Docking - I made several mistakes

[Montanan]

Every person that handles lines should practice their lassoing ability to cleats, pilings and bollards. One can a fix to a dock or quay without the need to step off the boat, or adjust lines from the shore end. One rarely needs or benefits from a helper on the dock even when single handling your vessel. And of course there is far less hazard to crew if they do not attempt to step ashore.

The video linked below illustrates a proper method of tossing a docking line over a cleat, but the same technique is equally useful for pilings and bollards.

Or if you are experienced in steer roping or team roping on the rodeo circuit or ranching one can opt to use a real lariat and loop over the horns of a shore cleat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yThp0GbBl4

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Every person that handles lines should practice their lassoing ability to cleats, pilings and bollards. One can a fix to a dock or quay without the need to step off the boat, or adjust lines from the shore end. One rarely needs or benefits from a helper on the dock even when single handling your vessel. And of course there is far less hazard to crew if they do not attempt to step ashore.

The video linked below illustrates a proper method of tossing a docking line over a cleat, but the same technique is equally useful for pilings and bollards.

Or if you are experienced in steer roping or team roping on the rodeo circuit or ranching one can opt to use a real lariat and loop over the horns of a shore cleat.

Lassoing cleats is one of my party tricks. I try to do it every time I dock, whether or not I have crew, in order to keep in practice. It is much more challenging with the large diameter lines you use on a larger boat, than with those light lines in the video.


I do it differently from the way shown in the video. I use one hand, holding the working end in my other hand, and twist the coil slightly as I released it, so that it opens up in flight and lands around the cleat (or bollard).



But none of these techniques works with the typical rings used in the Baltic . Why in the world do they put those things on pontoons?



In general, throwing ropes is an essential skill, needed in many different situations. I try to practice with my crew regularly. Correctly throwing a line to another person is really important -- lack of this skill can greatly complicated any kind of docking maneuver.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

In general, throwing ropes is an essential skill, needed in many different situations. I try to practice with my crew regularly. Correctly throwing a line to another person is really important -- lack of this skill can greatly complicated any kind of docking maneuver.

And can be very painful for the receiver

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Lassoing cleats is one of my party tricks. I try to do it every time I dock, whether or not I have crew, in order to keep in practice. It is much more challenging with the large diameter lines you use on a larger boat, than with those light lines in the video.


I do it differently from the way shown in the video. I use one hand, holding the working end in my other hand, and twist the coil slightly as I released it, so that it opens up in flight and lands around the cleat (or bollard).



But none of these techniques works with the typical rings used in the Baltic . Why in the world do they put those things on pontoons?



In general, throwing ropes is an essential skill, needed in many different situations. I try to practice with my crew regularly. Correctly throwing a line to another person is really important -- lack of this skill can greatly complicated any kind of docking maneuver.

Originally Posted by StuM

And can be very painful for the receiver

I too have wondered why some quays and docks are equipped with rings, they do tend make it comparatively more difficult to ty to compared to bollards or cleats. I haven't med moored in places where they have them but watching videos in preparation for such tactic, I noted that they almost always toss stern lines to someone standing on the quay to pass through the eye and then return to the boat; there has to be times when there is no marina helper available and the crew must do the ty up with out assistance.
I rarely see videos where the crew or a single hander performs the med mooring without assistance. And indeed the tosses are often messed up, and / or the boat is not properly prepared with attached lines that are passed under and outside the lifelines and fenders are of inappropriate type or placement, etc. Thinking it through and practicing are key, I suspect many of the videos are of charterers and / or crews with little experience or guidance, albeit everyone messes up a docking from time to time and has to have a second go, or a third.

I'm strongly considering acquiring one of the mooring pole aids to extend one's reach and for dealing with the likes of ring. Reference video attached. I suspect that there are numerous types, brands and manufacturers of this kind of device. I am wondering how easy it is to set up the line on such mooring hook device; could one just have one such pole and move about the boat fastening multiple lines or does it require considerable fiddling to get the line placed on the hook properly before attempting to actually moor and thus perhaps require more than one pole so as to be equipped for setting multiple lines. The videos only illustrate the attachment of one line and do not illustrate how the line is set to the hook or how quickly one can set a second or third line with the same pole. Can anyone please provide guidance as to how easy and quickly one can set a line to one of these poles so as to be able to hook up multiple lines in quick succession. [COLOR="Red"]Edit after posting added: I found the instructions for how to set up the Hook and Moor pole with a dock line for the push or a the alternative pulling motion. One does require a mooring line with an eye to pass the line through and form the loop around the hitch you are connecting, reference link to instructions, now it makes sense, kind of like when a magician has to explain their trick, then it becomes an Aha moment. So my question is answered it appears with a bit of familiarity one could use the pole to set multiple lines in quick succession. http://www.hookandmoor.com/works
/COLOR]

I am left wondering if there is some special technique or pole contraption that would aid in tying to a bull rail. Does anyone have a suggestion to simplify tying to a bull rail while remaining on the boat?

I am never keen to have someone attempt to step off my boat when I am mooring so as to become a line handler and I prefer to have all the line ends controlled from the boat, not the shoreside, except at my primary marina where I place permanent mooring lines and leave many but not all of them on the dock when I depart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtAvL__eXGo

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by StuM

And can be very painful for the receiver

StuM, you one just need to toss one of these to the dock line handler, problem solved. Reference picture.

Whirling such a device appears to be a sure fire way of getting the docking committee to back off without need for asking them to back off.

Truth be told I do welcome assistance from time to time when docking by persons who are knowledgeable and who are likely to not get themselves injured. I have little worry about dinging my boat as things can be fixed, but fear someone getting serious injured. A neighboring sailor at my marina, [we are presently the only two sailboats berthed in the marina], has been of great help on two occasions when I have found it necessary to sail into the marina to place my boat in its berth instead of motoring in because my engine stopped operating properly when I most needed it [those two times are the only times my engine has quit working, Murphy's Law] and during both incidents was when the wind was quite strong so I was sailing directly downwind into the marina with the waves building due to lengthy fetch from that direction of wind, and then needing to beam reach through the marina fairway and then having to turn downwind into the berth, and the waves and swell was significant entering the marina and into the marina so quite rolly and far from optimal conditions. I so was wishing my berth was on the leeward side of the pier so that I could sail in and then turn into the wind and let the boat go into irons and slow instead of being pushed hard by the wind from the aft into the berth. My neighboring sailboat owner fortuitously was around and noticed my sailing entry into the marina on both occasions and quickly positioned himself to aid my docking. The neighbors sailboat was directly across the main pier from my berth and so his boat berth was on the leeward side. He aided by taking a hold of my bow line that was prepositioned and looped on the bow pulpit as I passed him at the end of my finger pier upon turning downwind into my slip, and he wrapped the starboard bow line about the cleat at the windward entry end of my finger pier and just by applying handheld tugging braking force to the bowline by letting friction slip around the cleat so as to slow the boat from plowing head long into the main pier at the leeward end of my boat slip. All very controlled and the boat stopped about one foot short of touching its bow onto the pier both times. Whereas, I was prepared to lasso a windward piling at the entry of my slip on the portside of the berth with an extended length docking line tied to the portside bow cleat and to similarly apply a friction wrap around the piling to slow the bow before it hit the main dock at the leeward end of the slip. I thought that I could slow the boat significantly but likely would tag the pier with the bow to conclude its forward motion, whereas my fellow sailor neighbor was able to completely slow and stop my boat with his friction wrap around the one dock cleat. Note that NONE of the power boaters came to assist in my docking maneuvers when I entered undersail, the reason being that they are not sailors and did not recognize that my motor likely was not operational which is the reason I was sailing into the marina and through the marina to my windward side slip and did not recognize the challenge that performing such maneuver involved [in rapid sequence as approaching the marina while surfing the waves and trying to not broach], 1) set docklines and fenders, 2) release mainsail halyard and drop mainsail; 2) go below to crank up the heavy swing keel so as to not bump bottom when passing through the marina fairway and in my berth; 3) maneuver into marina and fairway; 4) drop jib; 5) turn downwind into berth; 6) gather permanent preset docking line from port piling at windward entry to berth while passing beside the piling when steering into the berth; 7) observe neighboring sailor expertly take my starboard bowline from its easily grabbed position off the bow pulpit and make a wrap around the cleat at the end of the finger pier and slow the boat Captain Ron style. 8) Pass a cold beer to my sailing neighbor and aid my passengers in their stepping from my boat to the finger pier; 9) then on the second occasion, get to see the owner of the power boat that adjoins my boat between the finger piers step up from his salon and say, "Oh, Hi there. I was down below and didn't hear you come in." To which I said: "Didn't want to disturb you so I came in stealth mode." The neighboring sailor got a chuckle out of that reply, knowing the full facts of the circumstance and action involved. It would have been much less stressful if my wife had been aboard as she is very capable and could have shared in accomplishing the tasks, albeit she struggles a bit in weighing the heavy swing keel with the hand crank so she doesn't raise it nearly as fast I can with my greater upper body strength yielding more torque and endurance]. My passengers which had no prior sailing experiences were told to just sit in the cockpit and to not participate and to keep their hands, arms and legs away from the sides of the boat and that I would handle the situation all alone. The second time doing the same berthing maneuvering in adverse weather and with out motor, I did go forward and rigged my anchor to be able to deploy from the cockpit in case I felt that I would not be able to make a downwind turn into my berth and instead was just going to deploy my anchor in the fairway just ahead of my berth and then stop my boat with tension on the rode and let the wind swing my boat aft into my downwind berth with my jib sail going into irons and flapping in the then headwind direction. I had the opportunity to think through how to better handle sailing into a downwind berth without a motor and avoid tagging the main pier at the leeward end of my berth. The marina is rather shallow and has excellent holding bottom so a limited rode ratio would avail the anchor to hold adequately to allow me to just back my boat into the berth by drifting with the strong headwind. The third alternative that I came up with was to just turn my boat into the wind directly upwind of my berth putting the boat into irons and to then go forward lasso a line to the upwind boat or to a piling [or to lasso to two pilings so as to form a V off the bow] which boat and pilings are directly across the fairway towards the windward and then to just let my boat drift aft-first into my berth by slipping additional length of the lassoed line(s) operating the lines from the bow. Again a procedure that would be much easier to accomplish with the aid of an additional competent crewperson aboard, or an aware docking helper on the other pier to the windward side of my fairway. But you do what you got to do when you are single handling.

I have watched boats pin themselves beam on to the downwind finger piers and to make contact with other moored boats aft ends or bow pulpits when the wind or current pushes them into such. If available, I then just go to the upwind pier or quay and attach a line to a float [a life ring, or a fender, or use a floating line made of polypropylene], and toss the line into the water and let the wind drift it down to the pinned boat which they can then reach down and pickup and use to pull their boat off the finger pier or moored boats. I found that it is best to pass two lines to the pinned boats so that the pinned boat can pull their bow and their stern to keep a beam into the wind using two lines instead of pivoting just their bow into the wind. One can have the pinned boat pull on the passed line by using their winch if they are sailboat equipped with such or by shear human strength, or use a winch located on an upwind moored boat to pull the pinned boat off the finger piers or downwind moored boats. This is a very simple method to unpin a wayward boat from tagging into the windward piers, quay or moored boats and takes all the hecticness out of the situation because the pinned boat that was in contact with objects is then set clear of the downwind objects. One can chose to just let the then unpinned boat stand on the upwind lines until the wind or current settles or one can even winch the wayward boat upwind and ty it off against the upwind finger piers or pilings, or winch the pinned boats bow into the wind and then let its aft drift
back into an open berth to become moored. Note: The lines that are floated down to the pinned boat do cross the fairway and effectively block transiting the fairway until they can be removed but then it likely would be highly hazardous for another boat to attempt a maneuver down a fairway which has a pinned boat narrowing the fairway and which fairway is made challenging to navigate by the wind and / or current that caused a boat to become pinned to the downwind objects, so a temporary blockage of a fairway is reasonable, especially in comparison to having a boat remain pinned against downwind objects. Seen more than one pulpit and bow sprit damaged by boats going wayward downwind into moored boats and seen persons get injured trying to fend off boats that are pinned, no place for hands, arms, feet or legs to be deployed between two heavy displacement objects, just step back and let them bash and resolve the situation from upwind, even kedging or use of motorized dinghies to assist in pulling off is far safer than pushing away if the wind or current is hard on, or if waves or swell are involved. They are just boats and bits and pieces can be repaired or replaced, not so easy as fixing broken appendages. When an accident is happening don't physically become a part of it. Stand clear.

[TrentePieds]

I agree. The grapnel's a most useful device where the convention is bullrails as it is here in the Salish Sea. The device has been in use for hundreds of years, most commonly as an aid in boarding hostile vessels. Where I am, it's useful for boarding friendly pubs. Never leave home without it :-)!

TP

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

I agree. The grapnel's a most useful device where the convention is bullrails as it is here in the Salish Sea. The device has been in use for hundreds of years, most commonly as an aid in boarding hostile vessels. Where I am, it's useful for boarding friendly pubs. Never leave home without it :-)!

TP

Yes very useful for imposing a rafting alongside another boat, but those pointy claws do tend to leave a scrap and divot on their deck, work best with teak cap rails, or just hook over the boom where their sail is flaked. Hadn't thought about using if for tying up to dockside pubs, perhaps after too many drinks I could walk outside of the pub and have a go at hooking onto the outdoor restaurant deck, might be able to grab a chair and a table.

[AJ-SeaChange]

Your initial assessment and plan sounded perfect.


Never let anyone (Marinero or bystanders) change YOUR plan.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by LongRange

This situation occurred several days ago. I would appreciate your assessment, to help me improve my docking.

45' sailing monohull with a bowthruster. About 20kn of steady wind. I am in command at the wheel, and my wife is the sole crew.

We are reversing almost directly into the wind, toward two boat-widths of open space on a floating dock. To port is a med-moored and unattended larger vessel, about 70'. To starboard is a concrete wall with regularly spaced bollards. The wind is blowing at our stern, perpendicular to the floating dock and parallel to the concrete harbour inner wall.

It is our first time docking here. Most of the vessels appear to be on laid lines, rather than anchors. I cannot see anything that clearly looks like a reliable laid line tail in the space we are backing into, and I do not want to use my anchor for fear of fouling something at the bottom of the harbour.

My decision is to back up into the available space, and to moor side-on to the concrete wall on our starboard side, rather than risk anchoring. Fenders are concentrated on the starboard side, with mooring lines attached and ready to go on the starboard bow, midship, and aft cleats. Startboard gates in the lifelines are open.

The boat is reversing quite nicely into the relatively strong wind, and I use the bowthruster to make small corrections as needed. I tell my wife that my plan is to attach the aft (windward) line first, let the boat hang downwind from that, and then attach the bow and midship lines.

A man appears on the dock and is seemingly offering help. While I am focused on steering backwards, he tells my wife to throw the BOW line to him, which she does. I am peripherally aware that this is not according to plan, but I remain focused on steady slow backwards progress and say nothing. Mistake 1 on my part.

The man on the dock throws our bow line over a bollard, arresting our motion. I am not yet panicking, because I think I am close enough to another bollard at the back to throw our stern line over. I throw and miss. Mistakes 2 and 3.

Motion arrested and steerage lost, the stern of the boat is blown to port across the relatively wide open space, toward the side of the moored 70' vessel. Now it's panic stations. The guy on the dock is yelling at me to apply lots of power to stern, but my instincts tell me it's too late, and that would only slam us into the larger vessel at speed.

The bowthruster is near useless with my bow tied on, and what had been a controlled approach is now a mini-emergency.

I yell back at the guy at the dock to release my bow line, which he does, and I manage to power forward, downwind, and out of danger. I then repeat the approach, insisting on the aft starboard line being attached first, and docking is completed without further drama.

I was in command, and the mistakes are all mine. I should have communicated my plan more clearly to my wife, and to the helper on the dock, and I should have immediately protested his attempt to attach the bow line first. I lost my nerve after he did that, and made several errors.

Was his plan better than mine? In those circumstances, would it have been better to attach the bow line first, and then power against it back into the wind?

All critique is welcome. Thanks.

Other than going over the situation post-hand,with your 1st mate to make her understand that you stick to the dock plan, regardless of what others may be "yelling".. You got out of a tight mess nicely.. Although at the wheel requires that focus, situational surrounding and knowing what others are doing at the same time, may have help with some barking orders to throw the stern line. Best to you..

[BobMc]

The second most dangerous thing on (or around) a boat is a hapless (hapless) volunteer. My wife and I have gone in and out of our slip hundreds if not thousands of times. We are a great team and know exactly what to do (even in a new marina or dock we discuss it ahead of time and have a fairly good idea of what we'll be doing). Whenever a volunteer shows up (they're usually seen running down the dock from a boat that seldom leaves the marina) and stands on the pier expectantly hoping to catch a 20 ton boat and man-handle it into it's proper position, we politely (that's my wife) ask them to just stand by, don't touch anything, and if we need help we'll ask.

When we have guests aboard, we ask them to stand by to help in case we need them, but otherwise to stay out of the way!

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by LongRange

This situation occurred several days ago. I would appreciate your assessment, to help me improve my docking.

45' sailing monohull with a bowthruster. About 20kn of steady wind. I am in command at the wheel, and my wife is the sole crew.

We are reversing almost directly into the wind, toward two boat-widths of open space on a floating dock. To port is a med-moored and unattended larger vessel, about 70'. To starboard is a concrete wall with regularly spaced bollards. The wind is blowing at our stern, perpendicular to the floating dock and parallel to the concrete harbour inner wall.

It is our first time docking here. Most of the vessels appear to be on laid lines, rather than anchors. I cannot see anything that clearly looks like a reliable laid line tail in the space we are backing into, and I do not want to use my anchor for fear of fouling something at the bottom of the harbour.

My decision is to back up into the available space, and to moor side-on to the concrete wall on our starboard side, rather than risk anchoring. Fenders are concentrated on the starboard side, with mooring lines attached and ready to go on the starboard bow, midship, and aft cleats. Startboard gates in the lifelines are open.

The boat is reversing quite nicely into the relatively strong wind, and I use the bowthruster to make small corrections as needed. I tell my wife that my plan is to attach the aft (windward) line first, let the boat hang downwind from that, and then attach the bow and midship lines.

A man appears on the dock and is seemingly offering help. While I am focused on steering backwards, he tells my wife to throw the BOW line to him, which she does. I am peripherally aware that this is not according to plan, but I remain focused on steady slow backwards progress and say nothing. Mistake 1 on my part.

The man on the dock throws our bow line over a bollard, arresting our motion. I am not yet panicking, because I think I am close enough to another bollard at the back to throw our stern line over. I throw and miss. Mistakes 2 and 3.

Motion arrested and steerage lost, the stern of the boat is blown to port across the relatively wide open space, toward the side of the moored 70' vessel. Now it's panic stations. The guy on the dock is yelling at me to apply lots of power to stern, but my instincts tell me it's too late, and that would only slam us into the larger vessel at speed.

The bowthruster is near useless with my bow tied on, and what had been a controlled approach is now a mini-emergency.

I yell back at the guy at the dock to release my bow line, which he does, and I manage to power forward, downwind, and out of danger. I then repeat the approach, insisting on the aft starboard line being attached first, and docking is completed without further drama.

I was in command, and the mistakes are all mine. I should have communicated my plan more clearly to my wife, and to the helper on the dock, and I should have immediately protested his attempt to attach the bow line first. I lost my nerve after he did that, and made several errors.

Was his plan better than mine? In those circumstances, would it have been better to attach the bow line first, and then power against it back into the wind?

All critique is welcome. Thanks.

Your plan was good, getting lines out and warping in to a windward dock. The bystander should have minded his own business, though taking a spring forward and backing hard against it would have worked too, if the wind wasn't too overpowering. Anyway live and learn. Nothing went crunch so all is good.

[Auspicious]

I'll preface my thoughts by saying that I consider people on the dock, including paid dockhands, to be one of the greatest hazards in recreational boating.

Originally Posted by LongRange

I was in command, and the mistakes are all mine. I should have communicated my plan more clearly to my wife, and to the helper on the dock, and I should have immediately protested his attempt to attach the bow line first.

For context, I am an active delivery skipper. I have a discussion (okay, a lot of discussions on a range of subjects *grin*) on this very topic. There is a quiz at the end. "Who is in charge?" "If someone on the dock gives you an instruction how do you respond?"


From your (OP) description you had a reasonable plan. It doesn't matter if the guy on the dock had a better plan than you (I don't think he did) it wasn't THE plan. With all due respect, your biggest shortfall was that your wife did not ignore direction from the dock. Right behind that was your crisis of confidence in your own plan. You were doing fine.

Originally Posted by LongRange

Was his plan better than mine? In those circumstances, would it have been better to attach the bow line first, and then power against it back into the wind?

We only have your description of events and I am working with that. You are internally consistent. From you described stern line first was reasonable. I would have done something a little different (I'll get to that) but certainly NOT bow line first. Bow line first rarely makes sense and takes planning and communication ashore unless doubled back to the bow. My preference is to get a short breast line on first and pull against that to get a stern line on. Bow line is last. There are always situations that require something a little different. Never be too proud when things go pear-shaped to pull away, reconsider your options, and go again...just as you did.

Originally Posted by Shrew

Empower your crew to override/ignore the dock committee. "No, I need to you take this stern line, wrap it around the cleat and hold it there." When someone yells "Throw me the line" to my wife, she yells to me "He wants me to throw the <Spring; Stern; Bow> line!" I then advise which line she throws and too whom.

In my little world, crew don't need to convey the dock disaster person's opinions to me. They already know the answer. "No. We have a plan, thank you."



I have lots of stories, most including asking dockhands to step back.



I have more stories before I gave up on dockhands of generated excitement that need never have existed.


I'll reiterate that for me, dockhands and other people on the dock are the greatest hazard to recreational boaters.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I'll preface my thoughts by saying that I consider people on the dock, including paid dockhands, to be one of the greatest hazards in recreational boating.

...

I'll reiterate that for me, dockhands and other people on the dock are the greatest hazard to recreational boaters.

I 300% concur.

Amongst other examples, many times in the Caribbean the dockhands would take the all important first spring line, refuse to put it on the cleat so that we could use it to bring ourselves alongside, and instead just walk around on the dock with the line in their hand saying "you're ok mon, keep coming mon".

Now I guess they were more accustomed to inexperienced bareboat charterers, but sadly they showed their own inexperience by not recognising that we were twice the weight of the at the time common beneteau bareboat monohull, and about 25% bigger too, didn't have "Moorings" in huge letters on the side, and maybe looked like we actually knew what we were doing...

This is of course all beside the fact that were just totally ignoring the Skippers instructions too, no matter how many times they were asked nicely, told sternly, and finally yelled at to put the damn line on the cleat!

And when they finally did do it, instead of just putting the loop on the cleat (spring line led back to a winch at the helm - so to be tensioned and made off on the boat as required), they would start pulling and then with a bight of line start making making it off on the cleat instead.

[Pint76]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Good advice from all of the above posts.


I have seen this several times before where people with no clue call for a boat's lines, then pull like their lives depend on it, messing up what would have been a perfect docking. What's up with that???


NEVER TRUST a stranger on the dock !

"NEVER TRUST a stranger on the dock !"

[sanibel sailor]

Just happened to me this weekend. Coming in bow first (at harbormaster's request) to tie alongside with brisk wind over stern. New crew, literally "Minnesota nice". I told her not to throw the bowline first. Coming in slow, I tell the other marina guy to take the aft spring and make it off first. First dockworker tells her to toss the bowline and right over it goes, followed by the other guy handholding the spring. My other crew starts messing with a fender and manages to unhook the now slack spring line off the cleat, with the bow now being drawn in as the wind carries the stern away from the dock. Got ugly quick.


No damage, but sure wasn't smooth.