Challenge: How to Leave this Dock ?

[theway]

Sounds good, I actually spent a night watching a few videos on youtube and reading what I could find.

I guess Ill post some of them here should any other need similar advice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbppBrlrbeA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLFVcEIct_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PS2A...eature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDnJo...eature=channel

[bluewaternut]

Any of the above will work, but you have to pick the one that will get the wind and current working with you. If anything is happening too fast, or you're afraid that it will, remember that you can slow the motion of your bow or your stern by lowering an anchor so it just touches the bottom.

[ATC]

Originally Posted by David M

With a right hand prop going astern, this will kick your stern to port. Let the wash from your right hand prop going astern kick your stern out some before letting go of your bow line. With the big rudder that sailboats typically have, put your rudder to port while backing. When you get some way on, and this will also help push your stern to port.

Remember, boats steer from the back, not the pointy end.

Ditto...

[Bash]

Assuming a RH prop, I wouldn't hesitate to back out in that situation. Nothing to it.

[ProtectTheOcean]

I'm with Bergovoy. Do it from the dock. No uncontrolled inertia, nobody else's vessel to worry about... Safety first. Why even risk messing with motoring back, etc. when there's ample room to bring her around with dock lines? The guy's already telling us he's uncomfortable handling the vessel under power in those confines. KISS principle, IMO.

[pillum]

Nothing chicken **** about warping, it's an art form practiced by the best skippers in history, from Ulysees onwards.

[Lodesman]

It's a 32-ft boat, not the Queen Mary. Don't need to fuss with springs - cast off all lines and push the stern out with a boat hook. Crank on the astern revs to get water flowing over the rudder and steer. Easy.

Back away from your berth, then turn in the open area south of the breakwater.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by theway

I'm the blue boat. A 32ft Pearson, the beam is about 10ft. Does one back out or try to turn the boat around before exiting? I am fairly new to this type of situation, so any help would be nice.

I understand wind and current are part of the equation, but in general what is a good way to exit. It would be nice to be able to leave single handed, but helping hands could be found at the marina.

( I'm not sure the front end would have enough room to swing around, as the illustration proportions me be a bit off )



Thanks
austin

Keep the stern tied to the dock on the starboard side. start the engine and let idle. Untie bow line and push bow off the dock. use pole or gaff to push her off further. untie stern line and put in forward gear and go. You should be able to swing the bow around with a good push.

Don't forget to return stern first so you don't have to do it this way again.

[Exile]

Newbie here, but one with a fair number of dockings/undockings in the past few years, sometimes single-handed. When one goes to spring the stern off a dock using a line at the bow that goes aft to a dock cleat or piling, how do you prevent the bow pulpit or worse from smacking the dock as the stern pivots out? Normally this maneuver is used when the wind is already pushing the boat into the dock. As previously noted, I normally put the wheel over towards the dock and throttle forward. This kicks the stern out no problem, but winds up pivoting the bow into the dock before I have a chance to start backing out. I do not have a bowsprit but the fwd edge of my pulpit is approx 2' fwd of my bow chalk where the dockline passes through.

Am I missing something obvious here?

[davb]

Nope. It's a problem. Fenders between boat and dock help but don't solve the problem.

[capnorv]

I park in a sandwich spot, about 4' clearance total, and so far I've been able to untie the ends then the spring and give a mighty push then jump and dive at the helm. But then it's not a very big boat, only 35000#S or so, 27 tons gross. A bigger boat might be a problem.If I had that wide of a fairway with your boat W1651 I'd turn it bow to the sea everytime I came in, then you will be ready to make weigh!

[w1651]

You know what you need? Two long poles and a hot girlfriend.

Then all you have to do is start and let the engine idle. Push off the dock at the bow and the stern at the same time with the poles. Put her into reverse and back out.

Simple!

[HaroldRamis4329]

Drudge with your anchor, if the bottom is clean. Experiment somewhere else, until you find the right anchor for your boat. If the current is running hard, or windy, you'll have much more control over your boat.

[wsulasgeir]

Depends entirely on the direction of the wind , use it to your advantage, possibly back the jib while holding on to the jetty and if it`s all good sail out under your head sails. It always looks good to see a vessel leaving under sail. Likewise practice berthing under sail. Don`t forget about using your winches to warp off. Another trick in the locker is to lay your anchor as you approach the berth, so that you can use it at a later time to kedge off. Have fun hone your sailing skills.
Alternatively fit DP3 lay in your movements to the triple redundancy navigation computers and press the button , this allows ample time to prepare the Pimms and tabnabs!

Remember stay cool and let the wind do the work.

Attie