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From baseball to driving, every activity has certain unwritten rules that help govern it. Boating, too, has its own etiquette that should be followed by boaters to make everything operate smoothly on the water. Here are a few boating etiquette tips.

• Keep the dock clean. When you tie up at a dock, other people will likely need to walk along that dock. Keep your lines neat and not strewn across the dock, creating a tripping hazard. Also, don’t leave your gear all over the dock.
• Be careful with your wake. When navigating a small or crowded area like a channel, anchorage or mooring field, it’s your responsibility to keep your wake under control. If you throw up a large wake, not only can it disturb other boaters, it can sometimes cause damage to boats – damage you’re responsible for.
• Be courteous when overtaking or being overtaken. When overtaking another boat, provide as much room as possible between you and the slower boat to avoid having your wake rock and disturb it. Also, if you’re being overtaken by another boat, be willing to slow down if necessary to make it easier.
• Respect others in an anchorage. Always enter an anchorage slowly, so as not to disturb other boaters. The first boat in the anchorage gets to determine swing radius. Follow the lead of other boats already there in how you tie off, anchor and how much line you use. Try to keep noise down so as not to disturb other boaters. If you think your crew will be on the louder side, give yourself plenty of room between you and other boats.
• Limit time at the boat ramp. If you’re a trailer boater, when you’re launching your boat or loading it back on the trailer, be quick and efficient when it’s your turn on the boat ramp. Other boaters will likely need to use the ramp, so limit your time on it. The same rules apply at the fuel dock.