It's raft-up time!

Summer is the time when like-minded folks get in their boats and head for a quiet anchorage and raft-up together for some convivial bon homie and to share good food and a cool drink with friends and family.

Sandringham YC has a raft up organised by the Recreational Boating Committee every year and we’re sure that many other clubs do too.

Sandringham’s Summer Raft-Up and Picnic will be held on January 10 and members and guests can get more information here. 

The Sandringham site advertising the raft-up offers some interesting information on the world’s biggest raft-up. 

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record for boats rafting together was set on August 14, 2010, when 1651 boats rafted up at the first Annual Lake Cumberland Raft Up in Kentucky, USA!  

Eligible boats included any motorised craft, aquabike/jetski, canoe/kayak and rigid inflatable boat tied together in a single, continuous structure.

Nine marinas along the lake combined to register participants in the raft-up event, which saw boats tied together beginning at 10:00 and lasting until 18:00."

RAFT-UP TIPS
Hurricane Boats in the US, which are imported and sold here by Lifestyle Marine in Toronto, has some good tips on rafting up. We’ve borrowed them and added a few of our own here for good measure.

As with any worthwhile endeavour there are both time-honoured traditions and unwritten rules one must abide in the quest of boating fun. And once you master a few easy techniques, you’ll be a raft-up master in no time.

Gear Up
You’ve probably already got the necessary gear on board. If you don’t, a quick stop at any marine retailer can help you fill in the gaps.
Before you pull up to a raft-up, make sure you have at least two fenders, four bow lines, two spring lines, a good anchor at the ready. One optional piece of equipment is a boat hook, which really helps with close-quarter pulling and pushing to keep your hands safely inside the boat.

Step Up
Well, it never seems to work out this way, but in an ideal world, you want the biggest boat to set a good, strong anchor, then have all the other, presumably smaller, boats start tying up from either side outward. About every third boat then will set anchor and ease into the raft-up. If you’ve got a raft-up veteran directing the show, things will move quickly and efficiently. If not, don’t worry, figuring out each individual raft-up layout is half the fun.

Heads Up
Assuming you’ve been invited, pull up within hailing distance and get your host or other appointed dignitary on the VHF radio or phone. If technology fails you, which it has been known to do, look for the wildly waving arms of a friendly guide telling you what side you’ll be hooking up to.

Set Up
Spring into action by getting your fenders out on both sides of your boat, securing your bow and stern lines to the cleats, and getting your spring lines out and available. Make sure everyone on your boat has a job. You need your lines manned, but don’t toss them to the other boat until you’re almost in place. Those well-meaning souls can tug you out of position in a hurry.

Pull Up
You want momentum, but not speed. Bump the throttle as needed to keep your forward motion, but careful not to create a wake and slosh the raft-up. You should be approaching the line astern, and if things are going as planned, everyone’s bow should be into the wind. Be on the lookout for any swimmers, your first priority is safety for everyone inside and outside your boat. If you’ve got kids or other guests that aren’t helping with the raft-up approach, they need to be seated and quiet. Pull up easy and stop at idle next to the boat you’ll tie off with, but don’t turn off your engine until you’re securely attached.

Lines Out
Toss bow and stern lines to the adjacent boat and adjust forward and aft so your stern lines up with the other boat. This makes it easier to step from one boat to the other. Use spring lines between boats to make sure you don’t shift forward and aft.

If you’re in a yacht and rafting up to another yacht, make sure the spreaders are staggered fore and aft so they don’t touch in the event of some wash.
Now you can shut down the engine and allow passengers to move. Make sure children are wearing life jackets at all times.

Party On
Now for the social aspect of rafting. You should have brought enough food, beverages and appetisers for your boat and extras to share with the other members of the raft-up. Be considerate about your music volume, splashing, language and anything else that may annoy your new neighbours. Be willing and able to lend a hand as new boats arrive or leave.

Take Off
Just like with jumper cables, your departure should operate in reverse order of your arrival. Help the folks on the end if needed and be patient for your turn. If you’re one of the first boats out, take off slowly with no wake so you don’t disturb the other rafters. If you (or another boat) need to leave from a spot in the middle of the line, tie two long bow lines to boats on either side of you, and a long stern line to one of the boats. 

Take off your spring lines, then the bow lines, then the stern lines and back up and out. Toss the stern line from one remaining boat to the other, pull them together, and secure lines between them.