Solo Leaving Oversized Slip w/ Pilings

[deblen]

Originally Posted by Bayesnet

Hi everyone. As a new sailor, I am having a bit of an issue figuring out how best to leave my slip solo. The slip is oversized for my little sailboat, a Ranger 20.

Attached is a diagram of my slip which includes a small finger pier and 5 pilings to tie to. My current plan is as follows:

* Slacken the aft port line
* Engage motor in forward idle to pin the starboard bow against the finger pier by springing off the aft starboard line
* Remove the bow lines and my mid-cleat spring lines so that all I have is the stern lines to deal with and the boat is stabilized against the finger pier

Here is where I am stuck. How do I get both stern lines on the pilings while backing out of the slip (in a way that I can retrieve them when returning) without ping ponging around the pilings and the neighboring boats? The boat is small and far from each of the piers, so I cannot easily reach both piers from the boat at the same time.

Any tips on how best to handle this scenario? Much thanks from a newbie sailor.

Suggest :
Remove port bow line from boat & clove hitch it to stbd bowline just fwd of bow.
Remove stbd bow line,along with hitched port bowline & tie them to outer end of finger pier. Boat can't go far due to finger spring & 2 sternlines.
Remove port sternline & hitch it to stbd sternline.
Let stbd spring go & back slowly to Stbd piling. Remove & tie stbd sternline,along with hitched port stern line to stbd piling.
And away you go.


On returning,stop at stbd piling,pick up sternlines and make stbd sternline fast.
Motor ahead & tie stbd fore spring to finger pier.Boat is now secured.
You can take your time tieing & adjusting other lines.


Cheers/Len

[stevo_002]

Originally Posted by Benz

Make a permanent "corral" of ropes going from the outer pilings to the dock, so your boat is contained within. When you want to leave, pull the boat out backwards and leave docklines hanging from the corral ropes.
One guy had his corral set up so he could motor in, and his bows would be held tight against the ropes forward while the set up the other docklines.

Without question. This is the way to go if you want easy in and out. A loop from the “corral” lines can help once you are snugged in. Or run one side of the corral to the mid dock cleat and make a triangle to straighten you out.

Perhaps you might take a bowline in the tail of each dock line for ease of use once you have your favored position at dock.

Better than having a slip too skinny in many ways 👍🏼

[Peeew]

I have a similar setup but a bigger boat that fills the space more. But I find backing into the slip easiest. Back up, tie a stern line however long you grab it first. Boat goes into forward gear, stern line keeps it still, rudder turned in prop wash to turn the bow a bit, usually against the fendered piling. Then I relax, walk about the boat and grab lines with a boat hook.
Leaving is easy. Power in forward, untie and secure all the rest of the lines, neutral gear and toss the one remaining stern line into the dock.
This works well for me with wind from fore or aft. If crosswind I change which stern line is last.

[Mlp48]

I don't know what to say in specifics but I have learned this: do the toughest maneuver 1st and make your easiest last. If backing up is taxing, make that 1st. If you do the taxing maneuver last, and are tired, trouble ! I know it is not more fun in a too-large a slip. I have tried to help a friend and client figure out how to solo his narrow 33' sailboat and he's found that docklines with large bowline eyes help him. I've also gotten him a good array of fenders.. large to small. HAVE FUN

[marcmmmm]

OMG what a memory. I remember fretting bout this exact same thing in 1983 leaving Miami on a Irwin 27, my first boat. I just yanked on lines and git it moving outta the slip. It was light and I manually pushed it around so it was facing out and away we went. I was so proud. You will figure it out!

[NevilleCat]

Originally Posted by Tim Litchfield

Hi there from down under. I have a similar pen set up and what I do and many others at my marina is as follows; run lines from the pylons back to the jetty and set tight. Run a line across the pen with rings on either end that can slide along the side lines. This line can be used to keep your boat centered. Secondly you can ties all your lines together with tether lines so that after you pick up any of your lines down one side of your boat your just keep lifting them up. I bring my boat in single handedly like this in mild to moderate conditions. You just pick up the aft warp on the windward side first and then walk forward to get your springers on and then the bow line. Then the other side. If you have more hands better still. Hope this helps.

This.
Lines fore and aft between piles, a line across that can run with a loop for yr bow cleat, or stern, whatever goes out last.
You could also attach some light stuff from your dock lines aft of the spliced loop, to the poles through a block up high with a weight so that when you drop them they get pulled up to the pole, loop outward so easier to grab than hanging on a nail.

[sailingchiro]

Ok, I have a 20 foot wide boat and alot of wind (as much as 60 knots) typically on the starboard beam. I have tried many different ways. This is my process
Solo:
Unsecure all loose lines except mid ship and stern line on windward side. Then use my mid ship and stern line to pull myself to the piling. As I move the boat to the piling, the mid ship line and engines are controlling the boat against the wind. The stern line is draped over piling with engines in gear and balancing boat. I am exposed to the wind from the stern therefore port engine is in reverse gear and starboard engine is forward to combat wind and loosen stern line. The midship line is around piling back to me. As I reverse out of slip, the mid ship pulls me around until my stern is into the wind, then I release the line and pull it onboard as I head down the fairway to my port.
Coming in, I always grab my mid ship going into the slip on my port side. After securing, I power up to secure port side then neutral to grab starboard side. Have finger pier and fenders on Starboard side. If port wind, then more power.

Another skill I need is bouncing off bow fender to get stern out with mid ship line when pinned to dock with wind. I use it all the time.
This way seems to work for me. The midship line is my go to line. I can control the boat with just this line.

[sailingchiro]

In your situation if wind is from the starboard side, use starboard mid ship and stern lines to pull you to the starboard aft piling with your engine in reverse at idle if stern wind (out of gear with little wind), leave your stern line on the piling, the mid ship back to you as you pull out, using the mid ship to help you around the piling in reverse (typically I have to loosen to let the ship around the piling if strong wind with full port reverse power). As your stern gets into the wind and starts pushing you forward, release mid ship and retrieve. Then motor down fairway.

I have a 37' boat that is 20' wide in a fairway that is 50' wide with boats sticking out. I have inches when I pivot around. This way with practice has diminished the drama.
I had to leave my slip due to evacuation due to a hurricane and had little drama leaving my slip with 60 knot winds-solo. If you do it the same way every time, you are prepared. It is like landing an airplane in the 37 knot crosswind. If you expect it each time, it makes you better each time. I don't recommend landing an aircraft with 37 knot cross wind and I don't recommend leaving a perfectly good slip in 60 knots of cross wind.

[Bayesnet]

Originally Posted by Caleb_Grey

Would be easier to back in than back out.

It would probably be easier, but I'd prefer that the bow be facing the waves from the fetch over the river and wake from large boats.

[Bayesnet]

Originally Posted by Tim Litchfield

Hi there from down under. I have a similar pen set up and what I do and many others at my marina is as follows; run lines from the pylons back to the jetty and set tight. Run a line across the pen with rings on either end that can slide along the side lines. This line can be used to keep your boat centered. Secondly you can ties all your lines together with tether lines so that after you pick up any of your lines down one side of your boat your just keep lifting them up. I bring my boat in single handedly like this in mild to moderate conditions. You just pick up the aft warp on the windward side first and then walk forward to get your springers on and then the bow line. Then the other side. If you have more hands better still. Hope this helps.

Using rings on the "side lines" (not sure of proper word for those) is an interesting way of handling it. So you use a single line across the entire slip? Or is there a line attached to each side of the boat (like in attached image)?

[Bayesnet]

Like the idea of tying lines together when leaving to make easier to tie up when returning.

When leaving, how do you back out of the slip after tying the stern lines together? Won't the boat be blocked by the stern line? Thanks!

Originally Posted by deblen

Suggest :
...
Remove port sternline & hitch it to stbd sternline.
Let stbd spring go & back slowly to Stbd piling. Remove & tie stbd sternline,along with hitched port stern line to stbd piling.
And away you go.

Cheers/Len

[johnboyrtw]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Depending on how long the finger pier is, you may be able to use just one of the stern pilings like I do.

That's how I do it as a single hand sailor.

Max wind with this setup so far 65 knots.

Ok, I just had to raise the BS flag on you being able to control your boat single handed in 65 kts of wind. Being a sailor all my life, now 66, I just don’t believe you.

[edexter]

I agree with Gary Mc. We have a Rhodes 22, so we are usually in a slip that's too big, lol. We use lines from the doc to the pilings on either side of the slip; we back in, so if I am going out without the Captain managing the dock lines to the outer pilings, as we ease out, I use a long dock line to the upwind or up-current dock cleat, just looped over so I can let go of the bitter end and haul it in with the other end. I motor out til the bow is just past the outer pilings paying it out as I go; cleat it temporarily while I run forward and undo the downwind dock line and hang it on a long spike the marina has installed on the pilings; pull us over to the upwind side and hang up the other dockline, while hanging on to the slip lines while dashing to the back; throw her in forward gear, fending off the piling if I have to.

If we're in a slip without the slip lines, we do the same, just faster, and generally the Captain minds the lines to the bow; but it sounds like you have more a more challenging location, the Chesapeake is usually friendlier than that, at least when we choose to go out, and there are lots of protected marinas.

[SVFaith]

First determine which is stronger wind or current, combination of the two

Your boat should also have spring lines, preferably on both sides. You cabn do this with pilings as well with a "hanger". Be aware of your tidal range, never tie too short.

So now you know what forces are working against you. Lines that are not subject to this forces can be eased or run back to the boat [so they can be released from onboard, immediately before leaving.

Always be aware of lines in the water of course.

there are probably 2 lines that are holding you in place, either a dockside bow or stern line and a spring line dockside at this point

Obviously fenders are set to keep you snug agaibnst the dock, release the spring. last line under tension and motor out with a sharp burst of throttle.

Get off the throttle as soon as possible to allow your rudder to bite, its next to useless while the propwash is flowing over it.

I would also put some bumpers vertically on the pilings beforehand. Pilings are your friends, they keep you corralled!

[johnn33]

Run a continuous line through two single sheave pulley blocks; fasten one block to the floating pontoon ahead of the port bow. The second goes to the pile close to the Port quarter, with a looped pennant to allow for Spring tides. At each of two points on the continous line attach two short ropes, one with a spherical float and the other a line to secure your Port gunwhale. You will need to secure your bow painter to the securing point of the block on the pontoon. Similarly, an aft line to the securing point of the aft block on the pennant on the pile. Thus you can adjust the position of your boat relative to the floating continuous line, and then as needed move her hand ove hand on the continuous up to the pontoon for loading. When motoring or sailing away, drop three lines in the water and pull in the aft line before releasing it. Use your boat hook when returning to catch the continuous floating line. Other fenders at you discretion, but you will need at least a U shaped bow fender

John