Docking In Heavy Wind

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

? ? ? ?

(Emoticon of tapping foot impatiently )

Hmm... 1 yr n couple months... I suppose the requisite patience has truly run it's course.... Carry on....

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

? ? ? ?

(Emoticon of tapping foot impatiently )

Well andrew, I certainly wouldn't want your foot to get tired……………

WE did try this extensively last summer, although only in winds up to 20 knots, which made everything MUCH easier.

We found the best way (when the upwind boat was not sticking out pas the piling) was to back up to the windward pile, drop a bow and mid-ship line over it.

Now back past until the bow is clear of the leeward piling, tighten up hard on the midship turn the wheel and run the boat into the slip using the midships line as a pivot point.

When we got in, my crew released the midship and tightened the bow line, I then threw the shell hard to lee and gassed up. That brought the boat close to the dock at the bow. My crew was able to decide just how close, by the tension she kept on the bow line.

Meantime, back at the ranch, I had dropped a stern line over the pile as we came past, so there was no danger of my stern swinging into the leeward boat when the engine rpms dropped off.

My crew simply tied off the bow to pile line, when the bow was the right distance from the dock, and stepped over with a bow to windward dock line.

We also tried it backing in (med style) with the same line arrangement, although backwards (stern line instead of bow line). This actually worked quite well, especially as we backed in turning to port and thereby using our prop walk.

We practiced both enough that we got reasonably familiar with the maneuver. I'm not looking forward to trying it in 30+ knots, but I'm confident we can do it and get away with it.

Now for the course - should be offered this summer

[Andrew Troup]

Yay !

Talk about run with the ball ... give that man a beer, and or a crayfish, and or a week off.

You've got me sketching and pondering and (so far) trying in vain to find the slightest "ah yes, but what if...." vulnerability - anyway I thought I'd post this on the remote off-chance I do, and have to come back and rain on your parade.... <GRIN>

You're a gem, mate.

(I take it "shell" is a typo for "wheel"?)

And, when (just before that) you say the crew released the midships line, would she take it off the (on-board) cleat but leave it coiled on deck? or ?

[Jcolman]

A picture is worth a 1000 posts.

Perhaps this will help. I found these images on another site that shows some of the techniques you people have been discussing.

http://www.sportfishingmag.com/boats...ng-heavy-winds





Bonus! Leaving the dock using a spring line and reverse prop.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Yay !

Talk about run with the ball ... give that man a beer, and or a crayfish, and or a week off.

You've got me sketching and pondering and (so far) trying in vain to find the slightest "ah yes, but what if...." vulnerability - anyway I thought I'd post this on the remote off-chance I do, and have to come back and rain on your parade.... <GRIN>

You're a gem, mate.

(I take it "shell" is a typo for "wheel"?)

And, when (just before that) you say the crew released the midships line, would she take it off the (on-board) cleat but leave it coiled on deck? or ?

All praise is humbly accepted, but I fear I must give virtually all the credit to my crew. Without a very knowledgeable and talented crew (the wife), there is no way to accomplish this maneuver. (ok, I'm sure there's a single-hander or two out there that will chime in with how they have done it).

"Shell" is autocorrect for wheel. My crew untied the midships line from the cleat and left it loose on the deck, just in case it should happen to be needed again.

We tried this changing places, and I readily admit that the crew position is at least as challenging as the helmsman position.

Pleaase challenge away and I hope you find something. This is a very tricky maneuver if done in 30+ knots. Further up in this thread most have said they would drop the hook and spend the night out, waiting for the weather to abate.

Unfortunately, here in the Baltic, a good gale frequently last 3-4 days. Also, there are a number of places where there is little shelter from the wind and waves.


In case the thread heats up again, the challenge is how do you land a boat, with a 30+ knot crosswind, into a slip where there are two pilings (posts) set 5 meters apart and let's say 12-14 meters from the end dock. There is no finger dock.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Jcolman

A picture is worth a 1000 posts.

Perhaps this will help. I found these images on another site that shows some of the techniques you people have been discussing.

Docking in Heavy Winds | Sport Fishing





Bonus! Leaving the dock using a spring line and reverse prop.

Thank you for posting these, they illustrate the problem quite well. Here there is a finger dock, which is a rarity in my part of the world.

[markpierce]

With a single, main-propulsion propeller and a bow thruster, haven't yet had the need for lines to arrive at or leave a dock.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by markpierce

With a single, main-propulsion propeller with a bow thruster, haven't yet had the need for lines to arrive or leave a dock.

Yes, but here we are talking about a slip without a finger dock. Also - doccking in 30+ knots?

My hat is off to you if you've never needed to use a line going in or coming out. I've certainly had to, and I'm quite comfortable with having to

[markpierce]

It's good to have large mass and minimal wind resistance; without both, one could need muscular assistance.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by carstenb

All praise is humbly accepted, but I fear I must give virtually all the credit to my crew. Without a very knowledgeable and talented crew (the wife), there is no way to accomplish this maneuver. ....

We tried this changing places, and I readily admit that the crew position is at least as challenging as the helmsman position.

Do you take PayPal?

Originally Posted by carstenb

Pleaase challenge away and I hope you find something.

I can tell you mean that. And I guessed you would probably be one of those, otherwise I would likely keep any thoughts to myself.

I only hope my impression you represent an endangered species is misguided.

Originally Posted by carstenb

In case the thread heats up again, the challenge is how do you land a boat, with a 30+ knot crosswind, into a slip where there are two pilings (posts) set 5 meters apart and let's say 12-14 meters from the end dock. There is no finger dock.

Question 1: I presume it's the OUTER piling which is 12-14m from the perpendicular dock at the end of the slip?

Question 2: I have the skeleton of an idea for how to adapt your recently described stern-to entry to the situation you omitted to explicitly address, namely where the upwind neighbour sticks out into the aisle.

But it would take serious skills to pull off in 30 knots from the specified direction, and I think an absolute minimum of three onboard, preferably four, all expert. Which pretty much rules it out for any but a serious race crew, I would have thought, or a family who have sailed together for years.

Have you given it any thought?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Do you take PayPal?



I can tell you mean that. And I guessed you would probably be one of those, otherwise I would likely keep any thoughts to myself.

I only hope my impression you represent an endangered species is misguided.





Question 1: I presume it's the OUTER piling which is 12-14m from the perpendicular dock at the end of the slip?

Question 2: I have the skeleton of an idea for how to adapt your recently described stern-to entry to the situation you omitted to explicitly address, namely where the upwind neighbour sticks out into the aisle.

But it would take serious skills to pull off in 30 knots from the specified direction, and I think an absolute minimum of three onboard, preferably four, all expert. Which pretty much rules it out for any but a serious race crew, I would have thought, or a family who have sailed together for years.

Have you given it any thought?

Thank you for the kind words of praise.

Q1- Yes the pilings are 12-14 meters perpendiculary out from the dock at the end of the slip

Q2 - I have thought about this and we did try it one day at about 15 knots, but you are perfectly correct that it requires an extremely skilled crew who has worked together for a long time. It requires planning and there is no room for error or time for shouted instructions (when the wind is 30+ knots).

Here's our take. Sail up with you bow toward the (what will become) windward piling. Have your crew drop the line over the piling, back away, swing your bow out past the boat to windward sticking out, throw the wheel over very hard, briefly give it full gas, throwing the stern end right up to the windward piling.

Drop your stern and/or midships line over the piling, taut everything up (this requires a number of quick working hands, as the helmsman has to control the boat while dropping the stern line over the piling.

Crew now hauls hard in on the bow and midships lines, keeping the bow from swinging away, while the helmsman backs into the slip.

Helmsman steps off the stern, bows and nods regally to all the applause and drops a stern line over a dock cleat.

Boat is now docked, and the crew opens a bottle of wine while the helmsman changes his shorts

Seriously, - adding a boat sticking out makes this horrible and an accident waiting to happen. We tried it in calm weather. I don't think i really would want to do it in 30+ knots

But at least I have an idea of what I would do if I absolutely needed to.

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Here's our take. Sail up with you bow toward the (what will become) windward piling. Have your crew drop the line over the piling, back away, swing your bow out past the boat to windward sticking out, throw the wheel over very hard, briefly give it full gas, throwing the stern end right up to the windward piling.

Drop your stern and/or midships line over the piling, taut everything up (this requires a number of quick working hands, as the helmsman has to control the boat while dropping the stern line over the piling.

Crew now hauls hard in on the bow and midships lines, keeping the bow from swinging away, while the helmsman backs into the slip.

It may seem absolutely silly to say but if you are to do this make sure all dock lines are of the proper length and then some. If only for a few extra feet of line you were denied the applause you would otherwise enjoy. Don't be that guy. I've witnessed even well honed crews screw up royally due to overlooking one part of the puzzle.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Richard5

It may seem absolutely silly to say but if you are to do this make sure all dock lines are of the proper length and then some. If only for a few extra feet of line you were denied the applause you would otherwise enjoy. Don't be that guy. I've witnessed even well honed crews screw up royally due to overlooking one part of the puzzle.

You're absolutely correct. And just to make things more entertaining, longer lines are harder to handle, somtimes they get entangled on cleats etc.

Ahh the joys of being a yachtsman

[lancelot9898]

Now try doing this singlehanded. Not sure if you can unless you can control the spring line from the helm as you back in. I would think that the spring should be at the mid cleat and as you back, the tension is applied(with the motor) to keep the boat to windward. Doing this from the aft cockpit while at the helm?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

Now try doing this singlehanded. Not sure if you can unless you can control the spring line from the helm as you back in. I would think that the spring should be at the mid cleat and as you back, the tension is applied(with the motor) to keep the boat to windward. Doing this from the aft cockpit while at the helm?

I would prefer not to LOL

Seriously, I don't think I could pull it off single-handed. I take off my hat to anyone who can and acknowledge that they are better seaman than I