# Music Etiquette at the Dock



## Dave_E (Aug 7, 2013)

Ok, the day at sea is over, you've pulled into a marina for the night, button up the ship, pour a cold one, light off the BBQ and put on some good tunes... and everyone around you stares at you like your from Mars. 

Is there an unwritten rule concerning music in a marina? This actually happened to me last week. The tunes were from inside the boat and barely audible in the cockpit, but folks were straining to see where the music was coming from.

Here's the funny part. The group who was doing all the looking from accross the fairway did the evening wine drinking thing and the ladies were cackling in no time. You could here them 6 boats away. 

Do any of you have speakers installed in the cockpit? 

Dave


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

You make a good case for anchoring.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I have no speakers in the cockpit, but the sound from the surround sound system in the boat carry a very long way across and through the water, therefore, I don't play them louder than whisper quiet at an anchorage or at the dock. Keep in mind that while anchored, there is essentially nothing to absorb the sounds coming from your boat - nothing! 

Additionally, not everyone enjoys the music styles that you enjoy. Some folks only want to hear the sounds of nature, or the sounds inside their minds while enjoying a day on their boats. You might like hip-hop or rap, but personally, I cannot stand either. I don't consider them music - I consider them irritating.

Some folks can only get into a song when it's played at ear-bleed volume. As a full-time musician/singer/entertainer I think that's insane. It drives me nuts when I'm sitting at a traffic light and some teenaged adolescent-adult pulls up behind me with his sub-woofers blaring so loud that my van shakes. Sometimes I want to get out and take a hammer to his speakers. Unfortunately, the DB laws are rarely enforced. If they were, this kind of thing wouldn't happen.

The next time you're out on your boat, walk 50 feet down the dock and listen to see if you can hear the music. If you can, it's way too loud. Additionally, most men loose a lot of their high frequency hearing by age 35 so have a young woman walk with you and ask if she can hear it as well. If you can, it's too damned loud! 

Gary


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

Maybe they were looking to get invited over to the party where the excellent music was playing. Or maybe the wine-drinking ladies think you're hot. 

Life is better when you assume the best in the poeple around you. 

If I was your marina neighbor and you were listening to music I liked and I could see that you were drinking beer, I'd probably come over and introduce myself.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

Gary-

If you have a young woman with you, and can hear her speak, then you haven't lost your high frequency hearing. 

Marinas are inherently noisy.
People blabbing while walking past, bars blaring music until 2am, cars in the parking lot, and lots of boats and people in close proximity.
I say that in marinas, it's not rude to play music at a respectable volume, until a reasonable hour. If people don't like it, tough sh*t.

Anchorages are where people go for peace and quiet.
I won't run a generator.
I won't play music that can be heard outside of my cabin, at ANY hour.
I keep conversation in the open cockpit at a low volume.
No "wine cackling".


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I think it sort of depends on the atmosphere at your marina. Ours is small with only a handful of permanent slip holders scattered along two docks.

We have cockpit speakers (came installed when we bought the boat). We rarely use them in the slip (rarely use them at all, really) but when we do, we make sure that anyone standing on the dock looking down into the boat can barely hear the music. 

Our slip neighbor directly opposite likes to play his guitar in his cockpit when he returns from his sails. He's OK. No Joe Satriani. We know that his time on his boat is his break from being primary caregiver of his wife so we turn off our music when he's plucking away just out of respect and on the off chance our music would interfere. He probably doesn't care and we never asked if he can hear us, we just do it.

Two slips down our other neighbor plays reggae from his iPhone in his cockpit. Unless we're sitting in his boat, we can't hear it. 

The only time we muttered amongst ourselves was when a power boater was there for the week to repair his boat. Boat name "Mad Dog" or "Big Dog" or some such name in two foot letters on his transom and rock music blaring across the marina. We all decided that we'd let it go unless he became a permanent slip holder. No need to cause a fuss if he was leaving eventually anyway. Which he did.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Dave_E said:


> put on some good tunes... and everyone around you stares at you like your from Mars.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


Music tastes vary.

"Barely audible" means different things to different people.

Sound travels very well over water.

Someone on the next dock may be hearing your music AND the music from another boat that you can't hear that, together, is really bad.

Boisterous talking, laughing, and "cackling" is just as rude as intrusive music.

Most marinas have quiet hours that should be respected. 10p to 8a is common but you should check the regulations at your own marina.

Those who engage in activities that impact others (music, other noise, smoking, barking dogs) have no organic right to intrude on others. I can't think of anyone ever accused of being too quiet.

Good for you for noticing - the easy next step is to ask "is this too loud for you?" That certainly puts you on the high moral ground when the cackling starts.

My opinions are my own and YMMV.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

I have cockpit mounted speakers, but don't use them in the marina.

Here in the PNW I rarely hear music being played inside marinas. I've spent the last week in the San Juan Islands staying in state parks, anchored out, and in marinas (right now I'm in Rosario Resort). Last night I was surrounded by lots of big boats since they put my 28' sailboat in a 40' slip, but I still haven't heard any music.

I like it this way.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

When I was about 19 one of my budies pointed out that it was inherently rude to play music loud enough that others had to listen to it, as though you had some right to expect them to listen to your tunes. That was the last time I played music with the windows down. *How would you feel I came over and changed the channel, since we share the same air and I'm forced to listen to them too? Don't I have a right to chose your tunes? I bet you wouldn't like that.*

Unless the cabin is closed up, or at moderate volume when well separated from other boats, I don't think there is a place where it is polite to play music. As for the notion that marinas are inherantly loud, you are only perpetuating the problem.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

I try to keep my music at a level where I can't hear it at all one slip away if played on the cockpit speakers. Since there are music styles I do not like, I assume nobody likes mine either and find it selfish to force others to listen. I sometimes wear a set of Bluetooth earbuds if I am going to being working on the outside of the boat and want some loud rock and roll to keep me going!

Some marinas are strict about outside grilling too. 

I installed cockpit speakers in this boat and my previous one.


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

If the music was barely audible in the cockpit, how can people across the fairway hear it?
Sounds like you had the volumn up a little too much.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Bubblehead, when I have young ladies in the boat, which is much of the time, I do my best to accommodate their wishes and demands. Most of the time, I'm not playing music, just letting them sail the boat, while I prepare their food and mix the Green Coconut Margarettas. Yes, I'm a galley slave, and damned proud of it! 

One of the best aspects of sailing Chesapeake Bay is weekday sailing. I usually try to schedule at least one day off in the middle of the week for sailing, mainly because weekend weather and boating traffic usually suck. It rarely rains on Wednesdays or Thursdays, and the winds are usually better, west to northwest, or maybe east, all of which allow me to put the sails up as soon as I get south of the Amtrac Bridge at Havre de Grace. Then I just give the wheel to one of the ladies, go below and break out the chips and snacks, mix a couple cold drinks, and enjoy a beautiful, quiet day on the bay.

I guess because I play music for living nearly every day of the week, and lots of nights, the solitude of sailing and not hearing the music anyplace but in my head is kinda a respite from my day job. No different that anyone else that enjoys a day away from their regular routine.

Cheers,

Gary


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## catlady (Oct 27, 2011)

Many marinas do not allow using a grill – even a small propane Magna type – on your boat when docked there. Are you sure that wasn't the culprit?

We have great Bose outdoor bookshelf speakers mounted on the davits and totally exposed – they still sound fantastic after 7 years. They're always on when we're there, but we keep it pretty quiet and never have had a complaint or an "eyeroll" at the dock, although we anchor mostly. (Maybe we just have excellent taste in music?)


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

You folks have obviously not met the owners of these kinds of boats... our WHOLE lake gets to listen, because they usually run about 200+ watts, because you know the wake boarder has to be able to hear it (over the 5000+ hp motor)...


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

pdqaltair said:


> When I was about 19 one of my budies pointed out that it was inherently rude to play music loud enough that others had to listen to it, as though you had some right to expect them to listen to your tunes. That was the last time I played music with the windows down. *How would you feel I came over and changed the channel, since we share the same air and I'm forced to listen to them too? Don't I have a right to chose your tunes? I bet you wouldn't like that.*
> 
> Unless the cabin is closed up, or at moderate volume when well separated from other boats, I don't think there is a place where it is polite to play music. As for the notion that marinas are inherantly loud, you are only perpetuating the problem.


Hm...let me clarify a bit:

I don't have cockpit speakers and will never install them. My cabin stereo barely outputs at a level that can be enjoyed up in the cockpit and I have no plans to change that.

In a marina, I would not feel as if I had a right to contest the "Big Dog" powerboat from blaring his music, until the theoretical 10pm quiet hours that Dave alluded to.

I have neighbors that raise a loud racket right up until 10pm in my neighborhood. I don't like it, but I can't do anything until "quiet hours" so I don't hassle them, in order to preserve harmony in the neighborhood.

That doesn't mean that I reciprocate and blare my own music.
My behavior is the same on the boat.


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## Dave_E (Aug 7, 2013)

We were in Friday Harbor for a week (used that as "home port" while visiting other locations). Pretty sure grilling was not outlawed as everyone was doing it and the port had their people all over the place. 

Not wanting to start any serious debate about music, or tastes. I turned it way down to the point of their voices and "cackeling" drowned out what I could hear in my own cockpit. 

Understand and respect all points of view. Thanks.


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## Geoff54 (Oct 30, 2011)

At home I have a nice sound system and enjoy listening to it. On the boat, I just don't feel the same need. I do have cockpit speakers, they came with the boat - I suppose one day I might try them to see what they sound like


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

chuck53 said:


> If the music was barely audible in the cockpit, how can people across the fairway hear it?





catlady said:


> Many marinas do not allow using a grill - even a small propane Magna type - on your boat when docked there. Are you sure that wasn't the culprit?
> 
> 
> > These two posts support my point: David E does not know why the neighbors were looking at him or even if they were looking at him. I understood him to say he had his music at low volume, so I assume that music wasn't the cause for attention. Talking with people directly is much more fun and effective than making assumptions about them.


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## gptyk (Mar 20, 2013)

So all I need to do to get a young lady down to the boat is tell her "hey, come down the dock with me and tell me if you can hear this."

Cool. I now know a new, surefire pickup line. 

Y'all want music? Go to "the river" (lake mojave, havasu, etc...) There you get multi-thousand watt amps to giant speakers on the wakeboard towers. All playing something different, all playing as loud as possible. Even beached feet from each other. Just don't understand that too much.


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

gptyk said:


> So all I need to do to get a young lady down to the boat is tell her "hey, come down the dock with me and tell me if you can hear this."
> 
> Cool. I now know a new, surefire pickup line.
> 
> Y'all want music? Go to "the river" (lake mojave, havasu, etc...) There you get multi-thousand watt amps to giant speakers on the wakeboard towers. All playing something different, all playing as loud as possible. Even beached feet from each other. Just don't understand that too much.


We get the wake boarders on our lakes also. They are maybe a small step above jet skiers. I think the speaker thing is an adolescent "Look at me" thing, like their big pickup trucks with huge tires sticking out of the wheel wells & jacked up 2 feet off the ground. The trucks have probably never even been on the dirt.

Playing music where other people have to listen to it is rude.

Paul T


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## tomandchris (Nov 11, 2009)

where we sail you cannot BBQ on your boat in a marina. You have to use shoreside BBQ. Could be that was what they were looking at. 
I like the rule because I cannot imagine liking the neighbors ribs or fish smell if my boat is open. Rarely in the marina are you far enough away from others to share your music or BBQ.


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

My "sound system" consists of one of those very compact, battery powered ipod speakers. It looks a lot like the picture I've attached here. I hang it from the hatchway lock hasp while underway.

I've gone from planning to install an elaborate stereo, to using a really nice boom box, to my current very compact and modest system. While I love and listen to music as much as ever (I'm a former semi-professional musician), I find that don't really want to hear music while I'm sailing. I really enjoy the peace and quiet, or the conversation of my companions. I will sometimes get the thing going while at anchor or at a mooring so we have some background music while we talk/eat/drink, but even that is somewhat rare. My kids sure don't want to hear my music; my wife is sometimes not too keen on my musical taste either. I find that I am now using it mostly at the dock while I putter away at some task or another. After reading this thread, I will be more circumspect about the volume.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Mstern, when you play music every day for a living, the peace and serenity of just sailing along is all you need - the music stays in your head all the time anyway, so you really don't need a sound system blaring.

Gary


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

mstern said:


> My "sound system" consists of one of those very compact, battery powered ipod speakers. It looks a lot like the picture I've attached here. I hang it from the hatchway lock hasp while underway.
> 
> I've gone from planning to install an elaborate stereo, to using a really nice boom box, to my current very compact and modest system. While I love and listen to music as much as ever (I'm a former semi-professional musician), I find that don't really want to hear music while I'm sailing. I really enjoy the peace and quiet, or the conversation of my companions. I will sometimes get the thing going while at anchor or at a mooring so we have some background music while we talk/eat/drink, but even that is somewhat rare. My kids sure don't want to hear my music; my wife is sometimes not too keen on my musical taste either. I find that I am now using it mostly at the dock while I putter away at some task or another. After reading this thread, I will be more circumspect about the volume.





> After reading this thread, I will be more circumspect about the volume.


As Martha Stewart would say, "That is a good thing", thank you. 

Paul T


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Now if we can just get people to stop throwing trash out the windows of their cars, and incidentally over the side. *grin*


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

dabnis said:


> As Martha Stewart would say, "That is a good thing", thank you.
> 
> Paul T


Keep in mind my very compact stereo has some pretty severe built-in volume limitations, so it's not like I'm making a big sacrifice!


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

travlineasy said:


> Mstern, when you play music every day for a living, the peace and serenity of just sailing along is all you need - the music stays in your head all the time anyway, so you really don't need a sound system blaring.
> 
> Gary


Amen brother. Btw, have you ever played the Lobster Shack in Branford, CT? I ask because there was a guy playing the Shack awhile ago who looked like your avatar picture.


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## jzk (Feb 25, 2008)

It all has to do with the atmosphere of the marina and who is around. Use a little judgment. At the dock over, there is this own power boat that always comes back from the playpen on Saturdays and Sundays jamming their club music as loud as you ever heard from a boat. It is not the standard marine stereo. It is obnoxious, but it doesn't really bother me.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

The only way to get people to stop throwing trash out of their cars is to enforce the laws pertaining to that like they do in Washington and Oregon - they fine your @ss $1,500 for each offense and after three offenses, you get a couple weeks in jail.

In Washington, at least when I live there in the late 1960s, they had enforcement folks that went out, looked for highway litter, and figured out who dumped it. They actually went through trash bags on the side of the road, took out the contents and traced the trash back to the people that dumped it. They took them to court, and more often than not, after paying the fine, the judge would frequently sentence them to a couple weekends of picking up trash along the highways with the prisoners from the local detention center and jails. They were not real happy about that, and they had to wear a prison uniform.

Repeat offenders were very few and far between, and during the three years I loved in Spokane, Washington, I never once saw any litter on the side of the roadways.

Additionally, I fished many, many of the lakes and rivers there - they were clean, clear and never had any trash on the shorelines. 

I cross Conowingo Dam on the way to my boat each week and if you look just above the dam the cove on the west shore is filled with debris of all descriptions, including several 55-gallon plastic drums, plastic buckets, and huge quantities of plastic water bottles. I would think it would be fairly easy to track those plastic drums, but no one times the time to do this here - they just pick them out of the water and take them to the landfill.

Gary


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

We don't use marinas at all these days, but when we did, I found most intelligently run marinas will scatter the liveaboards around the marina as an aid to security. But unlike the weekend sailor, our boat is our home, and though I would never intentionally bother others with my music or video noise, I'm going to be comfortable in my home.
At anchor, again, in my home, I will play my music loud enough to be heard where ever I'm working on deck in the daytime, or in the evenings in the cockpit. We almost ALWAYS anchor beyond the last boat, so it's not like we squeeze into the middle of the crowd and disturb everyone. The genset is absolutely indispensable to most of us who cruise, and I feel absolutely no guilt if someone anchors down wind of me. There are usually plenty of spots to windward of us and the second, smaller exhaust on the transom should indicate to any observant skipper that I have, and use a genset.
I've always said that one of the greatest perks of living on a boat is that if you don't like your neighbors, you can move, without packing a single box! It makes a heck of a lot more sense to pick up your anchor and move to another spot in the anchorage, than piss, moan and fume all night about something you can't do diddly about. We all must share the anchorages, but though I do not enjoy the clatter of portable generators around me, I respect the need of those who use them. Down here in the Caribbean, where you often share anchorages numerous times over the year with the same boats, we make note of those who do run noisy portable generators, and usually don't anchor near them again.
I find the cheap, noisy windgens much more intolerable to have around, because, unlike a portable generator, the noisy, cheap windgens make life miserable for everyone around them, 24 effing hours a darned day! There otta be a law!


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## CaptainChaos (Oct 15, 2012)

capta said:


> We almost ALWAYS anchor beyond the last boat, so it's not like we squeeze into the middle of the crowd and disturb everyone. The genset is absolutely indispensable to most of us who cruise, and I feel absolutely no guilt if someone anchors down wind of me. There are usually plenty of spots to windward of us and the second, smaller exhaust on the transom should indicate to any observant skipper that I have, and use a genset.
> 
> I find the cheap, noisy windgens much more intolerable to have around, because, unlike a portable generator, the noisy, cheap windgens make life miserable for everyone around them, 24 effing hours a darned day! There otta be a law!


Yes, a genset is very useful on a cruising boat but I still think quiet hours should be observed. Run it during the day if you need to recharge batteries, run the AC during the hottest part of the day, etc. but at night please let those of us that wish to enjoy the quiet of the night have our time, as well.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I'm installing a genset this year, mainly because my lungs are shot to Hell and it makes breathing a lot easier when I can run the boat's AC system. The one I'm looking at is the Ryobi 2200, which sells for half the price of the Honda 2000, has better specs and is only slightly louder in DB. It also has an idle feature, which allows the generator to drop to idle speed when there is no load. Generally, it's quiet enough to hold a conversation at normal level within 10 feet of the generator running full power. I like that.

I'll have to build a special platform for it on the boat's stern, something similar to a swim platform. I know guys that hang them from the stern rail, but I'm not happy with that arrangement, and I think the platform would provide better protection from exhaust fumes coming into the cockpit. I do, however, highly recommend installing an explosive gas alarm in the cabin, just to be on the safe side. The alarm detects all gasses, including carbon monoxide, even in the tiniest amounts. The alarm is loud enough to wake you from a deep sleep.

Good Luck,

Gary


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## Philzy3985 (Oct 20, 2012)

The thing about music is that not everyone around has shares your taste. 

So, the balls in your court whether to show neighbors respect or disrespect. I love my music at the dock, too, but if someone gives me just one look, I'll turn it down or off in a heartbeat. Fortunately my immediate neighbors and I all tolerate and enjoy whatever is turned up.

I wish this was the case for the drunk fisherman and his fat bellied buddies who flip on blue tuna-tower LEDs at night and blast pandora country radio - with commercials no less.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

CaptainChaos said:


> Yes, a genset is very useful on a cruising boat but I still think quiet hours should be observed. Run it during the day if you need to recharge batteries, run the AC during the hottest part of the day, etc. but at night please let those of us that wish to enjoy the quiet of the night have our time, as well.


There is a HUGE difference between a genset and a portable generator, unless you have a cat with the exhaust between the hulls. If you can hear mine run at all, you will hear the water coming out of the exhaust only, not the engine. As I said, if someone chooses to anchor downwind of me, then it's on them, if the genset exhaust bothers them, but w/o the genset, I don't get a hot meal in the morning and evening, never mind refrigeration and battery charging.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

travlineasy said:


> I'm installing a genset this year, mainly because my lungs are shot to Hell and it makes breathing a lot easier when I can run the boat's AC system. The one I'm looking at is the Ryobi 2200, which sells for half the price of the Honda 2000, has better specs and is only slightly louder in DB. It also has an idle feature, which allows the generator to drop to idle speed when there is no load. Generally, it's quiet enough to hold a conversation at normal level within 10 feet of the generator running full power. I like that.
> 
> I'll have to build a special platform for it on the boat's stern, something similar to a swim platform. I know guys that hang them from the stern rail, but I'm not happy with that arrangement, and I think the platform would provide better protection from exhaust fumes coming into the cockpit. I do, however, highly recommend installing an explosive gas alarm in the cabin, just to be on the safe side. The alarm detects all gasses, including carbon monoxide, even in the tiniest amounts. The alarm is loud enough to wake you from a deep sleep.
> 
> ...


If you can find a water cooled generator or a genset to install you would probably be a lot happier in the end, if this is something you are going to use a lot.
A few extra dollars spent now could make a huge difference in livability aboard and just not having to deal with gas is worth a lot to many of us. A used RV Onan can be had pretty inexpensively and adding a heat exchanger (but at our age, even salt water cooled, it would probably out last our boating lifespan) and s/w pump, could be done simply and cheaply. Your neighbors would definitely appreciate it.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

capta said:


> ... then it's on them, if the genset exhaust bothers them, but w/o the genset, I don't get a hot meal in the morning and evening, never mind refrigeration and battery charging.


Oh dear....

a. No hot meal. No propane or diesel?

b. The refrigeration is that power greedy?

My stove, microwave, and fridge work just fine without generator. Huh?

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I guess my standard for quite in an anchorage once the sun goes down is different. Dead quiet. And the notion that I have the right to change that for others is, well, greedy. The notion that someone else should have to move because of me is greedy. The more crowded the anchorage the more it falls to each of us to go above and beyond to be polite.

I'm sure your genset is quiet. I doubt it is dead quiet. As for what is down wind, that changes by the hour in many places and so is a frivolous defense.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Capta. do you have a link? I would install one, if, and only if, I can find room in the engine room and if it's under $600. I hope I do not need to use it very often, and in the Florida Keys, I had to tie up to the dock to obtain shore power so I could keep the humidity level down in the boat to protect my music gear, and of course, so I could breath easier without the use of steroidal inhalants. Gettin old ain't fer wimps and sissies. 

Gary


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

If you were a good judge of paradise you could be where the air is cool, dry and pleasant and the people polite and considerate .


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Wear earbuds...they cant hear you....and you cant hear them:laugher:laugher:laugher


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

pdqaltair said:


> Oh dear....
> 
> a. No hot meal. No propane or diesel?
> 
> ...


I am so happy for you that you never have to run a generator, but some of of us just don't have all the modern systems available today. As a matter of fact, when my boat was built, it was against USCG regs to have propane aboard any boat for hire.
As for the wind shifting, you've obviously spent little or no time in the Caribbean, as you can probably count the days a year when the wind isn't easterly, on the fingers of one hand. Anyway, I certainly won't be bothering you in MD. 
But I don't really understand why are you even bothering to respond to my post. You would be anchored in ten feet of water up by the beach, with all the other cats, probably half a mile to windward of me. So let's get real here, you certainly wouldn't be able to hear anybody's portable generator, let alone someone's genset, at that distance, up wind. You'll just have to come up with some other excuse for having another sh*tty evening in paradise.


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

SHNOOL said:


> You folks have obviously not met the owners of these kinds of boats... our WHOLE lake gets to listen, because they usually run about 200+ watts, because you know the wake boarder has to be able to hear it (over the 5000+ hp motor)...


[email protected]@!!!!!!! Don't get me started. There's a section of beach (and I'm not tellin' ANYONE where it is) that you can only get to on land by hiking a few miles. My wife and I love this spot, and it's worth the drive and the hike. Pretty much deserted... totally quiet, and everything else that goes along with totally deserted. 'Nuff said.. 

Once last year when we were there, a dead ringer for the boat SHNOOL posted drives up and anchors about 100' away from us, BLASTING the worst noise (like Gary, as a musician, I can't find much music in hip hop.. last I checked, music usually consists of melody, harmony, and rhythm..... not just one of those). Mr. Mid-Life-Crisis eventually waddled a-shore with his bimbo-du-jour in tow to hang on the beach about 30' feet from us.. even though there was a mile of beach available. Fortunately, he was able to crank up his sound system loud enough so it STILL sounded like we were all on the boat with our heads shoved in the woofers. Goody. Thankfully, that's only happened once, but WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE?!?!?? How can anyone be so self-centered?

(rant off)

Barry

Edited to add the following..

Now that I've read my post, I can see how it could sound like I was the self-centered person. It's not my beach, I don't own it, and who am I to tell THEM how they should enjoy the beach. Yeah... I can see the other side. I guess I should just say that I can't imagine foisting myself and my taste in music on anyone who's obviously tried to find a place to be alone with his wife. I still think it was rude... but maybe it's just me.


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

bblument said:


> [email protected]@!!!!!!! Don't get me started. There's a section of beach (and I'm not tellin' ANYONE where it is) that you can only get to on land by hiking a few miles. My wife and I love this spot, and it's worth the drive and the hike. Pretty much deserted... totally quiet, and everything else that goes along with totally deserted. 'Nuff said..
> 
> Once last year when we were there, a dead ringer for the boat SHNOOL posted drives up and anchors about 100' away from us, BLASTING the worst noise (like Gary, as a musician, I can't find much music in hip hop.. last I checked, music usually consists of melody, harmony, and rhythm..... not just one of those). Mr. Mid-Life-Crisis eventually waddled a-shore with his bimbo-du-jour in tow to hang on the beach about 30' feet from us.. even though there was a mile of beach available. Fortunately, he was able to crank up his sound system loud enough so it STILL sounded like we were all on the boat with our heads shoved in the woofers. Goody. Thankfully, that's only happened once, but WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE?!?!?? How can anyone be so self-centered?
> 
> ...


It was extremely rude. Sometimes I think these kind of people are looking for a fight. "Look at me & my $80,000 boat" Mentality level = 5 years old.

Paul T


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## i_amcdn (Jul 4, 2012)

Interesting unfairness in municipal noise rules is evident here in Toronto where there are many cruise / party boats that cater to companies and groups willing to shell out the $40-50 per person to party on the water.
These boats have HUGE sound systems that even when you are onshore and 5 miles from downtown waterfront (like me) you can hear the thump thump of the bass.
They continue until close to midnight 7 nights a week.
Now if it was me in my home or backyard it is 100% inevitable that the cops are going to come knocking at my door.


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## i_amcdn (Jul 4, 2012)

We use our Bose Soundlink Mini, Bluetoothed to my Acer tablet to play tunes stored.
we sit it just under the sliding hatch which protects it from spray and amplifies the sound a bit. That sound is quality sound though in that the Bose is superb. With a quality sound system you should not have to crank the volume,


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I agree, Bose is the best of the best. I use all Bose sound systems for my work as a musician/singer, and the quality is unsurpassed. 

Cheers,

Gary


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## Phitod (Apr 30, 2014)

travlineasy said:


> Additionally, most men loose a lot of their high frequency hearing by age 35 so have a young woman walk with you and ask if she can hear it as well. If you can, it's too damned loud!
> 
> Gary


Best pick up line, ever.


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## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

I haven't read all of the thread so I'm wodering if any one is playing an instrument on board? I use to play in a dance band in my youth and now many years later I've returned to playing the trombone. Even was good enough after all those non playing years to get into a swing band here in NC . However, I'm land based now and can practice in the house, but should I ever return to living on the boat, I don't know how well that noise will be appreciated.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

lancelot9898 said:


> I haven't read all of the thread so I'm wodering if any one is playing an instrument on board? I use to play in a dance band in my youth and now many years later I've returned to playing the trombone. Even was good enough after all those non playing years to get into a swing band here in NC . However, I'm land based now and can practice in the house, but should I ever return to living on the boat, I don't know how well that noise will be appreciated.


Unless you're really Joseph Alessi, probably not appreciated very much.


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

lancelot9898 said:


> I've returned to playing the *trombone*.


I'll get my tuba out of retirement and we can play duets, the marina will love us!


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## gptyk (Mar 20, 2013)

I've been thinking of taking up the bagpipes. Wonder how the marina will react to that?

I do have a tiny guitar amp that I just bought - haven't used it on the boat yet. But I plan to turn the autopilot on and play away. Cheapie electrics are much more playable than cheapie acoustics - hence a cheap battery powered amp. I don't think I'll be doing my Joe Satriani impersonation on the docks though - that'd be rude.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

There's someone in one of the marinas near me who plays the bagpipes at sunset. Fortunately, he's good.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

DRFerron said:


> There's someone in one of the marinas near me who plays the bagpipes at sunset. Fortunately, he's good.


I'd rather hear bagpipes than the silly cannons some people think are so cool. Not good for those of us who have been shot at.

We might shoot back.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Have two zones to sound system. Run zone inside boat when in marina and on shore power. Hull is insulated and with AC on and companion way closed you can't hear willie or Wagner standing on deck of boat let alone next slip. Days without tunes would suck. 
On anchor if solar/wind doesn't keep up run diesel genset or lose all the veggies and meat. Then may run cockpit speakers if anchorage is empty. 
Don't see the difference between TV or movie and music. In all cases sail through the world without annoying others is just the right thing to do. 
Occasionally will have cockpit party. Then music is loud sometimes. But stop at 9 and usually slip mates are at party anyway.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

travlineasy said:


> Additionally, most men loose a lot of their high frequency hearing by age 35 so have a young woman walk with you and ask if she can hear it as well. If you can, it's too damned loud!
> 
> Gary


Great advise. And if you don't have a young woman readily available it has been known to work if you just ask a few if they want to go back to your boat and check out your sound system.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Oh.My.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

bblument said:


> I can't imagine foisting myself and my taste in music on anyone who's obviously tried to find a place to be alone with his wife. I still think it was rude... but maybe it's just me.


It is no doubt that you misread the situation completely. 
He obviously didn't want to be "alone" with his wife.
He parked next to you when he didn't have to and invited you over by sharing his music. He no doubt would have shared his liquor and everything else. You were just too dense to pick up on the invitation. :hothead 

Donna, I'm on a roll. What is it with this thread?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Gary-
Be careful with Ryobi. Last I knew they were pretty much an exclusive to Home Depot, direct from China.
A friend of mine had bought a Ryobi drill kit at HD. Can't beat the price, to be sure. Except, it turned out that a year or so later, the trigger switch broke. Barely used, maybe 20 minutes in all, like most small home drills. But the plastic molding for the trigger switch was flawed and let go. No plastic bit, no switch, no drill.
And those switches used to be a dollar part, OK, now they're a five dollar part, but there still are standard switches from all the electronic houses, and all the tool companies sell replacement parts, right?
Nope. Ryobi makes their own special parts to save money, and (at least then) DID NOT HAVE ANY REPAIR OR PARTS PROGRAM AT ALL. They said, sorry, throw it out and buy a whole new kit.
I said you've got to be kidding, ten cents worth of plastic and throw a whole drill kit out to replace it all? Eventually, a sensible manager at Ryobi got permission to simply replace the whole kit, gratis. But that's not going to be done for the average customer.
So while I give that manager kudos, I've avoided Ryobi like the plague. I want "real stuff" from a real company with real repair programs, I don't want to hear about ordering all new stuff from China.
And if that genset is designed for the typical HD consumer? Don't expect it to stand up in heavy long-term use. It turns out "consumer" drills are designed to be used for about _three hours_, total time, over the life of the tool. "Consumer grade", beware.


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

I realize this is getting off the topic of music at the dock, but I just want to defend Ryobi. I realize it ain't Milwaukee, but I've had good luck with Ryobi stuff. 

I have a couple Ryobicordless drills that I've used hard for over a decade, including getting dropped in the snow a lot this last winter. My only complaint is that I've had to replace the batteries several times.

I have had a Ryobi circular saw for about fifteen years that sees a lot of use and I haven't had any problems. I keep a sharp blade on it and it does great.

I did burn out the motor on my Ryobi drill press, but that was using a 6" hole saw to cut a piece of G10, which I think is beyond the design limits of that device.

I also have a couple Ryobi sanders, a router, and a jigsaw. No problems at all, although I haven't used these as much as the cordless drills and circular saw.

(Edit: The reason I have soooo much Ryobi stuff? Because The Home Depot has a wedding registry! Get hitched, getchya some tools!  )



Anyway, back to musical etiquette. When I charter a boat I make it a habit of blasting John Philip Sousa from 3:07am to 3:19am every day, because I think that way the boat owners respect me and know that I'm not just some schuck


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

For us the ipad or iPhone built in speakers are plenty loud


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

I live at my marina. I rock my boat and the neighbors and if they don't like it they can shift to their anchor (where they should be on a weekend).

Just kidding folks. Music should be like children, not heard unless you want to.


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

chef2sail said:


> Wear earbuds...they cant hear you....and you cant hear them


...what chef said...+1

Of course you can't hear the bilge alarm or the anchor drag alarm...

Also might answer some of the questions in the thread "things that go bump in the night"...

And solve the problems that arise when a neighbor's halyards are slapping...

Personally I can't stand 'em but a lot of people seem to like 'em. They hurt my ears and I also use the sounds around me to evaluate the environment...wind/wave/tiller pilot/wake/jet ski proximity/sea life...to see if I need to take action.


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

DRFerron said:


> Unless you're really Joseph Alessi, probably not appreciated very much.


Wow... color me impressed! Joe Alessi is not exactly a household word amongst the general populace. Folks hear "trombone" and they generally think Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Bill Watrous, Urbie Green, Slide Hampton, Carl Fontana, Kai Winding, James Pankow, Tom Malone... but a legit trombonist?!~?!? Wow, Donna... are you a musician?

FWIW, I'd way rather listen to an earnest person trying to learn an actual instrument while on my boat than someone blasting computer-generated pop music any day. Silence would be even better, at least for me, but I can understand and relax when I hear folks trying to actually make music.

Best to all..

Barry


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

DRFerron said:


> There's someone in one of the marinas near me who plays the bagpipes at sunset. Fortunately, he's good.


How can you tell?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Minne-
If you think Sousa makes an impression...get a Telarc recording of the 1812 Overture. Any Telarc recording of it. They started with a "master pressing" LP release in the 70's, of a recording session using actual cannon. They've released an "enhanced" CD that apparently does better, but you can't play that portion on conventional CDs. 
Apparently there's some debate about whether a CD is capable of presenting the full bass quality and there's some clipping below 38 Hz. And, some real danger to your audio equipment. Canon borrowed from the 5th Virginia re-enactors, IIRC. You'd want to give fair warning to any combat vets in the area, assuming your stereo is up to it.
I've had cheap stereos literally go mum when the canon fire, as the bass totally exhausts the power supply. But a good stereo will, literally, rock the dishes when they fire.

Personally? If I can hear it, you'd better be inviting me over for the party. Rock out? Sure. But not on someone else's time.


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

I like to cruise into quiet anchorages or marinas while blasting Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries." 

(just kidding... but it'd be fun... if I even HAD an audio system aboard... but I wouldn't do it)...

Barry


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

bblument said:


> Wow... color me impressed! ...


I have to trot out something to help bring my cred up from negative numbers since I haven't memorized Captain Ron (only watched it once - under pressure - rather than once a month since it was released) and haven't seen Caddyshack in its entirety. Two things that apparently are more important to the SailNet crowd than circumnavigating or being able to rebuild a head.


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

DRFerron said:


> I have to trot out something to help bring my cred up from negative numbers since I haven't memorized Captain Ron (only watched it once - under pressure - rather than once a month since it was released) and haven't seen Caddyshack in its entirety. Two things that apparently are more important to the SailNet crowd than circumnavigating or being able to rebuild a head.


To be fair Donna, it's not that we think those things are more important than circumnavigating or rebuilding a head, just that we are suprised that an intelligent, well-educated young lady such as yourself isn't well-versed in the classics.


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

I love to get out in the cockpit with my acoustic guitar and play some old classic folk and pop songs. Unlike Gary, I don't play for drinks and tips anymore and now get a great deal of enjoyment out of making music. Last winter, got out and played _Where Have all the Flowers Gone_ after I heard Pete Seeger had died. If folks don't like it they can always use the ear buds as suggested by Chef. So far have never seen anyone go for the plugs, complain, or scurry below If one acoustic guitar and vocal bothers people, well, they probably ought to get the cork out of that place the sun don't shine. I have had to put ear buds in on occasion when nearby boats or shore venues start playing totally obnoxious rap type "music," GAWD.

There used to be a sailor in New Harbor at Block that played the pipes at sunset...very cool.


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## dabnis (Jul 29, 2007)

smurphny said:


> I love to get out in the cockpit with my acoustic guitar and play some old classic folk and pop songs. Unlike Gary, I don't play for drinks and tips anymore and now get a great deal of enjoyment out of making music. Last winter, got out and played _Where Have all the Flowers Gone_ after I heard Pete Seeger had died. If folks don't like it they can always use the ear buds as suggested by Chef. So far have never seen anyone go for the plugs, complain, or scurry below If one acoustic guitar and vocal bothers people, well, they probably ought to get the cork out of that place the sun don't shine. I have had to put ear buds in on occasion when nearby boats or shore venues start playing totally obnoxious rap type "music," GAWD.
> 
> There used to be a sailor in New Harbor at Block that played the pipes at sunset...very cool.


Many things are done in private so as not to offend others. Making loud music or noise that other people didn't pay to hear should be one of them.

Paul T


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## rgscpat (Aug 1, 2010)

A friend of ours who passed away a year ago used to play her bagpipes on ahill above the marina at a mountain lake where we kept a boat. Sometimes we could even hear her piping from our cabin a mile away. We miss hearing her. 
R.I.P., Bonnie.


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## sethpool (Jul 28, 2014)

The gentleman cares more about the comfort of those around him than his own. Thus in this setting good manners dictate not imposing one's music on others nor an ongoing loud conversation nor "wine cackling". Inconsiderate wine cackling is for me the worst.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

sethpool said:


> The gentleman cares more about the comfort of those around him than his own. Thus in this setting good manners dictate not imposing one's music on others nor an ongoing loud conversation nor "wine cackling". Inconsiderate wine cackling is for me the worst.


Only if they refuse to share a tipple or two.


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## skygazer (Sep 3, 2011)

I would like to emphasize the distinction between actually playing music on an actual acoustic instrument and the misnamed "playing" music as in "playing" the radio. 

Flipping a switch on a sound machine and then partially ignoring it should not be compared to a human playing music on an acoustic instrument, which requires fairly total concentration and effort. I'm not including amplified instruments or electric instruments, which require less effort and produce more volume. 

Concentration and effort are difficult to maintain, so an insrument player is not going to go on forever like a machine. Having a living breathing human behind the music makes it more interesting to listen to, they are expressing human feelings through the music (I hope). Even if just practicing I find it pleasant to listen to.

While I detest boats that come into a quiet anchorage or dock and blast the radio/stereo I found that I enjoyed listening to a guy who sat on his foredeck, leaned against his cabin, and played his acoustic guitar. He didn't need to be professional, it was just real and pleasant to listen to. I knew it couldn't last, and was a bit sorry when it ended.

On the subject of bagpipes, I've always enjoyed them. Where I lived in Nova Scotia the local radio always played the "morning march", a single selection of their bagpipe recordings that played at 6:55 AM. I loved rolling down the hills to my job with the morning march "playing" on my car radio. It ended just as I arrived at work. I've often been moved by the solitary bagpipe player at funerals or at sunset. The pipes I'm familiar with were used in war long ago, I can see the men being fearsome with their tall hats and music that didn't falter as they climbed over obstacles. So the sound evokes feelings of life and death and thoughts of eternity and those who have gone before and will come after.

Rap..... mmm, no so much.

I personally only play my guitar inside my cabin. I have no dedicated speakers on my boats, I've purchased boats that had them and removed or ignored them. Of course, tiny built in speakers on the marine and weather radio. I think it can be a loss for people to try to "get away from it all" and then bring it all with them, and inflict it on those who may appreciate the peace and nature sounds of the outdoors. If I do want to listen to something I use headphones, then I don't bother anyone, not even my wife onboard with me. And it saves power for the all important freezer - think cold drinks - which by the way I power with a cheap solar panel along with lights etc. No generator.

I guess we must be extremists, because the times my wife and I wanted to listen to something at the same time she used her earbuds, one for me and one for her.

By the way I didn't care for the idea that I could easily move if someone noisy anchors near me. Since I anchored under sail and the wind may have let up, and the sails are furled and covered, it is not so easy to move.


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## CaptainChaos (Oct 15, 2012)

skygazer said:


> I would like to emphasize the distinction between actually playing music on an actual acoustic instrument and the misnamed "playing" music as in "playing" the radio.
> 
> Flipping a switch on a sound machine and then partially ignoring it should not be compared to a human playing music on an acoustic instrument, which requires fairly total concentration and effort. I'm not including amplified instruments or electric instruments, which require less effort and produce more volume.
> 
> ...


There is a lot of truth in your comments though I may be more extreme as I opted to not have the freezer...


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## AlaskaMC (Aug 19, 2010)

SHNOOL said:


> You folks have obviously not met the owners of these kinds of boats... our WHOLE lake gets to listen, because they usually run about 200+ watts, because you know the wake boarder has to be able to hear it (over the 5000+ hp motor)...


Yep, that was what I was thinking. We have these ALL OVER THE LAKE, all playing at the same time, all different music styles. It is so loud it is amazing. And I am an ex opera guy and rock music person and highly appreciates all types of music at all volumes and it still is totally irritating.

Funny, no one notices my small bluetooth speaker playing Bob Marly at light volume. I was once told to turn it up.

Interesting how environment and perspective can make the answer to the OP so different.

EDIT: Just so no one misunderstands, you should do what is appropriate for the environment. Mostly this means no loud (audible outside your boat) music on the hook or marina. But, if the environment is a "party" one already, your politeness may not be noticed over the noise.


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## Multihullgirl (Dec 2, 2010)

Shnool, 

Those aren't just at lakes. The GOM is riddled with that ****. There's a sound installer here which specializes in high-powered marine installations. It's worse than the kids in cars, Fosgates etc. I figure that one day I'm gonna have enough and 'going postal' ain't gonna be in it.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

mhgirl, this is the reason that you can no longer find simple old fashioned ice picks for sale at the local hardware store, or WalMart. They've been banned from the civilian market, OK, not banned but it is really hard to get a license and carry permit for them.

You'll find the judicious application of an ice pick through the holes in the center of a speaker grill has been known to passivate the world's finest elevator music. A marine model is not necessary for marine use, as they are all designed for use with (frozen) water anyhow.

A stun gun usually will accomplish the same thing, high voltage model, about five seconds in the middle of the speaker grill. But that's noisy, it ain't got no class.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Some of us are on the boat without putting feet on the ground for days and weeks. Music is a neccessity for some to maintain the golden path. When batteries allow and situation permits with out untoward intrusion on others yes we play music. In my view this is demonstration of a cultured gentleman or lady. I can see how playing music on the sound system inside the boat where it is not audible to others or in cockpit speakers on,passage or in an empty anchorage is any but a inducement to feel the finer aspects of true harmonious living.


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

bblument said:


> I like to cruise into quiet anchorages or marinas while blasting Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."


That'd be a sight!

It is surprising how well sound can carry over water. I remember once coming into an anchorage in the late afternoon. As the skipper motored around scouting for an anchoring location I was playing music quietly, it didn't interfere with conversation and didn't bother the skipper's concentration.

That evening we were hiking on shore and got called over by some people having a bonfire. They said "We heard you playing the Beastie Boys when you anchored and figured you guys would be up for a party tonight, we gathered extra firewood and brought beer ashore!" So we hung out with them all night and had a great fire.

(Sorry, yes it was rap.)


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

smurphny said:


> If one acoustic guitar and vocal bothers people, well, they probably ought to get the cork out of that place the sun don't shine. I have had to put ear buds in on occasion when nearby boats or shore venues start playing totally obnoxious rap type "music," GAWD.


Can you really not see that for some people, listening to a guy play Pete Seeger songs on his guitar is just as painful for them, as the "rap type 'music'" is for you? Sounds pretty arrogant to assume that everyone loves you and your guitar.


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## jzk (Feb 25, 2008)

So we sailed from South Haven, Mi to Chicago on Sunday. When we returned to the dock, all of the drunk powerboaters were returning from the playpen. For a while, this one powerboat was blasting Jimmy Buffet so loud that I could enjoy it maybe 5 slips down. Then another sea ray type came in across from him and was jamming their club music. Both boats have amplifiers well in excess of what might be stock on a powerboat. They seemed to get into a battle to see who could blast their music the loudest.

For them, "boating" is driving over to the playpen with a boat full of partiers, drinks, and whatever other substances they enjoy. They usually have the relaxation station inflated. They anchor at the playpen all day and drink, party, and play music as loud as physically possible. 

I found it somewhat annoying, but no big deal. That is just how our dock is on a Sunday late afternoon.


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

My wife plays fiddle, I play 5-string banjo. When we arrive at an anchorage or a new marina nobody minds at all .... until we get out the gas powered air-horn bagpipe and the kettle drum.


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