Lessons Learned...or how to fit a 36ft boat in a 60 ft slip sideways

Actually, this is a true lessons learned story.  Two parties are involved here. Both are at fault.  Let's start with the other party first because it's more fun!

Background on the situation:  It's the night before we have to leave and it's time to do that lovely chore of pumping out.  The marina has free pumpout, however, unless you are in the mooring field, they don't come to you. You have to go to whatever slip they tell you. (then fetch the hose, etc etc etc) All of the big boy slips have pump out at the slip, I hope they eventually continue that on to the entire piers.  After all the plumbing is there!

So we call in for our designated slip.  Cool it's on our pier. How convenient.  I get lines ready, Tim merrily steers for the slip.

Now here is where things go a bit pear shaped.  Back at the lake, we were poetry in motion, we could get that sucker up to the poop dock and tied off in almost any situation.

This time....not so much.

So, what went wrong....
Well, my intrepid helmsmen got rattled, not sure exactly what rattled him, but there were plenty of opportunities to get rattled.  So, suddenly he starts giving me directions on how to tie off. Approximately, 90 million per minute. Each conflicting. So, what happens? I, who can get rattled with a large noise...get rattled.  Abort first attempt.

Now. Lets cut to what needs to happen.  The helmsperson needs to maybe talk the situation through with the lines person, but way before the event should happen.  And said helmsperson should have a little faith in the linesperson that it might not be pretty, but he/she will get the job done.  We are all on the same team here.  So, let the first goal be not to have the 36ft Hunter wind up cockeyed in the big slip, especially when thar be $10 million boats on each side.

I'm just saying.

So, back to the what not to screw up part.  So we go for second attempt. The linesperson, moi, doing very well to keep her mouth shut and follow the less panicked directions.  After all, I am poop dock princess of the lake, I CAN DO THIS!

Except....I flaked.

Back at home, everything is done on cleats.  So, I's used to cleats. I somehow got it in my brain to not put the line on a cleat.

But I forgot to make the loop for the piling. Derp.

So, quickly I make the loop. Helmsman says throw it on the aft piling.

But. But. But. Honey?

QUICK, I need a spring line!

Fine, get it on the piling.....and we keep going, going, going. And run out of dock line (and it's a DAMN long dock line).  See, even I could do the math.  That's why ya need to trust the person on the front of the boat.  However, the person on the front of the boat better be rapidly assessing the situation and making plans and not standing there being pretty.

So, the end result wasn't pretty, but we did get the boat tied off.  Afterwards, over sundowners we talked it out, I think our next attempt will be so much better.  All in all, the pump out was awesome, it's one of those turbo pump out systems that empties the holding tank in about 2 seconds.

So remember folks, gotta trust your team mate, just a little....