

One pet peeve is Doritos or any orange snack in the cabin. That end at getting ground in
,

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2001 Sundowner 235

My pet peeve... on the new boat... when we refer to the plastic porta potti as an "emergency only" device... and for women only.... but then a dude says "man, I've got to piss - can I use the toilet".

Man -- that's what the swim platform is for dude... I ask "do you always sit with your pants around your ankles when you pee?"

Or... a woman who is warned and has multiple chances to go to the bathroom BEFORE we take off for the day... and 20 minutes into the boat ride, I get the "I have to pee".


All the others you have mentioned above will rile me up as well.... especially grabbing the bimini poles like they are solid - when they have a 2.5 inch arch to grab onto within a foot of where they are.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

One more...this happended last weekend. We were all floating around the transom and this guy (friend of a friend of a friend) who was on another boat was floating and kept asking for another beer. After he was thrown the 3rd or 4th I ask him about his empties.
His dumb ass quote exactly "If it sinks to the bottom it can't be littering" Than laughs

That was the last beer he got out of my boat...and my other buddy (big guy) took the rest of his beer. He was pissed, but come on dont trash my lake

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2007 Four Winns 220SS (Sold!!)
2006 Toyota Tacoma

Invite better friends. Really. If they're not the sort that understands boating then spare both parties the agony and leave them out of your boating plans.

No smoking. Period. End of discussion. If they're that much of a junkie they can't hold their cravings until the end of the trip then they can stay the hell home. Besides, it's close enough quarters on the boat I don't want to smell their stinking breath. It's a filthy f***ing habit and I'll have none of it on my boat AT ALL. Yes, you could say I take a hard line about this.

I hear you regarding bring-alongs, whether it be food, guests or gear. I just make sure to have a conversation with them ahead of time on it. This after one friend brought a MONSTROUSLY large bowl of fruit salad. Now, it was really tasty and she meant well, but I don't think there are ANY lockers on that boat that'd have been big enough to hold it. Fortunately I keep a couple of boxes of ziploc baggies on board (it took like FOUR gallon bags).

I've not had someone be rude enough to bring along uninvited guests. I have had folks ask ahead of time. My usual response is to suggest we plan another trip at a later date because we already have enough passengers for this one. Frankly, there's nobody "that important" in our lives that would be that rude about this. At least not that we'd be inviting to the boat. This goes back to 'invite better friends'.

I made the mistake of making strawberry daquiris.. once. Damn pink stain is still barely detectable on the carpet. No artificially colored anything allowed now. It's better to just buy all the provisions ourselves. I usually present this as "I'm going shopping for food, do you want me to buy anything special for you? You can reimburse me later." Works great. The combination of being gracious enough to invite them out for a trip and offering to do the shopping seems to get them into the right frame of mind.

As for the toilet, it's a pointless battle. It's there, it's designed to be used, get over it. Granted, a tiny porta-potty is a lot more hassle than a built-in waste tank. When I had to deal with the smaller one I just let folks know it only held a small amount. As in, "we have one but, seriously, it really doesn't hold much. So BE SURE to avoid using it and let me know when you do." The same talk still applies and we have no trouble. It may seem like a 'rude' or 'uncomfortable' conversation but better that than deal with problems later.

Shoes and upholstery, same conversation. Talk ahead of time and help stow the shoes should they wear the wrong kind. Yeah, again, might seem rude but it's YOUR boat and they're GUESTS. It's all about balance and having a good time.

Most poles are pretty sturdy when the canvas or cover is properly installed on them. That and poles are undoubtedly cheaper than the cost of someone getting injured. Yeah, swinging like Tarzan from them is a bad thing, but using them to steady themselves shouldn't really be a problem.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

#1 = pet's #6. volunteer to hold the boat, then letting it slam.
#2 loading up like a pet dog. As soon as we get to the boat ramp, they load up in the boat without so much as asking if I need help.

#3 leave your damn phone in the storage. Check it when we're stopped. I'm not pulling back to idle everytime the thing rings. You're at the lake!


Great topic!

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

This killer for me the drunk friend that your conscience said not to bring in the first place thinks it is funny to start a water cannon fight in your boat in the middle of a party cove.

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2007 Four Winns 220 5.7 DP
1997 Baja 272 Islander
2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LTZ

LOL, get better friends. I love it. Funny how selective I've become over the years as to who I'll invite.

Smoking really isn't an issue for me, as none of our really good friends smoke, but good point. I don't think I'd even allow it on board. As for the cell phone, you're more than welcome to answer it as many times as you'd like if you don't mind the wind noise the other person is going to have to deal with.

You're right about the bimini poles, they ARE sturdy enough to be touched. I think that just comes from the previous boat that had an aftermarket with only a single center pole on each side and then 4 corner straps. People were always grabbing either the top itself or those poles and they were MUCH LESS sturdy than the bimini on my 220. Just leftover scars from the previous boat, I guess.

Also, I left two things out:

1. Don't get in the boat and ask me a few hours into the day, "What does this have in it-a V4, V6, or V8?" You're much less of an idiot by not asking than you are by asking me THAT (seriously? A V4?). If you don't know anything about motors, drives, etc..that is OK.

2. If you ask me to run down/catch up to a boat or PWC that you see on the lake, it had better be for good reason.
Good reasons: you know the person; it is full of hot chicks (bonus: one/all of them are naked); or the boat needs help.
Bad reasons: it looked cool; you wanted the guy on the PWC that you saw to have some good waves to jump; the kids really looked like they were having fun riding the torpedo behind the boat and you wanted a closer look; it looked like the boat of someone you know but that guy either doesn't have the boat anymore or he doesn't ever boat on the lake you are currently on (and you knew that beforehand but explained afterwards).

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

I guess I just have good friends, I have no problems. I have "naked feet only stickers" and if you need to smoke you can on the swim platform.

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Can't really think of anything. It's amusing to read some of these AR responses. Keep em' coming.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy