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Lancerbye · 21-08-2007, 08:18

Having twin engines and a bow thruster is equal to having all the stars and the planets in proper alignment. Life is good.

Dreamwave · 21-08-2007, 18:40

I'm on board with your philosophy! It actually is more of what I would call the horse away from the barn scenario. I use to work with horses and whenever they were in their regular environment everything went fine. Once you took them somewhere they weren't familiar with they became "Horse Devils". Most anything you could normally do with little effort or problems became unreasonably more difficult if not impossible. Just as with any other animal (or boat) this seemed to vary from one horse to another. Just as it will from one boat to another in the same circumstance.

I have been away from boating for some time but now my wife and I are making serious plans to become liveaboard cruisers as long as we are able. I(we) are not looking forward to the "bump and grind" of getting use to a new boat and the variety of docking situations we will face.

I am open to any suggestions that can make this learning curve as short as possible.

Steve & Petula

**Ex-Calif** · 21-08-2007, 19:52

Set up and prepare early.

Go very, very slow.

Decide if current or wind is prevailing - plan the approach or departure based on that.

Spend some time putting the boat on a buoy with boat aligned the way you want. Success is boat stopped at bouy not lunging at buoy with boat hook.

Learn how your boat reacts to prop and power.

Plenty of books and information on how to use different lines for different situations. Sometimes you may have to "lead" the boat out (like a horse) and sometimes you may have to bow in or back in and spring the other end to the dock.

If the approach looks bad it probably is. Wave off and try again - stay calm and don't get stressed.

Lancerbye · 21-08-2007, 23:50

Dreamwave
I know what you are saying. I had been away from a large displacement type boat for a few years and hadn't handled a boat of this type before. My new slip is set up for backing in (short power cord) My first trip out this year had me and my Admiral a little nervous as we visited a new to us location. I found the handling capabilities ( having twin engines and a bow thruster a real dream) I don't know why I didn't have these on my other boats? At my age all help is appreciated.

Minitee · 22-08-2007, 01:01

Why is it that you can cross an ocean, spend 30 days adrift at sea, endure gale force winds, fend off pirates and cannibals, but the ONLY part anyone will ever remember about you (and buy you drink over ) is... HOW YOU DOCKED THE BLESSED BOAT!

**Ex-Calif** · 22-08-2007, 19:21

in addition to the boat changing sizes along with the slip there is another important issue at work.

Spectators create holes in the air with their eyes. These holes allow air to accelerate through them in random puffs. The more eyes there are watching you dock the more random puffs you will encounter. Of course at a certain point docking is completely impossible and you may as well gun it, run straight up on the wharf and retire for a cocktail.

Reality Check · 23-08-2007, 07:17

I had a small 26' Chrysler sloop with a slip in an often windy marina which I effectively single handed most of the time... even when I had several people aboard.

My fix was actually simple... I fixed a V-bridle I could power into with the small Volvo sail-drive and the bridle held the bow while I set the stern lines, killed the engines and the bridle would hold the boat in the slip so I didn't have to hop around too fast.

The V bridle was one long dock line from about midship on both side forming the top of the V and a short line to actually form the V which was tied to the forward dock. The height was about 3/4 the way from water line to the bow sprint. Had a few raised eye brows from some of the "old salts" but after a few windy weekends several other similar rigs some how "appeared".

This set up will also assist in pulling out of the slip more if you move the top of the V more toward the stern... possibly 3/4. This works very well if you have a dolphin pole that splits a finger slip into two. The really nice thing is that the white line stands out at night when your coming in late.

Reality Check · 23-08-2007, 08:03

During the recent passage of Hurricane Dean through the Carib... I was following several island weather reporters info updates when I ran across one that caused me to almost fall off my chair... here it is as she wrote it

"I must be half asleep, I recommended to one boat owner to use plenty of cafe gear on his dock lines. I of course meant CHAFE gear.

Years back, in the dark ages, before spell hecklers were common on email programs, I wrote a hurricane report in a hurry. I had been at the marina, securing my boat, with multiple lines, then creating chafing gear from flexible plumbing tubes and old towels with copious amounts of duct tape wrapped around them. The line is only as strong as the chafing gear.

Well, some Europeans surprised me by bringing out these heavy chains and locking them to the cleats on their sailboat then running them to the dock and locking them to the cleats on the dock. I saw three boats do this, all with the same crew. This was a most curious method of securing a boat for a hurricane, so I wrote about it.

I was in a hurry, as I think the power had already gone out, and I was anxious to keep my laptop battery use to a minimum. I wrote the email and sent it off. It wasn't until later, when I went online and discovered I had a pile of hilarious emails, that I realized I had typed in this major gaffe:

I was at the marina today getting my boat ready. I noticed that some of the guys were chaining their boats to their dicks. I've never seen this done before...

Not sure a spell heckler would have caught that, but a quick reread before emailing that off, might have caught it. On the other hand, I often wrote in a rum squall in those days, so maybe it was just plain dumb fate. It sure created a lot of laughter during a stressful time. Trying to write a correction proved funnier. Um, those guys were chaining their boats to their DOCKS not their dicks...

One email read "I love my boat dearly, but I draw the line at chaining it up to my dick during a storm..."

Other emails made reference to why boats are named after women and traditionally referred to as she.

Yet others expressed concern for the men, wondering if they "survived" the ordeal. "

phiggins · 23-08-2007, 08:39

Boy this is a funny thread. I haven't laughed so much in weeks.

I've been trying that spring line from the last cleat on the dock to midship and back to a winch method. It works sometimes but the problem is the dock is so short that by the time I get the loop over the cleat there is ony a few feet before the bow crashes. If I miss, its a real panic unless I'm going very slow. Maybe I should try the "dick" method. It would be a real incentive to stop the boat.

Paul

**Ex-Calif** · 23-08-2007, 16:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reality Check

I was at the marina today getting my boat ready. I noticed that some of the guys were chaining their boats to their dicks. I've never seen this done before...

That's one way to keep the skipper aboard at exotic port o' calls...

Must have been deamed up by a jealous 1st mate...

will@polyplanar.com · 28-08-2007, 11:12

Hello fellow dock bonkers,
Prop walk is such a problem you need to think out of the box. Without way the rudder cannot overcome the pull of the prop. A littile momentum in reverse will give you great control. Try backing from a open area and use neutral to ;"pulse" the prop for momentum. Praticing this will have everyone looking at you but it is worth the scrutiny when you ace a docking.

Will

billyehh · 28-08-2007, 13:00

I have recently bought a Voyage 38 catamaran in the Carribean. Some of the time I will be singlehandling it, and the thought of docking it by myself makes me get another rum. Fortunately there are few marinas and lots of places to anchor. I have a windlass remote at the helm, so that should help a lot. I'll find out in November after hurricane season and I can launch it.

TaoJones · 28-08-2007, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by will@polyplanar.com

Hello fellow dock bonkers,

Will, I love the poetry of those four simple words - is your last name Shakespeare?

Quote:

Originally Posted by billyehh

I have recently bought a Voyage 38 catamaran in the Carribean. Some of the time I will be singlehandling it, and the thought of docking it by myself makes me get another rum. Fortunately there are few marinas and lots of places to anchor. I have a windlass remote at the helm, so that should help a lot. I'll find out in November after hurricane season and I can launch it.

billyehh, did you buy the Voyage 38 previously owned by a man who worked/volunteered with the National Park Service on St. John? I believe he kept his vessel on the hard in Puerto Rico during hurricane season. If so, that's a vessel I took a long, hard look at before moving on. I was sorely tempted. Whichever Voyage you now own, enjoy your time aboard!

TaoJones