Getting your Cat off the dock

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by 2hullvenus

**Note: I don't put my cats on docks that resemble parallel parking spots with obstructions fore and aft.

Nice theory, but...

The most difficult experiences have always been either when the boat was launched when I was not present, or when other arrivals slid in tight later. This has happened in a matter of minutes at a fuel dock.

I guess it depends on where you sail. Busy areas are like driving in the city; if you can't parallel park, you limit yourself. Anchoring out is often impossible. It can also be impractical if there are disabled crew members (can't get in and out of the tender).

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

While technically true...

If you are running flat out on the up wind engine and she isn't pulling the stern around, I'm probably going to settle back down on the dock and wait for the wind to die off.

Good planning makes us all look better Yours is a smart approach.

The majority of my Cat experience is with working cats where the boss didn't bother to ask how I felt about the docking arrangement. It was a case of get the job done or I'll find some one else who can.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by 2hullvenus

**Note: I don't put my cats on docks that resemble parallel parking spots with obstructions fore and aft.

Don't care to play around with those situations sans bow thruster.

So, I purposefully dock where my simple, mono style, single engine techniques work.

I am anchored out typically, only touching docks for fuel/water... much easier than parallel parking.

So... the technique I mentioned certainly could get difficult with obstructions forward of the boat. Aft would be irrelevant. I concede this.

I belong to a multhull only club in Toronto and all the boats are on moorings. We have a 150 feet of dock so on the weekends or race night there is always someone in front or behind and always wide

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by mark_morwood

Now if I could just work out a way to reliably communicate to "helpers" on the dock to just let/help my crew drop/throw the bow line doubled over the cleat so we can control it, rather than the dock helper grabbing it and locking it off, or worse trying to pull it in as I try to rotate the stern in against it!

Mark

That is a Universal problem.

We use the phrase "just please drape it over the cleat so it comes back to us on the boat."

They still don't get it.

Many docking discussions on this and other boating forums indicate that "helpers" usually aren't.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

That is a Universal problem.

We use the phrase "just please drape it over the cleat so it comes back to us on the boat."

They still don't get it.

Many docking discussions on this and other boating forums indicate that "helpers" usually aren't.

Although there is no total solution to this, I find the best way is to not give a line to a linehandler ashore until it can do no damage. With a well handled twin engine cat, this is almost always the case, and you can always make your first line ashore a spring line, which has much less disaster potential. But getting guests not to throw a line ashore to the wildly gesticulating line handler who is demanding it, is not so easy! A twelve year old charter guest showed me the solution. He was on the bowline, and I had told him to keep an eye on me and not "hand" the line ashore (and never to throw it), until I told him to. So, he stood on the dockside bow, facing me with eyes locked, and made no eye contact with the frantic line handler until we were pretty well stopped beside the dock. I nodded my head and he calmly turned to the line handler and handed him the line. No sweat, except for the line handler, who operates under the assumption that no one else knows how to handle the boat and ignores the fact that you can't have two game plans, one belonging to the helmsman and one to him. Ever since then, that is the game plan on Jet Stream. No eye contact ashore until I give the go ahead.

I must admit that it gives me pause to say one handles a cat just like a mono, and never gets in a situation that needs something else. Cats are very different from mono's and it's always easy to tell the helmsperson, even a professional, who drives a cat like a monohull. It's much safer handling a cat like what it is, a cat.

You can do so much more when you don't need steerage way. My favorite situation is when it's really tight forward and aft, maybe three feet or less, and there is a strong wind from forward and very slightly from offshore. With a cat you can simply pull up parallel to the space and hold it there, bow to the wind, and let the slight sideways vector gently move you completely sideways into the slip. I line up something like a nail and keep myself from moving either forward or aft and make sure the linehandlers don't hand the lines ashore until I say so. It's a very simple maneuver but looks incredibly difficult to the monohuller, who doesn't have the luxury of steering without steerage way. Ferries dock this way all the time, using current rather than wind, and it's called ferry gliding. Love to make those monohullers gawk and go green with envy! :-)

[Palarran]

My experience with line handlers is different. By far most are very helpful and at least 50% are probably better prepared than my crew to handle a line. Seldom during a summer season do we side tie, it's almost all Med mooring. With a strong wind on the beam I need the stern fixed sooner than later so I'll take the help and thank them sincerely. Many end up being dock friends for the day which is nice.

[Captain Bill]

I am surprised that none of you cat owners has mentioned the method of moving the boat sideways using the engines and rudder. This method works on cats with the engines in front of the rudders and the rudders in the prop wash. It does not work on outboard powered cats with their engines between the rudders. One puts the engine opposite the direction you wish to move in forward, the other engine in reverse, and the helm hard over in the direction opposite the direction you want to move, To move starboard, port engine forward, starboard engine reverse, and helm hard to port. Everything opposite to move to port. You will have to play with the throttles a bit to see how your particular boat does. I have reversing pitch feathering props so I have very good reverse thrust. The maneuver may be a little more difficult with folding props. I have put my 43.5 foot boat in a 46 foot space in 15 knots with this method and gotten it back out 45 minute later. If it's really windy and have room I will us spring line to the aft cleat and a big fat fender at the stern and back hard with the outer engine to get the bow off the dock first.